I want to dedicate my second story to a beautiful sunny country - Portugal. I went there with my husband in August 2014. The country is very beautiful and colorful!

I do not know when I would have gathered there myself. Because for some reason this country was not on the list of desired trips in the next few years. But fate decreed that my good friend was offered a hand and heart by her young man, a Portuguese.

My husband and I were invited to the wedding, and then everything started to spin) We began to plan a new individual trip. The general plan was this - fly to Lisbon on the eve of the wedding, take a walk at the wedding, then leave for Porto by train for five days, and then return and settle for the remaining days (6 days) in Lisbon, take a good look at it and its surroundings.

We arrived in Lisbon around 10pm. Since the suitcase was light and we were still full of strength and energy, we decided to save money and went to the hotel by metro. We got on the subway easily. But then the adventure began) we booked an apartment in the Alfama district - one of the most colorful areas of Lisbon. The area is really very interesting and beautiful. Of course, it’s inconvenient to walk there - all the time it’s descents, then ascents. Such a relief is typical in principle for the whole of Lisbon, but especially for this area. Therefore, it must be said separately here that for a trip to Portugal it is especially important to choose the right shoes - no wedges, platforms, and even more so heels. Only sports and very comfortable shoes! In the other one, you can not only get very tired, but also get injured, because all the roads in Lisbon are tiled, not very even and quite a lot.

So) When we got to Alfama, it was already dark. The streets in Alfama are very small and confusing, and what is more important, they are so short that even the locals do not know a lot of streets. Here our apartments were just on a street that no one knows)) Another difficulty was that few Portuguese speak English. But here it helped us that even though they do not know English, they are very positive and always ready to help. We stuck to a walking young couple, they were local residents, as I understood, but did not know our street. And they decided to look for it with us, we wandered along Alfama together, and they periodically asked passers-by in Portuguese about our street. After wandering for about 15 minutes together with our Portuguese assistants, we still found it) the couple continued their walk, and we began to solve a new quest - how to get into the apartment). While we were looking, I called the owner (as we agreed by e-mail), but there was no answer. I called a few more times, but no one answered. And here we are at night (it was already 12 o'clock) standing under the door of our apartment and thinking where we can spend the night. This happened to us for the first time, and we were at a loss. In Portugal, by the way, it’s cool at night, it’s better to take warm clothes with you, in the evening the weather changes dramatically - it’s all the ocean). We did not stay long, the owner soon called back, he forgot the phone somewhere according to his chaotic explanation and reassured us, saying that he was coming to us. Soon he arrived, we settled in, and life got better)

Alfama is definitely worth a visit, where you can feel the real spirit of Portugal. Alfama is fado coming from every cafe in the evening, extraordinary architecture, azulejos, trams that can hardly fit on the street ...

In this post, I tried to cover all the issues related to traveling by car in Portugal, and I will post a universal route in my opinion, as well as a complete (but brief) overview of places to visit in Portugal (including not the most touristy, but very authentic). I'll tell you about the best restaurants and unforgettable beaches. Traveling by car in Portugal is ideal. it is more convenient and faster to get to many places in this way, while observing nature around, which is atypical for the rest of Europe.

1. Internet. When traveling by car, the most important thing is not the car, but the availability of mobile Internet. This will greatly save you time and money. Judge for yourself, you can always see where the traffic jams are, how to get where (by public transport) or by car, how long it takes, where to have a tasty and inexpensive lunch, book a table (which is important), where to stay, what sights are around, what the weather is like. will be within an hour, where is the nearest beach and what does it look like, etc. Especially the Internet will be needed in the event of an incident (for example, an accident). And to communicate with locals who often do not know English, you may need a translator (Google translator is enough). I usually take a tablet for this and insert a SIM card. Internet can be purchased from a local operator right at the airport or at a sales office (for example, Vodafone, approximate cost 1 Gb up to 15 euros; you can find cheaper promotions from other operators, such as MOCHE, but their office may not be at the airport), or buy a tourist SIM card in Russia (type “tourist SIM card” in a search engine, there will be several companies). The last option is suitable if you have a European tour (i.e. several countries), because SIM card will operate the same in all countries, but this option will be more expensive, 1Gb somewhere up to $75. Speed ​​and coverage in Portugal are good even off the beaten path. For 3 weeks you need at least 1 Gb(if you do not watch the video, but only use it for travel and calls). Some operators block Skype, but, for example, Viber can always be used.

