Good tourist routes in spain and portugal. Travel by rental car in spain and portugal. Cape Roca, Portugal

July 13th, 2015

Of course, I never cease to admire Portugal: this country will appeal to both those who adore Europe and those who love Asia. But at the same time, this is an absolutely unique, unlike anything else, place. There is a lot of history, castles, palaces, medieval cathedrals, it has its own unique architectural style (called neo-Manueline), so for history lovers here is really a paradise. Although even if you are not a fan of ancient buildings (like me), you will still be delighted. For example, the park and palace of Quinta da Regaleira made a strong impression on me (I wrote about it), much stronger than the castles of the French Loire Valley, and not by its majesty and pomp (because they are rather very modest) , but just an unusual architectural style, soul, play with light and some kind of sophistication, endless attention to detail.

Honestly, it is very difficult to advise some kind of universal route in Portugal: some are more fond of natural beauty and ocean views, and some are just a fan of old castles. Therefore, first of all, universal means balanced, but if someone likes one thing more, he will be able to correct the route, because Below I will describe which place is attractive. And the second is the balance in the ratio of provinces to large cities. I am now most impressed by the authentic countryside: not teeming with tourists castles and restaurants on the central square, well-kept houses, calm people, the local genuine flavor is what really impresses and leaves a true impression of the country. But when you go for the first time, it is better to start with large cities, and go deeper in subsequent times. Therefore, at the end I will write which cities to visit first, and which in subsequent times.

So, the route at a first approximation: Lagos (6 nights for a beach vacation) - Lisbon (7 nights for exploring the surroundings) - Batalha - Bussaco (night) - Porto (6 nights for exploring the surroundings).

As you can see, there are no great distances in Portugal, the entire route between the main points takes 6 hours 41 minutes on toll high-speed roads. On average 2 hours with a little between overnight places. It can start in the south (beach vacation) and finish in the north (sightseeing, walking in a big city), or vice versa. But I started from south to north, because in the south the car will be useful every day, and when you reach Porto, the car can be returned almost immediately. Where and how to book a car and what you need to pay attention to while traveling by car, I described in the previous one. This route is calculated for three weeks: a week to the south, a week to the central part, a week to the north. This is quite enough to relax and get a full-fledged impression of the country. But if you have less time, and your interests are more in the direction of historical and architectural attractions (or vice versa, in the direction of natural beach places), then my description below will help you to adjust the route.

As already written, the route is conventionally divided into three parts: north, central and south of Portugal. In a general sense: the north is more interesting in terms of history, when, as in the south, there is practically nothing to see except the ocean. And the center is something in the middle, here you can find unsurpassed palaces with parks and stunning headlands and beaches.

1. South.

In terms of knowing the country, the south is boring, a resort - it is a resort. Therefore, the only thing that it is good for is a beach vacation. So, if you are not interested in this, feel free to throw out this part of the route: you can also see the ocean, beaches, capes in the central part. Yes, the water is warmer here, but not much.

All palaces, museums, monasteries, castles work mainly from 10 am to 17: 30/18: 00, but before visiting it is better to check the opening hours via the Internet.

By the way, if traveling from Sintra to Cape Roca or vice versa, take the N247. In my opinion, this is a very beautiful road along the river and railway tracks, especially at sunset.

There is another family restaurant with a grill not far from Sintra, you can only get to it by car, because he works from 7 pm, then it is better to go there immediately after Sintra, and then return to Lisbon already. It is called Moinho Iberico and is located at: Avenida Moinhos Arneiro, 110/112 | Magoito, Sintra. Do not be alarmed by the sparsely crowded and almost empty road to it, the restaurant will always have a lot of cars and a lot of people inside, it is easy to identify it by the mill (Moinho in Portuguese means a mill), it works like everything from 19 to 23, except Tuesday. You can book a table by phone +351 916 343 970 or by mail [email protected], there the host is already a man with his sister, always communicates with guests, and there is no such type of establishment in Russia yet.

If after all this you want even more museums, then the route can be adjusted:
1) Go one day to Tomar, with a return back to Lisbon: see the castle and monastery of Christ, which includes examples of a variety of architectural styles, including Manueline.
2) Spend not a day, but two for the interval between Lisbon-Porto (taking away this day either from Porto or Lisbon), visiting Batalha (Santa Maria da Vitoria monastery), Alcobasa (Santa Maria de Alcobasa monastery), Leiria (castle-fortress on a hill) and Coimbra (Universidade de Coimbra and Little Portugal park, by the way, it is really very interesting). You can additionally stay in one of these cities, for example, in Leiria. And although the monastery in Batalha leaves one of the most powerful architectural impressions on a par with the palaces of Sintra, I had the feeling that I had already seen all this, therefore I excluded this city from the main list.
3) The same as 2 - only to capture Tomar as well, in two days it will turn out to be a very intense journey. You can spend the night in Leiria.

The place to stay before your trip to Porto is Bussaco, a castle hotel with a stunning garden. And yet, when you choose hotels in other places, remember that there are a lot of different castles, hotels, quintas, estates (wineries) where you can stay. All this immerses you in the world of Portugal much more, gives more color than modern hotels.

3. North

First of all, this is of course a city Porto(Porto), there is a lot of everything here, just a concentrate of Portugal: a city in which, in a small space, you can see much of what is inherent in this wonderful country: churches, towers, palaces, fortress walls and medieval cathedrals, openwork bridges and then the poor abandoned sloped houses with boarded up windows. Like the rest of Portugal, Porto seems to be very picturesque at a superficial glance, frightening with untidiness and poverty when approaching, and ultimately an amazing and not leaving indifferent city. In Porto, go to the Ribeiro promenade, walk along the Pont Luis, look into the wine cellars. It should be said right away that in summer, in contrast to the central part, the weather here may not be sunny at all. There are many good restaurants local cuisine, just open TripAdvisor, but I want to recommend one rather interesting restaurant Palco at the Teatro hotel (which by the way is also quite interesting and conveniently located). Address: Rua de Sa da Bandeira 84, Porto 4000 -427. Book a table: +351 220 409 620 or post office [email protected] This restaurant, unlike all the others that I have advised, is of a completely different category, has been awarded with Michelin stars, and has a sophisticated atmosphere inside. Here I advise you not to order a separate dish, but to take a "tour", i.e. they will bring you 4-5 dishes (small portions, but in total it will be very satisfying) and, accordingly, 5 wines to it. Very inexpensive, but it turns out to be a kind of gastronomic journey through the dishes of Portugal in an exquisite form.

