Portugal. How long.

[David and Sally]

We have never been to Portugal and it’s on our bucket list.

If we wanted a holiday how long should we plan for?

UK to Santander or Bilbao.
Across the north of Spain and into the top half of Portugal, unless there are really must sees in the south.

Obviously a week would be too short. Three or four weeks for a decent holiday? Is longer needed?

TIA

 

[royandsharont]

We really enjoyed Tomar, last stronghold of the Knights Templars with a museum/castle and a municipal in the centre

if you wanted a rural campsite where tranquility is the desire, Camping Chevy Grande in almost the very centre was spot on, but no shops within easy reach on our bikes and no busses. It was so good we arrived as a stop over and stayed 10 nights only leaving when the rains came.

 

[Gaston aires]

Northern Portugal is the more historic part. Braga, Barcelos, Guimaeres, down to Porto. All great towns and plenty of Aires. A few weeks minimum for us. Lisbon, Setubal, Coimbra, Obidos all make a great trip. Stay on a campsite at Foz do Aurelho just south of Nazare the surfing Mecca.
Phil

 

[peterc10]

You could spend a month there and only scratch the surface. We love it. It has got something for everybody. Beautiful historical towns and villages, lovely cities, castles galore, spoilt and unspoilt seaside resorts and beautiful scenery. And plenty of places for motorhomes to stop. Start at the top, which is the most historical and least visited part and work your way South.

In no particular order I would suggest you look for the following

Guimaraes, the original capital. Lively little town centre with castle and Ducal Palace. And a cable car to the top of the nearby mountain.

Vianna do Costelo situated on an estuary. The very old town centre is a good example of sympathetic development and restoration.

Oporto, a lovely City whose fortune was based on the Port wine. Spend a day walking around the city, market and riverside

Peso da Regua in the Duoro Valley, where all the Port vinyards are. Get the train or a boat (or both) up and down the beautiful valley

Lisbon, the busy capital on a large estuary. It can take a couple of days to do it real justice. Buy a local daily transport card which covers the famous trams, buses, trains and ferries.

Monzaras and Marvao. Two hilltop fortified villages on the border with Spain with views for many miles. Elvas is a larger city version and also worth a visit.

Coimbra, yet another historical town, which is home to the oldest and most prestigious University in Portugal.

Foz do Arelho. Lovely beach on a tidal lagoon which is separated from the Atlantic by a sandbar. Relaxing little resort

Evora, Mafra, Alcoutim and Obidos are all old towns worth a visit.

And then you get to the Algarve with lots of seaside resorts. Our favourites are Tavira, Armacao de Pera, Praia da Rocha, and Alvor.

I am sure there are lots more we do not even know about yet.

 

[kev54]

As long as you can! We drove from Normandy to Porto and back some years ago. We gave ourselves 2weeks. The continuous moving on nearly killed us (Nearly killed each other!) Give yourselves plenty of time to stop and enjoy places. Go back another time if you can’t fit it all in.

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[Gina M]

We are going to drive to Portugal in August. I want to go along a costal route instead of the motorway. Has anybody on here done that ? or should we leave that route there until we retire, as it will take longer We will be starting off from Calais.

 

[Speve]

We got back last week we go most years for the birding our favourite stop is Castro Verde they have a lovely municipal site. At around €11 per night hard to beat, we drove down from the tunnel and to be honest it’s a lot of driving for a two week stay we would normally winter down there between Spain And Portugal which makes the drive worthwhile. Go for as long as you can we love Portugal and the wild flowers are absolutely stunning this year.

 

[kev54]

Ponte de Lima has (had in 2015) an enormous weekly market selling everything from tractors to knickers and food of all kinds, live and dead. We didn’t pay attention to the small sign in Portuguese near the entrance to the huge, empty car park that held one other van. They just built the market around us - from 4am! Nobody got annoyed, though I lost a bit of sleep.

 

[Lenny HB]

Will take a week or two to get across Northern Spain if you want to stop at the interesting places. On a 6½ week trip we usually only end up with 3 weeks in Portugal nowhere near long enough but too many interesting places on the way.

Have a look at my travel threads, links in my signature.

 

[Chrisvh]

You could spend a month there and only scratch the surface. We love it. It has got something for everybody. Beautiful historical towns and villages, lovely cities, castles galore, spoilt and unspoilt seaside resorts and beautiful scenery. And plenty of places for motorhomes to stop. Start at the top, which is the most historical and least visited part and work your way South.

In no particular order I would suggest you look for the following

Guimaraes, the original capital. Lively little town centre with castle and Ducal Palace. And a cable car to the top of the nearby mountain.

Vianna do Costelo situated on an estuary. The very old town centre is a good example of sympathetic development and restoration.

Oporto, a lovely City whose fortune was based on the Port wine. Spend a day walking around the city, market and riverside

Peso da Regua in the Duoro Valley, where all the Port vinyards are. Get the train or a boat (or both) up and down the beautiful valley

Lisbon, the busy capital on a large estuary. It can take a couple of days to do it real justice. Buy a local daily transport card which covers the famous trams, buses, trains and ferries.

