How is the drive from Lisbon to Southern Spain?
Jan 6th, 2000, 05:54 AM
#1
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How is the drive from Lisbon to Southern Spain?
We will be vacationing in Sanlucar de Barrameda in late April and have found very inexpensive airfare to Lisbon. I have been to the Algarve in Portugal before, 12 years ago, and travelled there frome Sevilla on bus. I am wondering what the drive from Lisbon to south Spain would be like presently. Has anyone done this recently?
Jan 6th, 2000, 07:22 AM
#2
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I made the trip in 1995, and found the drive very pleasant. Not every highway was divided, as I recall (in fact some seemed somewhat small, for such a major route). Nevertheless, it was possible to drive like a bat out of hell - - one of my favorite "pastimes" in Europe.
Jan 6th, 2000, 09:04 AM
#4
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Jan 6th, 2000, 09:28 AM
#6
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Hi MLV,
We did the drive about a year ago, but overnighted in Elvas on the Portugese/Spanish border before driving to Sevilla the next day. (Elvas lives!). That drive took us a long morning, plus a couple of frantic, utterly lost hours touring medieval Sevilla trying to find our hotel. Six or seven hours sounds about right, but will depend on your starting and finishing points. The freeway through Portugal is fast (but they still tailgate you - a national sport) until it ends, boom. Then back to 2-lane until you're quite close to the border, then freeway again to the frontier. The Spanish roads, some divided, some not, are fast enough, and IMO not especially scenic, except for the cool Sandeman bullboards (you'll see).
If time permits, we'd really recommend lingering in the Alentejo region of Portugal...hill villages, great old castles, forts, big vistas, eucalyptus groves - our favorite part of Portugal.
We did the drive about a year ago, but overnighted in Elvas on the Portugese/Spanish border before driving to Sevilla the next day. (Elvas lives!). That drive took us a long morning, plus a couple of frantic, utterly lost hours touring medieval Sevilla trying to find our hotel. Six or seven hours sounds about right, but will depend on your starting and finishing points. The freeway through Portugal is fast (but they still tailgate you - a national sport) until it ends, boom. Then back to 2-lane until you're quite close to the border, then freeway again to the frontier. The Spanish roads, some divided, some not, are fast enough, and IMO not especially scenic, except for the cool Sandeman bullboards (you'll see).
If time permits, we'd really recommend lingering in the Alentejo region of Portugal...hill villages, great old castles, forts, big vistas, eucalyptus groves - our favorite part of Portugal.
Jan 20th, 2000, 10:36 AM
#7
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We did this drive in November, but we also chose to overnight in the Algarve. It was about 4 hours from Lisbon to Praia da Rocha and about 3 hours from there to Sevilla.
We don't speak Portuguese or Spanish and had no trouble navigating the roads. You might want to pick up a good map. We used the Michelin map book on Spain and Portugal.
Also, don't forget to get a few escudos or pesetas for tolls. I believe there were some tolls in Portugal. I don't recall any in Spain.
We don't speak Portuguese or Spanish and had no trouble navigating the roads. You might want to pick up a good map. We used the Michelin map book on Spain and Portugal.
Also, don't forget to get a few escudos or pesetas for tolls. I believe there were some tolls in Portugal. I don't recall any in Spain.