3. It is best to order a car through a broker (an aggregator of offers from different companies), because they will just be cheaper. Here are the three most popular: autoeurope.ru, rentalcars.com or economycarrentals.com. The conditions are about the same, only economycarrentals.com does not report the name of the rental company before receiving the car, although the prices there are approximately the same as autoeurope.ru, and rentalcars.com is more expensive and has a lot of negative reviews, I myself had an unpleasant situation with him, but still- with a positive outcome (see below). When looking for an option, I use all brokers, but most often I end up ordering through autoeurope.ru. So, some Ford Fiesta mechanic for two weeks, taken at the Lisbon airport, together with insurance will cost 450-500 euros. A Renault Megane automatic also with insurance and for the same period - 1360-1500 euros.

4. I’ll say right away that when searching, it is not the total cost that is displayed, but the cost without insurance. Therefore, prices between options on different sites should be compared total, i.e. already halfway through booking a car on each site. It is better to take insurance, but you need to understand that you buy insurance from a broker, not from a distributor and read the terms of the contract carefully. If you do not want to buy from a broker, you can arrange it on the spot, upon receipt of the car, already from the distributor, without buying a brokerage one. But if you bought from a broker, it makes no sense to contact the distributor: in this case, the distributor usually deducts the cost of repairs from you (the prices are adequate), and the broker will already have to reimburse you. I had a story with rentalcars.com: I had a broken front passenger side glass, but as it turned out, the insurance does not cover the side windows, which was written in small print in the contract with the broker. And, of course, that in my case I was refused. However, after my letter to the account of such a not entirely transparent and convenient service, they nevertheless returned the money to me. Now they include insurance for windows, mirrors, tires and wheels separately and explicitly. But still, you should always carefully read the insurance points from whichever broker or rental car you book.

5. Two more nuances are that when they give you a car, the rental company will in most cases withhold a deposit from you (in case of fines and damages). Usually the broker will give you a range of possible amounts, but the exact amount will not be known until you take the car. The higher the cost of the car, the higher the deposit will be, but it also depends on the company. In most cases, it was between 500 and 1500 euros for me. Often, for an additional fee (from 5 euros per day) or when you take out insurance from a rental company (and not from a broker), they allow you to reduce the amount of the deposit withheld or eliminate it completely. The second point is that the broker always undertakes to provide a car of the same class, and not exactly the one that you booked. If you booked a Mercedes A class automatic, you can get any car of this class with automatic transmission. Therefore, it is better to take the cheapest in the class, such as a ford fiesta and then suddenly be happy with some kind of Mercedes, than to order a Mercedes and get a ford fiesta.

6. How can you reduce the cost of booking a car? There are three features here: 1. Have a euro account on the card and pay from it to avoid conversion losses when paying, canceling a booking, depositing. 2. Book a week before the desired date. It's usually cheaper within one season than, say, two weeks. The exception is when the low season turns into high. 3. Book on a domain of another country. In order for the booking service to be sure that you are from this country, you need to have an ip inside this country, for this you need to use a proxy. I myself never bothered with this topic, since the difference is not so big, but now I checked it. And, for example, booking through autoeurope.it is cheaper than through autoeurope.ru, although no proxy was used. One thing, in such cases, you need to carefully look at the conditions of insurance - namely, for residents of which countries it is valid. Those. Again, all conditions must be read carefully.

