# Help - Portuguese trip - Good or bad?



## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

We have been planning a trip to Portugal and Spain, departing mid January, taking the ferry to Bilbao. We have just received the 2nd edition of All the Aires Spain & Portugal, and wonder whether we should be having second thoughts about Portugal...

The book seems to take a pessimistic view of Portugal, citing expensive toll roads which are difficult to pay for, very poor and busy road conditions on non-motorways and very poor signage.

It also mentions that most places have packs of stray dogs roaming freely - we have read on other threads that dogs barking all night seems to happen quite regularly and is a feature of Portugal.

Have others experienced such problems? Is it worth the extra distance to go to Portugal, or would Spain be any better? Have we been spoilt by France, where we plan to end up in the Spring anyway? 

We like quieter places, cycling, walking and enjoy socialising too.


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

Spent 5 weeks in Portugal last Feb/March thoroughly enjoyed it. Better than Spain in my opinion. No major Probs.

Dick


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## jedi (Nov 22, 2007)

Spent two months in Portugal two years ago. Don't recognise it from what you have written.

Mostly wild camping along the Algarve and up the west coast with a couple of forays inland to baragems (dams on reservoirs). Did see a stray dog once but it was very friendly.

As for the motorway in the Algarve - why use it? You're missing out on the towns villages and scenery along the very adequate ordinary road.

A lovely place and I will be returning next year.

Jed


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## dragabed (May 24, 2008)

yes we have seen stray dogs mainly on the beach between quteria and villamora i was told by a local that there is now some form of shelter for them and they are what people aquire when they set up summer homes and discard when they return home in winter.all nationalities?


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## rayrecrok (Nov 21, 2008)

Hi.

Sounds like you have never been to Portugal. :lol: :lol: :lol: .

You are reading to much, or the wrong stuff.. Get yourself there and you will see for yourself who ever wrote what you have been reading, has some kind of agenda and it is a load of tripe..

We have been going for years and do not recognise anything of what have said, even the tolls are not insurmountable with a bit of forethought. :wink: .. Don't forget all these countries are not as well off as over here, and their lifestyle is totally laid back compared to ours. Just go native and chill, you will love it.

ray.


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## tomnjune (May 1, 2005)

hi
we had 4 weeks there in september, and really enjoyed it. stayed in 1 ACSI site on way down, 2nights. the rest of the time was in camper stops and wildcamping mostlly on the algarve, no probs. as for m/ways we did stray on a few times, (still waiting for the bill) seems the new cameras cant recognise foreign n/plates. as for dogs didnt seem any different to spain. 
would we go again ,a big yes.


tomnjune


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

Thanks for all the replies so far. Ray is right... we have never been to Portugal, although we have been to Madeira several times, (without the M/H! :lol: ) and love it there. We have had no problems going the other way (ie. Italy, Greece etc), but it is nice to hear your reassurance that Portugal is a good place to go.


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

alphadee said:


> We have been planning a trip to Portugal and Spain..... and wonder whether we should be having second thoughts about Portugal...


No you shouldn't


alphadee said:


> The book seems to take a pessimistic view of Portugal, citing expensive toll roads which are difficult to pay for, very poor and busy road conditions on non-motorways and very poor signage.


Avoid the toll roads. Most roads in Portugal are quiet. We travelled 42 miles from Castro Verde towards Portimau the other day on the main road. We caught no other vehicles and were passed by only one in the whole of that time.


alphadee said:


> It also mentions that most places have packs of stray dogs roaming freely - we have read on other threads that dogs barking all night seems to happen quite regularly and is a feature of Portugal.


Dogs can roam free but if encountered are not a problem. They are better behaved than dogs on leads. We encountered barking dogs a few nights ago and if it was my post that you read then I mentioned it because it was so unusual in Portugal. We have had more instances of dogs barking all night in Spain.


alphadee said:


> We like quieter places, cycling, walking and enjoy socialising too.


Portugal is lovely. I much prefer it to Spain.

JohnW


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## tonyt (May 25, 2005)

alphadee said:


> .................... We have had no problems going the other way (ie. Italy, Greece etc), but it is nice to hear your reassurance that Portugal is a good place to go.


If you've been to Greece and enjoyed it, you'll probably enjoy Portugal.

Take it as you find it, not as others say it is.


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## Easyriders (May 16, 2011)

We stayed for 2 months mid May to mid July. We liked Portugal so much we went back in September and stayed 3 months, just got back.

Mind you, we did adopt a stray dog, but there are just as many, if not more, in Spain!

As for tolls, yes the whole collection method is confusing, but just do the same as the Portuguese - avoid them altogether!

We are returning to the Alentejo region of Portugal in mid January, can't wait! We enjoyed Tavira on the Algarve, and we've been to Lisbon several times - best city we've ever visited! But our favourite region is Alto Alentejo. There's a great campsite there called Camping Alentejo, here's a link:

http://www.eurocampings.co.uk/en/europe/portugal/plains/camping-alentejo-118738/

If you go there for a month, the price is only €175 plus 30c a Kw for metered electricity. Tell Siebo, the owner, that John and Linda sent you!


