Portugal might be Europe's best road-trip country per kilometre: in a single week you can drive from Lisbon's bridges to Porto's riverside, through the Douro's terraced vineyards, over the Serra da Estrela and back along a coastline of fishing towns – with motorway tolls now limited to a handful of main routes since the old SCUT highways went free in 2025. This is our field-tested itinerary for 2026, with routes, drive times, tolls and where each day should end.
| Day | Leg | Drive | Don't miss |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1–2 | Lisbon → Óbidos → Nazaré → Coimbra | ~220 km | Walled Óbidos, Nazaré's giant-wave cliff, Coimbra's university |
| 3–4 | Coimbra → Porto | ~120 km | Ribeira, port lodges in Gaia, Livraria Lello |
| 5 | Porto → Douro Valley (Pinhão) | ~130 km | The N222 riverside – one of the world's great drives |
| 6 | Douro → Serra da Estrela | ~150 km | Portugal's highest road, glacial valleys |
| 7 | Serra → Évora (or back to Lisbon) | ~250 km | Alentejo plains, Évora's Roman temple |
| 8–10 | Évora → Algarve → Lisbon | ~400 km | Beaches, Sagres cliffs, toll-free A22 |
Skip the A1 for day one and take the A8/N-roads through Óbidos (park outside the walls), Nazaré (the lighthouse fort above Praia do Norte's monster waves) and Alcobaça or Batalha monasteries. Sleep in Coimbra and climb to the old university before the buses arrive.
Two nights minimum for Porto. Then the trip's crescendo: cross to Peso da Régua and drive the N222 to Pinhão along the river – terraced vineyards stacked a thousand feet up on both banks. Stop at a quinta for a tasting (the passenger tastes; the driver gets the views).
From the Douro, climb to mainland Portugal's highest range. The road over Torre (1,993 m) is wide and well-kept; expect granite moonscapes, glacial valleys around Manteigas, and queijo da serra at every café. In winter, check conditions – it genuinely snows here.
Cork oaks, whitewashed towns and empty roads – Évora deserves an overnight. Then the A2 (tolled) or slower IP/N-roads to the coast. Along the Algarve the A22 is toll-free, making Sagres, Lagos and the south coast an easy finale before the run back to Lisbon.
Seven days covers the Lisbon–Porto–Douro loop comfortably; ten lets you add Serra da Estrela, the Alentejo and the Algarve without rushing.
Only the main corridors charge (A1 ~€22, A2 ~€21 end to end). The former SCUT motorways – including the Algarve's A22 – have been free since 2025.
The N222 from Peso da Régua to Pinhão in the Douro – 27 km of river bends under terraced vineyards. Go mid-morning for light and empty tarmac.
Motorways are modern and quiet. The challenges are village-centre lanes and mountain hairpins – both manageable in a small car at sensible speeds.
Most rentals are manual; automatics cost more and sell out – book early if you need one, especially for the hills.
Central Lisbon and Porto – park at your hotel or a garage and use feet/metro. The cities punish cars; the country rewards them.
Disclosure: Auto Jardim participates in the DiscoverCars affiliate program. We only recommend services we would use ourselves.
Last updated: June 2026. Tolls and road conditions change – verify before travelling.