7. There is also Portuguese specificity. It goes without saying that it will be better and cheaper to take a car at the airport of a large city than in some village,— this works for any country. But it is even cheaper to take a car not in Portugal, but, for example, in Spain, in Madrid. Moreover, the cars there will be better. But the best option for price and quality is to take it in Germany, for example, in Düsseldorf. Let's say there are almost no vending machines in Portugal, and the requirements for a car park are lower than in other countries. In Spain, an automatic car will cost 1.5-2 times cheaper. And in Germany, the same option is already 2-3 times cheaper. It is useful to understand all this if you suddenly decide on a European tour, or it’s commonplace to take a car in Germany and drive to Portugal in a day. The nuance is that you will need to hand over the car either in the same place (in Germany, but it is possible in another city), or pay for the transfer. Therefore, sometimes, the cost of two hauls and extra days make local offers more profitable. And it is natural that the difference in cost is the greater, the higher the class of the car, i.e. for the cheapest options, it may not be so significant. Therefore, look in a particular case, consider the benefits. The option of renting a car in Germany and driving to Portugal in a day can also be beneficial due to the fact that air tickets to Germany are cheaper than to Portugal, and a car in Germany will be given a much newer one at a lower price.

8. The car must be taken during working hours, i.e. it is better not to rely on a broker, but to check what time the counter of the desired distributor is open and order a pick-up / return for this time.

9. It is not necessary to return the car on the day of departure. You can build a route so that you complete the trip in some major city, where you will have 3-4 days, but you will hand over the car, leaving yourself public transport for the remaining time. I think it's obvious.

10. What car to take? Diesel. If the trip includes several countries, it is convenient to print out a map or a table of prices for diesel / gasoline in advance, in Portugal one of the lowest cost per liter for both gasoline and diesel in Western Europe, but still at least 2 times more expensive than ours . So diesel saves a lot of money, though the broker does not always indicate what type of fuel the car uses. But most of the rental cars are now diesel ones: you don’t have to bother and overpay on the broker’s website for a car marked as diesel, but take the risk. If the company is large and the path is long, then it is better to take a large and comfortable car. If there are two of you, then you can take a hatchback.

11. When an accident occurs or you just come, and there is a dent in the car, often the insurer needs a protocol from the police. In Portugal, they may say that they don’t draw up protocols for minor scratches and even ask for money for the protocol, but you need to stand your ground. If someone scratched your car, it is not necessary to call the police, you can drive to the department yourself and file it there.

12. If the car needs repair or replacement, then in Portugal it may be that after calling the rental office you will be told that “they are no longer working and you will have to wait until Monday”. This can be said both on Friday and Thursday. Therefore, after the call, just go to the airport to the place where the cars are rented, go to the round-the-clock center of your rental company and they will help you there.

13. Now about where it is better not to drive a car - this is in Lisbon and Porto, since you will be looking for parking for a long time. In such cities, it is better to live on the outskirts - so that you can easily leave and enter the city, and see the city itself by public transport. In Sintra, near palaces and parks, there may also be parking difficulties (but solvable :)

14. Traffic jams in Portugal can be at the exit and entrance to Lisbon / Porto. On the toll bridge in Lisbon, connecting the two banks. And, of course, in Sintra (during the whole day).

15. In Portugal, you can't leave things in plain sight in your car., in a parking lot near the beach, glass is easily broken and dragged away. Put everything in the trunk.

16. You can read about the traffic rules of Portugal, speed limits are 90 km / h in the city, 120 km / h on the motorway, but everyone exceeds. The flow slows down near the cameras, they always warn about the cameras in advance. Parking in places marked with red or yellow markings is prohibited. On Sunday all day and on Saturday after two, paid parking (indicated by signs) is free, but you can find a lot of free parking anyway, and outside the city there are no problems at all. There is one more feature: you can often see people in the free parking area, who help you find a place and park for a tip - this is such a local way to earn extra money and here everyone chooses whether to tip or not. Even if you go to very popular beaches on weekends, there may be problems. Therefore, on weekends, it is better to choose not the most popular destination or a place with a very large parking lot.

17. The roads are good (though worse than in Germany), but toll. Some bridges are also toll. And often you can only pay in cash. Approximate cost: Lisbon - Albufeira (240 km) - 20 euros, i.e. 12 km about 1 euro. It is possible to pass without a barrier only by joining the local electronic system Via Verde. Designated as shown in the picture below. Via Verde saves a lot on the bridge in Lisbon, but if 5-10 minutes in a traffic jam is not very annoying and you are not going to travel to the south coast of Lisbon often, then there is no point in renting a transpoder. You can rent a Via Verde transpoder from a distributor or at service stations on highways (all marked with the same sign). The price depends on the time of use, it will approximately cost from 8 to 15 euros + a refundable deposit. Motorways are quite free, often you go alone. Payment without Via Verde follows the principle: I drove in, took a ticket, and at the exit I gave the ticket and paid, as at airports in Moscow. If you accidentally pass through Via Verde without a transpod, then just stop in the side pocket right after and go to the post - pay to have the photo removed from the database, no fines.

