Dear Tony , I visited Barcelona and Madrid 2 months ago following your amazing videos, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to you for your dedication, preparation and concise message delivery. I found your videos extremely comprehensive as they always address the " Good, the bad and the ugly" (in Tony Galvez words))). I am a big fan...Thank you very much , muchas gracias e muito obrigado.
A truly brilliant guide to this beautiful city. I wish it had been available many years ago when I visited Porto, but at least I managed to catch some of the views you have shown us here.
We are prepering for our trip to Portugal and your videos are irreplaceable. The way of explanation, details, beautiful pictures, energy of you and your partner, great knowledge, effort you put into creating videos are just awesome. After being loaded with great advises about Lisbon, I wished to see similar films about Porto. And Today I've received a notification of new film about this northwest Portugese city! As if you could hear my thoughts ;) I am super glad. You contribute greatly to making people's holidays very special. Wishing you all this good energy coming back to you multiplied :) Thank You so much Tony! Marta
What a wonderful comment, Marta, it has made our week, and the week has just started! Hope you will have a wonderful time in Portugal. All the very best to you!
I just got back from Spain and Portugal and your videos were incredibly helpful, especially the tip about taking the 500 bus. I was able to snag the first row of seats and it was a beautiful ride. I do want to add that you can easily buy a ticket across the street from its first stop, at the Sao Bento train station. However, the machines there are different than the ones shown at the airport and the "change language" button isn't marked at all. If you're buying there, look on the side of the machine for a diagram of where each button is. Thanks for all your help Tony and team!
Thank you Carl, glad you could take advantage of our 500 tip, it is a wonderful ride indeed for the cost of a bus ticket. Thanks for you tip on the ticket machine!
Just got back from Porto and Lisbon, it was amazing! So much so, we shall be returning back. The environment, weather, food, tourist spots was outstanding. Thank you so much for your advice, it was spot on!
We just stumbled upon your most-excellent channel as we begin preparations for our trip to Portugal next year. Wow! Your content is excellent good sir! Well organized, professional, informative, personable, reliable and engaging - you have it all. It is so refreshing to see great content coming from an experienced traveller. Your integration of high-level spatial overviews of the context of each area you are highlighting is particularly well done. Kudos. We will be devouring each and every video and especially look forward to any content on the foods and wines of Portugal. Thanks so much for these great travel videos. Cheers!!
Dear David and Kathy, many many thanks for your kind words. So far we only have one video on food in Lisbon here ruclips.net/video/pbWaiVTx088/видео.htmlsi=BMbZj8GPx4aIyRFG We are working on a similar video dedicated to Porto as well. All the best!
Hello Tony, super interesting and informative video that you created. 🤩 I really appreciate your hard work and your professionalism. I definitely share your final point about the WoW and how exclusive it appears to be. This was not part of our itinerary and you've convinced me to keep it that way.
I can't wait ti share this video with my husband. We shall be visiting next year. Your Santiago de Compostella film was wonderful for our visit last year. Many thanks ❤
Thank you Toni for such great videos! Last summer we have visited Barcelona and Andorra with you advices. This year it will be Porto. So many useful information is comming from you! And the video about public transportation is excellent as well.
Another excellent video! Very concise and useful information. My wife and I are flying into Porto in around 10 days, and we will put your fine recommendations to the test! Thank you 📸
Tony, Thank you for another helpful video. We just returned from a Portugal/Spain trip that started with 4 nights in Porto. Despite everything we heard about the hills, we found Porto very walkable, and only rode the metro one time when travelling within the city, never rode a bus, and rode a funicular once (downhill). Most or all of the trolley lines were not running due to construction. Palácio da Bolsa was open, and very worthwhile to visit. We did not know of the WOW museum, but -- after watching your video -- I am glad we didn't visit it. Regarding port wine caves, we visited one owned by a Portuguese family and recommended by some locals and a major guidebook; it was a good experience: Porto Augusto's. (The locals we spoke to discouraged us from visiting Fladgate's; I don't know why.) We visited most of the places you mentioned, and (though we were staying very nearby) skipped Livraria Lello with its long lines. On our last full day we chose to pass a lazy few hours in the Bonhim neighborhood rather than doing the bus 500 ride out to Matosinhos. I'll be in contact soon with more about our journey, as your videos proved useful to us. Gracias and Obrigado. BTW, the credit card machines of many of the restaurants in Portugal (and only one in Spain) presented 2 exchange-related questions when we used our US-based cards: the first was the typical "do you want to pay in US Dollars or Euros?" query, and the second one asked the same thing but in a different form. We had to answer both questions correctly in order to avoid a disadvantageous exchange rate. One more tidbit: I almost never had to pull out my wallet because I had attached my credit cards to Google Pay, and almost everyplace accepted contactless payment (which I did with my phone).
