PORTUGAL - LISBON & PORTO AREAS 11 DAYS
 

Can someone please comment and advise on my proposed 11 day visit to Portugal this May.
I only want to visit Lisbon and Porto and not go to the Algarve area.
This is what I'm thinking-
days
LISBON 2
SINTRA/CASCAIS 1
EVORA 1
OBIDOS/NAZARE 1

PORTO 2
DOURO RIVER CRUISE 2 (or 1?)
BRAGA/GUIMARES 1

1 day over for?-
Batalha/Alcobaca
Tomar
Aveiro/Coimbra

Is this a good itinerary?

You're basing in Lisbon and Porto and doing day trips, right?

I'd suggest taking the train and stopping off in Coimbra - give it a couple of nights, you'll need a full day for the town and for the Roman remains at Conimbriga.

THANKS

Yes, basing in Lisbon and Porto and doing day trips!

Definitely go to the Douro valley. It was the highlight of our trip to Portugal. If you can spend a night there do it. It is quite a ways from Porto (but we drove there, I don't know how long the boat takes). Our trip was similar to yours. Loved Sintra, lots to see there. Obidose is small and you don't need a lot of time there. We did not go to Evora. Porto was quite fun. We went to many Port houses and the city is very interesting too. Have a great trip! We can't wait to go back.

Are you renting a car? We did a road trip several years ago starting in Lisbon to Porto back down to Evora and ending in Lisbon. We stopped at most of the places you have listed and enjoyed every stop. The drive on the Douro Valley was just spectacular and I would go back in a minute...perhaps staying at one of the vineyards for a night. Although a cruise sounds great also. The Roman ruins at Conimbriga were an unexpected highlight for us. The one thing I would do over is minimize one nighters. Your itinerary is doable. You could do a day trip to Sintra while you are in Lisbon. A lot depends on how you plan on traveling ie car, train, bus.

Thanks for all the info !
Would prefer to travel by train, without renting a car (am concerned about parking the car in Lisbon and Porto); in saying this, can rent a car if you think necessary and would appreciate being pointed to places that are best reached by car.

The only place you might need a car would be the Duoro valley, although not if you're taking a boat. I did it by train, but I'm not sure whether the mountain railways I took off the main line are still running, and a car would allow you to visit the wineries if you want to do that.

The only place you might need a car would be the Duoro valley, although not if you're taking a boat. I did it by train, but I'm not sure whether the mountain railways I took off the main line are still running, and a car would allow you to visit the wineries if you want to do that.

Driving in Portugal is very easy. We stayed in Sintra (4 nights)and our hotel had parking. We drove from there to Obidose and stayed over night right outside Obidose. Again, parking not an issue. We then drove to the Douro and stayed at Quinta Nova (awesome place) overnight. Then drove to Porto. We didn't drive in Porto, we took cabs, but aside from that we loved the flexibility of having a car.