18. Of course, do not forget to take a car charger for your phone/tablet, you can take movies in case of traffic jams and music in your phone or player with bluetooth, it is almost always available in rental cars. You can immediately go to the supermarket and buy water in large bottles, as well as all sorts of cookies in case there are no restaurants open on the way one day. In the daytime, this is quite possible, and shops can be closed on weekends.

19. Before the trip and the final choice of the route, it would be good to see festivals or some events (holidays) in the cities in order to, if possible, adjust the route for this matter.

That's all. It seems to have covered all possible issues related to the rental and travel by car in Portugal. This country is bright and unforgettable, unlike all the others, it leaves only positive and rather strong impressions. Traveling by car there is a pleasure and a real adventure. I advise everyone!

Read the names and roll in the hissing language, stop in small towns-villages, study the peculiarities of local life-cuisine, get out to the markets (live chicken-rabbits mixed with Chinese ten-euro sneakers), sit down at the table with the locals, deliciously eating grilled chicken with freshly baked rolls, drink port or green wine, in general, pour into Portugal.

Circular route: railway station Sintra - Museu do Brinquedo(Toy Museum_ - Centro historico, posto Turismo(Historic Center, Tourism Point) – Castelo dos Mouros(Castle of the Moors) - Palacio da Pena(Palace Pena) - Museu do Brinquedo(Toy Museum) - Sintra railway station.
Ticket price: there - up to the Pena Palace - 5 euros, back - down - 2.75 euros.

During the journey from the railway station of Sintra to the Pena Palace, you can get off the bus and then take the same one and go further up without additional payment, there is no such freebie on the way back.

Driving from Sintra to Lisbon on anything - less than 30 km, both buses and trains run all the time). The cost of a ticket from Lisbon to Porto by train is 20-25 euros, by a comfortable bus with coffee and TV - 14 euros.

1 option: Intercity train Intercidades (Intercidades). Travel time: 3 hours. Ticket price: tourist class - 24 euros, 1st class - 35.5 euros

Option 2: Intercity train Alfa Pendular (Alfa-pendular) is a modern high-speed train on a magnetic cushion. Travel time: 2:34 - 2:42 depending on the departure time. Ticket price: tourist class - 30 euros, 1st class - 42 euros

Buses to Porto depart from Arco Sagou station (Saldanha metro - blue line) and from Oriente station (Oriente station - red line end station). Trains - from Santa Appolonia station - 10 min. walk from the central square (Praza de Comercio).

6. On the road Lisbon - Porto you can devote a day or two to walks in small provincial towns.
Best place to stay in Leiria and from there, by minibuses or trains, go to Obidos, Batalha, With a small detour - Tomar (mast si) and Fatima.

From Lisbon to Leiria 119 km. The town is pretty, but you can not linger here, see the Castle, which in the 15th century was the residence of the Pope and go through Batalha to Tomar (easier by bus). From Tomar back to Leiria via Fatima, from which there are express minibuses: half an hour and in Leiria.

And we return to Lisbon, in love with Portugal forever.

And a good article about where to taste Portuguese wines: http://www.winestep.com/poprobovat-portugalskoe-vino/

You can use this route in one of our tours in Portugal.
Dates and duration may vary, for example:

Route: Moscow - Lisbon - Estoril (Cascais) - Sintra - Leiria - Porto - Vila Nova de Gaia - Lamego - Lisbon - Moscow
+ optional rides on the route described above

C The price is given depending on the chosen option.
a budget option/ rating hotels
Departure June 5 for 14 nights– 624 /987 euros
Departure September 5 for 14 nights–669/1032 euros upd 9.08, now from681/1042 euros
per person based on double occupancy

Tour program:

5-8 June / 5-8 September accommodation 3 nights in Lisbon at the Jardim da Amadora hostel (room with shared facilities, breakfast) / or at the Neya Lisboa 4* hotel (breakfast).