Even for those who are not very fond of architecture, I recommend taking the one-day route Guimaraes-Bom Jesus-Braga.

There is also a funny house of "Flintstones" not far from Braga and next to Fafe, its coordinates are: 41.488202 °, −8.067809 ° I'll tell you at the very end, and if you manage to insert this place into the route, be sure to do it, because this is one of the most interesting places in the Portuguese hinterland) and the road there is expressive.

And for those who did not have enough ocean in Lisbon or in the south, I would advise you to go to one of these cities: Vila do Conde, Viana do Castelo, Costa Nova do Prado. In the first, the beaches are the widest and sandy, stretching for several kilometers - some of the most famous in northern Portugal. And you can take a walk there too. Viana do Castelo has more of the historic center and you can take the funicular up to the basilica for stunning views of the Lima River, city and ocean. In Costa Novo, in addition to the ocean, there can be interesting striped houses, which were previously painted so that fishermen could see their house from afar and moor with their catch closer to the house.

Now the list of places in Portugal sorted by tourist significance (* - must see, ** - you can look at the second visit or if there is time, *** - if you want to go deeper)

I have long been planning to take a bus ride in the southwestern part of Spain. All my previous trips to Spain have gone around and Valencia. I wanted something new. So in the spring I planned a route from Madrid to Seville via Cordoba. On the way, a spontaneous idea arose to add Portugal: it was only in Seville that I decided that why not go to the sea to Albufeira, and since I ended up in Albufeira, I had to stop by Lisbon ... Well, as it usually happens: step by step, city after city. As a result, we got a short trip around Spain and Portugal, the following route was formed: - Cordoba - Seville - Albufeira - Lisbon - Coimbra - Salamanca - Madrid.

Bus route plan

On the map: bus route in Spain and Portugal

The route was designed so that to stay in each city for 2-3 days, but at the same time, so that bus transfers would not be tiring, that is, spend no more than 5 hours on the road. I took a bus ride in Spain and the south of Portugal, having visited 7 cities in succession. It turned out to be an excellent trip and varied: seaside holidays, walks along the old streets, romantic Lisbon, beautiful parks, magnificent views. I recommend to all independent travelers :)
The only thing to make such a route cheaper is to buy hotels and tickets in advance, and not a day before departure.

Let me tell you in more detail how everything turned out.

Two days in Madrid

I set aside a couple of days for rest and walking around the city. Arrived in Madrid in the evening. It's good that I read in advance - from the T1 terminal I took the express bus - 30 minutes straight to the Atocha railway station. I was glad that I had chosen housing near the metro - I did not want to wander in an unfamiliar area in the evening.

To my surprise, I did not find flights from Madrid to Cordoba by the popular Spanish bus company Alsa. So I bought tickets for the company bus Socibus right at the bus station. For some reason, the Socibus website did not succeed. The ticket price is 18 euros.

In the photo: tourists buy tickets for the Socibus bus at the bus station in Madrid

On the day of departure, I got to the bus station by metro - first along the blue line to Pacifico station, then along the gray line to Mendez Alvaro station. The bus started on schedule. We drove to Cordoba for about 5 hours with one 15 minute stop. As it turned out, Socibus is quite a good company. True, the bus did not have built-in TVs like in Alse.

In the photo: Socibus bus, following the route Madrid - Cordoba

Two days in Cordoba

We arrived in Cordoba at about 16-00. The bus station is located on the map. Directly opposite it, across the road - the railway station. Conveniently!

Even before the trip, I booked a room at the Serrano Hotel. I chose the hotel because of its convenient location - no more than 10 minutes from the station. For those who pass Cordoba by bus and train, this is the best option. We settled in very quickly, though they gave us a room with a window to the patio. However, for a couple of days it does not matter, given the price.

In the photo: a walk through the historic part of Cordoba, Spain

Cordoba turned out to be a very interesting town, elegant white streets, many flowers, wonderful shops and souvenir shops.

In the photo: Cordoba is famous for its floral street decorations

It's interesting just to walk the streets and take pictures.

In the middle of the day, many establishments were closed, however, I wandered through the old part of the city, and came out to the river and the Roman bridge.

Photo: Roman bridge in Cordoba

As I found out later, it is best to go to this bridge in the evening, when it is effectively illuminated. It's a pity the pictures did not work out.

Pictured: a pastry shop selling turron in Cordoba

When you are in Cordoba, be sure to try the local turron - these are tiles made from nougat and roasted nuts. The recipes vary, but the turrons are all delicious. I took a few with me on the road.

I could not find bus tickets with normal prices and departure times from Cordoba. Probably the fact is that I began to look for tickets on the eve of departure. Therefore, I went to Seville not by bus, but by the Renfe train. I bought tickets directly at the railway station at the ticket machine for 13.55 euros. The Cordoba - Seville train takes 1 hour and 20 minutes.

Seville - home of flamenco and bullfighting

The Cordoba - Sevilla section was made by train. So in Seville, I arrived at the Santa Justa railway station. This station is on the map.

From the railway station I took bus 21 to the final stop - Plaza de Armas station. From it to the hotel I walked on foot, understanding the labyrinths of old Savilla using the navigator. Once again I was glad that I was traveling with small luggage.

In the photo: the reception of the Hotel Zaida in Seville, Spain

Albufeira - a resort in Portugal on the ocean

In the photo: Sete Rios bus station in Lisbon

It turns out that finding a good and affordable hotel or hostel in Lisbon is very difficult. But I was lucky - friends who had already visited Lisbon advised me to stay at the Lisbonera Guest House. The owner of the hostel, Ricardo, spoke in detail about the various bars in the area and issued a map with an almost ready one-day itinerary in Lisbon :)

In the photo: a room in the Lisbonera hostel, in Lisbon

By location, this is certainly not the center of Lisbon, but it's even better. Quiet area, near the metro, excellent park and supermarkets. All my hikes in Lisbon began with Edward Park and ended at the Pargue metro station.

