Lisbon to Marvao
Mar 28th, 2010, 12:56 PM
#1
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Lisbon to Marvao
Rent a car or public transport? We hope to take a side trip to Marvao after our tour ends in Lisbon. What is the best way to get to Marvao and where to spend the night before returning to Lisbon? Thanks.
Mar 28th, 2010, 01:45 PM
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You really need a car to get there. It's quite a side trip as it's almost 4 hours each way from Lisbon so you'll probably be spending the night in Marvao. There's not much to see in Marvao and I wouldn't spend 8 hours round trip plus time to pickup and return the rental car to see it. I think there are 3 streets and a ruined castle but it is a pretty town.
If you're going all that way be sure to see Castelo de Vide as well; it's about 15 to 20 minutes from Marvao and offers more sightseeing.
If you're going all that way be sure to see Castelo de Vide as well; it's about 15 to 20 minutes from Marvao and offers more sightseeing.
Mar 28th, 2010, 03:21 PM
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Most seem to think Marvao is worth a visit, so I'm surprised by adrienne's comment. Also,I thought someone had written that it's a 2 1/2 hour drive from Lisbon to Marvao. Have others found it to be 4 hours away from Lisbon? Is the trip a lovely drive? Also, what's the best car rental choice? (I read many awful stories about Hertz.) Thanks again.
Mar 28th, 2010, 03:33 PM
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Autoeurope and/or Kemwel are always your best car options---check both. I would stay in Marvao at the Pousada and hope to spend a 2nd nite at Evora on the way back. Here are some pics that you may enjoy:
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3832
http://www.slowphotos.com/photo/show...y.php?cat=3832
Mar 28th, 2010, 04:17 PM
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Love the photos! Thanks Bob. What's average number of photos you took each day? Is 4 gb enough for 14 days?
Is drive to Marvao 2 1/2 or 4 hours long? After coming off a 10-day tour of Portugal, which doesn't include Marvao, I'm not sure we'll be ready for another long drive. (We are staying for 4 days beyond the tour to further explore. Trying to decide between Lisbon and vicinity and/or trek to Marvao and other new sites.)
Is drive to Marvao 2 1/2 or 4 hours long? After coming off a 10-day tour of Portugal, which doesn't include Marvao, I'm not sure we'll be ready for another long drive. (We are staying for 4 days beyond the tour to further explore. Trying to decide between Lisbon and vicinity and/or trek to Marvao and other new sites.)
Mar 28th, 2010, 04:46 PM
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I just checked Mappy again and got a different result - 2hrs 40 min - I probably misread the time when I originally looked - sorry. The scenery is not much to look at until you get near the Spanish border. You can read my trip report about Marvao and Castello de Vide that describes the scenery.
The least expensive car rental is Carjet with a pickup location at the Lisbon airport. I rented through AutoEurope as I wanted to pick up the car in Evora and not drive as soon as I arrived in Lisbon; Carjet does not have a pickup location in Evora.
When renting a car you need to be aware that there is a very large surcharge for not filling the gas tank - E30 plus the price of the gas. If you drop the car back at the Lisbon airport there is a BP station on the airport grounds.
4gb would not be enough for me for 14 days. I probably took about 1,000 photos but only kept about 300 of them. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra card as they are so cheap.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ortugal.cfm?59
Here are my photos of Portugal including Marvao.
http://modigliani.shutterfly.com/portugal2009
The least expensive car rental is Carjet with a pickup location at the Lisbon airport. I rented through AutoEurope as I wanted to pick up the car in Evora and not drive as soon as I arrived in Lisbon; Carjet does not have a pickup location in Evora.
When renting a car you need to be aware that there is a very large surcharge for not filling the gas tank - E30 plus the price of the gas. If you drop the car back at the Lisbon airport there is a BP station on the airport grounds.
4gb would not be enough for me for 14 days. I probably took about 1,000 photos but only kept about 300 of them. It wouldn't hurt to have an extra card as they are so cheap.
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...ortugal.cfm?59
Here are my photos of Portugal including Marvao.
http://modigliani.shutterfly.com/portugal2009
Mar 28th, 2010, 05:12 PM
#10
Marvao is a spectacular site, and when my husband and I were there last July, it was practically deserted.
If you look at Google maps for directions from Lisbon to Marvao, it shows two routes. The shortest is the northern route, which it estimates at 2 hours 39 minutes. The southern route it shows as an alternate is estimated at 2 hours 57 minutes. If you drove in a circular route, you could pass through Estremoz, which is worth seeing, and Evoramonte, as well as Evora, which has lots of interesting sights. If this area is not included on the tour you will be taking, I would highly recommend it.
You might be interested in my trip report (which begins in London but does get to Lisbon and then to the Alentejo if you scroll down a bit):
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
If you look at Google maps for directions from Lisbon to Marvao, it shows two routes. The shortest is the northern route, which it estimates at 2 hours 39 minutes. The southern route it shows as an alternate is estimated at 2 hours 57 minutes. If you drove in a circular route, you could pass through Estremoz, which is worth seeing, and Evoramonte, as well as Evora, which has lots of interesting sights. If this area is not included on the tour you will be taking, I would highly recommend it.
You might be interested in my trip report (which begins in London but does get to Lisbon and then to the Alentejo if you scroll down a bit):
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...rip-report.cfm
Mar 28th, 2010, 08:39 PM
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Thank you Adrienne for the wonderful trip report and photos. Nikki, looking forward to getting to your report tomorrow. I'm getting so excited - it seems like it doesn't matter what we do, since all is wonderful. Tour stops at Castelo de Vide but not in Sintra (unless we sign up for an extra excursion to Sintra), so depending upon the amount of time alloted for those visits, we'll need to decide where/how to use our "extra" 4 days. Marvao, or Sintra, or other areas in and near Lisbon. Sintra seems to be the place to play and Marvao the place to relax. Hmmmm.