June 8-10 / September 8-10 accommodation 2 nights at Estalagem Muchxo Hotel 4* (Cascais, breakfast) / or Alvorada 3* hotel (Estoril, breakfast).

Of course, I never cease to admire Portugal: this country will appeal to those who love Europe and those who love Asia. But at the same time, this is an absolutely unique, unlike anything, place. There is a lot of history here, castles, palaces, medieval cathedrals, it has its own unique architectural style (called neo-manueline), so for history buffs it really is a paradise. Although even if you are not a fan of ancient buildings (like me), you will still be delighted. For example, the park and palace of Quinta da Regaleira (Quinta da Regaleira) made a strong impression on me (I wrote about it), much stronger than the castles of the French Loire Valley, and not with their majesty and pomp (because they are rather very modest) , but just with an unusual architectural style, soul, play with light and some kind of sophistication, endless attention to detail.

To be honest, it is very difficult to recommend any universal route in Portugal: someone loves natural beauties and ocean views more, and someone is just a fan of old castles. Therefore, first of all, universal means balanced, but if someone likes one thing more, then he will be able to correct the route, because. Below I will describe which place is more attractive. And the second balance is in the ratio of provinces and large cities. Now I am most impressed by the authentic outback: castles and restaurants not teeming with tourists on the central square, well-groomed houses, calm people, genuine local flavor - this is what really impresses and leaves a true impression of the country. But when you go for the first time, it’s better to start with large cities, and go deeper in subsequent times. Therefore, at the end I will write which cities to visit first and which in subsequent times.

So, the route at the first approximation: Lagos (6 nights for a beach holiday) - Lisbon (7 nights for exploring the surroundings) - Batalha - Bussaco (night) - Porto (6 nights for exploring the surroundings).

As you can see, there are no long distances in Portugal, the entire route between the main points takes 6 hours 41 minutes on toll roads. On average, 2 hours with a little between places of overnight stay. It can start from the south (beach vacation) and end in the north (sightseeing, walking around the big city), or vice versa. But I started from south to north, because in the south the car will be useful every day, and when you reach Porto, you can return the car almost immediately. Where and how to book a car and what you need to pay attention to when traveling by car, I described in the previous one. This route is calculated for three weeks: a week to the south, a week to the central part, a week to the north. This is quite enough to relax and make a full impression of the country. But if your deadlines are shorter, and your interests are more in the direction of historical and architectural sights (or vice versa, in the direction of natural beach places), then my description below will help you adjust the route.

As already written, the route is conditionally divided into three parts: the north, the central part and the south of Portugal. In a general sense: the north is more interesting in terms of history, while in the south there is practically nothing to see except the ocean. And the center is something in the middle, here you can find unsurpassed palaces with parks and stunning capes and beaches.

1. South.

In terms of knowing the country, the south is boring, the resort is the resort. Therefore, the only thing it is good for is a beach holiday. So, if you are not interested in this, feel free to throw out this part of the route: you can see the ocean, beaches, capes in the central part. Yes, the water is warmer here, but not by much.

All palaces, museums, monasteries, castles are open mainly from 10 am to 5:30 pm \ 6:00 pm, but before visiting it is better to check the opening hours via the Internet.

Incidentally, if you are traveling from Sintra to Cape Roca or vice versa, take the N247. In my opinion, this is a very beautiful road along the river and railway tracks, especially at sunset.

Another family restaurant with a grill is located near Sintra, you can only get to it by car, because. it works from 7 pm, it is better to go there immediately after Sintra, and then return to Lisbon already. It is called Moinho Iberico and is located at: Avenida Moinhos Arneiro, 110/112 | Magoito, Sintra. Don't be afraid of the lack of crowds and the almost empty road to it, the restaurant will always have a lot of cars and a lot of people inside, it is easy to identify it by the mill (Moinho from Portuguese - mill), it works like everyone else from 19 to 23, except Tuesday. You can book a table by phone +351 916 343 970 or by mail [email protected], there the owner is already a man with his sister, he always communicates with guests, and there are no such establishments in Russia yet.

