Central Portugal Self-Catering Holiday Apartments for Rental

By Ferry and Your Own Transport...

From March to October P&O runs ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao and Brittany Ferries goes from Plymouth to Santander. Bilbao and Santander are in northern Spain and from there it is an 8-hour drive to our quinta.

We are around 90 miles from the Spanish border at Vilar Formoso. From Guarda it is approximately 55 miles. Follow the IP5/E80 until about 10 miles beyond Guarda. At Celorica da Beira take exit 24 in the direction of Aveiro. After 300 yards turn left, then left again after another 300 yards, and then right after 150 yards onto the N17. Follow the signs for Coimbra. Stay on the N17 all the way (about 30 miles, without taking any turns until you reach the village of Venda da Galizes. Turn left and drive for 10 minutes and left again at Ponte das Tres Entradas towards Alvoco das Varzeas. Our quinta is signposted on the right.

Travel Directions
to our Quinta

How to get here...

By Plane...

With the advent of cut price air travel Portugal is a much easier country to visit. There are 3 international airports - Porto, Lisbon and Faro. BritishAirways flys from Heathrow and Gatwick. TAP (Air Portugal) flys from Heathrow. Air Portugalia flys from the north of the UK. RyanAir starts a new service from Stansted to Porto on 19th January 2005. Opodo is worth checking out for prices. Portugalia and Air Luxor also operate scheduled flights to and from Portugal in Europe.

By Train...

Trains are inexpensive and run on time on the Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses. If you want to explore Portugal by train from Lisbon through Coimbra to Oporto you can catch the fast and comfortable 'Alfa Pendular' express service which runs every hour or the slightly slower 'Intercidades' service that runs on the principal lines. These trains have first and second class carriages, except for local and suburban trains, where there is only one class. Special tickets - including tourist tickets valid for 7, 14 or 21 days, may be bought, while there are special return ticket discounts on “blue days” for trips exceeding 100 km. Every day, international trains run between Paris and Lisbon (Sud Express); Lisbon-Madrid train Lusitânia, and Porto-Vigo.

Business Hours

Banks open from 8:30am to 3pm Monday to Friday; closed on bank holidays.

Shops open from 9am to 1pm and from 3pm to 7pm (working days). On Saturdays, most shops close at 1pm. In the shopping malls located in larger towns, shops are normally open 7 days a week and holidays from 10am to 11pm.

Museums open from 10am to 12:30am and from 2pm to 5pm. Closed on Mondays. Some palaces also close on Wednesdays.

Pharmacies open from 9am to 1pm and from 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and Saturday mornings. There are also 24 hour pharmacies which operate according to an official chart displayed on Pharmacy windows.

By Hire Car
...

Car hire is easy and cheap but don`t forget to bring your driving licence! It has been known!! It is cheaper to book a car before you arrive from your country of origin.

www.amoita.com
www.travellersweb.com
www.europcar.co.uk

By Bus...

Travelling by coach with 'Rede Expressos', Portugal's largest bus network, is also an easy option. Cheap and comfortable, you can find the timetables on their web site. You can even book using SMS from your mobile phone!





By Ferry and Your Own Transport... From March to October P&O runs ferries from Portsmouth to Bilbao and Brittany Ferries goes from Plymouth to Santander. Bilbao and Santander are in northern Spain and from there it is an 8-hour drive to our quinta. We are around 90 miles from the Spanish border at Vilar Formoso. From Guarda it is approximately 55 miles. Follow the IP5/E80 until about 10 miles beyond Guarda. At Celorica da Beira take exit 24 in the direction of Aveiro. After 300 yards turn left, then left again after another 300 yards, and then right after 150 yards onto the N17. Follow the signs for Coimbra. Stay on the N17 all the way (about 30 miles, without taking any turns until you reach the village of Venda da Galizes. Turn left and drive for 10 minutes and left again at Ponte das Tres Entradas towards Alvoco das Varzeas. Our quinta is signposted on the right. Travel Directions to our Quinta How to get here... By Plane... With the advent of cut price air travel Portugal is a much easier country to visit. There are 3 international airports - Porto, Lisbon and Faro. BritishAirways flys from Heathrow and Gatwick. TAP (Air Portugal) flys from Heathrow. Air Portugalia flys from the north of the UK. RyanAir starts a new service from Stansted to Porto on 19th January 2005. Opodo is worth checking out for prices. Portugalia and Air Luxor also operate scheduled flights to and from Portugal in Europe.	By Train... Trains are inexpensive and run on time on the Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses. If you want to explore Portugal by train from Lisbon through Coimbra to Oporto you can catch the fast and comfortable 'Alfa Pendular' express service which runs every hour or the slightly slower 'Intercidades' service that runs on the principal lines. These trains have first and second class carriages, except for local and suburban trains, where there is only one class. Special tickets - including tourist tickets valid for 7, 14 or 21 days, may be bought, while there are special return ticket discounts on “blue days” for trips exceeding 100 km. Every day, international trains run between Paris and Lisbon (Sud Express); Lisbon-Madrid train Lusitânia, and Porto-Vigo. Business Hours Banks open from 8:30am to 3pm Monday to Friday; closed on bank holidays. Shops open from 9am to 1pm and from 3pm to 7pm (working days). On Saturdays, most shops close at 1pm. In the shopping malls located in larger towns, shops are normally open 7 days a week and holidays from 10am to 11pm. Museums open from 10am to 12:30am and from 2pm to 5pm. Closed on Mondays. Some palaces also close on Wednesdays. Pharmacies open from 9am to 1pm and from 3pm to 7pm, Monday to Friday, and Saturday mornings. There are also 24 hour pharmacies which operate according to an official chart displayed on Pharmacy windows. By Hire Car ... Car hire is easy and cheap but don`t forget to bring your driving licence! It has been known!! It is cheaper to book a car before you arrive from your country of origin. www.amoita.com www.travellersweb.com www.europcar.co.uk By Bus... Travelling by coach with 'Rede Expressos', Portugal's largest bus network, is also an easy option. Cheap and comfortable, you can find the timetables on their web site. You can even book using SMS from your mobile phone!