Planning a 2 week trip to Spain and Portugal in late Sept. - early Oct. which tentatively looks something like this:
Fly Phila. to Lisbon
4 nights in Lisbon (mode of transport????)
3 nights in Seville (train to Madrid)
2 nights in Madrid (train to Barcelona)
3 nights Barcelona
Fly Barcelona to Phila.
The part that is giving me trouble is how to get from Lisbon to Seville. For two European cities that are relatively close together, it's hard to believe there is no direct train service. I know that we could do a combo of buses and trains, or just trains to do this leg, but from what I've read, it sounds like a long, exhausting, wasted day during which several things could go wrong. I always prefer not to take buses and I'd rather not do connecting slow trains with luggage in tow. Rental car sounds out of the question because of the international return fees. So, my thinking is that a private car service might be the answer. I know it will be expensive, but if it's leisurely and we can do an Algarve driving tour or stop in Gibraltar for a few hours on the way, I think it would be worth the expense. We did this from Frankfurt to Prague last year stopping in Rothenburg on the way, and it was totally worth it.
Any thoughts on this? Any recommendations for a car service?
Thanks so much!
Car Service from Lisbon to Seville?
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Rental car sounds out of the question because of the international return fees.
yes, expensive, but I doubt that it would be more than a car service. The best public transportation connection might be Lisbon - Merida - Seville. Merida has a nice Roman theater.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/4175202768/in/set-72157622975757180
IMHO rental cars - even with a second company drop off would still be considerably less than a car and driver for two days (he will have to return to Lisbon).
And many cars in Portugal start out in Spain - and if you're returning a Spanish car to Spain - as we did for Hertz - there was not drop off charge.
Separately, I strongly suggest avoiding Gibraltar - just a big rock with nasty monkeys and really not worth the time - versus so many other things you might do. We drive from Lisbon to Seville via Merida - which has fantastic Roman ruins - never mind the option to visit Granada, Cordoba or one of the white villages.
You can also fly on TAP Portugal airlines nonstop from Lisbon to Seville.
Thanks for the replies! I did look into the flights. I have to admit, I'm a wimp when it comes to the thought of having to drive in Portugal and, in 1999, I had one of the worst experiences ever trying to drive into Seville. I did find a private taxi service that quoted a one way trip at about 460E.
Another thought I had was flying from Lisbon to Barcelona (cheaper than Lisbon to Seville) and then doing the remainder of the trip in reverse.
You can fly from Lisbon to Madrid (one hour). Take the train from Madrid to Sevilla, then the morning AVE from Sevilla to Barcelona, allowing you to finish your trip in Barcelona.
if you still thinking about a car service, try contact this company: info@haveawineday.com
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