Many thanks for your detailed report. We're 100% with you, Porto is a very walkable city. Unless you want to cross the bridge riding the tram (awesome experience), get to the Casa da Música or the Palácio de Cristal, or go to Matosinhos, you're unlikely to use public transport. As for the options when paying with credits cards, that's quite common all throughout Europe and yes, you really have to be careful. You will be asked first whether you want euros or dollars (always the local currency!) and then a trick question will ask again whether you are sure you want to pay in euros. All the best to you!
Hi Tony, I'm based on Singapore & just subscribed to your channel. Thoroughly enjoying the content with your detailed explanation of the places as well as practical & useful information on logistics, where to stay etc. My wife & I are planning a 1 month trip to Spain & Portugal in mid Oct & your videos have been very useful for our planning. Regarding Porto, please advise how many days should we stay in order to enjoy the city in a more relaxed manner. After Porto, we intend to rent a car from airport & drive north to Santiago de Compostela & spend about 5 days exploring the surrounding area in Galicia. Is it easy to drive from Porto to Santiago de Compostela considering that we're crossing a border. Really appreciate if you can provide your opinion & advise. Thanks again & keep generating the excellent content. Cheers !
Hi Gil, be very welcome to the channel. For a relaxed visit to Porto, we would stay five or six nights. We've never driven from Porto to Santiago so cannot share much on that topic, but it should be simple enough. See our video on traveling between Spain and Portugal here ruclips.net/video/NS9AocaBuxQ/видео.html All the best!
Fantastic video again Tony. Really wonderful information. I just got back yesterday from 4 fantastic nights in the city and had great weather apart from Sunday, where it rained all day! Food is varied, abundant and delicious and we drank delicious cocktails in a couple of the fantastic rooftop bars. I have to say though, that at the moment, the disruption being caused by the excavations in the city centre (presumably for the new metro line construction) is tiresome at best and disruptive at worst. Consequently, traffic and its progress is at a snails pace in places and is actually quicker to walk than to take transportation (which is actually no bad thing given that the city is so compact and the sights in such close proximity). The Portuguese Centre of Photography is housed in a wonderful building right by the Clerigos Tower. It was previously the city's prison and Courthouse and is a well worth a visit. However, it was not free to enter most of it now as there is an exhibition ongoing, which I was not interested in. You can still access a bit of the building though. Finally, your mention of the Lello library made me chuckle a little, where you say that it is "mortally wounded by the fame acquired by a hoax". It has thousands of visitors per day in insanely long queues, each paying 5 euros to get in! Rather than being mortally wounded... I would say that it was making an absolute financial killing! It probably doesn't even need to sell any books! Keep up the excellent work Tony, and regards to your Cecilia.
Many thanks for the wonderful description of your trip - and for the tips too! Delighted to hear you had a great time. Construction work in the centre is a real pain, but you (kind of) get used to it after a while. As for Lello, you are absolutely right, they could stop selling books, their business is not at risk. What, at least for us, died quite a while ago, was the existente of a beautiful book temple in Porto. All the very best to you, Cecilia sends her regards too!
Thank you for another great video. We'll be in Porto for 4 days starting this coming Friday and the list of places to go reinforces some of the plans we have, and adds additional ones too!
Tony, I can't thank you enough for your videos, which are invaluable in helping me plan my trip to Lisbon and Porto next month. You deserve so much more viewers and subscribers for the quality of work that you do, and all the thought that goes into each video. You mentioned being book lovers, can you recommend a book by a Portugese author or with a Portugese flair / setting? I like to pick a book up during each of my trips that is pertinent to the city/country.
Hello there, delighted to hear we've been of help! I think we'd be more popular if, for instance, we talked about Harry Potter as a reason to visit Porto buy hey, we cannot do that, not really. We'd rather stay small but true to the places we visit. If you can find it, José Saramago's Journey to Portugal would be a beautiful choice. Saramago was one of the greatest Portuguese writers of all times and a Nobel Prize winner. All the very best!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Being true to the places you talk about is one of the things that truly sets your channel apart from the rest. Your viewers see and appreciate that. I like what you said about WOW and how it is owned by a foreign corporation and how it is (maybe inadvertently) limiting access to the locals. Very eye opening.
Hi, Tony! We are at Porto right now. Following your video diligently. We found out the boat trip from GAIA side is €3 cheaper than Porto side. The boat tour is a must do. The scenery is beautiful! Thank you so much for all the great videos.
