Travel advice for Portugal
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Portugal
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A self drive to Portugal's North and Center
Starting in fascinating Lisbon, this trip allows you to discover Portugal both on your own as well as with guided tours. Driving further up north you'll explore Coimbra and Porto before heading to the Douro Valley and Alentejo.
customize ⤍Porto and the North of Portugal: off the beaten track
From Porto, you'll discover the most fascinating parts of Northern Portugal: go on a hike through unique biodiversity around the Paiva river, take a jeep tour through the slopes of the Serra da Arada and taste the wonderful wines of the Douro valley.
customize ⤍The best of Portugal: Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve
Portugal offers many highlights but when you're short on time, this trip is ideal to cover all the highlights: the capital city of Lisbon, historic Porto, lush Douro Valley and the stunning beaches of the Algarve are all part of this trip.
customize ⤍Azores Wild Nature
Get ready to discover what the largest island of the Azores, São Miguel, has to offer in this short adventure-packed 6-day trip. You will get to swim with wild dolphins, abseil or jump down waterfalls, ride a mountain bike through the Sete Cidades and relax in a natural spa. Adventure awaits!
customize ⤍Madeira and São Miguel - guided island adventures
Visit two of Portugal's autonomous regions: Madeira, the island of eternal spring as they call it, as well as São Miguel, nicknamed the green island. Guided excursions will take you to the highlights of both islands and there's plenty of time to discover on your own or simply relax.
customize ⤍Lisbon and the South of Portugal: exploration and relaxation
Take your rental car and discover Lisbon, Sintra & Cascais before heading to Alentejo. This fascinating region features many historic gems to discover, as well as a unique cuisine to taste. Finish your trip with some beach days in Tavira on Portugal's Algarve coast.
customize ⤍Discovering the coast of Portugal
Explore the beautiful cities along the coast of Portugal. Start your journey discovering historic sites and wineries in Porto, from there you will head South to Lisbon. Along the way, you will get a chance to visit charming coastal towns, dramatic cliffs and national parks.
customize ⤍The cities of Portugal
Explore the two big Portuguese cities, Porto and Lisbon. Though you won't only be exploring the cities, this trip will take you to see the beautiful Duoro valley by bike, the Minho region (the birthplace of Portugal), learn more about winemaking, relax on the beach of Nazaré and much more!
customize ⤍Fascinating Azores - Terceira and São Miguel
Two of the magic Azores islands await in this itinerary: drive your own rental cars across Terceira and São Miguel and join one of the many adventurous outdoor activities the islands have to offer: go whale watching or canyoning or simply enjoy the landscapes on leisurely strolls.
customize ⤍If you want to see some of France or Spain en route, or are taking a vehicle, there are overland combinations of ferry, rail and road to consider, though these nearly always work out pricier than flying. Package holidays and tours can be good value, whether it’s an Algarve beach holiday or escorted walking tour – and travel agents and specialist tour operators can also provide car rental, hotel bookings and other useful services.
Air, train and ferry fares are at their highest in school holidays and summer (basically Easter to September), and around Christmas/New Year and Easter week. The cheapest flights from the UK and Ireland are usually with the budget airlines, though watch out for the airport taxes, which can cost more than the flight itself, as well as additional charges for checked luggage and allocated seating. Major scheduled airlines are usually (though not always) more expensive, while specialist flight, discount or online agents can sometimes offer special student and youth fares plus a range of other travel-related services.
The main scheduled airlines flying to Portugal are the national carriers TAP and British Airways: TAP flies regular services from London to Lisbon and Porto, while BA serves Lisbon and Faro. You’ll also be able to arrange add-on sections to London from regional UK airports. They are not necessarily more expensive than the budget airlines, and flight times may be more convenient – that said, you’re unlikely to get a rock-bottom deal and the fully flexible fares offered can run into the hundreds.
From Canada to Portugal, there are direct flights from Toronto with SATA and Air Canada; flight time is 7–8 hours, and fares are around C$1400.
For tickets, the best first stop is the excellent seat61.com, which provides full route, ticket, timetable and contact information. You can book the whole journey online with Loco 2 or Rail Europe. Information on rail passes (principally InterRail and Eurail), which have to be bought before leaving home is given in our "Getting around" section.
From Madrid (Chamartin station), the overnight Lusitania Trenhotel takes ten hours and thirty minutes to Lisbon (change at Entroncamento in Portugal for Coimbra and Porto). Prices start at €60 one-way, €96 return; for a second-class seat, or €84 one-way, €134 return; for the cheapest berth (four-bed cabin); there are also singles, doubles and first-class cabins (gran classe)cabins available. Tickets can be bought in Madrid at Chamartin, through the Spanish (renfe.es) or Portuguese (cp.pt) railway companies’ websites.
