MFNYC

We will be spending a couple of days in Porto in early October. We are interested in seeing a little of the Duoro Valley. We are planning on getting a car because we'll be driving south after Porto, so we can get it a day early and use it to tour the Duoro valley. I've also read about some day tours, usually a combo of train and boats.

We wouldn't mind a little port tasting but it's not a priority, and if we are doing our own driving, it would be very minimal. We'd be most interested in seeing some countryside, maybe a small town or 2, and a nice lunch.

Any suggestions? Should we go on an organized tour, or do our own?

Viajero2

No reason to do an organized tour if you enjoy planning a trip and executing the plan. Even though Portugal drivers are probably the worse I've seen in Europe, you just let them go their merry way and drive safely. Portugal still filled with undiscovered gems so it is one of the best spots remaining in Europe for great independent travel. I encourage you to sit with time and patience and Copy & Paste some Portugal trip reports posted on this forum. A wealth of info from prior independent travelers.

helissatina

We just returned from Portugal last weekend and part of our trip was spent in Porto and the Douro Valley. Loved it! The countryside is absolutely beautiful and the people are lovely & helpful even if the language is difficult. Driving in Portugal was not a problem at all, regardless of the comments so many have made. We were going to do a train/boat day trip on the Douro, but wanted the freedom of having our own time schedule. With the help of our concierge, we mapped our own course and headed east to Regua along the river road. The roads are in great condition and signage is excellent, as long as you can read a map and have a good sense of direction. If you are squimish about twisting, turning roads at high elevation (the views of the valley/river/vineyards are magnificent) then take the highway which is a bit more inland & quicker. You can stop in Regua, a delightful town and then head farther into the valley to Pinhao. Most of the tasting vineyards are in that area. Have fun!!!

MFNYC

helissatina, that's exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Where else did you go in Portugal?

lreynold1

The really spectacular part of the Douro, at least at the river level, is the part east of Pinhao. If you can squeeze in the time, I always recommend the train from Pinhao to Poucinho and back. Then for the driving, I'd stay on the north side for some really nice vineyards and views, heading up to the small hamlet of Casal de Loivo, a short drive up from the town of Pinhao. And then just weaving around towards Alijo and other towns you see on the map near there will give you a great sampling of the area.

I'm not sure I'd do it as a day trip out and back to Porto, I just don't think you'll do it justice. But if you can leave Porto, visit the valley and then spend the night in the valley, depending on time of year and how much daylight, you could get a quick snapshot of the Douro area. And then continue on your journey south from the Douro the next day.

MFNYC

I'm hoping to spend some good time with my map, to plot a course, both for our day trip and also for our mini-journey south. I just haven't had the time, but plan on plotting it out, and then estimating driving time using google maps or similar, to see what makes the most sense given our timeframe.

At this point our itinerary, as far as where we'll be spending the nights is set.

clarasong

We are going in Nov and will visit Casa de Lovio..incredible little town, kinda scary getting there, and streets are cramped and not much parking, but walking around is fun...we did the train trip from Porto to Regula last time, all day trip, but really scenic..hope you get there.