Hola Tony! I am happy to see your videos in English... I can now share them with friends and family who don't speak Spanish =( but are interested in visiting Spain and Portugal. Looking forward to your content on this new channel! Mil gracias como siempre por sus videos tan buenas y educativos... M.
Welcome to this channel as well! The channel has been around for more than two years now. We usually publish the same content as in the Spanish channel, with a few exceptions (the QA sessions are different). All the best!
This is an excellent overview of Porto - it’s a beautiful city. The only thing I’d add is to notice what people are wearing; it can be damp and cold in Porto - dress and choose locations appropriately. The quantity of tourists can be a real problem so, if possible, also try to mingle with people not directly employed by the tourist industries.
Thanks Walter, unfortunately the quantity of tourists has become a massive problem in the most visited cities of Spain and Portugal. Overtourism is changing the face of the cities. In the city centres you'll be pushed hard to find local residents.
Thank you for your great videos. We’re hoping to visit Porto in 2024 (September) and would like to know if you can carry folding bikes (Brompton) on the public transport.
Hola Tony! Wow, what timing! I am scheduled to be in Porto for 3 nights from Oct 16th to 19th! Ive decided that i am going to simply follow your picks for places to visit in each of the cities ill be visiting across Portugal & Spain! Trust your choices and tips! So thank you, yet again, for making my travel planning a little easy! For both Lisbon and Porto, especially since they are both hilly and I am with my 77 year old mum who tires easily and has weak knees....after weighing all options, I am inclined to think the Hop On Hop Off buses would work best for us, as they would take the work out of her legs to a large extent. I will have a list of places to visit which will mostly and inevitably cover all of these, so it would make it easy to simply hop on hop off wherever we are interested, without navigating hills, stairs, etc. Your view would help. Many thanks and warmest regards, Monisha
Thanks Monisha! Lisbon and Porto are hilly cities indeed, take things easy. The problem is that, because of the nature of the narrow streets, the hop on hop off bus won't take you everywhere. But in your specific case sounds like a very good choice. Have a great trip!
Hi, to use the 500 line to Matosinhos with a 24 hour ticket you would have to buy one valid for 3 zones, which makes no sense. Buy the 500 ticket directly from the driver.
Dear Tony, Just binged watched all your videos on Portugal and love all the insider tips, your visual maps and videos and recommendations on different types of hotel. We just decided to go on vacation to Portugal in 3 weeks. I was hoping to see a video on the Algarve but since you don't have one yet, maybe you can write me some recommendations on how we can get there and choosing a place in the Algarve as our base. We are planning to go from Lisbon to Algarve and stay there for 3 days then to Porto. Our plan is to take a train from Lisbon to the Algarve ( I guess into Faro- haven't researched into it yet). Take a bus to Albufeira( stay at a hotel and this is our base). For the 3 days that we are in Algarve, we plan to do day trips to Lagos and Portimao. I don't really want to rent a car( nervous to drive in Portugal), so is taking a bus to Lagos and Portimao doable? Then we will take the train to Porto from Faro. Also, wanting to do a day trip to the Douro Valley. Do you recommend on booking a tour there in Porto or can one take a bus to the Douro Valley and booking a tour once you are there? Too bad you don't have videos yet of Madeira. We are also planning a 4 day trip to Funchal. Any insights is greatly appreciated.
Hi Solita. We haven't been to the Algarve yet so we cannot share any information on that part of Portugal. As for the trip to the Douro Valley, there are several companies offering it, with departures from Porto. We haven't done it yet so cannot recommend a specific one. We definitely recommend a tour from Porto, as the do-it-yourself option requires quite a lot of planning and local knowledge. All the best!
Hi Tony, do the trains from Lisbon passing & make a stop at Sao Bento station? We will be taking the train from Lisbon and will stay near Avenida dos Aliados, so it is closer to get off in Sao Bento rather than in Campanha. Also, can we buy the Andante card in Sao Bento if we can get off there? Thanks in advance, I've been relying on your videos about places to see in Spain and Portugal.
I wonder which low season is better to visit Portugal or Spain, before or after the high season? Some cities have scaffold before the high season to prepare for the tourists and some cities have shops and attractions closed after the high season. Not an easy decision to make. We are retired couples.
Hi Tony! I’ve enjoyed your Portugal videos and learned so much from them. I would like to hire a private tour guide for my visit in November. Can you assist in any way or recommend a reliable person or company? Thanks so much!!
