Visiting Portugal 2014 need help with itinerary
 

Planning a trip to Portugal in 2014. Thinking of going the beginning of Sept. We Want to see Lisbon, Porto and the Duoro River area. Will stay for 2 weeks. We can rent a car or use public transportation. Not sure which is best. Need help with itinerary. Thanks

I think car hire is easier for Portugal. Economycar rentals were excellent.

You may want to take a look at my trip report; click on my name to find it.

Check to see if www.Pousadas.pt have a drive/stay deal. We had one and it was absolutely super..You might email them if one doesn't show up on their website..You never know what you might come up with. Having said that a car is the only way to see Portugal, an awesome country!!!

I'd use the train between Lisbon and Porto and rent from there. There are places you might want to see between the two main cities but the train is very clean and efficient plus you get to see the tiles in the Porto station which are very blue and ancient.

You will want a car in the Duoro though it is not much help within Porto itself (use trams and buses)

Just my opinion, but I'd plan on spending more time in Lisbon than Porto. Lot's to see and do in Lisbon, with a few good day trips outside the town as well. Porto is cool, but a bit more limited. Consider booking a car and driver for Duoro. Ours pointed out a lot of things we would have missed if we had driven ourselves.

I would think that there is too much to see between Lisbon and Porto to use the train: Coimbra, Batalha, Tomar, Obidos, etc.

We rented a car at the airport when we were leaving Lisbon and ended up dropping it off in Porto at the airport after visiting many wonderful places en route. We stayed in Evora, Obidos, Batalha, Coimbra, Guimares. We loved Portugal and highly recommend staying in their pousadas. www.pousadas.pt We enjoyed Porto but recommend more time in Lisbon than Porto.

We drove all over Portugal in a rental car (couldn't do without a car in Portugal). We have been to Porto twice (5 days in 2011, 3 days in 2012) and I know we'll be back next year. We enjoyed Porto much more than Lisbon. De gustibus non disputandum est ...

A must: a cruise in the Douro river. Departure from Porto.
There is several choices from few hours upto a week. In September is the right month because is the harvest for the Porto wine.