For The Love Of Port

I am going to travel to Porto and would like to go up to Pinhao. Due to time constraint I am not thinking of going up by boat, by rather by train or driving. Can someone advise on which way is best, and how much time it would take?

Thanks.

Either train of car would take about 3 hours, with the train being the cheaper option: I think I paid about 7 euros for a one-way ticket last year. It's comfortable as well, and the views are spectacular. Enjoy your trip!

The train is by far the best option. The road has no views to speak of, is long and boring while driving. Do the train for the views and relaxation. You can bring food and non-alcoholic drinks aboard too.

A friend recommended that I visit Fonseca while in Pinhao. Are there any other places to visit if I only had half a day to do it? What I want to avoid is taking the train up somewhere and then waiting hours for the return journey...

Thank you very much.

If you want to visit Quinta do Panascal (Fonseca), you'll need transportation to get there. It's about a 30 minute drive from Pinhao.

If you're planning to go by train, you can do the following:
- stopover in Regua and visit the Museu do Douro and enjoy a glass of port in the Solar that is in the same building (see the site of the IVDP for more information).

- there is also the possibility of visiting the facilities of Quinta do Castelinho, but I can hardly say I found that very exciting.

In Pinhao:
- visit Quinta de la Rosa. They organize a tour every day at 11.00 AM. If you want a tour at a different time, you'll have to call ahead, but it won't be a problem.

- visit the Vintage House hotel and their wine shop. They have a very nice selection of VP's and douro wines, but don't expect to find any bargains.

- plan a boat trip on the Douro river.

- visit the wines shop of Real Companhia Velha (Royal Oporto) at Quinta das Marvalhas. Their table wines offer some very nice value, especially the wines of Quinta de Cidro.

The village of Pinhao is small, but I always enjoy sitting at the Douro river side, drinking a cool beer ( :twisted: ) and looking at the gorgeous view.

If you plan to visit more quintas, I would advice you you travel by car, since most of them are a good drive outside of the village.