From the northeast, the overnight Sud-Express from the French border at Hendaye/Irun to Lisbon (around 13hr) passes through San Sebastián (Donostia) and Salamanca, entering Portugal at Vilar Formoso in and then calling at Portugal’s highest town, Guarda; change at Coimbra for Porto. Tickets start at €40 one-way, €70 return, and again can be bought online or from agents.
From northwestern Spain, two trains a day connect Vigo in Galicia to Porto (around 3hr), passing the border at Tuy/Valença on the River Minho, then following the river and coast down via Viana do Castelo.
From Granada, Córdoba and Seville in southern Spain you are well placed to get a bus to the border at Ayamonte/Vila Real de Santo António, for onward transport by bus or train along the Algarve coast.
There are numerous other border road crossings, but if you’re in a rental car check first whether you’re covered to take the vehicle between countries. The major routes from Madrid or Salamanca make for an easy motorway drive to Portugal’s biggest cities, but there are some excellent minor routes into the country as well – like those from Zamora to Bragança or Miranda do Douro, or from Cáceres to Castelo Branco.
The best way of cutting down the driving time is to catch the ferry to northern Spain, though this still leaves a six- to eight-hour drive before you reach Portugal. Brittany Ferries sails to Santander from Plymouth (1 weekly; 20hr) and Portsmouth (3 weekly; 24–32hr) and to Bilbao from Portsmouth (2 weekly; 24hr). The one-way fare for a car and two passengers starts at £430 from Plymouth to Santander, £424 from Portsmouth to Santander, and £410 to Bilbao, though in summer and school holidays prices can rocket. In winter the Brittany Ferries website often features special deals; note also that fares are cheaper for foot passengers (though everyone has to book some form of seating or cabin accommodation).
Other specialist tour operators offer a wide range of fly-drive holidays based around accommodation in historic manor houses and pousadas, while some feature activities such as birdwatching, horseriding, hiking, biking and wine tours. Prices vary wildly depending on the standard of accommodation, and whether the tours are fully inclusive or not (with guides and meals etc). Most tour operators should also be able to tailor-make a holiday, and arrange flights, accommodation, insurance and car rental.
City breaks are mainly to Lisbon, though you’ll also find Porto and even short breaks to the Algarve offered. UK prices start at around £200 for a three-day (two-night) break, including return flights and B&B in a modest hotel. Adding extra nights or upgrading your hotel is usually possible too. The bigger US operators, such as American Express and Delta Vacations, can also organize short city breaks to Lisbon on a flight-and-hotel basis.
Arblaster & Clarke UK (01730 263111). Sophisticated, upmarket all-inclusive wine-tour specialist offering Douro vineyard walks, port-harvest trips and escorted Portugal tours.
Easy Rider Tours US (1 800 488 8332). Somewhat pricey guided cycling and sightseeing tours in various Portuguese regions, from a week along the Douro to a nine-day mountain-to-coast trip.
Equitour UK (0800 043 7942) & US (1 800 656 6163). Mid-price range horseriding holidays near Lisbon and in the Alentejo and Algarve – price includes accommodation, meals and transfers but not flights.
Formosmar Portugal (289 817 466). Inexpensive tours around the Ria Formosa in the Algarve, based around kayaking, cycling, walking and birdwatching.
Limosa Holidays UK (01692 580623). Upmarked operator offering birdwatching in the Alentejo and Algarve. There’s some walking involved, and the holidays include flights, meals and transport.
Martin Randall Travel UK (020 8742 3355). Leading cultural tour specialist, offering upmarket, expert-led trips either along the Douro by train and boat or to the historic centre of the country. Departures a couple of times a year.
Nature Trails Portugal (926 543 289). Inexpensive, guided and self-guided hikes and cycling trips, mostly in the south of the country.
Naturetrek UK (01962 733051). Mid-price outfit which offers seven- or eight-day spring and autumn botanical and birdwatching trips in the north and south of the country, including gentle walking.
Portugal Walks Portugal (965 753 033). A nice range of good-value group and individual guided and self-guided walking and cycling holidays throughout the country, ranging from four nights to a week. Flights not included.
Ramblers Worldwide Holidays UK (01707 331133). Long-established walking-holiday operator with inexpensive guided walking trips along the Douro, as well as the Algarve, Alentejo and the northern national and natural parks.
From travel safety to visa requirements, discover the best tips for traveling to Portugal
written by Mani Ramaswamy
updated 26.04.2021
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