Going to Portugal end of May. Scheduled for 4 nights in Porto and 4 nights in Lisbon. Considering driving from Porto to somewhere in the Algarve for 3 nights then onto Lisbon. Any thoughts for one base in the Algarve to explore the area?

Cards on the table, I generally always use trains over cars for long distances. However, this is a no brainer. Catch the train from Porto to Faro and hire a car in Faro. Your trip by car is just going to be motorway and the train is so calming.

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https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en
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Algarve, what to see. Tavira has a nice little centre in the east. The national park in the west is wild and the SW tip is of historical interest. In between is mainly golf courses and tourist towns of which Faro is probably the most interesting (especially in winter)

Either way that’s a long haul. 5 hours by car and 8 by train. If you have a total of eight days, I would skip the Algarve and split the time between Porto and Lisbon.

Agreed, and add that there is plenty to see in between.


https://flic.kr/s/aHsjqbGicw

more like sub 6 hours by train (air con on, a book to read and coffee to drink)

or a car at 6 hours

easy choice for me

Like Peter Towhshend said “ 11 hours in a tin can , there’s gotta be a better way”. Yes a vehicle where you can stop when you want to explore the castle ruins you see in the hills, grab a decent meal, stop at a local fruit stand, and not share a tin can with people gabbing and jawing on their cell phones. Easy choice for me