Photo: view of Lisbon from Edward VII Park

Lisbon turned out to be a completely limitless and multi-level city, despite the fact that every day I was feeding on it from 10 to 16 kilometers.

Photo: view of the Fortress of St. George, Lisbon

Now I know that 4 days in Lisbon is too little. It would be nice to live in Lisbon for a month (but not in summer), and not in a hotel, but in good apartments. Visit different bars and coffee houses. In general, I have already scheduled Lisbon for next season.

In the photo: Figueira square in Lisbon

Coimbra is a small but very cozy college town north of Lisbon. It's strange that before this trip I had never even heard of this city before. The town is beautiful, with a river and nice parks.

Photo: view of the river in Coimbra

I walked from the station to the hotel - 15 minutes in a straight line. I stayed in a small and pleasant hotel “Vitoria”. It is very close to Coimbra A train station and very close to the historic quarter of Coimbra.

Photo: Hotel "Vitoria" in Coimbra

I liked everything in the hotel, although I wanted to get a room with a view of the embankment, as in the picture, but I failed. In general, it is a clean and comfortable hotel. Next time, if I am in Coimbra, I will stop right there.

In Coimbra, two parts are clearly defined - the old and the new. Tourists see only the historical part of the city with the university and botanical garden, and tourists do not notice the new quarters because they are located behind the mountain.

In the photo: the most popular place among tourists is the Largo da Portagem square in Coimbra

The oldest and largest university in Portugal is located here.

In the photo: graduates of the University of Coimbra

The neighborhoods adjacent to the university look like the scenery for the Harry Potter and Hogwarts movie :)

In the photo: students in Portuguese Coimbra

Student fraternities are the most important component of the city's life - at any time of the day in Coimbra there are hordes of novice students who perform some strange initiation rituals :) It's funny to watch all this.

My journey ends in Portugal, then - Spain.

Photo: ALSA bus from Coimbra to Salamanca

Two days later I left Coimbra for Spanish Salamanca on. The ticket price is 35 euros. Travel time was about 4 hours with one 25-minute stop.

Salamanca, 2 days

The bus station in Salamanca is located.
To save time, in Salamanca I chose a hotel near the bus station - Hostal Barcelona - quite practical accommodation for the price. All rooms are located on the second floor. Despite the liveliness of the place, I got a good night's sleep. The main advantages of the hotel are its low price and excellent location.

Photo: daily hangout at the Plaza Mayor in Salamanca

I started my walk around Salamanca from the Plaza Mayor. This is the center of Salamanca, something is always happening here - either tourists are active or students. By the way, the film "Point of Fire" was filmed on this square with Dennis Quaid :)

In the photo: Cathedral in Salamanca

The Cathedral in Salamanca is the main attraction and perhaps the largest Catholic building in all of Spain. However, most tourists are admired not by the size of the building, but by the stone figurine of an astronaut, which the restorers have woven into the general bas-relief at the entrance to the cathedral. You will be in Salamanca - find :)

It is beautiful here in spring, everything is in bloom.

Salamanca in the spring. Spain

The walls of the university are decorated with patterns. It was curious to look at the figures and details of the pattern, because all different, not repeated.

Photo: bas-reliefs on the wall of the university in Salamanca

On this wall of the university, there is another task for tourists - to find a stone frog sitting on a skull. They say it helps students to pass exams.

In the photo: in the area of the University of Salamanca

The city has many small parks with beautiful views... If you are in Salamanca in April or May, be sure to look for the place El Huerto de Calixto y Melibea - this is a park with many flowers and panoramic views of the city:

Salamanca in Spain: El Huerto de Calixto y Melibea - a park with an observation deck

In the evening, wander around the Calle Latina area - you will find some excellent and inexpensive student bars.

Photo: Roman bridge over the Tormes river in Salamanca

Also in Salamanca, you must definitely walk along the old Roman bridge, look at ducks, show yourself :)

Two days in Salamanca passed quickly. And now - the final section Salamanca - Madrid on the AVANZA bus, I bought tickets at the ticket office at the bus station for 14.30 euros.

The bus arrived in Madrid at the familiar Estacion Sur bus station. Thus, my bus route through Spain and Portugal was neatly looped. For 16 days I visited 7 cities. Here's a self-guided bus tour!

Results and conclusions on the bus route in Europe

In the photo: the bus enters Lisbon

The total transport budget was around 140 euros. Expensive, but most of the tickets were bought right before the trip. If I bought tickets in advance, this amount could be halved.

Here are the conclusions I drew from my travel in Spain and Portugal by bus:

Different bus companies are optimal in each region. To clearly select the segments of the bus route, have on hand for different European countries.
It is necessary to find out in advance the location of the arrival bus station and, if the bus station is located in the city, then it is not far to find the hotel so that there is more time left to explore the city.
You always need a smartphone with a navigator.
It is useful to register for the ALSA + program on the website alsa.es - bonuses will be awarded for each trip, which can then be used to pay for tickets.
In small cities of Portugal, bus tickets can be bought at the ticket offices of bus stations, and the schedule can be viewed on the websites.
It is always useful to have cash with you, small money up to 10 euros, for a city bus.

Rating: 4.82 / 5. Total Votes: 11

A team of five people traveled the route Barcelona - Tarragona - Granada - Cordoba - El Rompido - Vilamoura - Lagos - Lisbon - Porto - Lerma - Lleida - Barcelona.
We drove in two cars.
Travel time is two weeks, from August 25 to September 8, 2007.
The distance covered is about 5.5 thousand km. On one car and 4.4 thousand km on the other.

The goal is to relax according to the variant that was successfully tested last year and to get impressions from the South of Spain and Portugal.

Preparation of the route and cities of booking.
We figured out the route and cities of overnight stays. Based on the experience of previous years, we decided to make two nights in one for every two nights in a new hotel. As a result, we got the desired route in 11 hotels 2 ... 4 * for 13 nights.
We figured out the flight options and tried to look for visa options.
I didn't want to go to the embassy for a visa - the capital is not close to us.
We started with the carrier (L-Flight), if you take a ticket, they have a visa service indicated on their website. It was difficult to get through to them, if they got through - we were switched to a boy on visas - after a sigh, he agreed to listen to us and seemed to be, in principle, ready to help ... But there was not much good about them on the Internet. They threw it away. Fearfully.

