Spain-Portugal family trip. car or train ?
 

Hi !
We will be in northern Spain and Portugal next summer. We (2 adults and 2 kids 5 and 9) have 24 days of travel (10-12 days in norhern Spain and 12-14 days in Portugal).Last year we've been to germany and only use train and public transport. It was great. from what we read we can't except to get the same level of service in Spain or Portugal.

We still looking for the places we will see but we arrive In Barcelona for 4 days (no car there) rent one to travel to Vigo (stop in San Sebastian, Zaragozza and ???) drop our Spain car in Vigo, take the train or bus to Porto. In Porto we won't get a car but get a car when we leave.
We need tranportation for 6-7 days (between Porto and Lisbon where we would drop the car). Coimbra, Sintra, Obidos, Nazare are on our list for now.

By getting a car we could stay at place outside cities and use our car for daytrips.

Now questions:

1) so car or train ?
2) we read that toll road in Portugal are not easy to undertand/use. Is it true ?
3)) We have two youngs kids (5 and 9). We dont want to rent car seat (too eepensive and disputable quality) and dragging them from home is not obvious at all. Does anyone have an idea of what to do about this ?
4) Can anyone recommend me a good car rental agency In Spain and in portugal ?

Thanks !

I always suggest a car you have more time and more freedom to see what interests you. Plus you are not restricted to only visiting cities.
However if you do not want to hire child seats than this option is not going to be something you can think about further. They are obligatory and they have to be built to Standards set out by the EU. That includes fitting connections to the rear seats.
There was talk of ending the train service across the border of Galicia and Portugal. It was muted last year but nothing more as yet. So keep looking at the timetables to see if that ends.
The Toll Roads in Portugal are only complicated if you have a non Portuguese registered car. If you hire a car in Portugal you will have a transponder fitted to the car and that will "beep" every time you pass by a gantry. At the end of your hire you will be billed for the tolls you have accumulated. Nothing complicated about that.

1) so car or train ?

I prefer train - esp wiht kids - they can use it as a 'second home' and sleep easier. Portugal is full of small churches monasteries - didn't seem that easy to reach them via trains or buses.

2) we read that toll road in Portugal are not easy to undertand/use. Is it true ?

Maybe - we solved the problem by taking the magical badge that any rental will be happy to rent you (not that expensive)
3)) We have two youngs kids (5 and 9). We dont want to rent car seat (too eepensive and disputable quality) and dragging them from home is not obvious at all. Does anyone have an idea of what to do about this ?

I agree that rental ones tend to be of low quality, cheap and dirty. I took mine (free on top of luggage with some airlines) or once we bought them upon arrival and discarde them before retunr flight. (left them in the car) : cheaper and cleaner like that.

4) Can anyone recommend me a good car rental agency In Spain and in portugal ?

If you are US take Autoeurope that is the one every intelligent poster I have seen here recommend. I personnaly book via rentalcars - not a problem yet.

Have a nice trip

I would prefer a car for all the reasons you cite plus it works out cheaper. But, know nothing about child car seats. At what age is it not obligatory ? In renting a car you must be sure that it has enough room in the trunk for all your luggage so that nothing shows. Have fun !

What are you asking when you say something about "dragging them from home" ? Are you asking about babysitting ? There are hotels which provide this, but I'd just take them along with you to restaurants, etc.

Ah, dragging "them" from home must refer to kiddie seats.

Yes I meant kids seats not the kids !

I'm canadian, so i don't know if Autoeurope workds for me.

Rent houses outside cities, in small villages is something very attractive for us...if anyone have suggestions we will listen very well !

I highly recommend a car for Portugal. Makes things so easy and you do not have to worry about connections or waste precious vacation time. We did a 11 day trip all around Portugal and loved the fact that we had a car. The roads in Portugal are excellent compared to many other places that we have visited in Europe. There is a toll every so often but as stated above, the rental agency will give you a gadget that beeps and you pay the bill in the end (we thought it was reasonable and we drove everywhere).
Can't help you with the car seat issue except I recollect that at age 9 my daughter started using a booster seat which is much easier to transport than a regular car seat...

In Spain booster seats are not legal You have to have full child seats. No child can sit in the front.
Spain is also full of churches and we also have a load of other sorts of historic sites, wine areas mountains beach etc. I could fill you full vacation with suggestions just exploring the North of Spain.

I've done all those places by car but was traveling solo - with kids that age I'd do a car. With some trains as you plan - especially across the border.

For lots of good info on trains check www.ricksteves.com; www.budgeteuropetravel.com and www.seat61.com.

Kid seats: they are mandatory till kids are 12 or 135 cm. So it depends on their height (you will need seat at least for the one who is 5)

Here´s a site that rents these seats:

https://www.upababy.pt/en/catalogue/...hire-portugal/

Portugal is full of small villages. Even big cities are small. But maybe you can check google for images of these:

- Valença (North Spanish border)
- Ponte de Lima
- Soajo
- Miranda do Douro (East Spanish border)
- Monsanto (the oldest village in Portugal)
- Montemor-o-velho
- Arouca
- Piodão
- Pombal
- Tomar
- Manteigas (in the mountain - Serra da Estrela)
- Marvão
- Crato

You can easily rent a house through booking or airbnb.

<< We dont want to rent car seat (too eepensive and disputable quality) and dragging them from home is not obvious at all. Does anyone have an idea of what to do about this ? >>

SEAT Alhambra, VW Passat and Tuareg, Mercedes, Volvo, Peugeot and Citroen models have integrated child seats available as an option.

We always use AutoEurope when booking cars in Spain. I would call them and ask if it possible to have a specific model.

Another option, since your trip is long enough, would be to forego trains all together and lease a car for the duration. This way you could get a specific model equipped to suit your needs.

Spain also requires that if your license says you need glasses to drive that you must carry a spare pair of spectacles in your car.>