pnimtz

My husband and I are planning to visit Spain and Portugal at the end of August 2023. We are planning to fly into Barcelona and home from Lisbon. We are planning to use public transportation. Does anyone have a suggested itinerary they would be willing to share?
Thanks in advance.

bilboburgler

how long do you have?

KarenWoo

Yes, how long do you have? That is very important. And what are your interests?

CHE12

Will you be starting in the North of Spain and working down through Portugal ? Or beginning in Southern Spain? 3 must see places to stay in Southern Spain are Cadiz, Seville and Marbella (and the surrounding areas). Do bear in mind it will be very hot in August! Look forward to hearing more details !

VANAARLE

Barcelona is not considered to be North Spain. It is Northeastern Spain, North is from the French Border to North Portugal, the coast and inland.

victoriainwanderland

I am doing 3 weeks across Spain and Portugal starting and ending in those exact locations.

Not sure of your interests, how fast you move etc but I am happy to send you my itinerary.

We are doing Barcelona --> San Sebastian --> Madrid --> Granada --> Seville --> Porto --> Lisbon via predominantly buses and trains (plus three flights where train travel is far too long) with some day trips from most locations.

pnimtz

Hi,
We have 15 days.
Thanks

pnimtz

Hi,
We have 15 days.
Thanks

KarenWoo

Fifteen days is not a lot for 2 countries. You could easily spend 15 days in Spain and 15 days in Portugal, and of course, not see everything.

I would normally suggest Andalucia (Seville, Cordoba, and Granada) EXCEPT that Andalucia will be very, very HOT at that time of year. Such as temps in the 90's and 100's. So, if you omit Andalucia and you still want to visit 2 countries, then perhaps spend 4 or 5 nights in Barcelona, and then several days along the Costa Brava, including Cadaques and Girona, where you might have some cooler temps. Then fly to Lisbon and spend 4 or 5 nights in Lisbon and 2 or 3 nights in Sintra.

pnimtz

We have 15 days and are planning to fly into Barcelona and will be flying home from Lisbon.
Thanks

pnimtz

Hi,
I would appreciate you sharing your itinerary. We are starting in Barcelona and will be flying home from Lisbon. We are not planning to rent a car and will be relying on public transportation. We typically like stay 2-3 three nights in on location and do day trips.

I appreciate your help.
Thanks

scdreamer

I know this was not directed to me, but here's my two cents.

Fifteen days with stops of two-three nights? Does that include your arrival and departure dates? (You don't mention if you will be arriving from a different time-zone, so I haven't accounted for a day or so of jet lag at the beginning). That means you will have enough time to stay in about four places comfortably. With a half day between changes - which will include travel time, getting to your hotel, checking in and out, unpacking/packing, etc. that's about what you will have time-wise. Two nights with travel on either side often means one full day to get out and explore.

I would suggest a few days in Barcelona, then decide if you want to take the train to Valencia, Granada, Malaga and other places along the way west toward Sevilla - choosing one or two of these places to stay. Or if you want to see Madrid and cities nearby, you could take the train from Barcelona, stay in Madrid, and plan to see Segovia, Toledo, maybe even Salamanca on day trips.

All of those places will be extremely hot in late August and early September. I never mind the heat, but if you are one who does - another option would be to travel north and then west From Barcelona - fly to Bilbao, and then fly to Madrid, take a few of the above day trips, then head toward Santiago de Compostela before you go to Porto. Galicia (Santiago) is an amazing region, but it is not typical of the "Spanish" experience, so if this is your first time in Spain, it would be a different kind of trip than what you may be looking for.

Getting from Spain to Portugal - I would probably fly to Porto - no train routes from Spain short enough to avoid losing an entire day. From Porto you can visit surrounding areas, maybe a day trip to tour the Douro Valley if you wish, before heading south and flying out of Lisbon.

Realistically, just about any of the destinations listed here deserve more than a day or two, especially Madrid, Barcelona, and Lisbon. I honestly would not attempt to see so much in a mere 15 days - I would likely stay in Spain and plan to visit Portugal another time - but to each his own.

bilboburgler

I'm not sure why you are doing this Barcelona to Lisbon trip especially given such a short time and 4 stops. If it is possible to change I might look at one country or the other. For rough and ready planning (always check he details) this is a good place to start. For historical reasons (mainly battles, mountains and politics) the public infrastructure between the two countries do not join up well. I might look at a holiday Barcelona/Madrid/Seville&Cordoba/Grenada as a nice package, or going north Barcelona/Madrid/Bilbao as an alternative with lots of places along the way. Similar tours exist in Portugal which is more a north to south country. It is up to you but I suggest your plan is sort of holed below the water line from the start. Good luck

danon

Agree about the clumsy connections between the two countries…I opted for an inexpensive flight Madrid - Lisbon. I also agree with several posters who think you are trying to cover a lot , especially depending on public transit.

Long time ago I visited Spain in August…never again…but some people are ok with very hot weather, or have no other option.

bilboburgler

Looks like I missed out the useful link.... Rome2rio which is a good tool to find rough and ready routes around public transport