Monzaras and Marvao. Two hilltop fortified villages on the border with Spain with views for many miles. Elvas is a larger city version and also worth a visit.

Coimbra, yet another historical town, which is home to the oldest and most prestigious University in Portugal.

Foz do Arelho. Lovely beach on a tidal lagoon which is separated from the Atlantic by a sandbar. Relaxing little resort

Evora, Mafra, Alcoutim and Obidos are all old towns worth a visit.

And then you get to the Algarve with lots of seaside resorts. Our favourites are Tavira, Armacao de Pera, Praia da Rocha, and Alvor.

I am sure there are lots more we do not even know about yet.

That is a really good pointer. . We are currently in Vila Nova de Milfontes on the South Alentejo coast. Gorgeous place for a couple of days. If you like seafood. Definitely worth considering. Beaches all the way down this coast are quite stunning. Consider Broken Link Removed if you like the France Passion style of farm sites. We have stayed on some absolute gems. But mainly in the North.

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[bobnick]

Great thread for me as we will be in Portugal towards the end of next month.
Only ever been to that Albufura place and did not like it at all. We knew it was not the real Portugal and vowed we would go back...........so we are.

 

[David and Sally]

You could spend a month there and only scratch the surface. We love it. It has got something for everybody. Beautiful historical towns and villages, lovely cities, castles galore, spoilt and unspoilt seaside resorts and beautiful scenery. And plenty of places for motorhomes to stop. Start at the top, which is the most historical and least visited part and work your way South.

In no particular order I would suggest you look for the following

Guimaraes, the original capital. Lively little town centre with castle and Ducal Palace. And a cable car to the top of the nearby mountain.

Vianna do Costelo situated on an estuary. The very old town centre is a good example of sympathetic development and restoration.

Oporto, a lovely City whose fortune was based on the Port wine. Spend a day walking around the city, market and riverside

Peso da Regua in the Duoro Valley, where all the Port vinyards are. Get the train or a boat (or both) up and down the beautiful valley

Lisbon, the busy capital on a large estuary. It can take a couple of days to do it real justice. Buy a local daily transport card which covers the famous trams, buses, trains and ferries.

Monzaras and Marvao. Two hilltop fortified villages on the border with Spain with views for many miles. Elvas is a larger city version and also worth a visit.

Coimbra, yet another historical town, which is home to the oldest and most prestigious University in Portugal.

Foz do Arelho. Lovely beach on a tidal lagoon which is separated from the Atlantic by a sandbar. Relaxing little resort

Evora, Mafra, Alcoutim and Obidos are all old towns worth a visit.

And then you get to the Algarve with lots of seaside resorts. Our favourites are Tavira, Armacao de Pera, Praia da Rocha, and Alvor.

I am sure there are lots more we do not even know about yet.

Awesome advice. Thanks peterc10

 

[cruiser]

We re going down to the Algarve For 8 weeks , Still not enough time to see all . But trying our best. Roll on the end of August .

 

[gwyntaxi]

We have never been to Portugal and it’s on our bucket list.

If we wanted a holiday how long should we plan for?

UK to Santander or Bilbao.
Across the north of Spain and into the top half of Portugal, unless there are really must sees in the south.

Obviously a week would be too short. Three or four weeks for a decent holiday? Is longer needed?

TIA

The longer the better, go for as long as you can, Portugal is an interesting country with plenty to see inland and coastal we have spent many winters in Portugal and find no time is long enough for me , enjoy.

 

[gwyntaxi]

We re going down to the Algarve For 8 weeks , Still not enough time to see all . But trying our best. Roll on the end of August .

Have a fantastic time, the Algarve will be fabulous in August albeit a little on the hot side maybe have a safe journey. I'm really envious, we haven't long been back from the Algarve would love to be back out now but sadly we've had our 90days allowance so have to stay put, Enjoy.

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[andyt21]

We have never been to Portugal and it’s on our bucket list.

If we wanted a holiday how long should we plan for?

UK to Santander or Bilbao.
Across the north of Spain and into the top half of Portugal, unless there are really must sees in the south.

Obviously a week would be too short. Three or four weeks for a decent holiday? Is longer needed?

TIA

Just coming to the end of a month in Portugal and we’ve grown to like it more and more.
Bilbao or Santander doesn’t make a huge difference as they’re only an hour or so apart.

We would have spent more time in the north but the weather was rotten so we headed to the Algarve where we’ve had three great stops. They are all owned by the same company Motorhome parks Algarve two near the coast at Tavira and La Felesia and one on the edge of the ancient city of Silves. The sites are all the same layout big pitches, electric available, good access for water disposal and toilet and showers. Well run and very clean.

 

[L' Hobo]

As long as possible! Just remember, in North at mid-winter, it can get very (-4C) cold and a lot of sites (if open) do not have heating in their shower blocks.

Fantastic Country but can be very hilly!

