Rivers and Wines - Spain and Portugal.
The river Douro is the theme of this journey. In Spain and Portugal the river valley is a famous wine producing area and the port of Porto has of course given its name to one of the most famous wines of the world. The river forms part of the border between the countries; an intriguingly narrow divide between 2 very different cultures.
We suggest an 10 night tour with stops in 2 great cities and 3 small towns and villages.
The tour can be escorted. This option is especially suitable for groups. The benefit of having a bilingual escort on hand to advise, liaise, and generally smooth the way makes for a more relaxed and enjoyable trip for your group. There is also the possibility of larger groups privately hiring a hotel train for the entire route.
- Available in 2010
- Start Point - how to arrive.
- Duration
- Points of interest - route detail
- Accommodation
- Prices and dates
Duration.
The basic tour that we suggest, lasts for 10 nights, staying 2 nights at each location.
If you would like to spend more days, or less, then please let us know via ask for a Quote and we will be able to adapt the itinerary in the best possible way to suit you.
If you do not mind moving on every day It is possible to reduce to 5 nights.
Points of interest - route detail
Move your mouse along the line & over the map for more information
Staying in:-
Madrid - Zamora - Vesuvio - Porto - and the border village of Valanca.
For each location we provide information regarding the best eating places, a mapped walking route to help orientate, and suggested visits to make.
Madrid is a lively start point, 2 days here give a chance to settle in and get to grips with Spanish ways. Our information will help you get to the right places with no wasted time. Art lovers get a glut of opportunities to see a great variety of classic and contemporay works, and those with more physical tastes we point them to the best restaurants and tapa haunts. After an initial stay of 2 days in Madrid the midday train will take you on to Zamora.
Zamora is a provincial capital on the River Douro in the region of castilla-Leon; much fought over in the distant past by amongst others El Cid, it has many notable buildings from the middle ages and 2 beautiful bridges dating from the 11th and 13th C. The river is a big theme in the city and Strolling along its embankments is one of the great pleasures of this fine town.
Vesuvio is a tiny portugese hamlet but it has a station which alows us to stay a night or 2 in the inn, a ferry ride away on the other bank of the Douro. A day here prives a chance for rest , a cruise up-river or a walk in the hills.
Porto is one of Europe’s best loved tourism destinations, chosen for the richness of its monumental and artistic heritage, its Port Wine cellars, its river its bridges, markets and open spaces. Many choose to take river cruises upstream.
Valanca, a walled town on the banks of the Minho river, that separates Portugal from Spain, makes a lovely stop-over before returning to Spain to catch an early morning train to Burgos. No matter where you start your stroll along the walls there are stunning views acroos the valley to the Spanish towns. Other strolls through the narrow, winding and peculiarly paved streets past beautiful façades give a chance to seek out bars offering the traditional dishes of Lampreia à Minhota (lamprey), Cabrito à Sanfins (kid), Bacalhau à São Teotónio (dried cod) or the famed Empanada (meat or fish pie).
Time-tabling of trains combined with differing start-dates may make it necessary to vary the standard itinerary.
The Itinerary starts in Madrid - How to arrive
The tour starts with 2 nights in Madrid, giving time to settle in after your journey to Spain and to take in the interest of the city. Madrid is on the high speed international rail route from London and Paris. Alternative start points are possible and especially suitable is Porto with its international air links.
The tour ends in Burgos where the sleeper train can be met for onward travel to paris or london. Burgos also has direct air links to the UK..
If you wish , we can include overnight sleeper train links from london/Paris. More detail is given under Ask for a quote.
The map shows the main points of entry to western Europe,
you can link to this trip in the following ways:
Rail:
we can arrange and include your arrival from any Spanish/UK
airport or station.
Air:
Useful international airports are show on the map. Valladolid also has direct low-cost flights from the UK.
Sea:
Bilbao and Santander have ferry routes from the UK. costing about £120 pp single These take about 24hours and we can arrange for your tour to start/end at the port.
Accommodation
All accommodation has been checked by us and is en-suite. By means of the Get-a -quote form you will be able to make certain choices. Where alternatives exist we offer the choice between Hotel *** and other acceptable but more economic accommodation which might be anything from a guest-house to Hotel **.
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Hotels chosen for their good position and character. |
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prices and dates
It is possible to start on any date in 2010. Time-tabling of trains may make it necessary to exclude some start dates or vary the itinerary.
Prices depend on the style of accommodation you choose and on the duration of your trip, below are example prices at 2009 rates, but will be updated when plans for 2010 are finalised.
Hotels with classification 3* upwards
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Hotels and other lodgings with classification upto 2*
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What is included?
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What options are there?For costs of these options please contact-us.
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