We decided not to risk it and turn to the option already tested last year through Marco-Polo Moscow. They were entrusted with hotels, flights and visas. Olga Romanova worked with us - absolutely all the wishes regarding the flight, the cities where we wanted to spend the night were fulfilled, as well as the options "something between ... and between ..., within ... euro / person" which, we initially lacked the spirit.

The cost of travel. We succeeded taking into account all costs, incl. and on the spot - about 1350 euros per person.
What made up the cost: the determining factor was the desire to save money on hotels and flights, leaving money for a more decent car, museums and provincial restaurants. Based on this, we dropped the airports of Lisbon, Porto, Madrid and Malaga and stopped at Barcelona, where charters from the capital are carried cheaply. We asked a travel agency to buy us a charter - for a flight to Barcelona by charter (round trip for one) - they paid 340 euros.
Everyone knows about charters - it's a lottery over time. And, since we are from Novocherkassk and Krasnodar, because of this lottery, the expenses exceeded the planned amount for different members of our team from 85 to 362 euros. This is the payment of an additional night in the capital and the purchase of new tickets due to a delay in arrival on the way back.

For 13 nights in hotels 2 ... 4 * they paid an average of 500 euros / person. 14 days of renting a car cost 657 euros for three (Peugeot 407 2.0НDI) and 527 euros for two (the guys went with us to the Opel Corsa). For 5500 km (Peugeot) diesel fuel was burned for 330 euros and for 4000 km (Opel) for 225 euros. Diesel fuel from 0.85 (Andorra) to 1.10 (Portugal) euro per liter.
For paid parking - about 35 euros / car.
Entrances to museums and castles, excursions on a doublebacker - about 45 euros / person.
Lunches / dinners / breakfasts + wine / beer / cola / chips cost from 8 to 35 euros per day on the nose.

Car rental.
Booked with Europcar online on their Spanish website - only they offered Alfa159, and we really wanted it. Now I am sure that you can book through the Russian website Europcar.ru.
At Barcelona Airport (BCN) there are also offices of Hertz, Avis, Atesa and Sol-Mar - prices are approximately the same for all.
We were lucky with the choice of Europcar - due to the delay of the plane (charter!) We arrived at the counter at 01-30 instead of the planned 22-00. After midnight, only the Europcar office was open - all the others were closed until 07-00. The Europcar counter at Barcelona airport was found next to other Rent-a-Car at Terminal B, and the car park was just across the street.
When registering, they forgot (from frustration that they did not give Alpha, as well as the night, tired ...) at the counter the main paper on which we were given the car. We found it a couple of days later and contacted the Europcar office in Huelva, in the south of Spain, and it was restored to us without any problems. They also found out that you can change the car (if you suddenly don't like it or something else) for another without any problems in any office. The main thing is to call in advance and find out the availability. If it comes to that - we were recommended offices at the airports - there is always a lot of different things.
The money from the card for renting a car was withdrawn from us twice. The first time 100% advance payment + 200 euros (deductible) - on the day of receiving the car, then it was fully returned. The second time they took it off on the day the car was handed over - 100% of the amount upon lease. Upon returning home for some time, about a week, we had before our eyes an extract where both amounts were withdrawn, which caused a lot of excitement.

I already wrote about the IDP last year - be sure to make yourself an IDP (international driver's license) at the local traffic police. They give a car there. They can also give our opinion. And if the police do not stop, there will be no problem. But if he stops, the rules have changed since 2006. I have not heard anything about Spain (last year we saw the police there a couple of times for 4500 km ...). But in Italy there were problems, and very serious ones. In addition, if, before the trip, your license for some sin was replaced with a "little time", you will not be given a car there.

Credit card is required. Better two from two different banks. We have one of the cards “not authorized” at the europcar counter. After that it worked as it should, but there was a failure. Fortunately, our guys had a card and funds on it, which made it possible to take two cars on one card.
The balance on the card is the rental amount plus a deductible of 100… 200 euros.

The first and last overnight stays are in reasonable proximity to Barcelona. We chose the first Tarragona at 90 km and the last Lleida at 86 km. Distances between overnight stays are from 80 to 790 km.

On the way back we drove according to the signs "Aeroporto", and closer - according to the signs "Rent-a-Car parking". It is impossible to get lost.
The car was parked, unloaded and handed over to a specially trained person with a badge. He examined, checked the full tank, glove compartment, trunk, signed in paper and gave us one sheet.
Our guys, who were driving with us in the Opel, slightly crushed and scratched both right doors on the terribly cramped underground parking - it cost them 39 euros. The boy at the reception brought them a cash register - they signed a check and a "buy". The registration procedures, both at the start and at the finish, took no more than half an hour with the search for a rack and a search for a car in the parking lot.

Car class.
There were five of us. There were three people in one car, and two in the other.
Therefore, we ordered for three "AlfaRomeo 159 1.9 TDI or similar". In fact, we were given an "or similar" diesel Peugeot 407 2.0 НDI / 132 hp. Our remark that this does not mean "or similar" was not accepted. For three, however, the car is wonderful and the emotions left only positive.

For two - Opel Corsa / Renault Clio. They gave Opel Corsa 1.3 CDTI / 75 hp. Nimble, comfortable. But, in comparison with the Peugeot 407, it is a little more noisy and harsh. When driving on highways, Peugeot was in no way inferior in speed (it was inferior in dynamics) and the guys never lagged behind us.

Driving on the roads of Spain and Portugal
Last year we drove exclusively on maps / signs, and this year we decided to experience the wonders of progress. We used the Golgfish E-Ten 500 communicator, it has a GPS-receiver, with the installed Tom-Tom (router software) and the Spain-Portugal map. Tom-tom with cards was bought for 150 rubles. at a CD store.
The thing is extremely pleasant. Allows you to plot a route from your current location to the desired place both on your own map and on home address templates. Both car and pedestrian. Searches for addresses. Shows parking, gas stations and other delights. If he passed the required turn, he re-routes the route itself. Although more than once there were new roads that Tom-Tom did not know about - apparently, we had old maps. There were also addresses of hotels that Tom-Tom did not know or they are written in Tom-Tom a little bit differently. Internet helped. Before the trip, we went to the sites-routers and according to the list of addresses of hotels where we booked overnight stays, decided on their location and entered the houses into the Tom-Tom list (used http://www.guiacampsa.com, http: //www.viamichelin. com /, www.map24.com).

