Spain & Portugal Road Trip - Where would you go?
Discussion
Hi Pistonheaders,
I need some advice for a roadtrip to Spain this autumn.
About this time last year I bought a Cayman 718 GTS 4.0 to replace my Ariel Nomad – you probably get the picture. . .
I live on the Surrey-Hampshire border and largely leave the Cayman in the shed. I use a series of motorbikes to get around. On the basis of beating the traffic, manoeuvring round the world class lack of lane discipline in these parts, lack of parking and - if I want to press on just for fun – that I can make the space on a bike, and draw less attention. Contraversial maybe - but owning a Porsche and using it only in the S.E of England is a waste of time in my experience.
So I save the Cayman mainly for driving on the mainland.
What I have in mind this year is ferrying the car to Santander or Bilbao courtesy of Brittany Ferries. Then heading south down the Spain-Portugal border to the Algarve, through Andalucía, up the Med coast, and through Zaragoza and the Pyrenees and back to the Atlantic coast – so essentially an Iberian round trip.
I am thinking of retiring to Portugal or Spain, so the other goal to finding some great driving roads is to look out for some places that could meet the bill.
So all advice and recommendations welcome:
• Point out the roads that will suit the Cayman and lack speed cameras?
• What are the must-see landscapes?
• Where to eat and where to stay?
• Where would you retire to in Spain or Portugal?
I need some advice for a roadtrip to Spain this autumn.
About this time last year I bought a Cayman 718 GTS 4.0 to replace my Ariel Nomad – you probably get the picture. . .
I live on the Surrey-Hampshire border and largely leave the Cayman in the shed. I use a series of motorbikes to get around. On the basis of beating the traffic, manoeuvring round the world class lack of lane discipline in these parts, lack of parking and - if I want to press on just for fun – that I can make the space on a bike, and draw less attention. Contraversial maybe - but owning a Porsche and using it only in the S.E of England is a waste of time in my experience.
So I save the Cayman mainly for driving on the mainland.
What I have in mind this year is ferrying the car to Santander or Bilbao courtesy of Brittany Ferries. Then heading south down the Spain-Portugal border to the Algarve, through Andalucía, up the Med coast, and through Zaragoza and the Pyrenees and back to the Atlantic coast – so essentially an Iberian round trip.
I am thinking of retiring to Portugal or Spain, so the other goal to finding some great driving roads is to look out for some places that could meet the bill.
So all advice and recommendations welcome:
• Point out the roads that will suit the Cayman and lack speed cameras?
• What are the must-see landscapes?
• Where to eat and where to stay?
• Where would you retire to in Spain or Portugal?
On the way down...... Serra da Estrela, arguably one of the greatest driving roads in Europe, free from speed cameras and local plod. Outstanding views and tarmac from start to finish
On the way back up the Pyrenees, Port de la Bonaigua is a must stop,
The driving tour companies regularly do Spain/Portugal, might be worth having a look at their websites and working out what roads/locations fit your itinerary? Or one better, had you thought about signing up to one and going on a trip?
On the way back up the Pyrenees, Port de la Bonaigua is a must stop,
The driving tour companies regularly do Spain/Portugal, might be worth having a look at their websites and working out what roads/locations fit your itinerary? Or one better, had you thought about signing up to one and going on a trip?
Edited by sagaris99 on Monday 31st July 23:11
Picos mountains, absolutely every time. Some of the best roads in the world and very very very very quiet. As in zombie apocalypse quiet, which is what makes them the absolute best (IMHO).
There is a recent thread about a roadtrip where it was recommended by others for the same reason.
There is a recent thread about a roadtrip where it was recommended by others for the same reason.
sagaris99 said:
On the way down...... Serra da Estrela, arguably one of the greatest driving roads in Europe, free from speed cameras and local plod. Outstanding views and tarmac from start to finish
On the way back up the Pyrenees, Port de la Bonaigua is a must stop,
The driving tour companies regularly do Spain/Portugal, might be worth having a look at their websites and working out what roads/locations fit your itinerary? Or one better, had you thought about signing up to one and going on a trip?
I've noted these two. Thanks!On the way back up the Pyrenees, Port de la Bonaigua is a must stop,
The driving tour companies regularly do Spain/Portugal, might be worth having a look at their websites and working out what roads/locations fit your itinerary? Or one better, had you thought about signing up to one and going on a trip?