 

[PG]

Done the coast route many times and its a good route but not sure how busy it would be in the August. Porto and Lisbon are great as is Setubal. There is a great place to visit called Bacalhoa Buddha Eden in Bombaral north of Lisbon you can find it on google and camping is nearby. When we went dogs were allowed but don't know if that is still the case.

 

[jollyrodger]

Hoping to tour down from Northern Spain beginning of June for 6 weeks or so plan as I go using the usual apps and maps.

 

[Wicketter]

Currently here at the moment.Having a fabulous time.Stayed put at 2 sites this time.Put Portugal in search box of our
4wheelcamping
We sre at Ria Formosa at the moment will review site when I get a moment.

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[TonyEmm]

Great thread for me as we will be in Portugal towards the end of next month.
Only ever been to that Albufura place and did not like it at all. We knew it was not the real Portugal and vowed we would go back...........so we are.

The best thing about Albufeira is the Lidl!
The roundabouts are interesting too, but they’ve been let go a bit and in need of refurbs…. We’ve used it as a base many times, but prefer to explore the inland towns & villages from there.

We were on the verge of buying 17 acres up at São Marcos da Serra, until the U.K. property system let us down, on the day of exchange of contracts….

 

[madroy]

We have never been to Portugal and it’s on our bucket list.

If we wanted a holiday how long should we plan for?

UK to Santander or Bilbao.
Across the north of Spain and into the top half of Portugal, unless there are really must sees in the south.

Obviously a week would be too short. Three or four weeks for a decent holiday? Is longer needed?

TIA

Atlantic Coast is beautiful as is all Portugal 8 wks or more same fuel expense plus cheap living

 

[cruiser]

We have been before. Our favourite place's are Alvor and Silves. But will try anywhere around there. Any advice accepted with thanks

 

[Nickg]

We are travelling down through Portugal at the end of August for about 10 weeks. We always stay on sites. Will we need to book? Probably just ambling down the coast. Never been before and only planning on doing 100 miles per day max.

 

[TonyEmm]

We have been before. Our favourite place's are Alvor and Silves. But will try anywhere around there. Any advice accepted with thanks

Alvor is an amazing place if you want a different restaurant every evening!
I love watching the waiters fillet a Sea Bass at your table, with nothing more than a dessert spoon!

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[Neodave]

I know you said you were going to Portugal from Bilbao/Santandar but you will also pass some beautiful places on your way in Northern Spain. You have had some excellent advice re Portugal and I would say spend the full 3 months if you can, get yourself a travel guide for both Spain and Portugal do your homework find the sort of places you like and go for it. It will make a wonderful holiday.

 

[spikehcm681]

We can only stay for 90days at a time now - and we wish it were longer. If you "go for it" you can do Calais to Faro (1400 miles) you can do it in about 36 hrs driving - 4/5 days. I know of people who do the Santander/Bilbao ferries to the Algarve in a oner (625 miles 16 hours - but most do it with an overnight stop.

One factor is the time of year. From November to April you might want to enjoy some winter warmth on the Algarve. (If you like the Costas - go for the central bit between Lagos and Olhao, it's less commercial at either end). But it gets very hot on the south coast from to June to September (it's already in the upper 20s here now).

The west coast is one long beach (apart from a few bits) and the climate is a little more influenced by the Atlantic.

There's something for everyone - parts of Portugal are suffering to depopulation and nature is taking these bits back (e.g. in the extreme North East). Lots of history - castles everywhere and a of Moorish influence (anywhere you see the prefix "Al")

And if you're going to Northern Portugal you won't want to miss a peek at the Picos de Europa in Asturias on the way.

We did a wizz round over a period of a month the first time we came here but if you really want to soak up the atmosphere you'll need much longer.

I haven't seen much mention of the Portuguese people in the preceding posts - they are (generally) quieter than there Iberian neighbours but do have their " amanha" attitude. They seem to have a more realistic/sustainable view to running a business.

But whatever you do - when you have been here - please don't tell anyone how lovely it is, we'd like to keep it this way!

 

[peterc10]

We are travelling down through Portugal at the end of August for about 10 weeks. We always stay on sites. Will we need to book? Probably just ambling down the coast. Never been before and only planning on doing 100 miles per day max.

No need to book usually. Get the ACSI low season discount card as you can save money. Outside the Algarve you may well find sites close earlier in the year than the UK ones. In the Algarve some sites and Camper stops get busier in the winter when the snowbirds from Northern Europe come down for their winter sun. Having said than most but not all of them prefer Spain.

 

[Darling]

Great motorhome stopover in Porto overlooking river short walk into centre

 

[nicholsong]

We have never been to Portugal and it’s on our bucket list.

If we wanted a holiday how long should we plan for?

UK to Santander or Bilbao.
Across the north of Spain and into the top half of Portugal, unless there are really must sees in the south.

Obviously a week would be too short. Three or four weeks for a decent holiday? Is longer needed?

TIA

If you want to see some of N. Spain and Portugal I would say the ferry is essential.

I would also guess that 6 weeks might be better than 4.

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