I note that it is more interesting to drive in the old proven way - as we drove last year - according to a map purchased at a gas station and printouts of hotel locations from routers. It's boring with Tom-Tom - you immediately confidently get into the place.

On the way, one of us was the navigator (in turn) who follows Tom-Tom and the signs. At long high-speed junctions, they hit it several times so that, turning to the right, they ascended over the road along the flyover and went to the left ...

The condition of the roads makes it possible to overcome up to 800 km "with a sightseeing of beauty" without much stress.
We parked at the hotels overnight. Parking at hotels other than Granada, Cordoba and Porto is free and affordable. And in cities, in most cases, what is easier and cheaper - in underground parking lots. They are abundant in all historic sites and old quarters.

The police were seen in Spain twice on the roads and at the entrance from Andorra (... how much alcohol are you carrying? That's all? Just for yourself! Adyos!), And in Portugal once at the exit from the city and at the exit from the country. We did not see a single stationary post, like last year, for 5500 km.

Gas stations, they are also minimarkets with juices-cola-chips-road maps with normal prices. Throughout Spain and Portugal, first refueling, then payment. And before paying, you can slowly comb the minimarket - no one is in a hurry.
Often at the gas station there is a restaurant with trays / serving or with waiters and the menu del dia with prices of 8-14 euros for a good lunch. In addition, sometimes the restaurant at the gas station is the only place where you can grab a snack after hours. And at such a time, we just wanted to have breakfast / lunch / dinner.
At gas stations there is also a self-service car wash, one euro is enough for the eyes to knock down dust and bird tracks, as well as a free post for pumping up wheels / refilling water.

Roads.
I already wrote about the roads last year. In the South and in Portugal, everything is the same as in the North. Highways with a 120 limit run through the country without entering cities. Those. on highways you can move at a speed of 130-140 (the average comes out 105 ... 115) without problems. And, based on this, calculate the route and time. Toll roads are interspersed with free ones. I did not notice any particular pattern.

Sights.

As soon as the places of overnight stay were determined, they took the guidebooks in their hands and made a maximum program for each day. On the spot, based on the mood, we corrected it downward. A set of maps / brochures on Spain - Portugal, which we received along with tickets / visas / passports, helped a lot in navigating among the beauties. The descriptions in the brochures were complemented by the beauty of the text to the place.
On different days we drove from 200 to 750 km. The guys who rode with us in the Opel rested for three days without a car, their total mileage turned out to be a little less - 4.4 thousand km.
In Barcelona, Lisbon and Porto, our team members used doublebackers for sightseeing tours. There is even a Russian-speaking one in Barcelona.
If there was no information, we went to the tourist information offices. So, at the entrance to Portugal, they typed in English-language info about the whole south and drove further on this info. Absolutely all information, including road maps, is free in these offices.

What interested us:
Like last year, the usual set of "beauty of nature - castles - fortresses" and a little diluted with beaches on the Mediterranean and the ocean.
The beauties of nature abound. Mountain landscapes, gorgeous sandy beaches with dunes, sheer cliffs with surf, rocky desert scorched by the sun ...
There are many fortresses. They got into them to a slight nausea. Every day we stopped by at two or three.
In museums, if they are not in fortresses, did not go.

The language of communication.
Spain - Spanish only. In places trampled by ours - Granada, Cordoba, Seville, the vicinity of Barcelona and Malaga, you can find a menu in Russian. Drive a little to the lip - "Solo Hispaniol". The reception in the hotels understands English. Very rarely on the menu of restaurants English version... A dictionary card was made for the restaurant, where the plate will contain Russian and Spanish spellings of dishes / products. For example: grilled pork, fried potatoes, soup, fried fish, octopus, cake, etc. It helped a lot.
Portugal - I got the impression that absolutely everyone knows English. Although a dictionary was also made for the restaurant. Helped. Once, in a Chinese restaurant in Vilamoura, we were presented with a Russian-language menu.

Food.
There were no problems with catering. Only sometimes, when, after a hearty breakfast, they remembered about lunch after 16-00, it was not easy to find a working restaurant. They have lunch until 16, then open from 19.
Four hotels were with breakfast included, which made it possible to forget about lunch. In others, they paid for breakfast and drank tea with a boiler a couple of times. A couple of times we dined at gas stations (quite decent and dignified), several times in provincial restaurants in the wilderness - there really are portions and once we had a festive dinner for ourselves on the occasion of the city fiesta in Lerma. A lamb leg under dry red in the place where this wine is made is simply delicious.
Portuguese hotels differ for the worse from Spanish ones, including in the quality of breakfasts.

Overnight.
This time we did not get into the action with discounts on paradors and booked regular hotels and apartments. Perhaps in vain. Last year's impressions of the paradors are very wonderful.

We spent the night (in order):
One night in Express Tarragona 3 * (DE LES CORTS CATALANES, 4
43005, Tarragona Capital, TARRAGONA, ES) is a clean, pleasant hotel with a good breakfast on the western end of the city's main street. We parked for free on the street.

One night in Juan Miguel 3 * (ACERA DEL DARO 24 18005, Granada GRANADA, ES) - a good hotel in the center of Granada. Parking in the underground parking 11 euros.

One night in Alfaros 4 * (CALLE ALFAROS 18, 14001, Cordoba, CORDOBA, ES)
- a good hotel in the center, close to local beauties, with underground parking for 11 euros.

Two nights at Marismas Club Resort 4 * (CARTAYA - EL ROMPIDO, KM.7
21459, EL Rompido - Cartaya, CARTAYA, ES) - a golf complex from the hotel and the apartment building (room + bedroom + kitchen + bathroom), surrounded by green lawns of golf courses and ponds with herons. The complex has its own supermarket, free parking, a train to the ocean beach, several swimming pools. Nice buffet for breakfast (included in the price) and dinner - buffet for 15 euros per person. I left the most pleasant impressions on the route. Perhaps, as a contrast after the baking in Cordoba.