Edited by sagaris99 on Monday 31st July 23:11
sagaris99 said:
On the way down...... Serra da Estrela, arguably one of the greatest driving roads in Europe, free from speed cameras and local plod. Outstanding views and tarmac from start to finish
On the way back up the Pyrenees, Port de la Bonaigua is a must stop,
The driving tour companies regularly do Spain/Portugal, might be worth having a look at their websites and working out what roads/locations fit your itinerary? Or one better, had you thought about signing up to one and going on a trip?
Serra da Estrela sound good and had no idea about the driving tours. Any particular recommendation?On the way back up the Pyrenees, Port de la Bonaigua is a must stop,
The driving tour companies regularly do Spain/Portugal, might be worth having a look at their websites and working out what roads/locations fit your itinerary? Or one better, had you thought about signing up to one and going on a trip?
Edited by sagaris99 on Monday 31st July 23:11
DickDasterdly said:
Serra da Estrela sound good and had no idea about the driving tours. Any particular recommendation?
I've done a few Petrolhead Tours and can highly recommend, onky thing that stops me doing more is my bank balance.Spain, Alps and Pyrenees, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, USA etc - all regular fixtures during a season.
Outstanding trip, amazing roads, scenery and company, brilliantly well organised. Still in post trip blues and got back from the Pyrenees/Alps a month ago.....
I know there's a few others as well, can't speak for experiences on them though - Slaps Adventures, Making Tracks, Podium Tours.
Happy to chat offline about it if needed, don't want to make this entire thread an ad !
sagaris99 said:
I've done a few Petrolhead Tours and can highly recommend, onky thing that stops me doing more is my bank balance.
Spain, Alps and Pyrenees, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, USA etc - all regular fixtures during a season.
Outstanding trip, amazing roads, scenery and company, brilliantly well organised. Still in post trip blues and got back from the Pyrenees/Alps a month ago.....
I know there's a few others as well, can't speak for experiences on them though - Slaps Adventures, Making Tracks, Podium Tours.
Happy to chat offline about it if needed, don't want to make this entire thread an ad !
I'm going to have a good look at these as this wasn't an angle I was thinking of. Part of me sort of hates organised tours. On the other hand what I miss about the Nomad is the petrolhead camaraderie. We did some great small group tours of Salisbury Plain and longer trips in Wales with Nomad owners from across the country. Needless to say you knew you were going to be spending time with kindred spirits!Spain, Alps and Pyrenees, Ireland, Scotland, Norway, USA etc - all regular fixtures during a season.
Outstanding trip, amazing roads, scenery and company, brilliantly well organised. Still in post trip blues and got back from the Pyrenees/Alps a month ago.....
I know there's a few others as well, can't speak for experiences on them though - Slaps Adventures, Making Tracks, Podium Tours.
Happy to chat offline about it if needed, don't want to make this entire thread an ad !
DickDasterdly said:
I'm going to have a good look at these as this wasn't an angle I was thinking of. Part of me sort of hates organised tours. On the other hand what I miss about the Nomad is the petrolhead camaraderie. We did some great small group tours of Salisbury Plain and longer trips in Wales with Nomad owners from across the country. Needless to say you knew you were going to be spending time with kindred spirits!
Oh boy - this looks good https://slapadventures.com/el-camino/. Shame this year's trip is sold out.DickDasterdly said:
I'm going to have a good look at these as this wasn't an angle I was thinking of. Part of me sort of hates organised tours. On the other hand what I miss about the Nomad is the petrolhead camaraderie. We did some great small group tours of Salisbury Plain and longer trips in Wales with Nomad owners from across the country. Needless to say you knew you were going to be spending time with kindred spirits!
Definitely doI was the same, the idea of going to car meet-ups wasn't appealing..... and I'd been on a couple of early morning drive-outs around salisbury/southampton and really not liked the attitude to 30s, safe overtakes, sensible lines through corners etc
However, I'd say the clientele they attract seem to be above that..... there's strict '30 means 30' approaches to urban driving, welcome to go at your own pace if you bring a passenger, and always someone who appears to match your pace and skill.
the porsche would be right at home with others, it's a far cry from 'lads' in modded Golf R's doing burnouts.
