Trip to the Douro; Advice
Posted: 10:38 Wed 14 Jul 2010
Dear everyone,
I'm thinking of going to the Douro for a long weekend in September or October this year and was wondering if I could seek the wise counsel of on my plans?
I was thinking about spending two nights in the Douro valley and one in Oporto. I get the impression that there are a lot of good hotels and Quintas which take guests in and around Pinhão, but I would also like to visit, or at least see, some of the major Quintas in the Douro Superior (such as Vesuvio and Vargellas). I am therefore wondering whether it would be worth staying for two nights in the Pinhão region or whether I should also look at places further East for the second night?
There are a few other things I have been pondering: is it worth, on a first trip to the Douro, to visit Régua, or should I leave that to another occasion and head straight to Pinhão? Is the train service reliable enough that I could come back to Oporto on it to meet up with a connecting flight? If so, I might spend the first night in Oporto; if not I might head straight out on arrival in Portugal and spend the last night there instead.
Finally, does anyone know whether there any particularly good or bad times to go in September or October?
Many thanks!
-Jacob
I'm thinking of going to the Douro for a long weekend in September or October this year and was wondering if I could seek the wise counsel of on my plans?
I was thinking about spending two nights in the Douro valley and one in Oporto. I get the impression that there are a lot of good hotels and Quintas which take guests in and around Pinhão, but I would also like to visit, or at least see, some of the major Quintas in the Douro Superior (such as Vesuvio and Vargellas). I am therefore wondering whether it would be worth staying for two nights in the Pinhão region or whether I should also look at places further East for the second night?
There are a few other things I have been pondering: is it worth, on a first trip to the Douro, to visit Régua, or should I leave that to another occasion and head straight to Pinhão? Is the train service reliable enough that I could come back to Oporto on it to meet up with a connecting flight? If so, I might spend the first night in Oporto; if not I might head straight out on arrival in Portugal and spend the last night there instead.
Finally, does anyone know whether there any particularly good or bad times to go in September or October?
Many thanks!
-Jacob