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Portugal With Smartours
Has anyone been on a recent "Treasures of Portugal" tour with Smartours? If so, how was your experience? Would you recommend it to others? Thanks in advance for a response.
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I have been to Portugal several times, but never on a tour. It is very easy to travel there independently. If I were going to take a tour it would not be that one. Not a lot of included sightseeing. One of the Lisbon hotels is well located but one is definitely not, and neither is the one in Porto. I suspect the group is larger than I would like, too. |
1. What do you think of Gate 1's 10 Day Classic Portugal?
2. I am 79 and my wife is 73. Do you think we could handle all the travel issues re trains, buses, taxis, etc. in order to get around? Neither of us wants to drive on our own. |
According to Gate1's website, that tour is not currently offered. In any case, if you are able to meet the physical requirements for the tour you should certainly be able to travel independently in Portugal, which has good trains and buses. Also, if you are retired, you could travel more slowly.
Fly into Porto and out of Lisbon, as the tour does, or vice versa. Take the train from Porto to Coimbra, and then on to Lisbon. If you want to visit Evora take the bus, as the bus station is more central than the train. There are plenty of day trips from Porto and Lisbon by bus (e.g. Braga from Porto and Obidos from Lisbon) and you could look into a cruise up the Duoro. For trains see: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en For buses start with: https://www.rede-expressos.pt/en I recommend getting a guidebook with good logistics information, Lonely Planet and/or Rough Guide. Note that the key to traveling by public transport is to travel light. I take one 22 inch two wheeler and a day pack. |
Thank yoou very much for the information.
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104882m, A year ago DH & I (seniors) took the Gate 1 10 day Classic Portugal tour. We flew to Porto a few days before the tour began. Joined the tour which we enjoyed very much. We stayed in Lisbon for a few days after the tour ended. Then we took a bus to the Algarve, where we rented a car and spent several days. |
It is $310 pp cheaper for us to fly in and out of Lisbon. Do you think flying into Lisbon and spending a couple nights there and then taking a train to Porto is feasible and then a train from Porto to Coimbra and follow your suggestion to get back to Lisbon for Evora, Sintra bus tours. Can we see Fatima on the return trip? |
I would get off the plane and head immediately to Porto, rather than making an extra hotel change. Do you have a particular interest in Fatima, because there are other sights that I, personally, find much more interesting.
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