As you say, the camaraderie is what makes it, and the knowledge that someone is up ahead scouting for cameras, tight corners, cyclists and other traffic. All the admin is done, all you need to worry about is the driving.
Have a look at the Rick the Spud videos on YT for a good idea of what we get up to - you'll see if that's your thing quite quickly!
DickDasterdly said:
Hi Pistonheaders,
...
• What are the must-see landscapes?
...
Just back after 2 months in the campervan so def can't opine on Cayman suitability....
• What are the must-see landscapes?
...
We have the SatNav on "avoid tolls" which makes Portugal really slow going. We find Spain a lot more fun.
Nevertheless the Douro valley is gorgeous: probably bad for the Cayman (we smacked mirrors with an oncoming van), the roads are very narrow in parts! But out and around Sao Joao da Pesqueira was stunning.
Evora worth a visit if you are going nearby
El Rocio in Andalucia is just bizarre - if you have any interest in 4 legged horses a must visit
The scenic routes between Logrono, Bilbao & San Sebastian were very pretty.
We have a soft spot for places that don't speak English - that is most of Portugal but especially north of Lisbon. In Spain we had another week this year in El Puerto de Santa Maria, following the 10 days we had there last year! We found Spain a bit cheaper than Portugal (yes - not what we expected!).
ps - hypothetically think of retiring everywhere we go. Has to be an hour or so from an airport so probably Porto (except Porto itself is overrun with tourists) or Seville (which requires some tolerance of heat - had 40+ there both last year and this.
Edited by Dukla2000 on Thursday 3rd August 22:18
OP - How long have you got for the trip?
I do something similar most years but approaching from the East rather than the North. It is a fabulous trip but if you're not careful it can become all about the journey rather than the journey *and* the destinations. It's tempting to try and cram too much in and thereby reduce the fun of the trip.
I do something similar most years but approaching from the East rather than the North. It is a fabulous trip but if you're not careful it can become all about the journey rather than the journey *and* the destinations. It's tempting to try and cram too much in and thereby reduce the fun of the trip.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
OP - How long have you got for the trip?
I do something similar most years but approaching from the East rather than the North. It is a fabulous trip but if you're not careful it can become all about the journey rather than the journey *and* the destinations. It's tempting to try and cram too much in and thereby reduce the fun of the trip.
Really good point. Probably about 10 days. I know how easy it is to look at the map and not realise the real world distances and delays. Travelling to a new destination every day also sounds fun in the planning, but can end up like hard work, and as you say you see nothing.I do something similar most years but approaching from the East rather than the North. It is a fabulous trip but if you're not careful it can become all about the journey rather than the journey *and* the destinations. It's tempting to try and cram too much in and thereby reduce the fun of the trip.
As a student I drove a leg from Biarritz to Lisbon with some friends in an ancient Citroen. If I recall correctly, there wasn't a mile of motorway. We were navigating using a school atlas brought by an American student who came with us. Apart from pee and petrol stops I drove that dash (more of a meander really) in one go. Despite the effort - which fades in memory, it did have the effect of making me feel that the Iberian peninsular is smaller than it really is.
I think the plan will ideally involve days off driving and site-seeing instead. So intersperse decent mileage staying a couple of days in places.
When you say: "approach from the East" - where do you start your tip and where do you go?
DickDasterdly said:
Really good point. Probably about 10 days. I know how easy it is to look at the map and not realise the real world distances and delays. Travelling to a new destination every day also sounds fun in the planning, but can end up like hard work, and as you say you see nothing.
As a student I drove a leg from Biarritz to Lisbon with some friends in an ancient Citroen. If I recall correctly, there wasn't a mile of motorway. We were navigating using a school atlas brought by an American student who came with us. Apart from pee and petrol stops I drove that dash (more of a meander really) in one go. Despite the effort - which fades in memory, it did have the effect of making me feel that the Iberian peninsular is smaller than it really is.
I think the plan will ideally involve days off driving and site-seeing instead. So intersperse decent mileage staying a couple of days in places.
When you say: "approach from the East" - where do you start your tip and where do you go?
