If I just did 3 nights in Porto (we get in at 10 am on Saturday flying from Barcelona so that would give us half a day Saturday and all day Sunday and Monday in Porto) and drove to Coimbra early the next morning (only about an hour away) could I spend the whole day there and over night. Then we would drive to Batalha, Fatima on the way to Nazare. What do you think about that plan??

Maribel-- being over 60 it sounds like I have to wait until I get to spain to purchase the senior card and then I can buy tickets. Can I just buy the tickets the day of travel using the Dorada card at the station or do I have to buy them on line???

That sounds more doable. Do you want to go to Fatima for religious reasons?

No not particularly religious..someone said it was pretty..can I skip it??

It's a major Catholic shrine, a major Catholic pilgrimage site. That's why I asked. For me, it's skippable.

Would 3 nights in Porto be enough to see the major sights and that would give me the overnight in Coimbra

It will be enough to see the major sights since it's a more compact, smaller and less spread out city than Lisbon.

Thanks Maribel-- will do just 3 nights in Lisbon and a night in Coimbra and will have a full day to see the sights....its so great of you to help us newbies to Portugal

Can you answer my above question about the senior train tickets----being over 60 it sounds like I have to wait until I get to Spain to purchase the senior card and then I can buy tickets. Can I just buy the tickets the day of travel using the Dorada card at the station or do I have to buy them on line???

Wouldn’t it make sense to fly first into Portugal, then to Southern Spain (tour and up to Madrid), then take the fast train (a bit over two hours, I think) to Barcelona, ending in Barcelona. That would save at least one flight, substituting the train, which would actually be easier and faster. I would certainly look into that change of itinerary.

That's a great idea but already have flights and got a great deal at $500 non stop from Los Angeles......

bornintheusa,
I thought I answered your question about the Tarjeta Dorada in post 19 but I'll repeat and elaborate (for others thinking about purchasing a Tarjeta Dorada)-

About the Tarjeta Dorada
You must purchase your Tarjeta Dorada once in Spain at an official Renfe office and show proof of age (passport or. driver's license).
It is for seniors 60+.

Once you have your Tarjeta Dorada in hand, you can purchase discounted tickets on line or via the Renfe app, inserting your Tarjeta Dorada number during the purchasing process.
See the discounts here-
https://www.renfe.com/es/en/viajar/p.../mayores-de-60

You can also purchase your tickets at the station showing your Tarjeta Dorada but to avoid sometimes very long and frustrating lines, I would purchase them online or with the app.
For some itineraries, if you want to purchase the day before, you may find that a particular train is sold out. It does happen.

For figuring out the best routing, use renfe.com, choosing the one-way option.
https://www.renfe.com/es/en

I purchase all my Renfe train tickets at www.renfe.com since I'm a registered user and my husband as well. My cc on file also is authenticated by the Verified by Visa program, so my purchases go smoothly.
Some with US bank issued credit cards have had difficulty with the online purchase, so now Renfe accepts Pay Pal.

You can also use trainline, but trainline will charge you a slight fee, but many feel that its ease of use is worth it.

To add: for others 60+ who are frequent travelers to Spain using the Renfe network, you can now renew the Tarjeta Dorada online, within 60 days of its expiration date.

• renew your card: for 1 year (€6), for 2 years (€12) or for 3 years (€15, savings of 16%)

The "Tarjeta Dorada", literally Golden Card is nothing more than a flimsy cardboard card. It cannot be purchased online, must be purchased in cash at a station ticket office, it costs 6 euros a year and is non-transferable, only the owner can use it.

That's right. It can't be purchased online, as per post 19, and it's good for only one person. I plan to use it extensively in the next 8 weeks for multiple train trips, which will be a considerably savings, but I already have it and had to purchase it at a Renfe office. I can now renew it online, provided I do so within 60 days of its expiration date.

Thanks Maribel--sounds like I have to wait until I get into Spain and buy the card then buy the tickets with the app... I will be in Seville a few days before I need to do my first train trip so that will give me time to buy tickets with my newly purchased Tarjeta card.

My last question (hopefully)..finishing up my planning and have Seville 3 1/2 days/4 nights, Cordoba 1 1/2 days/2 nights and Granada 2 1/2 days/3 nights....does this sound like a good plan or should I move a Seville night to either Cordoba or Granada??

No, I would keep it the way it is.

It’s a few years since we went to Spain but I bought all of our train tickets ahead of time on Trainline. I was aware that I was paying a small extra fee each time but it was much easier than using Renfe and we saved a lot of money by buying tickets this way.