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Hi all,

My wife and I are planning a trip this summer to the Douro, including a day in Regua and a few days in Pinhao. We're looking to do a bit of quinta-hopping while we are there, but we won't have a car. In your experience, are taxis readily available, either standing in ranks or by phone? Should we be using a ride-share app (and if so, which one)? Or should we be trying to find a private driver?

We were in Porto and the Douro for a few days on a guided trip years ago, but of course neither of us paid much attention to the transit options at that point!

Thanks for your suggestions!

Unless it’s changed recently, Ride share/Uber type doesn’t exist as far as I know in Regua/Pinhao. I would book taxis ahead of time. Summertime can be very busy because the river boat people (which I can’t stand) inundate pinhao at various times and taxis become very hard to get (it’s a tiny town with a handful of taxis…if you’ve not been before).

Regua is a far bigger city and is generally easier to get a taxi in my experience. But Porto it is not, so don’t expect the same level of availability.

But if you know where you need to be and picked up after, best to book ahead. Especially later at night after dinner where it gets harder to find a taxi in certain areas.

My advice is the same as Andy’s.

If you have fixed times for arrival or departure, book your taxi a week ahead or so. Your host at the Quinta you’re visiting or hotel in Régua / Pinhão will be able to help you.

Ride apps haven’t arrived in the Douro yet.

Sorry for the tardy delay, but thank you for the information! Is there a taxi company in either location you recommend, or does the limited availability mean you take what you can get?

You take pretty much what you can get, but your hotel will have a preferred local driver and I would go with them. Having someone you can call to ask to intervene in Portuguese if your driver isn’t where you expect at the time you expect can be very helpful.