Douro Valley

[RoaminRog]

Have heard people mention the Douro Wine Tasting Experience, is there a best way to drive through the region.
Not overly fussed about wine tasting, just looking for the most scenic route through please, any advice?

 

[Val54]

We headed for Peso da Regua, overnighted on the main car park and caught the train up the valley to the end of the line and back. Better views, not expensive just choose a carriage with no graffiti on the windows and a riverside seat

 

[RoaminRog]

We headed for Peso da Regua, overnighted on the main car park and caught the train up the valley to the end of the line and back. Better views, not expensive just choose a carriage with no graffiti on the windows and a riverside seat

Thanks you two, didn’t know about any train, we’ll have to check that one out, sounds like a good way to spend the day.

 

[Minisorella]

My recommendation is that you borrow my satnav, who's called Bruce. Bruce has a devilish sense of humour. Bruce will take you along the twistiest, most precipitous, narrow and frankly terrifying roads you'll ever see. For hour after hour you will wind your way around mountains and hills, often on slippy shingle roads, up and down and through tiny villages, where the locals willl stand along the cobbled road scratching their heads at the sight of a huge white box, the like of which they've never seen before in their remote domain. All the while, Bruce's reassuring and friendly Aussie voice will guide you to turn left in 30 meters, where the alternative is to take a flying leap into the abyss. You'll love it! By the time you reach the civilised bit of the Douro Valley you'll have had your fill of scenery, down a few strong drinks to ease your nerves, try to sleep and then hotfoot it back to a safe city... using the faster road with Bruce well and truly gagged. Enjoy!

 

[RoaminRog]

My recommendation is that you borrow my satnav, who's called Bruce. Bruce has a devilish sense of humour. Bruce will take you along the twistiest, most precipitous, narrow and frankly terrifying roads you'll ever see. For hour after hour you will wind your way around mountains and hills, often on slippy shingle roads, up and down and through tiny villages, where the locals willl stand along the cobbled road scratching their heads at the sight of a huge white box, the like of which they've never seen before in their remote domain. All the while, Bruce's reassuring and friendly Aussie voice will guide you to turn left in 30 meters, where the alternative is to take a flying leap into the abyss. You'll love it! By the time you reach the civilised bit of the Douro Valley you'll have had your fill of scenery, down a few strong drinks to ease your nerves, try to sleep and then hotfoot it back to a safe city... using the faster road with Bruce well and truly gagged. Enjoy!

Brilliant sense of humour Jen!
We already have a close relative of Bruce, in the form of a Garmin 770. It is probably ok in the US of A, but here in Portugal it is worse then useless, and it’s only saving grace is that it doesn’t have an Aussie accent!. It will come up with all sorts of fantastical ideas, like turning left from a dual carriageway, instead of using an appropriate slip road. I have downloaded all available updates but I have come to the conclusion that Garmin don’t even know where Portugal is! Happy Days!

 

[Deleted member 144]

https://ibb.co/album/w02Z2K We did the Douro Valley a few years ago, no set route we just follow our noses but it is a great experience and plenty of stop over places better now as we just used the Vicarious books but so many apps for overnights now and of course the W app.

 

[Deleted member 144]

https://ibb.co/album/Bc2VPy We found ourselves her at the Roman Ruins fantastic place well worth a visit, free overnight here show your passport and get reduced entry to the ruins well worth a visit,

 

[RoaminRog]

Thanks for that Trig, we are leaving here (Mikkis Place) on Monday and really are making a list of places to visit. Quite like the idea of a train ride.
The ruins sound good as well, thanks a lot.

https://ibb.co/album/w02Z2K We did the Douro Valley a few years ago, no set route we just follow our noses but it is a great experience and plenty of stop over places better now as we just used the Vicarious books but so many apps for overnights now and of course the W app.

for

 

[Deleted member 144]

https://ibb.co/fqcrZdZ If you want to visit Porto on your trip try here good free stop over on the P n R easy journey in to the City on the Tram ? Train cheap too. There is also a good train trip along the Douro River it is a commuter train so very cheap I will try and find the details and post them but am sure others will have the details too.there is a stop over place at the start of the train ride too.

 

[RoaminRog]

https://ibb.co/fqcrZdZ If you want to visit Porto on your trip try here good free stop over on the P n R easy journey in to the City on the Tram ? Train cheap too. There is also a good train trip along the Douro River it is a commuter train so very cheap I will try and find the details and post them but am sure others will have the details too.there is a stop over place at the start of the train ride too.

Excellent! Do you know if we can take our dog on the train?

 

[Deleted member 144]

Excellent! Do you know if we can take our dog on the train?