If after all this you want even more museums, then the route can be adjusted:
1) One day trip to Tomar, with a return back to Lisbon: see the castle and monastery of Christ, which includes examples of a wide variety of architectural styles, including Manueline.
2) Spend not a day, but two days between Lisbon and Porto (while taking this day either from Porto or from Lisbon), visiting Batalha (the monastery of Santa Maria da Vitoria), Alcobaça (the monastery of Santa Maria de Alcobaça), Leiria (castle-fortress on a hill) and Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra University and Little Portugal Park, by the way, really very interesting). You can additionally stay in one of these cities, for example, in Leiria. And although the monastery in Batalha leaves one of the strongest architectural impressions on a par with the palaces of Sintra, I had the feeling that I had already seen it all, which is why I excluded this city from the main list.
3) The same as 2 - only to capture Tomar as well, in two days you will get a very intense journey. You can spend the night in Leiria.

The place to stay for the night before the trip to Porto is Bussaco, a castle hotel with a stunning garden. And yet, when you choose hotels in other places, remember that there are a lot of different castle-hotels, kints, estates (wineries) where you can stay. All this is much more immersive in the world of Portugal, gives more flavor than modern hotels.

3. North

First of all, this is of course a city Porto(Porto), there is a lot of everything here, just a concentrate of Portugal: a city in which in a small space you can see a lot of what is inherent in this wonderful country: churches, towers, palaces, ramparts and medieval cathedrals, openwork bridges and then poor abandoned sloping houses with boarded up windows. Like all of Portugal, Porto seems to be very picturesque at a superficial glance, frightening with untidiness and poverty when approached, and ultimately an amazing and not indifferent city. In Porto, in a buzz, go to the Ribeiro embankment, walk along the Luis Bridge, look into the wine cellars. It should be said right away that in summer, unlike the central part, the weather here can be completely unsunny. There are many good local restaurants here, just open TripAdvisor, but I want to recommend one rather interesting Palco restaurant at the Teatro Hotel (which, by the way, is also quite interesting and conveniently located). Address: Rua de Sa da Bandeira 84, Porto 4000 -427. Book a table: +351 220 409 620 or mail [email protected] This restaurant, unlike all the others that I advised, is of a completely different category, marked with Michelin stars, inside there is a sophisticated atmosphere. Here I advise not to order a separate dish, but to take a “tour”, i.e. 4-5 dishes will be brought to you (small portions, but in total it will be very satisfying) and, accordingly, 5 wines to it. Very inexpensive, but at the same time it turns out some kind of gastronomic journey through the dishes of Portugal in an exquisite form.

Even for those who are not very fond of architecture, I recommend driving the one-day route Guimaraes-Bom Jesus-Braga.

There is also a funny Flintstones house not far from Braga and next to Fafe, its coordinates: 41.488202 °, −8.067809 ° (reminds me of the village of Monsanto, which I did not include in the route, because it is located near the eastern Spanish border, I am talking about it I’ll tell you at the very end and if you manage to insert this place into the route, be sure to do it, because this is one of the most interesting places in the Portuguese outback) and the road there is expressive.

And for those who did not have enough ocean in Lisbon or in the south, I advise you to go to one of these cities: Vila do Conde, Viana do Castelo, Costa Nova do Prado. In the first, the beaches are the widest and sandy, stretching for several kilometers - one of the most famous in northern Portugal. And you can also walk there. Viana do Castelo has more of a historical center and you can take the funicular up to the basilica, which offers stunning views of the Lima River, the city and the ocean. In Costa Nova, besides the ocean, there can be interesting striped houses, which used to be painted so that fishermen could see their house from afar and moor with their catch closer to home.

Now the list of places in Portugal is sorted by tourist significance (* - must see, ** - you can see it on your second visit or if you have time, *** - if you want to go deeper)

*: Lisbon and surroundings (4-7 days or more), Sintra (2 days), Bussaco (overnight and half a day), Porto (3-4 days or more), Braga (Bom Jesus), Guimarães (in one day) Guimarães and Bom Jesus, although you can spend a day in Guimarães).
**: (coastal town with beach, half day), Monsaraz (small town, 3 hours), Marvão (village town, 3 hours), Monsanto (cool town, half day), Sortelha (village, half day), Castelo - Rodrigo (village and castle, 3 hours), Penedon (castle, 3 hours).

