Going from Porto to the Douro Valley
The Douro Valley is, without a doubt, a place of choice for many tourists. Whether to appreciate nature’s cutouts, delight in wine tasting or enjoy a walk on the river, the Douro receives thousands of visitors annually. These visitors arrive at the site in many ways, either privately or accompanied by tourist entertainment companies.
On a private level and traveling from the city of Porto, these are the main ways to get to the Douro valley:
Car
Whether in your own or rented vehicle, this is one of the main means of transport today and one of the most preferred for its privacy and comfort. The motorways are comfortable and, with the Marão tunnel in existence, this journey allows you to reach the Douro valley faster. There, you can easily reach your points of interest. However, several of the roads in the region, for example, in Sabrosa, are narrow and winding, which can cause some discomfort to those who are not used to traveling through this type of place. It is a good means of transport to have easy access to the wineries you want – however, if you want to participate in wine tasting, you will not be the most advised if you are the driver at all!
Bus
Although there are some lines that take those interested from Porto to Vila Real, these are often only available hourly, trips are approximately 1h20m long and, after this, you will still have to travel to the Valley to be able to have access to the wine region you are looking for. Depending on the place you want, you may have to take another bus or go by car, which may not be ideal. This will be, perhaps, the least advantageous transport.
Train
One of the most popular options among the more adventurous or those who simply like to enjoy a calm trip, it becomes the most economical way to go to the Douro if you are alone or with few people. Currently, there are lines that connect Porto to Peso da Régua. From there, and even to the places where you want to move, you can do it by car, taxi or bus, since on foot these will be a little distant.
Boat
This will undoubtedly be one of the tours that can arouse the most interest and curiosity for boat lovers. Although it is a peaceful walk and great for taking pictures, it is time consuming as a means of transport and is more limited as it is confined to the boat for the entire trip, and you cannot stop anywhere if you need or want to. You can get packages that transport you from Porto to Peso da Régua and return by train – however, any trips to wineries or other points of interest will have to be insured by you, as well as ensuring that you arrive on time return.
With so many different ways to get to the Douro valley, it is normal for the public to wonder, then, why to travel with a tourist company.
Why hire a service when the offer is so vast that you can go on your own?
Most importantly, why travel with Oporto Road Trips?
First of all, the service packages are created so that the customer can experience a little of everything in the Douro Valley area in the minimum time possible. Taking a private trip, if you want to visit wineries for wine tasting, visiting places to enjoy the scenery, having lunch and taking a boat trip, a number of things are necessary: choosing a means of transport, calling the farms you want to check availability and make appointments in places that are not crowded depending on the time of year, find a place to have lunch with good food and affordable prices, book a ticket on the pier with the boat company you intend to travel with and be present on time and yet, without count on the outward and return journeys, moving between the places you intend to visit, which can be challenging – even for those more versed in GPS techniques.
Hiring a service of this kind can automatically be considered free of worries in terms of travel, tolls and appointments. There is no need to get up at dawn to be in the Douro Valley early or even arrive late in the morning if you choose a longer means of public transport, bookings with our partners in all wineries and boats are automatically guaranteed for you and your group and, for lunch, you just need to choose the menu you want on the day.
We are dedicated to creating and constantly optimizing our offer to offer the best possible program for the least amount to our customers. And, more than a sentence made, this is, in fact, the conviction of our company.
Although we have had tours in different places in the past, we have always made visits mainly to the Douro. Currently, our offer focuses solely and exclusively on these visits – which makes our guides specialized in the area and the perfect company to book a tour with.
The quality of our services begins, as it should be, in the quality of our team, composed of professional tour guides and dedicated office technicians.
Our visits are covered in four different languages - Portuguese, Spanish, English and French – and you can choose the one that suits you best.
The guides pick up customers from their hotels or homes in the greater Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia area and, at the end of the day, are dropped off at the same places or wherever they wish. Our vehicles are nine-seater vans, recent, very clean and cared for, comfortable and with air conditioning. There, they are transported to the Douro valley (Peso da Régua and Sabrosa, in the neighboring district of Vila Real) – the trip is peaceful and with the added bonus of being able to enjoy beautiful landscapes along the way, chat and learn facts about one of the wine regions most beautiful in Portugal, without having to worry about driving stress!
During the day, our customers visit two to three wineries, depending on the service purchased, where they get to know and tour its facilities and exteriors, learn the history of the place and the wine-making process, and even delight in wine tasting. in each of them. You will be able to enjoy the various Port and DOC Douro wines that serve you at will, since you won’t have to worry about driving!
Lunch takes place at a local restaurant in the village of Pinhão, where you can choose a delicious dish of typical Portuguese cuisine while enjoying good wine and company.
There is still time for a visit to the city station, famous for its walls full of hand-painted tile panels that tell the history of the region – the place of choice for a photo shoot of many who pass by.
Depending also on the service purchased, our offer also includes a one-hour cruise on a typical moliceiro boat on the Douro River – perfect for enjoying the waves, the views seen from the river and enjoying the peace and calm that this tour provides.
If landscapes are one of your favorite parts of the trip, you will be pleased to know that, in addition to the tour, in itself, being a scenic and scenic tour, we also stop at beautiful viewpoints that will allow you to have a fantastic view of the best that wine region of the Douro valley has to offer.
If you are a person who likes to meet people and make new friends, you can travel with other tourists in your group who have booked a tour on the same day and make your day more memorable. On the other hand, if you are a more lonely person or you want to travel only in the exclusive company of your group and guide, we also have, at your disposal, private tour packages already defined or customizable by you – you just need to contact us and tell us what you want!
In short, the pros of our tours:
- Pick up and drop-off at your hotel or address;
- Your language of choice;
- Comfortable travel with guide-driver to answer all your questions;
- Visit of two to three wineries with wine tasting;
- Typically Portuguese lunch at a local restaurant;
- Visit to a village in the Douro valley and its main tourist points of interest;
- Optional boat cruise;
- Stop at viewpoints where you can enjoy beautiful scenery.
All of this in a single 9-hour tour, specially designed to provide you with all that the Douro Valley has to offer, without the worries of transportation, travel and bookings.
Embark on this adventure with us and see what we have to offer!