Hello Tony, Thanks for your great videos. I used them so much last year for a holuday in Spain n now planning one next year in Portugal. Would it be possible to get help with finalising my itinerary. No driving We are 3 couples from Australia around 60 and a couple of the guys have slight knee problems and not superfit. Luckily managed to get a flight direct to Porto and will fly out from Lisbon so no back tracking required. 6/9 Arrive Porto late about 8pm 7th to 10th Porto including day trip to Duoro Valley and perhaps half day trip to Aveiro 11th to Fatima with few hrs stop to see Coimbra. Want to reach Fatima by say 4pm or 5pm and wander around and attend 7:30pm vigil. Spend the night at Fatima 12th..To Lisbon with Nazare/Obidos on the way 13th 14th 15th Lisbon with day trip to Sintra Depart 16th . hopefully evening but not yet booked this flight. Hope to find some private transport for the 2 day trips from Porto to Fatima and Fatima to Lisbon to maximise the 2 days but haven't looked into that as yet All suggestions, advise most welcome. Should I reduce one day in Porto and increase it in Lisbon?
Dear Romina, many thanks for your words. We intend to create a consultancy service to help with queries like yours, but so far it is at a planning stage. As an overall comment, it sounds like a really rushed itinerary, Porto and Lisbon demand many more days. All the best.
Hi. I just got back from my trip in Spain and Portugal. I want to say thank you for all the help in planning my vacation. I would like to make a donation to thank you and your wife for the help. What way do you prefer I make the donation to you?
Delighted to hear you had a great trip, Jack. For us, knowing we were helpful is a huge reward. You can help by recommending the channel or making booking through the links we publish. So far, the only way we can receive "thank yous" from our followers is through the THANK YOU button you will find under the video. All the best!
PORT WINE CELLARS
Caves Cálem
www.civitatis.com/en/porto/calem-wine-cellars-guided-tour/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
Caves Cockburn www.civitatis.com/en/porto/cockburns-port-lodge-tour/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
Caves Graham’s www.civitatis.com/en/porto/visita-adega-grahams/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
Caves Burmester
www.civitatis.com/en/porto/visita-adega-burmester/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
BOAT TRIPS
50 minute boat trip www.civitatis.com/en/porto/cruzeiro-seis-pontes/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
2 hour sailboat trip
www.civitatis.com/en/porto/passeio-veleiro-porto/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
WOW | WORLD OF WINE TICKETS
www.civitatis.com/en/oporto/entrada-museo-wow-porto/?aid=2167&cmp=YTENG
Dear Tony , I visited Barcelona and Madrid 2 months ago following your amazing videos, and I want to extend my deepest gratitude to you for your dedication, preparation and concise message delivery. I found your videos extremely comprehensive as they always address the " Good, the bad and the ugly" (in Tony Galvez words))). I am a big fan...Thank you very much , muchas gracias e muito obrigado.
Truly happy to hear you had a great stay in Spain. Waiting for your next trip! Kindest regards!
Thanks! You helped me so much with planning my upcoming trip in April
That's is very kind of you!
A truly brilliant guide to this beautiful city. I wish it had been available many years ago when I visited Porto, but at least I managed to catch some of the views you have shown us here.
Thank you! There is no reason to return to a city you liked! All the best!
You make the most incredibly helpful, informative and friendly videos! I only wish I could visit all of these amazing places ;-)
Thank you, Lloyd!
Congratulations on another top quality video! I don't know of another channel with such a level of professionalism and excellence 👏👏👏
That's very kind of you, Yara!
We are prepering for our trip to Portugal and your videos are irreplaceable. The way of explanation, details, beautiful pictures, energy of you and your partner, great knowledge, effort you put into creating videos are just awesome. After being loaded with great advises about Lisbon, I wished to see similar films about Porto. And Today I've received a notification of new film about this northwest Portugese city! As if you could hear my thoughts ;) I am super glad. You contribute greatly to making people's holidays very special. Wishing you all this good energy coming back to you multiplied :) Thank You so much Tony! Marta
What a wonderful comment, Marta, it has made our week, and the week has just started! Hope you will have a wonderful time in Portugal. All the very best to you!
I just got back from Spain and Portugal and your videos were incredibly helpful, especially the tip about taking the 500 bus. I was able to snag the first row of seats and it was a beautiful ride. I do want to add that you can easily buy a ticket across the street from its first stop, at the Sao Bento train station. However, the machines there are different than the ones shown at the airport and the "change language" button isn't marked at all. If you're buying there, look on the side of the machine for a diagram of where each button is. Thanks for all your help Tony and team!
Thank you Carl, glad you could take advantage of our 500 tip, it is a wonderful ride indeed for the cost of a bus ticket. Thanks for you tip on the ticket machine!
Well structured video with clear instructions and transparent advice. Keep up the good work Tony! A great pleasure to watch your videos.
Many thanks for your kind words, Elijah.
