Portugal and Spain Itinery - wine and food
 

Hello,

Been trying to figure out a good itinery to Spain and Portugal but still need some advice. This will be my first time to Spain and Portugal, and I am planning to go for 2 weeks. I want to mainly focus on wine and good food. Been doing research from bookstore and online, and I know that Porto and Santiago de Compostela (Portugal) and Rioja (Spain) are good wine region. Is that correct? And if yes, how should I lay my itinery. Also I would like to visit Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, and Lisbon.

Should I fly to Barcelona --> Madrid --> Lisbon --> home? Or should I fly to Madrid instead of Barcelona? Should I take train within Spain and internal flight to Portugal? Please advise.

Thanks much!!

Go buy a travel guide, read through it to see what really interest you then come back and ask more detailed questions. That's probably the best approach.

Wine

Alberino is the white wine of the North West of Spain and Portugal, also Vinho Verde (green wine) comes from the North of P as well. Port comes from the Duero and many of Spains better wines come from the Duero as well (though each country has a different name for it).

So Ribero de Duero has some fantastic wines, Rioja is close to it and next to Nevarra. Barcelona has lods of Cava houses and the Torres winery is worth a visit.

Madrid now has some wineries (mainly to access the tourist market but some is very good), around Lisbon are a number of wine regions.

I hope I'm giving you the picture that there is an aweful lot of wine here.

The trains in both countries are superb, only use flights if you really do need to make a big jump.

Welcome to Fodors forum:
It is impossible to visit Porto, Santiago de Compostela, Rioja region, Barcelona, Madrid, Toledo, and Lisbon. in 2 weeks plus have time to see something of the locations. you may also need time to get over jet lag.
Santiago de Compostela (SdC) is <b>not</b> in Portugal.
You will need a car to visit the Bodegas are you planning to hire one? If so hire on one country and return in the same country to reduce fees.
Galicia alone has 5 Denominación de Origen (Do) alone. Madrid does not have much in the way of wine production which is near the city. Two of these regions are well known. But neither can be said to be on SdC's doorstep
Oporto is known mainly for it's fortified wine plus there is a young wine called Vino Verde which is also produced in the area.
When are you planning to undertake this trip?
What type of wines do you like, what Spanish wines have you found in your research?

Don't overlook Lisbon. It is a wonderful place to visit. Check out the Hotel Avenida Palace, where we stayed. It's excellent, and very good price.

As already noted, two weeks is hardly enough time to do a food and wine tour covering such a wide area. On our last trip to Portugal, we spend more than a week in the Alentejo and only managed to cover a small portion of the region. A couple of years ago we spent two weeks in Galicia exploring the Ribeira Sacra, Ribeiro and Rías Baixas wine regions, which was not nearly enough time. Next month we're off to León and the Valdeorras wine region.

If you want to explore the Rioja and Ribera del Duero, then you should fly into Madrid. Plan on spending at least 3 days in the Rioja and at least two in the Duero. If you want to visit the Douro wine region, then you can fly from Madrid to Porto and then home from Porto or Lisbon. Plan on spending at least three days in the Douro.

You might also be interested in reading Marible's Guide to the Rioja for her recommendations (www.maribelsguides.com).

Robert you an Marible should also visit Bierzo whilst you are in the area of León

The single most important food region in Spain is the Basque country.

Consider flying to Lisbon, and then visiting Porto by train. You can cross the Portuguese-Spanish border and pick up a car and do a road trip that takes you to the Duero wine region and and the Basque coast, and visit the Rioja wine region on your way to Toledo. Fly home from Madrid (which is a great food city).

That means you won't see Barcelona however!

¡Gracias! Bierzo is on our schedule.

"Consider flying to Lisbon, and then visiting Porto by train. You can cross the Portuguese-Spanish border and pick up a car and do a road trip that takes you to the Duero wine region and and the Basque coast, and visit the Rioja wine region on your way to Toledo."

All this within two weeks? Please note that Toledo is located south of Madrid, nowhere near the Rioja.

Two weeks means 14 days, less travelling to and from home means say 12 days . Everyday you move location even around 200km that is another day lost to visiting and taking in your surroundings.

Sometimes life should be taken slowly.
Robert enjoy Bierzo. I hope the weather holds up like it is at present. You should be there in time for the vendima. Planned for early October at the moment