Portugal Travel Answers

Probably if you decide to stay in Faro itself it will not be too busy, it's a small working town not a beach resort. But the beach front areas in the Algarve (and the roads) will be busy. If you like to stroll big cities start at Porto and then go south to Lisboa. If you want to stay by the coast it may be difficult to find hotels as you go, if you go inland probably not.

I think it will be really hot in Faro next month. I would visit Lisbon and some areas north in Portugal if I were you.

Here's a link to a book about road trips in Portugal "Slow Roads!: Beautiful Drives Through Portugal for Cars and Motorcycles" adamastor.us/bookpublishing....

Would definitely start in Porto and travel to Pinhao, the heart of wine country. You can travel by car ... but if you defer to pick up the car later, the train ride to Pinhao from Porto in the morning is awesome - bordering the Duero most of the way. There is quite a bit of hiking to be done. There are expensive and budget accommodations - I have some on my page, but there are many other Quintas where there is lodging around that area. While in the area, would go to Guimaraes, as I understand birthplace of Portugal. Lisbon is not to be missed - but a car would really be a pain because there is quite a bit of construction going on - no time to elaborate on Lisbon but there are plenty of posts in the Lisbon pages. Enjoy!

I am not in the Algarve at the moment but my friends there tell me it was 40C today. That's hot. August in the Algarve is the main holiday time but as others have said Faro is not a holiday resort so it should not be too difficult to fidn a room there. But then what? You could use Faro as a base for a couple of nights but to be fair there is not much to see in the Algarve other than beaches. If it were my choice, I would start in Porto and explor the north and centre of the country. It will be hot but not as overpowering as down south in the Algarve and there is a lot more to see and do away from the beaches.

The algarve is really good for the active stuff you wanna do, so if that has high importance then you might consider Faro. But anything else goes towards starting in Porto i think. the weather will still be hot in Porto, but in a more pleasant way than the Algarve and hotels are likely to be a lot less busy. The first two wees of august is the very height of the tourist season and you are better off away from the Algarve that time of year in my opinion. Having a car also meams that you can opt for some accomodation a little out of the big towns which is very nice in Portugal.

Just returned from 2 weeks in Portugal in May. Loved Porto, probably my favourite. A lot to see and do. I never even made it to the Douro Valley, and of course wish I had. Porto also has some beautiful large beaches, on the Atlantic ocean to the north near Castello Queso. With a car you will, of course, have the option of going to some of the outlying areas. Restaurante Guarany in the centre has live entertainment (piano player, but also has live Fado some nights). Food looked excellent. I arrived both nights at about 21:00 h for coffee/dessert and a glass of wine. Would also recommend Evora, as it has a great deal of history, and Roman ruins. I understand there are Megalithic sights (kind of Stonehenge like rock formations) nearby. As I was on public transportation and there for only a short time I missed that as well. A car would probably be a liability right in Lisbon as the Metro is very efficient. Sintra nearby was easily reached by train for a day trip, but it may well be worth spending the night. In the Algarve I stayed in Lagos at the Lagosmar Hotel. Best hotel on my whole trip. Nice size room and decent breakfast.28 Euros/night. Fabulous staff. Just a few steps from the main square. From there you could easily drive to Cape Sagres. Wouldn't know about ATVs. I booked my hotels in advance. When I was looking on the internet it looked like many of the hotels were already sold out, and that was in May. August is likely to be busier. Have fun. You will love Portugal. I found the prices to be quite good for food and drinks. I paid 12 cents for a bottle of water at the Mini Price store.

Thanks for all your post's. I have booked my arrival to Porto on the night of the August 3rd from Lisbon. I depart on the 13th. If anybody can help with the itinerary in between it will be much appreciated. I may stay in Porto for 2 or 3 nights and Lisbon for 3 or 4. I will rent a car the day I leave Porto and return it when I arrive in Lisbon. Any cities, towns, or villages anybody can recommend would be awesome! Also any must see attractions and any outdoor activities we should make sure to do or see. Thanks

Also, what is the best area in Porto and Lisbon to stay? Thanks!!

In Lisbon i would say try and stay in either Barrio Alto or near the Rossio square. Most bigger hotels in Lisbon are out towards the airport and that is not really a very interesting neighbourhood, but Barrio Alto has quite a few nice smaller places and that is the happening place at night.

You could spend a couple of nights in Coimbra.

How many nights would you suggest for Porto and Lisbon?

At least 3 nights in each city and 4 or 5 nights in Lisbon would be better.

Can somebody please give a brief description of the areas of Porto? thanks

Look at http://www.visitporto.travel/Visitar/Paginas/default.aspx for Porto and rvp.pt/index.php?op=conteudo... for Douro

There are various pages on Porto....on this web site.