Not sure ROG we did not actually ride it but found out about it later we were near there this year on our Spain / Portugal trip and planned ? to go and ride it but somehow got side tracked and did not do it but will some day, I notice in the album that I posted that I actually got a [picture of the train from the opposite side of the river so you can see how close it gets to the river, I also noticed that it was October 2010 that we were there 10 years ago, where has that time gone ?Well I got that wrong senior moment hee hee we did in fact ride the train / tram into Porto it was the train along the banks of the Douro River that we did not do sorry for the confusion, not sure about dogs on it though never gave that a thought as we do not now have dogs.

 

[Deleted member 144]

How are things in Portugal just now Rog, we are trying to get our selves into the mind set to come down there, nothing stopping us except the Virus , and fear of getting sick there, is there still Wild Camping to be done are there plenty of Aires open , many restriction on vans etc, ? we could set off any time and stay till new year and see what happens , this is what we do most years but things are a bit different now arn t they.

 

[Val54]

Here's some train pics from 2015.. I wouldn't get the train from Porto as the first part of the valley is pretty boring, can't help with the dog but it is a normal service train so I wouldn't think its a problem ......
You can just make out the railway line hugging the side of the Douro in the last pic which was taken on the move dropping into Regua.

 

[S-S]

Have heard people mention the Douro Wine Tasting Experience, is there a best way to drive through the region.
Not overly fussed about wine tasting, just looking for the most scenic route through please, any advice?

Great choice Rog. Other than Porto we sadly missed the rest of the valley on the way down. You need to consult the Portugal travel agent in Sāo Brás

 

[Val54]

There is also a steam train excursion in the valley, the last one of 2020 is this Saturday 10 .......

Douro Historical Train

The Douro Historical Train runs every year from June to October. Travel back in time on a journey along the Douro riverbanks. See here and buy online.

www.cp.pt

The service train takes about 45 minutes each way from Regua to Pinhau.

 

[RoaminRog]

How are things in Portugal just now Rog, we are trying to get our selves into the mind set to come down there, nothing stopping us except the Virus , and fear of getting sick there, is there still Wild Camping to be done are there plenty of Aires open , many restriction on vans etc, ? we could set off any time and stay till new year and see what happens , this is what we do most years but things are a bit different now arn t they.

At the moment, since leaving Paul n Jenny, we have been staying away from crowded areas, languishing at Mikkis Place, which to date is COVID free. There are, we hear, a few covid hotspots around Portugal including Albufiera and Portimao, but the Algarve in general is relatively safe.
It’s very nice to be able to enjoy the sunshine and an extremely pleasant cool breeze. The temp here today is 29c making us very reluctant to leave next Monday.
Masks are compulsory if you go into a shop of course.

 

[Pauljenny]

Regua is a fantastic aire and so secure. Not the prettiest of towns, apart from the river views... And cruises .
Porto might be hard work with the dog ...And it's a plague point .

Taking the rattly train to Pinhao is a good idea... Not far.
Lovely views, and not touristy.
If you show your passport when buying train tickets, the ridiculously cheap fares are reduced .
Just check the weather .. It can be damp and cloudy in Autumn.
Take it Chris is dentally happy ?
We hope so.

 

[RoaminRog]

Regua is a fantastic aire and so secure. Not the prettiest of towns, apart from the river views... And cruises .
Porto might be hard work with the dog ...And it's a plague point .

Taking the rattly train to Pinhao is a good idea... Not far.
Lovely views, and not touristy.
If you show your passport when buying train tickets, the ridiculously cheap fares are reduced .
Just check the weather .. It can be damp and cloudy in Autumn.
Take it Chris is dentally happy ?
We hope so.

Thank you for that Paul.... always a mine of information. Yes she is very happy with what in effect is the first stage. She has to go for a check on Friday, and then of course we have to come back in March for the second and final fitting. But she has a soft spot for the dentist, so that won’t be a problem, unless of course he has to attend school that day!!!

 

[rugbyken]

if your heading that way one of paul’s many recommendations was the roman ruins at conimbriga they were absolutely stunning a large city for the day the layout & mosaics are incredible about €5 entry and we overnighted in the coach park

 

[RoaminRog]

if your heading that way one of paul’s many recommendations was the roman ruins at conimbriga they were absolutely stunning a large city for the day the layout & mosaics are incredible about €5 entry and we overnighted in the coach park

Thanks for that Ken, when we leave here next Monday, we will have about 20 days of aimless wandering, before we have to have Max’s ‘procedure’ done at the Cany-Barville vet. We are thinking that (maybe) we will catch the shuttle home on 5th November, giving us enough time to self isolate before Hollingworth.