Lamego (Lamego), Chaves (Chaves), Amarante (Amarante), Barcelos (Barcelos), Ponte de Lima (Ponte de Lima) - little-known corners of northern Portugal. In Lamego a staircase and a church like Bom Jesus were built. Chaves is a charming old town, sleepy and quiet, with lots of interesting but not great sights. Interesting Ponte de Lima with its huge market on the banks of the river, as well as a long Roman-medieval bridge.

And for these little-known northern cities, I can offer such a route with a return to Porto: Porto - Amarante -Lamego - Chaves (overnight) - Nationa Park Peneda-Geres (but you should not expect much from it) - Ponte de Lima - Viana do Castelo ( overnight stay, by the way, there are many quintas available for spending the night, various estates with a beautiful view, etc.) - Braga - Bom Jesus - Guimaraes - Porto. It turns out three days, but if you wish, you can stay in Viana do Castelo for two nights.

In principle, the route can be developed towards Spanish Galicia, drive through Santiago and other cities to A Coruna, see the ocean power on the capes (Cabo Finisterre, Cabo Esata de Bares, etc.), but this is a completely different story.

There are still cities in eastern "medieval" Portugal: Monsaraz, Marvao, Monsanto, Sortelha, Castelo Rodrigo, Penedono. These are even more obscure cities (and some are just villages), all attractions inside these cities are free and open around the clock, including castles. There are simply no caretakers, just as there are no tourists. Sometimes this leaves the impression of fragility, because. no one cares or supports. Monsaraz is a small town on a hill. Quiet streets behind powerful walls, whitewashed walls of houses, a small castle in the corner, an excellent view of the surroundings, planted with cork oaks. Marvao is a rather interesting fortified city, surrounded by a powerful wall around the perimeter. Monsanto is the pearl of the Portuguese outback, it is very beautiful there. Sortelha is another soulful and colorful medieval village. Castelo Rodrigo has beautiful panoramic views. Penedono is not the most charming village, but it does have an authentic castle.

Accordingly, you can drive through these cities along the eastern border from Lisbon to Porto, or vice versa, on the way back.

That's actually all. Based on all the route modules I have presented, you can easily create your own route for both the first trip to Portugal and the second. So I wish you all a good trip!

P.S. They say the best guide to Portugal -

Portugal is the least affected European country from mass tourist development and its consequences. Here you will feel the national flavor, not yet strongly affected by globalization, you can enjoy your stay in hotels in old buildings, take a car and ride along the Atlantic coast, exploring the reserved bays.
Holidays in Portugal can be safely recommended to those who like to travel to Europe, who have been to many places and are waiting for new discoveries. Here and architecture, and seascapes, and a gastronomic holiday every day. Portugal is ideal for those who do not like big hotels, resorts, all inclusive and other elements of communism; Portugal is a country for free travelers. And if you prefer to start your travels with a visit to car rental This country is literally waiting for you. Our articles are written by Russian-speaking authors living in Portugal and will help you plan a trip to this country, based on competent opinion, and not on “tourist reviews”.

Comparison of prices for tickets to Lisbon and hotels on different sites - save up to 50%

5 reasons to go on holiday to Portugal

Scenes from everyday life and the bustling activity in Portugal's cities are attractions in their own right. Add to this a lot of historical and cultural monuments and you get a real tourist paradise.
For a relaxing holiday The beautiful beaches of the Algarve coast in the south of the country are best suited, they are considered one of the best in Europe and are very popular. Dotted with picturesque fishing villages and quaint towns such as Ashtoi, Faro and Monte Gordo, this region is the backbone of Portugal's tourism industry. On the east coast of Estoril, there are many casinos and luxury hotels - this is an exotic and expensive place.
Lisbon- the capital and most modern city in Portugal, the perfect mixture of antiquity and multinational atmosphere. Since Lisbon was named the European Capital of Culture in 1994, the city has attracted increased attention. The former Expo grounds and nearby squares are home to many waterfront restaurants, concert halls, outdoor cafes, and the Lisbon Aquarium. In the central part of the city there is a Roman triumphal arch. The borders of the city merge seamlessly with the coastline and its wooden buildings, which only adds to the attractiveness of the city.
Narrow, cobbled streets of Porto- the second largest city in Portugal - leading to the famous vineyards where grapes are grown for port wine, also deserve your attention.
University city of Coimbra in the north of Portugal is very popular with young people, and its charming outdoor cafes are a great place to hang out here in the evening.