I live in Luxembourg so usually head to SW France, Bordeaux area, for the first night. If I'm touring I'll take it from there and will include N Spain, if heading direct I'll cut across central Spain, depending on destination. It's a 2000km trip for me so early starts and a long 2 days. Coming back I tend to choose alternative routes so it's more of a circular trip than a there-and-back. As a student I drove a leg from Biarritz to Lisbon with some friends in an ancient Citroen. If I recall correctly, there wasn't a mile of motorway. We were navigating using a school atlas brought by an American student who came with us. Apart from pee and petrol stops I drove that dash (more of a meander really) in one go. Despite the effort - which fades in memory, it did have the effect of making me feel that the Iberian peninsular is smaller than it really is.
I think the plan will ideally involve days off driving and site-seeing instead. So intersperse decent mileage staying a couple of days in places.
When you say: "approach from the East" - where do you start your tip and where do you go?
I am considering retiring to Portugal so I use the trips as recces to see which areas I like. The motorway network in Portugal is now pretty good.
For you, 10 days is absolutely long enough for a great trip but it isn't anywhere near enough to see it all, so I'd recommend targeting specific areas. You might even confine yourself to Spain and make the most of that, with a separate follow-up to see Portugal. Whatever you decide, let us know; you're in for a treat.
CharlesdeGaulle said:
DickDasterdly said:
Really good point. Probably about 10 days. I know how easy it is to look at the map and not realise the real world distances and delays. Travelling to a new destination every day also sounds fun in the planning, but can end up like hard work, and as you say you see nothing.
As a student I drove a leg from Biarritz to Lisbon with some friends in an ancient Citroen. If I recall correctly, there wasn't a mile of motorway. We were navigating using a school atlas brought by an American student who came with us. Apart from pee and petrol stops I drove that dash (more of a meander really) in one go. Despite the effort - which fades in memory, it did have the effect of making me feel that the Iberian peninsular is smaller than it really is.
I think the plan will ideally involve days off driving and site-seeing instead. So intersperse decent mileage staying a couple of days in places.
When you say: "approach from the East" - where do you start your tip and where do you go?
I live in Luxembourg so usually head to SW France, Bordeaux area, for the first night. If I'm touring I'll take it from there and will include N Spain, if heading direct I'll cut across central Spain, depending on destination. It's a 2000km trip for me so early starts and a long 2 days. Coming back I tend to choose alternative routes so it's more of a circular trip than a there-and-back. As a student I drove a leg from Biarritz to Lisbon with some friends in an ancient Citroen. If I recall correctly, there wasn't a mile of motorway. We were navigating using a school atlas brought by an American student who came with us. Apart from pee and petrol stops I drove that dash (more of a meander really) in one go. Despite the effort - which fades in memory, it did have the effect of making me feel that the Iberian peninsular is smaller than it really is.
I think the plan will ideally involve days off driving and site-seeing instead. So intersperse decent mileage staying a couple of days in places.
When you say: "approach from the East" - where do you start your tip and where do you go?
I am considering retiring to Portugal so I use the trips as recces to see which areas I like. The motorway network in Portugal is now pretty good.
For you, 10 days is absolutely long enough for a great trip but it isn't anywhere near enough to see it all, so I'd recommend targeting specific areas. You might even confine yourself to Spain and make the most of that, with a separate follow-up to see Portugal. Whatever you decide, let us know; you're in for a treat.
Actually it's potentially a triple-purpose trip as I would love to take in the one of the final rounds of the World Superbike who are at Portimão on 1st Oct and Jerez on 15th Oct.
DickDasterdly said:
Great advice, thanks. That's funny, this is also a dual-purpose recce trip for potential retirement venues. I don't know Spain/Portugal very well, but my wife holidayed a lot on the Algarve when she was a child. Most of our holidays in the last decade have involved sailing in Greece - my dream retirement is a beach house in Ithaka with a boat moored outside. However, 'er outdoors prefers Spain or Portugal. So I said: "OK, let's go and take a look".
Actually it's potentially a triple-purpose trip as I would love to take in the one of the final rounds of the World Superbike who are at Portimão on 1st Oct and Jerez on 15th Oct.
I was in Portimao a couple of weekends ago for the GT racing, although I flew into Faro and rented a car (battered Fiat 500 in case you're curious!)Actually it's potentially a triple-purpose trip as I would love to take in the one of the final rounds of the World Superbike who are at Portimão on 1st Oct and Jerez on 15th Oct.
