Portugal
 

We will have had 4 days in Lisbon and am trying to decide what to do our last 4 days. (We will have already visited Evora and much of Spain, 5 week trip). Here are my beginning thoughts.
Monday , May 30- leave Lisbon-visit Obidos and Batalha and then drive to Tomar (spend 2 nights in Tomar
Tues. Visit sites from Tomar
Wed. Depart and head to Salamanca
Thurs. Day in Salamanca
Friday-Leave at about 8:30 for a 2:15 flight out of Madrid.
Thought about going to Bucaco or visit one of the towns along the water but not sure. Do we need to make reservations ahead of time for late May early June.Thanks for your input.

You are on the right track, but do not stay in Tomar.
Stay in Obidos---see Batahla and Nazare---then drive to Marvao, a special place. Then, on to Salamanca but stop in Ciudad Rodrigo if you have time. You will love Salamanca.

I don't know if you need to spend two nights in Tomar, but its monastery should definitely be seen. I preferred it to Batalha.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mksfca/...7623788386374/

We just got back from Portugal and visited most places you mentioned. You can read about our impressions and see our pics on our trip report: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...l-20102011.cfm

Oporto up to Santiago in Spain my fav great vibe

if you have not been...Green Portugal and Spain

are very special...

I would echo the bobthenavigator's thoughts. I wouldn't pick Tomar for my one stop on the road in Portugal. It's a nice town, the convent is unique and extremely interesting, but if you only have two nights on the road from Lisbon to Madrid, I would consider other options.

I agree with Bob that the Obidos/Batalha (or Alcobaca)/Nazare route would be very nice, and Marvao is a very special place, but I would think that the best way to do that journey would be to break up the two nights into two places -- maybe one in Obidos, one in Marvao. It's about 600 km from Obidos-Marvao-Salamanca. Surely do-able, but a lot of driving in a day, especially if you add in a stop in Marvao. With a night in marvao, the drive to Salamanca should be 4-5 hours, and it's mostly super-highway.

I don't know where you will have been in Spain, since you will have been traveling for 5 weeks, and I do love Salamanca, but Caceres could be an alternative that would make the driving less circuituous. Lots of posters here have said things like -- if this place were in Tuscany it would be overrun by tourists. Its Renaissance old town is beautiful, there are moorish baths, romanesque churches, beautiful plazas, good food (if you like "hearty", and by that I don't mean "heart-healthy"). It would slice a few hundred kms off the drive and is a warm and welcoming place. And it's very close to Merida, which is a must see stop for those enamored of Roman ruins. But then you may have these places on your itinerary already.

Tons of choices, I know!

In Spain, we will have spent time in Madrid, Basque, Barcelona, Alhambra, Ronda,& Sevilla (day trip to Cordoba). Thanks for the info on Caceres, I will look into that as well.

I agree, Caceres is a better option.

Day 1- leave Lisbon early and go to Obidos then to Nazare and then to Batahla (overnite)
Day 2 visit monastery if we were not able to see it when we arrived at Batahla and then drive to Marvao
Day 3 & 4 spend time in Marvao and then drive to Salamanca for 2 nights
Day 5 drive to Madrid for a 2:15 flight.
How long will it take to drive from Salamanca to Madrid?About how long will we need to visit the monastery and Batahla, What should we do/see in Nazare. Any other thoughts???