How to get to Portugal

There are so few direct flights from Moscow to Lisbon that we will assume that there are none. Enter different dates in the search form, if you suddenly find direct tickets - great. However, it is better to immediately tune in to a ticket with a transfer in some European city. Choose a short transfer, for example, in Zurich, if you are limited in time and want to quickly get to Lisbon. A long parking lot, on the contrary, gives a chance to visit the city you miss, but there is no time to go there on purpose. For example, there are 12-hour connections in Amsterdam. Those who travel around Portugal while driving sometimes fly to Malaga, take automobile and already on it go to Portugal.

Lisbon

Lisbon is the starting point of a trip to Portugal. Stop there for a couple of days on your way there and back. Although, there are lovers who come to Lisbon for the entire trip, and from there they travel around the country.

When is the best time to go to Portugal. bathing season

In most parts of the country, the tourist season lasts March to October, this is perhaps the best time to visit Portugal in terms of weather conditions. Hotel prices in Lisbon are quite high all year round, so whenever you come here, the prices will be about the same. In other cities of the country, hotels offer discounts from November to February. If you want to visit the beaches of the Algarve, when there are no crowds of tourists, come in winter. In this region, the sun shines for at least 3,000 hours a year, so there is never a strong cold here, even in the so-called winter, from November to February.
Officially the swimming season starts on June 15 and ends on September 15. However, our people are already swimming with might and main on the May holidays. Here you need to understand one subtlety: the beaches of Portugal are not on the sea, but on the very ocean, with all the consequences. So if a warm and calm sea is critical for relaxation, it is better to choose another country, for example,. Portugal, on the other hand, is ideal for those who love the sea, but are not obsessed with swimming.

Where to stay. The best hotels in Portugal

One of the main tourist attractions of traveling in Portugal is to stay in historic buildings converted into hotels. Here, for example, opened in Cascais in 2012, it is a prominent representative of historical design pousadas. Pouzada is located in a fortress that served as an outpost in the 16th century to defend the entrance to the mouth of the Tagus and protect Lisbon from attack from the sea. Below is an overview of the most interesting places in Portugal, use it when planning your route:

If the goal is to plan an economical vacation in Portugal, when choosing a hotel, use our search on all booking sites: this is the maximum choice plus savings, since your favorite hotel booking site does not always give the best price:

Routes in Portugal

The main route of the first trip to Portugal is to get to the westernmost point of Europe, to the cape of Cabo da Roca. In order to get there, it is not at all necessary to rent a car, you can simply buy a ticket from any tourist office in Lisbon. This route is detailed here:

However, even for this rather simple route, it is more comfortable to rent a car. Traffic in Portugal is right-handed, the intensity is low, only those who are on two wheels should be afraid. The traffic police in Portugal are lenient towards tourists, but it is better to try not to abuse this kindness. Take advantage of our comparison of car rental prices from different providers:

After the car is booked, you can plan the route. We have two good pre-made itineraries to travel in Portugal with a rental car, used by hundreds of SmartTrip readers every season:

Madeira

Somehow it happened that this island with a unique nature, located in the Atlantic Ocean, for some reason is considered a "resort for wealthy pensioners." Firstly, if you combine a trip to continental Portugal with a beach holiday in Madeira (which in itself is a great idea), then the budget of the trip will not be cosmic at all: Lisbon-Funchal tickets cost standard money. And it’s not at all necessary to be a pensioner: there are enough bars and nightlife in Lisbon, and in Madeira you need to enjoy the silence and unique flora; staying in Madeira is like being in a big botanical garden.