This site is for discussion of travel to the "Land of Port & Madeira" as well as food related to Port or Portugal. Additionally your Offline tasting events can be planned and reviewed here.
First trip to Portugal coming up late Aug/early Sept (it had been on the to-do list for a long time...). Might go to Madeira for a couple of days if the price is right.
I am looking for suggestions on the best places to buy port and good portugal travel related web sites.
What's a good base camp in the Douro for day trips (I will have a car)?
Of course, suggestions on "you-have-to-see-this" places are welcomed
Steve, have you buy your plane ticket already? If not let me know and I can give you a place to call, they have direct flight to Porto with Air Transat. Portuguese Travel agency in Montreal mainly for the Portuguese community.
Second thing I'll be in the Douro between the 5th and the 18th so if you are there between those dates we can probably have a dinner somewhere great!
For a base camp in the Douro, Pinhao is probably the best place. You are in the middle of it, away from the tourist area of Regua. There is not as much hotel though, mainly some poussada, quinta and residentials. I can suggest also staying at the quinta do Passadouro for a few nights, a very pleasant place with a great host. They also have a good wine/port selection at good prices.
Of course read Roy's and my trip reports again to see those not to be missed places!
You've got my email if you need more details!
Fred
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
I'll second the advice for Quinta do Passadouro. I stay there every time we go to the Douro (at least once a year).
There were some discussions on the WS forums a while ago about going to Portugal and the Douro region, and Stevie and I posted some recommendations here and here. You might get some good ideas from that.
Please note that a lot of quintas don't have visitor facilities like in the US, but making appointments is usually easy and almost all winemakers are very happy to show you around, give a tasting and let you buy their wines.
Frederick Blais wrote:Steve, have you buy your plane ticket already? If not let me know and I can give you a place to call, they have direct flight to Porto with Air Transat. Portuguese Travel agency in Montreal mainly for the Portuguese community.
Yes, US Airways, 1100$CAD to Lisbon. Funny, I looked on the Air Transat website and the only thing they had was Madrid and it was 1200+. My dates are Aug 25th to Sept 8th, so I'll probably be back around Lisbon by the time you arrive unfortunately.
Frederick Blais wrote:Steve, have you buy your plane ticket already? If not let me know and I can give you a place to call, they have direct flight to Porto with Air Transat. Portuguese Travel agency in Montreal mainly for the Portuguese community.
Yes, US Airways, 1100$CAD to Lisbon. Funny, I looked on the Air Transat website and the only thing they had was Madrid and it was 1200+. My dates are Aug 25th to Sept 8th, so I'll probably be back around Lisbon by the time you arrive unfortunately.
Steve
Air Transat website do not show all flights. Some travel agency rent a plane from them only for their customers, so you need to ask the agency directly. Got mine for 1045 MTL--> Porto. But you got a good price considering you are more in peek season than me.
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
Have a look here in this TRAVEL FORUM for some excellent places to go and especially some very fine restaurant recommendations. Enjoy your visit. Make sure to stop in to VINOLOGIA while over there and mention FTLOP for some extra special treat.
Anyone know of a good online map with the location of all the quintas in the Douro? The best I have is from Mayson's book, but it doesn't show the roads very well.
The AEVP is probably your best bet. Their website has a great and detailed listing.
Too bad you couldn't have waited a month and come along with us for an unparalled experience and crushing grapes in the lagares with our gang. It is going to rock and the lineup of wines this year is unreal.
