I went on holiday, years ago, to Sardinia. For one reason or another we spent the whole time driving round the island trying to “do Sardinia” in a week. Pinging it from Cagliari to San Pietro, up to Alghero, and across to Porto Cervo. I spent more time in the car than outside. And on the drive back to Cagliari I went a funny shade of green and had to take a breather. Ever since I’ve struggled with car-sickness as soon as the roads get a bit bendy. My first trip to the Douro Valley in Northern Portugal nearly killed me!
Absolutely Creased Me The First Time
Driving in from Porto, you’ve got an hour and a bit’s worth of motorway before you hit the mountain roads that struggle to hit 100 metres before the next hairpin. It absolutely creased me and I’m still very grateful to the others on the trip for being so understanding…except for Peter Dean, he was taking the piss 😉
Train Me Up
But there’s a secret travelling weapon up the Douro’s sleeve. There’s a direct train from Porto to Pinhão that takes about the same time as driving, is straight as a die, and you can sit back and enjoy the scenery as you whistle down the river valley and alight at this emmacculately tiled (big thing round here apparently) village train stations. And if I remember rightly it’s near as damn it €10 each way.
Stress Free Since Half Past Three
Time it right and you can be stress free, chilling out on a boat trip through the Quinta’s within a couple of hours of leaving your place in Porto. I am sorry to the taxi drivers of Northern Portugal, but it’s the way forward!
Cheers