Just got back from Porto and Lisbon, it was amazing! So much so, we shall be returning back. The environment, weather, food, tourist spots was outstanding. Thank you so much for your advice, it was spot on!
Delighted to hear you had a great time!
Can you recommend a hotel?
At Porto- Hotel Family Spot suites- amazing!
At Lisbon, stay at holiday inn Lisbon contintal
@@jimmaurer7416 at Lisbon- holiday inn Lisbon continenental IHG. At Porto- hotel family spot suites.
Excellent video Tony: perfect pace, well titled and linked to transport. Best i've seen.
Many thanks for your kind words!
We just stumbled upon your most-excellent channel as we begin preparations for our trip to Portugal next year. Wow! Your content is excellent good sir! Well organized, professional, informative, personable, reliable and engaging - you have it all. It is so refreshing to see great content coming from an experienced traveller. Your integration of high-level spatial overviews of the context of each area you are highlighting is particularly well done. Kudos. We will be devouring each and every video and especially look forward to any content on the foods and wines of Portugal. Thanks so much for these great travel videos. Cheers!!
Dear David and Kathy, many many thanks for your kind words. So far we only have one video on food in Lisbon here ruclips.net/video/pbWaiVTx088/видео.htmlsi=BMbZj8GPx4aIyRFG We are working on a similar video dedicated to Porto as well. All the best!
Wonderful video, full of detailed and useful informations. Thank you!!!
Our pleasure, Andrea!
Hello Tony, super interesting and informative video that you created. 🤩 I really appreciate your hard work and your professionalism. I definitely share your final point about the WoW and how exclusive it appears to be. This was not part of our itinerary and you've convinced me to keep it that way.
Thank you, Thuy-An. WoW is really impressive, but yes, it is a place created for tourists that turns its back to the city where it is located.
I can't wait ti share this video with my husband. We shall be visiting next year.
Your Santiago de Compostella film was wonderful for our visit last year. Many thanks ❤
Hope you'll have a great time in Porto!
Thanks!
👍🏻
Thank you Toni for such great videos! Last summer we have visited Barcelona and Andorra with you advices. This year it will be Porto. So many useful information is comming from you! And the video about public transportation is excellent as well.
That's very kind of you, Ren. Glad to be of help. Our best regards to 🇨🇿 !
You are simply a great guy. Very nice work.
Thank you for your kind words!
We going to be in Porto, coming weekend. Very clear and informative video, many thanks.
I can see the timing for this video was quite right for you! Have a great time!
Another excellent video!
Very concise and useful information. My wife and I are flying into Porto in around 10 days, and we will put your fine recommendations to the test! Thank you 📸
Hi Joel, good timing then! Have a great trip!
Really good film. Thank you so much!
Our pleasure!
Thank you for this wonderful video. Can you please recommend the best neighborhoods to stay in Porto? Thank you.
We are working on a video on the topic, it should air on 19 November.
Amazingly informative and helpful. Thank you so much for your diligent work.
Delighted to hear that!
Always great and practical info!! Keep up the awesome work. Thank you!!
Many thanks to you!
Tony, Thank you for another helpful video. We just returned from a Portugal/Spain trip that started with 4 nights in Porto. Despite everything we heard about the hills, we found Porto very walkable, and only rode the metro one time when travelling within the city, never rode a bus, and rode a funicular once (downhill). Most or all of the trolley lines were not running due to construction. Palácio da Bolsa was open, and very worthwhile to visit. We did not know of the WOW museum, but -- after watching your video -- I am glad we didn't visit it. Regarding port wine caves, we visited one owned by a Portuguese family and recommended by some locals and a major guidebook; it was a good experience: Porto Augusto's. (The locals we spoke to discouraged us from visiting Fladgate's; I don't know why.) We visited most of the places you mentioned, and (though we were staying very nearby) skipped Livraria Lello with its long lines. On our last full day we chose to pass a lazy few hours in the Bonhim neighborhood rather than doing the bus 500 ride out to Matosinhos. I'll be in contact soon with more about our journey, as your videos proved useful to us. Gracias and Obrigado. BTW, the credit card machines of many of the restaurants in Portugal (and only one in Spain) presented 2 exchange-related questions when we used our US-based cards: the first was the typical "do you want to pay in US Dollars or Euros?" query, and the second one asked the same thing but in a different form. We had to answer both questions correctly in order to avoid a disadvantageous exchange rate. One more tidbit: I almost never had to pull out my wallet because I had attached my credit cards to Google Pay, and almost everyplace accepted contactless payment (which I did with my phone).