Love seeing and reading everyone's information. And thanks for letting me know about timing and routes to Marvao. You are wonderful - I much appreciate you sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm.
Love seeing and reading everyone's information. And thanks for letting me know about timing and routes to Marvao. You are wonderful - I much appreciate you sharing your knowledge and enthusiasm.
Mar 29th, 2010, 04:08 AM
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I do not disagree with Adrienne.
I love Marvao, I try to spend there at least an afternoon every year, but... I don't see it as a day trip from Lisbon.
As Adrienne pointed out, it is a couple of streets and a castle on the top of a hill. It is nice to seat in a coffee shop, ask for a drink and spend some time looking to the landscape. The landscape is a few tens of miles of rolling hills into Spain or into Portugal, depending on the direction you look (Marvao seats on the border).
I don't want to discourage you from going to Marvao, but I'd like to set up the right perspectives, to let you decide.
If you look for a walled town, Obidos is much closer to Lisbon (1 hour driving) and very well preserved. If you look for quietness and a relaxing atmosphere, Marvao is the place, but with the cost of extra driving.
--> Adrienne, I loved the message in the tile in pic #6. Thanks for sharing.
I love Marvao, I try to spend there at least an afternoon every year, but... I don't see it as a day trip from Lisbon.
As Adrienne pointed out, it is a couple of streets and a castle on the top of a hill. It is nice to seat in a coffee shop, ask for a drink and spend some time looking to the landscape. The landscape is a few tens of miles of rolling hills into Spain or into Portugal, depending on the direction you look (Marvao seats on the border).
I don't want to discourage you from going to Marvao, but I'd like to set up the right perspectives, to let you decide.
If you look for a walled town, Obidos is much closer to Lisbon (1 hour driving) and very well preserved. If you look for quietness and a relaxing atmosphere, Marvao is the place, but with the cost of extra driving.
--> Adrienne, I loved the message in the tile in pic #6. Thanks for sharing.
Mar 29th, 2010, 04:21 AM
#13
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/marvao http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/obidos [click on Portugal] Both towns are lovely, but Marvao is much smaller. Bob mentioned Evora, another great town/city. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/evora [click on city] Richard
Mar 29th, 2010, 04:29 AM
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lobo - you will have to translate the tile for me as I can only figure out a few words. If you read my trip report you will know that my knowledge of Portuguese encompasses only a few very important words - obrigada, bom dia, and most importantly - estoy perdida!
granma - Sintra was my very favorite - lots of lovely things to see there. If you take the optional tour will you lose time in Lisbon? If so you can arrange your 4 extra days to see places closer to Lisbon on the west coast such as Sintra. Or perhaps also see things in Lisbon that your tour does not cover. No need to rent a car for Sintra as you will park it once you arrive and then not take it out again until you leave Sintra.
Evora is only 2 hours from Lisbon by train (east of Lisbon) and the fare is E10 each way. You can easily see it in a day trip. There is no night life in Portuguese towns so if you come back to Lisbon early for dinner and a late stroll you will not have missed anything in other towns.
You don't need to go as far as Marvao for relaxation as all the towns in the central part of Portugal that I visited were relaxing and had few tourists and locals around (outside of Lisbon which is a large city so you have a city atmosphere and Tomar which was the second busiest town I visited).
Even in Lisbon there are many areas where you can sit and relax as it is not a hustling and bustling city the way NYC, Rome, London, Paris are. There were no lines to see the sights and it is remarkably easy to get a cab in Lisbon and the cabs are very inexpensive. The only thing in Lisbon that is jam packed is the famous tram #28 which I did not take as every tram was full every time I saw one.
granma - Sintra was my very favorite - lots of lovely things to see there. If you take the optional tour will you lose time in Lisbon? If so you can arrange your 4 extra days to see places closer to Lisbon on the west coast such as Sintra. Or perhaps also see things in Lisbon that your tour does not cover. No need to rent a car for Sintra as you will park it once you arrive and then not take it out again until you leave Sintra.
Evora is only 2 hours from Lisbon by train (east of Lisbon) and the fare is E10 each way. You can easily see it in a day trip. There is no night life in Portuguese towns so if you come back to Lisbon early for dinner and a late stroll you will not have missed anything in other towns.
You don't need to go as far as Marvao for relaxation as all the towns in the central part of Portugal that I visited were relaxing and had few tourists and locals around (outside of Lisbon which is a large city so you have a city atmosphere and Tomar which was the second busiest town I visited).
Even in Lisbon there are many areas where you can sit and relax as it is not a hustling and bustling city the way NYC, Rome, London, Paris are. There were no lines to see the sights and it is remarkably easy to get a cab in Lisbon and the cabs are very inexpensive. The only thing in Lisbon that is jam packed is the famous tram #28 which I did not take as every tram was full every time I saw one.
Mar 29th, 2010, 05:11 AM
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We rented a room at the Dom Dinis in Marvao, if you decide to stay.
It is at the very top of the town right next to the castle and the views are spectacular.
Try to get room 3, I think, it is the one with the balcony. If they are not full they will rent it for one night.
It is at the very top of the town right next to the castle and the views are spectacular.
Try to get room 3, I think, it is the one with the balcony. If they are not full they will rent it for one night.