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

You must have been reading a right load of old cobblers...  :lol: 

We spent May to August in Portugal - you might guess that we love it. 

Stray dogs...? No

Lots of great places to camp be it on a beach/car park or proper Aire. 

We stayed at Parque d Gale (as did tomnjune) for 7 weeks as we liked it so much. We then moved on to Cabanas for three weeks. You cannot go wrong.

As to having more luck in Spain - I doubt it - the Portuguese have their act a bit more together regarding motorhomes IMHO

Tolls are not a problem - as suggested earlier - simply avoid them - its easy and is what a lot of folk do be they local or tourists. I tried to pay a toll once and it was a joke - they couldnt process it so I left...

Enjoy yourself and have a look at our blog (click 2012 tour link below) - there's loads of pix of Gale there


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

Thanks all... we are feeling a lot more positive now! We avoid toll roads everywhere else, so will do the same in Portugal.


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

alphadee said:


> Thanks all... we are feeling a lot more positive now! We avoid toll roads everywhere else, so will do the same in Portugal.


I can see you have been reading my blog 

Our full list of stopovers is here:

http://www.motorhomefacts.com/modules.php?name=Stopovers&op=ShowUserStats&userid=9837

Hope it all helps - if this rain persists I'll bee joining you


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## alphadee (May 10, 2009)

Yes 1302, your blog is great! Thanks for sharing it


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

Easyriders said:


> There's a great campsite there called Camping Alentejo.......If you go there for a month, the price is only €175 plus 30c a Kw for metered electricity. Tell Siebo, the owner, that John and Linda sent you!


........and we love it too. Always stop there on the way down and the way back. With a great owner like Siebo it would be rude not to! It's not for nothing that it was the busiest site we visited before arriving in the Algarve.

Tell him that John and Brenda and Ian and Sue say hi too.

JohnW


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## sideways (Jun 2, 2008)

Just one point worth mentioning Portugal is on the Atlantic Spain is on the Med, in winter that can make a difference Portugal can/will be cooler and wetter than the Med coast, I,m not saying it will be cold but it will imo be warmer and drier in Spain.


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## Wizzo (Dec 3, 2007)

sideways said:


> Just one point worth mentioning Portugal is on the Atlantic Spain is on the Med, in winter that can make a difference Portugal can/will be cooler and wetter than the Med coast, I,m not saying it will be cold but it will imo be warmer and drier in Spain.


That ain't necessarily so. Spain could be affected by cold weather from Central Europe whilst Portugal basks in warmer breezes from the Atlantic.

Overall I think there is little to choose between them.

JohnW


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## 04HBG (Dec 9, 2007)

Having been to Portugal 6 times in the past 8 years and covered a fair part of the country all I can say whoever wrote that has never ever been to Portugal.

We are off to Portugal again on 9th Jan, we love it there.
The people are very friendly, laid back and much more friendly than in Spain.

I have seen the odd wild dog but they are friendly too. The only place i have been annoyed by dogs is the campsite at Quateria, there must be a dogs home close by as it is as noisey as hell but that is the only place.

We have used the motorway but only where there is a peage but reading about the new toll system for the A22 it sounds pretty straightforward so don't let that worry you. If you are village hopping along the Algarve you don't need to use it as the 125 is not that bad.

Might see you down there.

RD


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## mixyblob (May 3, 2011)

When you get there, be sure to sample the nicest sweetmeat on this planet, a "pasteis de nata" absolutely delicious.


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

No need to use toll roads

Portugal is much cleaner and often cheaper than Spain and the locals are very friendly.

We hope to head back there again early next year.


Don't worry, just do it!


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## Glandwr (Jun 12, 2006)

mixyblob said:


> When you get there, be sure to sample the nicest sweetmeat on this planet, a "pasteis de nata" absolutely delicious.


I second that most definitely, a good example is out of this world yet it is only a simple egg custard in puff pastry.

Apparently in olden days they used to use the egg whites to clarify the wine. There were a lot of yolks left over 

Dick


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## lalala (Aug 13, 2009)

I think i probably put a post on a couple of years ago saying how we had been very disturbed at night on several rural campsites in northern Portugal by farm dogs barking, often and loudly. Some of the sites said they found it very difficult to deal with as the farmers just let the dogs out and then one dog would set off others in the vicinity. I didn't and don't have any sort of agenda, it was as it was. It's good to read how much some of you enjoy Portugal.
Lala


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## Scattycat (Mar 29, 2011)

When out in the countryside near farmland at night hearing dogs barking is the norm isn't it?

We've found at night and in the early hours it's either dogs barking, church bells ringing or the town clocks chiming every half or quarter hour.

If we're really lucky we get all three :lol:


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## 1302 (Apr 4, 2006)

Scattycat said:


> When out in the countryside near farmland at night hearing dogs barking is the norm isn't it?
> 
> :lol:


It would seem that its the law! :lol:

I dont hear much in the night but the bells drive Mrs 1302 bonkers :lol:

One place we stayed (in France) had bells that stopped at about ten o'clock but seemed to save up all the boings for the next morning at about 7.00 when we were treated to 30 or so in one loud hit!


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