Many thanks for your detailed report. We're 100% with you, Porto is a very walkable city. Unless you want to cross the bridge riding the tram (awesome experience), get to the Casa da Música or the Palácio de Cristal, or go to Matosinhos, you're unlikely to use public transport. As for the options when paying with credits cards, that's quite common all throughout Europe and yes, you really have to be careful. You will be asked first whether you want euros or dollars (always the local currency!) and then a trick question will ask again whether you are sure you want to pay in euros. All the best to you!
Thank you, Tiny. Love your videos and honest tips
Delighted to hear that, Lilia!
I will be in Porto next week. Thank you for the information 😊
We hope you'll have a superb time, Franz.
Hi Tony, I'm based on Singapore & just subscribed to your channel. Thoroughly enjoying the content with your detailed explanation of the places as well as practical & useful information on logistics, where to stay etc. My wife & I are planning a 1 month trip to Spain & Portugal in mid Oct & your videos have been very useful for our planning. Regarding Porto, please advise how many days should we stay in order to enjoy the city in a more relaxed manner. After Porto, we intend to rent a car from airport & drive north to Santiago de Compostela & spend about 5 days exploring the surrounding area in Galicia. Is it easy to drive from Porto to Santiago de Compostela considering that we're crossing a border. Really appreciate if you can provide your opinion & advise. Thanks again & keep generating the excellent content. Cheers !
Hi Gil, be very welcome to the channel. For a relaxed visit to Porto, we would stay five or six nights. We've never driven from Porto to Santiago so cannot share much on that topic, but it should be simple enough. See our video on traveling between Spain and Portugal here ruclips.net/video/NS9AocaBuxQ/видео.html All the best!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal thanks Tony for your recommendation !
Awesome, thanks for the amazing information. You helped us know what to do in Porto.👍
Excellent to hear that, Bart, have a great time in Porto.
Fantastic video again Tony. Really wonderful information. I just got back yesterday from 4 fantastic nights in the city and had great weather apart from Sunday, where it rained all day! Food is varied, abundant and delicious and we drank delicious cocktails in a couple of the fantastic rooftop bars. I have to say though, that at the moment, the disruption being caused by the excavations in the city centre (presumably for the new metro line construction) is tiresome at best and disruptive at worst. Consequently, traffic and its progress is at a snails pace in places and is actually quicker to walk than to take transportation (which is actually no bad thing given that the city is so compact and the sights in such close proximity).
The Portuguese Centre of Photography is housed in a wonderful building right by the Clerigos Tower. It was previously the city's prison and Courthouse and is a well worth a visit. However, it was not free to enter most of it now as there is an exhibition ongoing, which I was not interested in. You can still access a bit of the building though.
Finally, your mention of the Lello library made me chuckle a little, where you say that it is "mortally wounded by the fame acquired by a hoax". It has thousands of visitors per day in insanely long queues, each paying 5 euros to get in! Rather than being mortally wounded... I would say that it was making an absolute financial killing! It probably doesn't even need to sell any books!
Keep up the excellent work Tony, and regards to your Cecilia.
Many thanks for the wonderful description of your trip - and for the tips too! Delighted to hear you had a great time. Construction work in the centre is a real pain, but you (kind of) get used to it after a while. As for Lello, you are absolutely right, they could stop selling books, their business is not at risk. What, at least for us, died quite a while ago, was the existente of a beautiful book temple in Porto. All the very best to you, Cecilia sends her regards too!
You are the best!
Thank you!
Thank you for another great video. We'll be in Porto for 4 days starting this coming Friday and the list of places to go reinforces some of the plans we have, and adds additional ones too!
Excellent timing then. Have a great time in Porto.
Tony, I can't thank you enough for your videos, which are invaluable in helping me plan my trip to Lisbon and Porto next month. You deserve so much more viewers and subscribers for the quality of work that you do, and all the thought that goes into each video. You mentioned being book lovers, can you recommend a book by a Portugese author or with a Portugese flair / setting? I like to pick a book up during each of my trips that is pertinent to the city/country.
Hello there, delighted to hear we've been of help! I think we'd be more popular if, for instance, we talked about Harry Potter as a reason to visit Porto buy hey, we cannot do that, not really. We'd rather stay small but true to the places we visit.
If you can find it, José Saramago's Journey to Portugal would be a beautiful choice. Saramago was one of the greatest Portuguese writers of all times and a Nobel Prize winner. All the very best!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Thanks so much, Tony! Wishing your channel the success it deserves! Take care!
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal Being true to the places you talk about is one of the things that truly sets your channel apart from the rest. Your viewers see and appreciate that. I like what you said about WOW and how it is owned by a foreign corporation and how it is (maybe inadvertently) limiting access to the locals. Very eye opening.