Two nights at the Clube Hotel Apartamento do Algarve 3 *, (QUINTA DO ROMAO, 8125-301, Vilamoura, VILAMOURA, PT) - a three-storey square-block, inside which there is a public garden with a pool, a bar and a lawn, and outside, along the perimeter of the square, there are places for free parking. Nearby, five minutes walk, a large sandy ocean beach. A very nice place.

One night in Via Don`Ana 3 * (URB. TORRALTINHA, ED. VIA DON'ANA R / C LOJA 4 APART 76, 8600-621, Lagos, LAGOS, PT) - much worse than the previous one, both in terms of location and setting ... Just a candle with a pool in a new area. The room has a stove, refrigerator, microwave, balcony and ocean view, but it's too shabby inside, and the ocean is not close. We never saw the beach there, although we didn't really want to.

Two nights in Dos Anjos 3 * (ANDRADE 16-18, 1170-015, Lisbon, LISBOA, PT) - a modest hotel, with free underground parking, practically in the center and next to the metro. Nice staff. Allowed to get an impression of the capital of Portugal.

One night in Pensao Aviz 2 * (RODRIGUES DE FREITAS 451, 4000-434, Porto
OPORTO, PT) - very poor. There is no lift. Some people walk on the creaking floors in the hallway all night. English-style windows are thundering all night, taps are dripping loudly. Breakfast with acorn coffee and zuko instead of orange juice.

One night in Alisa 3 * (MADRID - IRUN KM.202, 09340, Lerma, LERMA, ES) - an excellent hotel with ample free parking, ten minutes walk from the center. For some reason, on our map of Tom-Tom, it was designated as a parador. And the atmosphere in it is paradoric. Apparently, recently it was removed from the number of paradors.

One night in AS LLeida 3 * (AP2 KM 142 (AREA LLEIDA), 25080, Alfes
LLEIDA, ES) is a very decent hotel in line of sight of Lleida, located in the service area on the toll road. Nearby - a restaurant with a distribution / trays, where they had dinner for 10 euros. Very hearty and delicious breakfast.

Driving in two cars.

The variant we used, when the second car hangs on the tail of the first one, is very bad. Much attention, which could have been given to the beauty, was given to the control of fellow travelers. Those who followed us were afraid of losing our stern, and we didn’t take our eyes off the mirror — weren’t we lagging behind? Lagged behind ... And more than once. And those who were in front paid part of their attention to the tail - whether it was in place and whether it had come off ...
As a result, all had a tension of 4.4 thousand km.
If you really go on two, then it is better to get to the next hotel on your own without tying cars to each other. In general, a team of five people is better to go either in one car. Road impressions are better frayed in a tight team.

Differences between Spain and Portugal.
1. If they are not mixed in one trip, the differences may not be noticed.
2. In Portugal, absolutely everyone, as it seemed to us, knows English well or very well. In Spain, this is a very rare exception.
3. Portugal is dirtier. Not much, but noticeable. As it seemed, not because of poverty, but because of the way of life.
4. At intersections at traffic lights, the poor and beggars beg for alms;
5. The roads are the same as in Spain, with absolutely clear and understandable markings. But the movement on them is tougher, the rules are broken more often. You can be honked from behind when you delay at a traffic light, they can cut you off. We watched on TV how the police caught, and not always successfully, cars that travel at a speed of 245-285 km / h on the Vasco de Gama bridge in Lisbon. At the bus stop, you can leave the car and no one will do anything, unlike Spain.
6. Diesel fuel in Portugal for 1.10 euros. Gasoline and diesel fuel are 8..11% more expensive than in Spain.
7. At the border, Portuguese police or border guards are on guard, who will take them apart, but we did not see the Spanish. Or they just didn't get caught.
8. Hotels are poorer. A similar star hotel in O'Castro 2 * in Spanish O'Grove and the Pensao Aviz 2 * hotel in Porto are simply not comparable. The Portuguese Pensao Aviz 2 * in Porto is even poorer than the Guesthouse Del Claudio 1 * in Bilbao.
9. At breakfasts in hotels in Portugal, they obviously screw up.
10. In Porto, choosing a position for a photo, they almost stepped on a negro sleeping under a bush. There is a lot of this stuff. There was a desire to get out of Porto as soon as possible.
11. Everything, even the most remote villages of Spain, gives the impression of being well-groomed and inhabited by a contented life. This is not the case in Portugal.
Otherwise, Portugal, like Spain, leaves a very pleasant impression.

What we would not do now or do not like this:
- It is better to fly by regular flights - S7, Aeroflot, Transaero or, for money, the Spanish Iberia to the place where you start your journey. In our case - start in Granada. And fly away from where you left off - Burgas. We didn’t manage to save money on charters.
- exclude moving more than 450 km. On vacation, after all, not on a business trip. Although 700 km across Spain is a thrill.
- the contrast between coast and non-coast. Granada, Cordoba and Seville are hot compared to Malaga and Cartaya. In Seville, due to traffic jams at the entrance, in the end, they did not call in, left for later. It might even be better to watch the beauty in big cities by a group on a bus.
- take the car shorter. A long car (Peugeot-407) does not park well, the guys on Kors had much fewer problems.

Outcome
The trip turned out to be wonderful and it was very difficult to return to everyday life at home.

The long-awaited summer has come and the time of travel has opened the doors for us again. Portugal and Spain by car - something that was still ripe for long frosty evenings, but now this idea began to take on clear outlines and enter life. It was decided to take the car in Madrid and on the way to Portugal to see the sights, since there are a great many of them in Spain.

The beginning of 2014 for our family was marked by the receipt of cherished passports. I decided to go through the entire procedure from beginning to end myself, without resorting to the help of travel agencies. The time for submitting the documents was chosen just before the New Year, which was the right decision. The wait at the FMS lasted only about an hour, and the applications I filled out at home were accepted, but not all (in such matters, everything does not go smoothly). The documents for my son had to be submitted again, after the New Year's holidays, which, in general, was also quite fast - about two hours of waiting. So, “a duplicate of the priceless cargo” has been received, the purpose of the trip is clear, let's start by looking for plane tickets.
For this, as always, the skyscanner website comes to the rescue. Here comes the moment when you need to decide how many days the trip will be, the start date and the financial part of the upcoming event.

Moscow-Madrid.