Ref retirement, it's worth visiting in different months of the year. Most of the Algarve is very different in January to the summer, with some resorts becoming virtual ghost towns out of season. I'm looking for year-round access, culture and facilities so am drifting closer to Lisbon than I was considering when I started my research.
For the road trip, exploring the Picos and maybe into Portugal as far as Porto will give you a mix of time to sightsee as well as driving. If you want to spend time on the Algarve a direct route down will give you a good few days on the glorious beaches. You're spoiled for choice really.
As an aside, there have been some similar recent threads that might be worth looking at for more recommendations.
ETA:
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
DickDasterdly said:
Hi Pistonheaders,
I need some advice for a roadtrip to Spain this autumn.
What I have in mind this year is ferrying the car to Santander or Bilbao courtesy of Brittany Ferries. Then heading south down the Spain-Portugal border to the Algarve, through Andalucía, up the Med coast, and through Zaragoza and the Pyrenees and back to the Atlantic coast – so essentially an Iberian round trip.
I am thinking of retiring to Portugal or Spain, so the other goal to finding some great driving roads is to look out for some places that could meet the bill.
So all advice and recommendations welcome:
• Where to eat and where to stay?
• Where would you retire to in Spain or Portugal?
Snipped out some of the OP - apologies, but those are bits I'm not going to cover in this post.I need some advice for a roadtrip to Spain this autumn.
What I have in mind this year is ferrying the car to Santander or Bilbao courtesy of Brittany Ferries. Then heading south down the Spain-Portugal border to the Algarve, through Andalucía, up the Med coast, and through Zaragoza and the Pyrenees and back to the Atlantic coast – so essentially an Iberian round trip.
I am thinking of retiring to Portugal or Spain, so the other goal to finding some great driving roads is to look out for some places that could meet the bill.
So all advice and recommendations welcome:
• Where to eat and where to stay?
• Where would you retire to in Spain or Portugal?
I have just booked the ferry trips for my 2024 trip doing pretty much the same thing, although we have 37 nights to fit everything in. I've not booked everything yet, but I do have an outline plan and here are my pointers.
Consider the Plymouth ferry too - it's much quicker and is a different experience to the Portsmouth boats. We're doing Plymouth out and Portsmouth back.
On the Portsmouth routes, you can book priority disembarkation if you have a premium cabin. This has only recently been introduced but should make a massive difference, particularly on the homeward leg. It's not available on the Pont Aven, which does the Plymouth route.
We always start in San Sebastian - it's a fabulous place. To stay, both the Sansebay and the Lasala Plaza are fabulous. To eat, just stroll around the old town eating Pintxos - we have our favourite bars, but part of the fun is discovering your own favourites
Logrono is an absolute must visit - try and make over a weekend for maximum fun. To stay, go for the Auriela Place - to eat, see above.
We are then following the coast - Gijon, A. Coruna, Porto, Lisbon. In Lisbon we're staying at the Corpo Santo - which was recommended by someone on here, and is a fabulous hotel. Between Porto and Lisbon there is Nazere - which (at the right time of year) has 100 foot high waves - the highest ever surfed.
I made a conscious choice to skip Santiago De Compostela - we may do this in a year or two as part of a "pilgrimage" on foot.
We're then doing Seville, Cadiz, Granada and somewhere on the coast for a few days - We've never been to any of these places, so that's all discovery.
Then it's Valencia - We've been a few times, but only during Fallas. This time we're going to see the place outside of Festival time. One restaurant I would definitely recommend is called Senia - near the Mercet Central - It's tiny, but the food is awesome. Hotel wise, the Caro is nice.
After that we're heading back to San Sebastian for a 2nd visit, via Zaragoza.
Barcelona is definitely worth a visit. Last time we went we stayed in the Wittmore. Lovely, but a bit pricey. Foodwise, Bar Canate is a 100% unmissable destination. There was another fantastic wine / tapas bar that the hotel recommended, but I can't for the life of me remember the name - I'll see if I can dig it out. We are definitely going to re-visit, but will do it as a separate City break - it was €45 / night to park the car - the same price as Venice.
In the Pyrenees, take a look at https://www.hotelvinasdelarrede.es/ - a lovely hotel run by a lovely couple. It's in the foothills, which may or may not suit your agenda.
As for where to retire to - I'd pick Valencia.
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