Best video about Porto. Thank you 🙏
Our pleasure!
Hi, Tony! We are at Porto right now. Following your video diligently. We found out the boat trip from GAIA side is €3 cheaper than Porto side. The boat tour is a must do. The scenery is beautiful! Thank you so much for all the great videos.
Hope you're having a great time. Yes, the boat from Gaia is cheaper, that's why we recommend you do the trip from that side. All the best!
Thanks for all the information. Great video 😊
Our pleasure, Stephanie.
Hola Tony! I am happy to see your videos in English... I can now share them with friends and family who don't speak Spanish =( but are interested in visiting Spain and Portugal. Looking forward to your content on this new channel! Mil gracias como siempre por sus videos tan buenas y educativos... M.
Welcome to this channel as well! The channel has been around for more than two years now. We usually publish the same content as in the Spanish channel, with a few exceptions (the QA sessions are different). All the best!
Wonderful and informative videos. I love it. I wish you have it in districts or neighborhoods so i can do organize it in a day. ❤
We will eventually publish self-guided walking tours, but it will take a while for us to have the ready.
Thanks I intend to visit Porto, It's important for me your videos❤
Excellent!
So much to see would like to go back and spend more time
Indeed!
This is an excellent overview of Porto - it’s a beautiful city. The only thing I’d add is to notice what people are wearing; it can be damp and cold in Porto - dress and choose locations appropriately. The quantity of tourists can be a real problem so, if possible, also try to mingle with people not directly employed by the tourist industries.
Thanks Walter, unfortunately the quantity of tourists has become a massive problem in the most visited cities of Spain and Portugal. Overtourism is changing the face of the cities. In the city centres you'll be pushed hard to find local residents.
Fantastic channel content
Thank you, Mazen.
Tony, do you recommend buying the “Porto Card”? Or just the travel card by itself? Gracias de antemano!
Hi, we don't think it offers a good deal.
Do you have a Porto hotel video? We found the Lisbon video very helpful. Thanks for all the great information.
We will publish one in four weeks time.
Torres Los Clerigos opens at 8:30 am and Se at 9am. How are the line ups before the opening times and how early do people line up in August? Thank you
We've got no idea, never been to Porto in August. But, from experience, people tend not to get up early.
@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal thank you
Tudo Bem Tony - we are going to visit Porto soon and saw your video has the PORTO sign, would you be able to share the location with us? Obrigada.
Tudo bem! Right now the sign (it's had other locations in the past) is in the Crystal Palace Gardens - we talk about them in the video.
Thank you for your great videos. We’re hoping to visit Porto in 2024 (September) and would like to know if you can carry folding bikes (Brompton) on the public transport.
Hi Jasmine, yes, you can take your bikes, whether folding or not. All the best!
Hola Tony! Wow, what timing! I am scheduled to be in Porto for 3 nights from Oct 16th to 19th! Ive decided that i am going to simply follow your picks for places to visit in each of the cities ill be visiting across Portugal & Spain! Trust your choices and tips! So thank you, yet again, for making my travel planning a little easy!
For both Lisbon and Porto, especially since they are both hilly and I am with my 77 year old mum who tires easily and has weak knees....after weighing all options, I am inclined to think the Hop On Hop Off buses would work best for us, as they would take the work out of her legs to a large extent. I will have a list of places to visit which will mostly and inevitably cover all of these, so it would make it easy to simply hop on hop off wherever we are interested, without navigating hills, stairs, etc. Your view would help. Many thanks and warmest regards, Monisha
Thanks Monisha! Lisbon and Porto are hilly cities indeed, take things easy. The problem is that, because of the nature of the narrow streets, the hop on hop off bus won't take you everywhere. But in your specific case sounds like a very good choice. Have a great trip!
Noted Tony. Thank you ever so much!
Excellent; thanks
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Hi Tony,
I’m planning a visit this May. Is it a good time to visit or would you recommend delaying to experience the best weather?
Theoretically May should be ok. But it's impossible to tell what May 2024 will be like.
Great, thank you@@ROADTRIPSpainandPortugal!
However, which of the 3 months - May, June, July - are the best to travel in Spain and Portugal
@@soumitramaity41 for Spain, see ruclips.net/video/RwOSEX2jqNM/видео.html And also ruclips.net/video/iVvyFhjbnPY/видео.html
Hi Tony! Can we use Line 500 to Matosinhos with 24 hs ticket? If no, where to buy tickets? Thank You a Lot!!!🙂
Hi, to use the 500 line to Matosinhos with a 24 hour ticket you would have to buy one valid for 3 zones, which makes no sense. Buy the 500 ticket directly from the driver.