Direct flights are more expensive, with a transfer is cheaper, but they take almost the whole day and are quite difficult.
There is one advantage of connecting flights if the connecting time is long enough (at least six hours). In this case, you can get acquainted in detail with the life of the intermediate airport, and even better get acquainted with the city to which this airport is attached. Even better, if the connecting flight takes place the next day in the evening, then you have a full day in stock for a bonus acquaintance with the city. So we saw Frankfurt (the transfer was about nine o'clock) and Prague (the transfer was the next day in the evening). This time, too, the chance was given - a whole day in Zurich, Switzerland. So banging two birds with one stone: we buy fairly cheap tickets from the Swiss airline SWISS and walk all day when connecting for a return flight to Moscow.
10.06. - departure Domodedovo Moscow-Geneva -15-15 -17-00 Geneva-Madrid - 18-25 -20-25.
Very good schedule - in the morning you can sleep and take your time through the Moscow metro and the bus to arrive at the airport.
July 8 - departure Madrid - Zurich 19-40 - 21-55; overnight in Zurich; 9.07-Zurich-Moscow 21-00 - 10.07 2-20
Also a very good option, in stock the whole day in Madrid and Zurich, of course.

Hotel reservation.

The next stage of travel preparation is hotel booking. Here we will be helped by another wonderful friend of ours, where I have already received (I boast) a 10% discount, as a genius traveler - booking.
Here I am guided by a map of attractions drawn up in advance along our road route. I draw up the map myself with the help of guidebooks, reviews on the internet, the preferences of my family, I don’t forget myself either)) and the UNESCO World Heritage List.

The new stage of travel preparation is also very important - determining the optimal number of days in a given place along the route. Here I proceed from the sights and time, how long we need for the inspection. That's what I did-

It is very convenient in Spain and Portugal that almost all hotels can be booked without prepayment. The service is called free booking. A big plus is that if you suddenly change your mind or find another better option (this may arise at any time), you will not be charged for booking.
Booking hotels in advance is a very important component of travel preparation, since most likely the prices for hotels in advance are still less and there are still more good options available than before the trip itself. And it is also important when obtaining a Schengen visa - when submitting documents, you must have on hand a plane ticket (round trip) and a hotel reservation.
The next step is getting a visa. In the depths of my soul there was a glimmer of hope that this time the Spaniards would give us visas for three years (after all, for the third year in a row we are going to rest in Spain), but alas. Annual visas are also nothing, running ahead of them, we will go to Christmas Bavaria and spring Italy.

Portugal and Spain by car.

Since we still have a car trip, I come to the final stage of the preparatory process - ordering a car rental. Here, the successful experience of renting a car in Mallorca in 2013, where the operator was Goldcar, played a major role.

I turn to brief overview the journey itself with links:

Madrid airport.

From the airport terminal to the car rental office we go by bus (7 km from the airport). A free bus is provided by the office. We draw up documents, take a car and go to the apartment, which is nearby, 500 m.
The hotel is located near the airport, a very convenient and budget option for one night for our family.
10.06.-11.06. –Holiday Inn Express Madrid Airport

Alcala de Henares, Spain.

11.06. - After breakfast at the hotel, we will see the Motherland of Cervantes -.

Avila, Spain.

11.06-13.06 - Transfer to Avila.

Segovia, Spain.

From vila day trip to Segovia, report in the article:
12.06 – .

Salamanca, Spain.

Departure to Salamanca.
An overview of the attractions of Salamanca in the article:
13.06-14.06 – .

Braganca, Portugal.

14.06 - In the morning, departure to the northern part of Portugal. On the road 350 km. stop and lunch in the 12th century citadel of the city of Bragança, report of the stop -.

Vila Real, Portugal.

06.14-20.06 - Vila Real stop.
Casa Agricola da Levada

Porto, Portugal.

Guimaraes, Portugal.

The oldest city in Portugal -;

Braga, Portugal.

Lamego, Portugal.

admire the wine-growing regions of Porto;

Coimbra, Portugal.

06.20 - Transfer from Porto to Coimbra.
06.20-22.06 - Stop in the Coimbra area.

Meet the sunset by the Atlantic Ocean

We will visit the old Portuguese city, included in the UNESCO list:
.

San Pedro de Muel, Portugal.

22.06- 24.06 - Stop in a beautiful resort town.

Walking through the resort town of San Pedro de Moel

Alcobasa, Portugal.

Let's see the mysterious monasteries of Portugal - the golden ring of the country:
;

Batalha, Portugal.

Tomar, Portugal.

Fatima, Portugal.

Obidos, Portugal.

24.06 - Transfer to Sintra, stop in a small, pleasant town.

Sintra, Portugal.

24.06-26.06 - We will see numerous sights.

We will go along the local mountain paths to.

Cape Roca, Portugal.

And on the way to Lisbon 26.06 check in on the westernmost point of the European continent-.

Lisbon, Portugal.

26.06-30.06 - In a superb apartment with a crazy view
Lisbon Inside Connect - Lapa Apartments

enjoy life in Lisbon:

Elvas, Portugal.

Moving to Elvas. 1.07-3.07 - - a UNESCO site.

Merida, Spain.

We turn towards Madrid. The next stop is already Spanish Merida.
3.07-4.07 – .

Lisbon and Cape Roca, that is, the capital of Portugal and the westernmost promontory of the Eurasian continent, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. The poet Luis Camões, known to us mainly thanks to the film "The Pokrovskie Gates", said about Cape Roca that "this is the place where the land ends and the sea begins."
Madrid and Barcelona, the capital of Spain and the capital of Catalonia, respectively, are a port city on the Mediterranean Sea, the largest industrial and commercial center, the city of the 1992 Olympics, praised by Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe.

What to do in addition to the usual program

Leaving your car in the parking lot, go underground and take a ride on the Lisbon metro, where there are many interestingly arranged and decorated stations. A full day pass costs a little over 10 euros.
Dine at the Mercado de Ribeira, a huge market in the center of Lisbon, where you can find food for all tastes.
In Barcelona, see not only the Sagrada Familia, but also visit the old railway station Estacio de Franca. If only to appreciate its beauty. And find something Gaudian in him.
On August 17 this year, Barcelona's Las Ramblas became the scene of a tragedy: terrorists killed 17 people and wounded 100. Stand in silence for one minute at the intersection with Plaza Catalunya.
Climb to the snows of the Sierra Nevada to visit the southernmost European ski resort. So in one trip you can combine swimming in the sea and skiing or snowboarding. And this is in Spain, not in!

