Douro Valley is considered the oldest wine region in the world, and the most famous in Portugal.
It is located in the interior/north of Portugal.
Usually, I would recommend spending some days in Diuro, to make sure you optimize your time there, and before/after, some days in Porto as well.
Normally most international flights land in Lisbon, and from here the journey begins to the Douro Valley area.
Here are the 5 best ways to reach Douro Valley, from Lisbon:
1) Get a Private Transfer Service, with private transportation and English Speaking Driver (750EUR / Fixed Price)
Link: https://portugal-magik.com/tour/private-transfer-from-lisbon-to-douro-valley/
2) Get a Uber from Lisbon, normally starting at 450EUR-520EUR, but can be more expensive, depending on peak times (recommended UBERXL because of the luggage), as the pricing is updated on a minute-basis.
Link: https://www.uber.com/pt/pt-pt/
3) Get a train. But there are no direct trains. You may need to get a transfer to the Lisbon train station first. Then take a train to Porto first, and from Porto you would need to change trains again. Please also note that usually hotels in the Douro may be away from the train station, and then you may require a taxi or transfer once arrived in the Douro Valley. The duration should be around 5h to 6h
Prices are around 60EUR Per person for the train tickets
Link: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/pt
4) Rent your own car, and drive. For some people can be a challenge, specially driving in the city, and parking. Make sure to pay for CDWW to avoid any problems with accidents, crashes, etc. Prices may vary, but normally at Europcar, prices start at 200EUR per day for a reasonable car (sedan), plus insurance, tolls, and gas.
Link: http://www.europcar.pt
5) By Bus. For those who like travel by public bus, there are several options per day. One is rede expressos. Price may vary depending on the chosen stations, day of the week, company, etc. you may need to get a bus first from Lisbon to Porto, and then in Põrto change bus, and get one different to the Douro. I’ve never done that, would be too much time and exausting.
Link: https://rede-expressos.pt/en/timetables
6) Driver + Vehicle, with online booking: https://lisbon.ridebitsapp.com/central/new_reservation
Hope you can find this article useful.
Gonzalo
Founder/Owner of The Lisbon Guide, one of the major blog references in Portugal, established in 2014 and receiving every year 250.000 visitors from all over the world, looking to provide the best experiences in Portugal. In partnership with Portugal Magik for all private tours and transfers across Portugal, Gonzalo loves a good seafood meal at Monte Mar Cascais, and all from Michelin Chef Avillez. Favorite Hotel in Lisbon/Portugal, Penha Longa Resort by Ritz Carlton.
For over 15 years, Gonzalo have been helping thousands of travelers yearly to plan a perfect trip to Portugal. Based in Lisbon/Cascais and working in this field for over 20 years, with multiple ongoing projects. Also an avid TripAdvisor user level 6 with more than 300.000 readers worldwide.
Many years working also as a Private Guide of Lisbon, Sintra, Fatima, Porto, Douro Valley, Evora, and other locations in Portugal.
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