Dear Tony,
Just binged watched all your videos on Portugal and love all the insider tips, your visual maps and videos and recommendations on different types of hotel.
We just decided to go on vacation to Portugal in 3 weeks. I was hoping to see a video on the Algarve but since you don't have one yet, maybe you can write me some recommendations on how we can get there and choosing a place in the Algarve as our base.
We are planning to go from Lisbon to Algarve and stay there for 3 days then to Porto.
Our plan is to take a train from Lisbon to the Algarve ( I guess into Faro- haven't researched into it yet). Take a bus to Albufeira( stay at a hotel and this is our base). For the 3 days that we are in Algarve, we plan to do day trips to Lagos and Portimao. I don't really want to rent a car( nervous to drive in Portugal), so is taking a bus to Lagos and Portimao doable?
Then we will take the train to Porto from Faro.
Also, wanting to do a day trip to the Douro Valley. Do you recommend on booking a tour there in Porto or can one take a bus to the Douro Valley and booking a tour once you are there?
Too bad you don't have videos yet of Madeira. We are also planning a 4 day trip to Funchal.
Any insights is greatly appreciated.
Hi Solita. We haven't been to the Algarve yet so we cannot share any information on that part of Portugal. As for the trip to the Douro Valley, there are several companies offering it, with departures from Porto. We haven't done it yet so cannot recommend a specific one. We definitely recommend a tour from Porto, as the do-it-yourself option requires quite a lot of planning and local knowledge. All the best!
Hi Tony, do the trains from Lisbon passing & make a stop at Sao Bento station? We will be taking the train from Lisbon and will stay near Avenida dos Aliados, so it is closer to get off in Sao Bento rather than in Campanha. Also, can we buy the Andante card in Sao Bento if we can get off there? Thanks in advance, I've been relying on your videos about places to see in Spain and Portugal.
Hi Danny, we think you'll find an answer to your question on this video: ruclips.net/video/nJby4U8I55k/видео.html
...great vid...thanks...
Our pleasure!
I wonder which low season is better to visit Portugal or Spain, before or after the high season?
Some cities have scaffold before the high season to prepare for the tourists and some cities have shops and attractions closed after the high season. Not an easy decision to make. We are retired couples.
See our video on the best time to go to Spain: ruclips.net/video/RwOSEX2jqNM/видео.html Roughly the same criteria applies to Portugal too.
i cannot find the links mentioned in the video
We've just checked and they are still in the place we mentioned, first comment below the video.
Hi Tony! I’ve enjoyed your Portugal videos and learned so much from them. I would like to hire a private tour guide for my visit in November. Can you assist in any way or recommend a reliable person or company? Thanks so much!!
Thanks a lot, Janice. Unfortunately, we cannot share any recommendation of reliable tour guide, we've never used the services of one. All the best!
Thank you!
Hello Tony, Thanks for your great videos. I used them so much last year for a holuday in Spain n now planning one next year in Portugal. Would it be possible to get help with finalising my itinerary. No driving
We are 3 couples from Australia around 60 and a couple of the guys have slight knee problems and not superfit. Luckily managed to get a flight direct to Porto and will fly out from Lisbon so no back tracking required.
6/9 Arrive Porto late about 8pm
7th to 10th Porto including day trip to Duoro Valley and perhaps half day trip to Aveiro
11th to Fatima with few hrs stop to see Coimbra.
Want to reach Fatima by say 4pm or 5pm and wander around and attend 7:30pm vigil.
Spend the night at Fatima
12th..To Lisbon with Nazare/Obidos on the way
13th 14th 15th Lisbon with day trip to Sintra
Depart 16th . hopefully evening but not yet booked this flight.
Hope to find some private transport for the 2 day trips from Porto to Fatima and Fatima to Lisbon to maximise the 2 days but haven't looked into that as yet
All suggestions, advise most welcome.
Should I reduce one day in Porto and increase it in Lisbon?
Dear Romina, many thanks for your words. We intend to create a consultancy service to help with queries like yours, but so far it is at a planning stage. As an overall comment, it sounds like a really rushed itinerary, Porto and Lisbon demand many more days. All the best.
Hi. I just got back from my trip in Spain and Portugal. I want to say thank you for all the help in planning my vacation. I would like to make a donation to thank you and your wife for the help. What way do you prefer I make the donation to you?
Delighted to hear you had a great trip, Jack. For us, knowing we were helpful is a huge reward. You can help by recommending the channel or making booking through the links we publish. So far, the only way we can receive "thank yous" from our followers is through the THANK YOU button you will find under the video. All the best!
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Thanks!
Very kind of you, Amit.