You can rent a car right at the airport even without prior booking. But it is better, of course, to study rentalcars.com and choose a car in advance. That is, to determine its class. It makes no sense to choose a model brand. The tricky distributors will give out what is available. And they will definitely try to transfer you to a more expensive car.

What is worth knowing

When traveling abroad, it is worth stocking up on an international driver's license, which can now be obtained through the MFC. But in fact, distributors rarely require it. And the traffic police will stop you in the extraordinary case - if you drive backwards on the highway, wag on the road or rush headlong.

Before the trip, you need to study the rules at least in general terms. road traffic the country where you are going. Do you know, for example, what is in Spain for bare-chested driving, in flip flops or for the fact that the driver drinks water while driving? By the way, do not be in a hurry to rejoice, having handed over the car to the rental office - the fine can catch up with you at home, by mail. And you must pay it - if you want to come to the country again and get behind the wheel.

In order not to "get" when renting a car for additional costs, carefully study the contract before signing it. Please note that there may be overlapping insurance policies in it. But full coverage is worth leaving anyway. In order not to pay for a navigator, which can cost as much as the car itself and which you simply cannot do without in a foreign country, download local maps to your smartphone or tablet at home. A child seat, which is also very expensive at the rental, is best taken from home. Or maybe buy it on the spot. To paraphrase Suvorov, the city's cunning takes. And also cars for rent.

It is important to study not only traffic rules, but also parking in the countries where you are going. In short, parking spaces marked with blue markings are paid. There is a parking meter somewhere nearby. Stock up on coins. Banknotes and credit cards the machine may not receive. Green or orange markings provide an advantage for residents. Visitors will also have to pay for parking. Free parking is marked with white markings. Try to look for just such places. But in the center of Barcelona, for example, there are none at all.
Drive faster on toll roads (in Spain - A, AP, R or simply autopista) - direct and with a speed limit of 100–120 km / h. At toll booths, occupy the lanes marked with coins, banknotes or bank cards if you don't have a transponder. But there are always free alternatives to toll roads - N roads (autovia). Naturally, you drive along them much slower, because there are many intersections, traffic lights and they are not straight, but winding. But the more interesting the journey becomes!

Although you have a car at your disposal, be prepared to walk a lot, including stairs. Attractions are usually concentrated in the historical centers of cities, where, if there are parking spaces, then, as a rule, they are paid, and even those are occupied by local people. Use public transport. Both in Portugal and in Spain it is very well developed. By the way, it is better to look at the famous Lisbon trams from the outside: they are overcrowded with tourists from morning until late at night. If you want to get to know the old trams better - go to Porto, 300 km from Lisbon, where the tram museum is located.
If the car disappeared from the parking lot - most likely, it was evacuated. In this case, you will have to contact the municipal police. If you are just going to evacuate, you may be able to agree on paying the fine on the spot or even get off with a warning. However, it is better not to risk it and carefully look at all the signs and read the information signs. If you don't know the languages, it is worth using an online translator. Remember that the fines are large and inconvenient to pay.

Despite their geographical proximity, these countries are different and diverse. Even in Spain alone there are 17 regions, the inhabitants of which pretend that they do not understand either the language of their neighbors or the principles of their life. The northerners scold the lazy southerners, the westerners do not converge with those living in the east. A common story.
The borders between the EU countries are almost invisible, and you can have breakfast in Portugal and dine in Spain, or vice versa.
The length of the coast of Potrugalia is 1793 km. And this country is five times smaller than neighboring Spain. If you have only a few days at your disposal, do not try to embrace the immensity and visit all the places that are indicated in the guidebooks. In a hurry all the time, you will not get pleasure, and even more so you will not be able to rest. Plan no more than three objects to visit for each day, and devote the rest of the time to walking in free mode. There will be something to see next time when you return.

One of the best Portuguese wine shops is Garrafeira Nacional in Lisbon. It is located on the same street as the Santa Justa elevator, but slightly higher at 18.

If we exclude the "dust collectors", I would advise to bring wine, olive oil and, of course, jamon - dried pork leg from Spain. Moreover, it is better to buy the simplest (immature) and inexpensive jamon, in a regular supermarket (for example, Mercadone), asking the seller to saw off the hoof to make it easier to put the delicacy in a suitcase. There, in the store, the ham will be packed in several layers for transportation on the plane.

But if you are a connoisseur of beauty and love music or want to make an unforgettable expensive gift for a musician, buy a flamenco guitar made by one of the local craftsmen.

Where and what is

Oh, you can write a poem on this topic. However, I will put it more shortly. As you prepare to travel to these countries, tune in to the local cuisine, with an abundance of fruits, vegetables, seafood and meat dishes. Choose those establishments where mostly locals sit. Such, as a rule, are located off the tourist routes. Do not be embarrassed if you are served a menu without pictures - you can ask the waiter to show the dish "live". In any case, what you will be served will be both edible and tasty. Do not shy away from Spanish appetizers - tapas. You can already have a decent gorge on them. But, of course, you should still try gazpacho soup, paella, and the ubiquitous pizza.

By the way, you may sometimes have to resort to fast food - in order to reduce waiting in restaurants and costs. And treat children to ice cream. It's delicious, especially in Lisbon. It is also worth to enjoy the famous Portuguese pastries-baskets "pastel" there.

Where to live

As with food, everyone chooses according to their own taste and wallet. If you come for a day or two, it is better to check into a hotel, if for a couple of weeks, or even months, you should consider the apartments that can be found on booking.com or (better) on airbnb.ru. But in this case, you will have to plan your routes so that you return to your place of residence every day or at least every other day.

Itinerary for a trip in Andalusia: Malaga - Granada - Jaén - Cordoba - Seville

Length: 750 km
Travel time: day
Points viewed: 20
Spent (for two): 347 euros
Petrol: 55 Euro
Hotel: 72 euros
Lunches-dinners: 150 euros
Museums and other attractions: € 20
Souvenirs: 50 euros