Spain and Portugal-good or bad
 

I have been to Europe a number of times but have never been to Spain or Portugal.I am wondering what the feeling is about a 3 week visit in May.Is it a good or bad place to visit ? Any feedback would be appreciated.

We had a great time this past fall - I posted a trip report (that is still in progress) that should be easy to find.

It was our first trip to both of those countries, and I definitely want to go back and visit areas we missed, and also to spend more time in Barcelona!

Search for threads involving Maribel, who is one of the Spain experts here - her "famous files" really helped with our trip.

We went to Portugal last summer and had a really nice time. Lisbon is a nice, moderate sized city, with several wide avenues, reminisciant of Paris. Within 30 minutes, by either car of train, are several nice beach towns, such as Estoril and Cascais, that can make for a nice sidetrip. In addition, Sintra is easily accessible by car or rail.

If you want to spend a few days at the beach, the Algarve region has some really little towns and wonderful beaches.

One note, a big Soccer tournament (the UEFA Cup) is scheduled for Portugal this year. I believe it starts in early June. Not sure I'd want to be in Portugal when the fans start arriving.

One note about Portugal, we found airfares from the US to Lisbon to be quite high, relative to other places in Europe. There are few US direct flights, which is part of the reason.

How could they be bad places to visit? All parts of both might not be onthe top of everyone's list - but eac has a lot to offer. Three weeks would allow you to do Spain in depth or to do both countries more superficially. If you provide more info onn why you travel (history, architecture, food/wine, beaches, culture, art????) we can give better suggestions.

We spent time in the northern parts of Portugal and Spain. I fell absolutely in love with these areas. Charming small towns, friendly people, wonderful food, beautiful scenery. Would love to go back.

Portugal has the friendliest people I have ever met. Too many examples to mention.

I spent two weeks in Sintra (and visited around to various spots) and absolutely loved it; Portugal is one of my favorite places. I would like to return to Spain at some point as well...just not in the summer!

We did a three-week trip to Spain and Portugal in November. Our original plan was to fly to Lisbon, then rent a car and drive around Portugal and southern Spain, then fly home from Madrid. However, we found, as someone above mentioned, that it just wouldn't work out $$$ wise. So we flew to Madrid, and did a big circle: drove to Oropesa, then Trujillo, then west into Portugal, south to Lisbon, then east back into Spain at Merida and around southern Spain and back to Madrid, for a total of one week in Portugal and two weeks in Spain. I could send details if you're interested. The people both places are LOVELY (one surly taxi driver in Lisbon out of three weeks doesn't count), but we and the couple we traveled with preferred Spain. We also did a trip to northern Spain a few years ago and it was fantastic and entirely different. I have not been in May, but I understand that the weather is similar to the fall: cool but not cold, as not as many tourists as in the summer.

Thanks for your help.

PVB: How was the driving in Spain/Portugal? We are in the planning stages for "big circle" driving trip to this part of the world and would be interested in your experience (or any others). WE will have what ever time we need to do a comprehensive "circle". Thanks.

The driving in Portugal isn't bad. Several new modern highways have been built and getting around is much easier.

But, and it is a big but, Portugal has awful road signs. Maps are a neccessity but even with one it is easy to get lost. We needed to find a highway in Lisbon, we found the sign directing us to it, then never saw another sign until we inadvertantly came across the on ramp after two or three traffic circles and a a few kilometers. Keep a sense of humor.

To joegri:
This was our third driving trip (the 1st two were Spain only) and I can honestly say we never had a problem between towns. The roads are excellent. Once you get into a town you will probably get lost, as street signage does not seem to be one of their long suits. However, we just considered it part of the adventure. It helps to write to the tourism offices in the towns where you're going. They will send you maps and, sometimes, lots of booklets of information. Then if you DO get lost, you can stop in a gas station or store and get directions. Several times (both in Spain and Portugal) the person we asked said, "Wait til I get my car," and then had us follow them to our destination. The people there are VERY nice. We never tried to do "drive around sightseeing." Instead we would find our hotel or a place to park and then walk.

"Message: The driving in Portugal isn't bad. Several new modern highways have been built and getting around is much easier.

But, and it is a big but, Portugal has awful road signs. "

They can't be as bad as the signs in Spain. And of like anywhere in Europe, driving the city is a nightmare.

Asking for directions doesn't do any good if you can't speak Spanish. It takes a lot more that standard tourist Spanish to understand them.