Portugal Update please.
I have searched the site and have come up with some good advice about Portugal but could do with latest information and views please.
We are going to Portugal via Santander in late Aug to late Sept. We are adaptable but prefer smaller sites to stay on.
Any routes to avoid? What would you suggest re Motorway Tolls? Any places to avoid?
We were thinking of going across Northern Spain and then down Portugal either returning by a similar route or through Spain ( personal preference I suppose).
Any advice will be really useful.
Thanks.
Comments
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Two sites I can definitely say we thoroughly enjoyed in the centre of Portugal were Camping Quinta Cheve Grande, an ACSI site so you can find it there. Owners couldn't do enough for you. Enormous grassed site set in beautiful countryside and you can just pitch where you want really and there was only about 20 of us on it..
Then a municipal site in the very centre of Tomar, the last stronghold of the Knights Templar with their castle to visit. The site was OK but the location and town was simply fantastic.
I did write a story about the credit card tolls, with photos which are no longer there. You could find it in my stories around May 2014. We were charged, unlike David, and I actually spoke to the Tolls police about what happens if you don't register to pay. It would be a helpful read even without the photos which have been lost in the migration of the forum.
I have also posted stories about each of those sites around the same time if you want to find them.
Regards, Roy
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I decided to search on Google for my stories I mentioned, HERE is the once from Chava Grande and HERE for Tomar although I had problems getting to that particular story due to web site security! I cannot find the one about the tolls & trying to see all my personal stories is very difficult now compared to before on the old forum.
Regards, Roy
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Would second Roy's suggestion of Tomar, we visited it last year after reading Roy's stories. The site was busy but not full and didn't feel crowded. The town of Tomar is well work the visit we spent nearly all day at the castle very interesting. Such a pretty town too.
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Some ideas:
Spain: Picos de Europa (ACSI near Cangas de Onis, t-shirt central)
Portugal:
Orbitur sites (we felt their passport is good value - ask on arrival) Can be dated but we found them clean and always plenty of hot water. Caminha was good
Foz Do Arelho (for Obidos and Fatima which is impressive even if not religious) quiet but relaxing,
Two sites near Porto (don't miss the port lodges and tastings)
Guincho is good for Lisbon (recommended) via Cascais rail but cramped for large caravan outfits. There is a site near the centre of Lisbon - no idea what it's like.
Sites in Portugal generally do not come up to Club standards but Turiscampo (Lagos) exceeded.
There is also (but we didn't have time to use them):
http://www.coimbracamping.com/roadmap-uk.htm
Otherwise for Spain:
Donarrayan Park (nr. Seville) in the centre of the National Park (think Lorax trees!) with cycle path to the nearest (small) town, became part of the Yelloh Group - always good, in 2016 and was showing lots of promise. Ideal for El Rocio (Wild West)
Regarding the tolls, we opened an online account for the toll gantry sections (reads number plates) but you can also link your number plate to your credit card at certain points on entering Portugal.
Options at:
http://www.portugaltolls.com/en/web/portal-de-portagens/home
These are completely separate to the older take a ticket toll section where you need to keep right to avoid the through lanes, otherwise, you pay a premium at the next toll booth you meet because you don't have a ticket.
The Lisbon bridges are a different company again (so make sure you use the toll booths)
A shame not to visit Madrid (if you like European capitals) but the site we used very nearby did the job but was very basic (as tourist city sites tend to be?)
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Found the story for the Tolls HERE. Regards, Roy
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