Portugal and Spain - How much time?
Aug 23rd, 2007, 07:42 AM
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Portugal and Spain - How much time?
We are searching for guidance as we begin to plan a first trip to Spain and Portugal. We will travel for four weeks beginning late March 2008.
Our thought has been to fly from the USA to Barcelona, rent a car when we leave there, concluding our trip in Lisbon and fly home from there. We are open to advice on this.
Further, we could use advice as to how experienced Fodorites would divide the four weeks between Spain and Portugal. Our interests are exploring the countryside, the coasts, and a smattering of cities mixed in. We also enjoy good food, good drink, and music. As always, your ideas are appreciated.
Our thought has been to fly from the USA to Barcelona, rent a car when we leave there, concluding our trip in Lisbon and fly home from there. We are open to advice on this.
Further, we could use advice as to how experienced Fodorites would divide the four weeks between Spain and Portugal. Our interests are exploring the countryside, the coasts, and a smattering of cities mixed in. We also enjoy good food, good drink, and music. As always, your ideas are appreciated.
Aug 26th, 2007, 05:27 PM
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Hi, GBC,
Sounds like a very fun trip. I think your starting and ending points give you three obvious main choices.
-- Barcelona then north to the northern coast of Spain, along the coast visiting San Sebastian, Bilbao, Oviedo maybe, and lots of beautiful towns on the coast (Castro Urdiales, Llanes, Ribadesella, to name a few), off the coast at Ribadeo, down through Santiago de Compostela, then south to Lisbon. There's lots to see and do in Northern Portugal as well.
-- Barcelona through Madrid, then southwest to Portugal, visiting Extremadura (Caceres, Trujillo, and Merida would be my three top choices in Spain), then across Lisbon through the Alentejo region (lots of wonderful places to visit here, and they are described in many posts on this forum)
-- Barcelona along the southern coast of Spain, visiting Andalucia (Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada are probably the "must see" cities in the south), then Cadiz, then into Portugal and the Algarve (southern coast of Portugal) and up to Lisbon.
The northern coast of Spain is absolutely spectacular (I just recently walked nearly all of it, from Irun to Ribadeo and then down to Santiago). I was there in May-June and the beaches were deserted, georgeous scenery, green carpets with sheer cliffs dropping down to long sandy beaches. March, of course, can be rainy. (But now is supposedly the "non rainy" time in northern Spain and I know people walking there now and they've had day after day of rain, so there is no guarantee).
The southern coast is likely to be sunnier, but tends to be developed with row after row of high rise condos (with some exceptions, like Peniscola, where I have eaten outstanding paella by the way). The beaches can't hold a candle to the beaches in the north (just my opinion, of course)
The "no coast" option down to Madrid doesn't have too much between Barcelona and Madrid, but there are several nice monasteries not too far off route. After southwestern Spain and the three cities I mentioned earlier, the route takes you through my favorite region in Portugal, the Alentejo, with castle towns like Monsaraz and Marvao, and Arraiolos has a great pousada.
This is a tough decision, but certainly a fun one to make!
Sounds like a very fun trip. I think your starting and ending points give you three obvious main choices.
-- Barcelona then north to the northern coast of Spain, along the coast visiting San Sebastian, Bilbao, Oviedo maybe, and lots of beautiful towns on the coast (Castro Urdiales, Llanes, Ribadesella, to name a few), off the coast at Ribadeo, down through Santiago de Compostela, then south to Lisbon. There's lots to see and do in Northern Portugal as well.
-- Barcelona through Madrid, then southwest to Portugal, visiting Extremadura (Caceres, Trujillo, and Merida would be my three top choices in Spain), then across Lisbon through the Alentejo region (lots of wonderful places to visit here, and they are described in many posts on this forum)
-- Barcelona along the southern coast of Spain, visiting Andalucia (Sevilla, Cordoba and Granada are probably the "must see" cities in the south), then Cadiz, then into Portugal and the Algarve (southern coast of Portugal) and up to Lisbon.
The northern coast of Spain is absolutely spectacular (I just recently walked nearly all of it, from Irun to Ribadeo and then down to Santiago). I was there in May-June and the beaches were deserted, georgeous scenery, green carpets with sheer cliffs dropping down to long sandy beaches. March, of course, can be rainy. (But now is supposedly the "non rainy" time in northern Spain and I know people walking there now and they've had day after day of rain, so there is no guarantee).
The southern coast is likely to be sunnier, but tends to be developed with row after row of high rise condos (with some exceptions, like Peniscola, where I have eaten outstanding paella by the way). The beaches can't hold a candle to the beaches in the north (just my opinion, of course)
The "no coast" option down to Madrid doesn't have too much between Barcelona and Madrid, but there are several nice monasteries not too far off route. After southwestern Spain and the three cities I mentioned earlier, the route takes you through my favorite region in Portugal, the Alentejo, with castle towns like Monsaraz and Marvao, and Arraiolos has a great pousada.
This is a tough decision, but certainly a fun one to make!
Aug 27th, 2007, 01:13 AM
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Hi Ireynold1, thanks. The time you have taken to provide us with so much detail from your personal experience is really appreciated. We will explore your suggestions with our maps. GBC
Aug 27th, 2007, 02:22 AM
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<< ... Our thought has been to fly from the USA to Barcelona, rent a car when we leave there, concluding our trip in Lisbon and fly home from there. We are open to advice on this. ... >>
Rent a car in Barcelona with the idea of dropping it off in Lisbon is not a good idea! It would be VERY expensive
Late March there will be snow on the Picos de Europa (Asturias & western Cantabria). You could run into some wintry weather along the north coast.
Andalucia will be much more welcoming weather-wise although March/April are considered the showery season.
Since this is your first trip, why not Barcelona, Madrid & Sevilla?
Rent a car in Barcelona with the idea of dropping it off in Lisbon is not a good idea! It would be VERY expensive
Late March there will be snow on the Picos de Europa (Asturias & western Cantabria). You could run into some wintry weather along the north coast.
Andalucia will be much more welcoming weather-wise although March/April are considered the showery season.
Since this is your first trip, why not Barcelona, Madrid & Sevilla?
Aug 27th, 2007, 09:53 AM
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I highly value the comments and advice of our esteemed Lobo and Nedsireland, but I would just say that last March I had a lovely trip in northern Spain and we spent time on the coast at and near Baiona. Sunny spring weather, not swimming weather, but very pleasant. But I agree that venturing into the Picos is more likely to bring bad weather. anyway, GBC is going to be there for a month beginning late March, so much of this travel will take place in April.
I could easily spend a month traveling in either Spain or Portugal, but I think that a month is long enough to take the Barcelona to Lisbon trip GBC mentioned without feeling terribly rushed.
I could easily spend a month traveling in either Spain or Portugal, but I think that a month is long enough to take the Barcelona to Lisbon trip GBC mentioned without feeling terribly rushed.
