Portugal is known for its sunny weather, sandy beaches, and dynamic capital, Lisbon. Taking a road trip around the country will enable you to see much more and here are some driving itineraries and destination guides to get you started planning your trip.
Driving in Portugal
Northern Portugal: Porto to Guimaraes – Driving around the north of the country you’ll come across many historic cities, UNESCO World Heritage sites and the biggest national park in Portugal.
Places to Visit in Portugal
Lisbon in September – Lisbon is an all-year-round weekend break destination but I particularly loved visiting in September.
Cruising Around Porto – Taking a cruise down the Douro River in Porto is a great way to see the capital of northern Portugal.
Zip Lining in Portugal – Not for the faint hearted but zip lining in Portugal’s premier adventure park is a lot of fun.
For Foodies
Eating Our Way Around Lisbon – Spicy piri piri chicken, Fado restaurants and pasteis de Belem were all made famous in Portugal. Make sure you try them when visiting Lisbon.
Where to Stay
Lisbon – I loved my short stay at the very cute Hotel Gat Rossio in Lisbon. It’s a small hotel right in the centre of Lisbon just off Restauradores Square.
Porto – In Porto I stayed at the lovely 5 star Sheraton Porto. If you’d prefer to stay closer to the action there are many affordable hotels in the historic centre of Porto.
Braga – Braga is a great place to use as a base for exploring northern Portugal. I can recommend the Melia Hotel if you’re looking for a luxury hotel in Braga.
Peneda-Geres National Park – For easy access to Peneda-Geres National Park I’d suggest staying in a hotel in Geres or basing yourself in Braga and doing a day trip to the park.
Portuguese Driving Tips
You must pay a toll when using the motorways in Portugal but other than that there is nothing special about driving in Portugal.
While it’s easy enough to travel between cities using public transport, visiting quiet beaches or getting to the national parks can be a challenge without a car.
var socialsnap_script = {"ajaxurl":"https:\/\/www.rearviewmirror.tv\/wp-admin\/admin-ajax.php","on_media_width":"250","on_media_height":"250","nonce":"223b788df6","post_id":"1060","click_tracking":"1"};
ai_front = {"insertion_before":"BEFORE","insertion_after":"AFTER","insertion_prepend":"PREPEND CONTENT","insertion_append":"APPEND CONTENT","insertion_replace_content":"REPLACE CONTENT","insertion_replace_element":"REPLACE ELEMENT","visible":"VISIBLE","hidden":"HIDDEN","fallback":"FALLBACK","automatically_placed":"Automatically placed by AdSense Auto ads code","cancel":"Cancel","use":"Use","add":"Add","parent":"Parent","cancel_element_selection":"Cancel element selection","select_parent_element":"Select parent element","css_selector":"CSS selector","use_current_selector":"Use current selector","element":"ELEMENT","path":"PATH","selector":"SELECTOR"};
