Transportation from Santiago to Douro Valley

[Kaytee444]

Hi! My name is Katy and I am headed out for my first Camino with two of my friends tomorrow! We are thrilled!
One question we had for the group was we are planning on going to Douro valley after the Camino and was wondering if anyone had any suggestions for the best ways to get there?

 

[mspath]

Kaytee444,

Try Rome2Rio for various transport possibities. You might consider going to Porto and then east along the Douro. Check out posts in
this thread by fellow forum member Jungleboy for further ideas.

Buen camino/ Bom caminho to all of you!

 

[jungleboy]

Yes, I would guess that via Porto would be the most convenient way. There are trains Santiago-Porto (with a change in Vigo) or direct buses.

 

[peregrina2000]

And once you get to Porto, you can take a train as far east in the Douro Valley as Pocinho. Where in the Douro are you headed? I think that a rental car will make your trip very much more enjoyable. You could get it in Porto, or get a train to Regua and pick it up there.

 

[Vacajoe]

The train day trip up the Valley from Porto is delightful and gives you time for lunch and a winery visit depending upon when you disembark. The tracks are often closer to the river than the road and give a far better immersion into that valley. Certainly a car would be better for an extended visit or if you have specific destinations in mind that are not serviced by the train.

 

[Walli Walker]

From Porto we got a boat up the Douro then the train back. A long day trip.

 

[peregrina2000]

The most beautiful part of the Douro Valley is east of Regua or Pinhao. So if you are going to rent a car and drive into the valley from Porto, I would hold off on a scenic train ride till you are further into the Douro Valley. The train from Pinhao to Pocinho is an old chugger and it takes more than an hour each way with a stop at the end of the line in Pocinho for the driver to rest and get a coffee in one of the two cafes in the little hamlet. There is nothing to do in Pocinho and it is not pretty, but the ride itself is really great, and the train goes through a part of the valley that is inaccessible to cars. I always see a lot of people getting off the train in Pinhao (I'm guessing they've come from Porto or Regua), and I'm sure it's a nice trip, but the real showstopper is from Pinhao to Pocinho, IMHO.

 

[Vacajoe]

Great wineries in Pinhao and a very scenic ride from Porto.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

The most beautiful part of the Douro Valley is east of Regua or Pinhao...The train from Pinhao to Pocinho... takes more than an hour each way with a stop at the end of the line in Pocinho...There is nothing to do in Pocinho and it is not pretty, but the ride itself is really great, and the train goes through a part of the valley that is inaccessible to cars. I always see a lot of people getting off the train in Pinhao (I'm guessing they've come from Porto or Regua), and I'm sure it's a nice trip, but the real showstopper is from Pinhao to Pocinho, IMHO.

One other consideration, if thinking about using a car, is the road quality in the area. A few years ago, four of us rented a car for a week and toured some central-Portugal areas that we hadn't seen before.

Part of the trip was driving the roads on both north and south sides of the Douro (we'd previously done the Porto > Regua part by train).

These are narrow roads and the south side, particularly, was one of the scariest drives I've ever been on. Very few pull-outs, serious curves, and Portuguese beer trucks in a big hurry to supply the various cafés along the route. Thus a lot of tailgating. I wasn't the driver, but our driver, someone pretty experienced at mountain roads, etc. said afterwards that he had not found it a fun drive.

Your tolerance may vary...me, I'd take the train!

 

[cbaza]

The most beautiful part of the Douro Valley is east of Regua or Pinhao. So if you are going to rent a car and drive into the valley from Porto, I would hold off on a scenic train ride till you are further into the Douro Valley. The train from Pinhao to Pocinho is an old chugger and it takes more than an hour each way with a stop at the end of the line in Pocinho for the driver to rest and get a coffee in one of the two cafes in the little hamlet. There is nothing to do in Pocinho and it is not pretty, but the ride itself is really great, and the train goes through a part of the valley that is inaccessible to cars. I always see a lot of people getting off the train in Pinhao (I'm guessing they've come from Porto or Regua), and I'm sure it's a nice trip, but the real showstopper is from Pinhao to Pocinho, IMHO.

Hi, I've also heard this is the most ruggedly beautiful part of the trip. My husband and I and are 2 teens are planning on taking the Miradouro train from Porto to Pinhao because we are staying near Pinhao at a Quinta for 2 nights. I am interested in going to the end of the line to Pocinho, but I'm wondering how we would get back to Pinhao easily so that we can grab a taxi to the Quinta-knowing that we likely won't be able to get a taxi there from Pocinho? Do we really want to wait 40 minutes (after riding for already more than 2 hours) for the conductor break, and then get back on the return trip to Pinhao?

 

[peregrina2000]

Do we really want to wait 40 minutes (after riding for already more than 2 hours) for the conductor break, and then get back on the return trip to Pinhao?

That’s a question only you can answer. You will not be able to get a taxi in Pocinho back to Pinhao, train is your only option. The train from Pinhao to Pocinho is not two hours, in fact it is not much more than an hour. But when you add in the break, it’s a half day trip, no doubt about it. I would not take a train from Regua to Pinhao or Porto to Regua, but that’s just me.

 

[Simperegrina]

One other consideration, if thinking about using a car, is the road quality in the area. A few years ago, four of us rented a car for a week and toured some central-Portugal areas that we hadn't seen before.

Part of the trip was driving the roads on both north and south sides of the Douro (we'd previously done the Porto > Regua part by train).

These are narrow roads and the south side, particularly, was one of the scariest drives I've ever been on. Very few pull-outs, serious curves, and Portuguese beer trucks in a big hurry to supply the various cafés along the route. Thus a lot of tailgating. I wasn't the driver, but our driver, someone pretty experienced at mountain roads, etc. said afterwards that he had not found it a fun drive.

Your tolerance may vary...me, I'd take the train!

I met an Irish couple last week in Ponte de Lima who were still somewhat in shock from driving those roads…