One-Day
Excursion on Douro Valley
For those participants
wishing to stay over the weekend, ETW'00 proposes a boat trip up the river
Douro, to the area which produces the famous Port Wine. Trips up the river
on late Spring are very popular among tourists visiting the north of Portugal,
so it is advisable to book as early as possible. The trip up river will
take place by boat (on the famous "Rabelo"-like boats, formerly used to
bring the Port Wine oak casks down to Porto for storage), including lunch
on-board. The return to Porto will be by bus according to the following
schedule. |
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10:00 - Departure
from Rota do Douro's quay, next to Sandeman's cellars (the groups meets
at 09:30)
11:00 - Arrival
at the dam of Crestuma-Lever (coffee / Port is served on board), 14-meters
flood-gate
12:00 - Lunch
served on board (traditional food and local wines)
14:00 - Arrival
at the Carrapatelo dam, 35-meters flood-gate
16:30 - Arrival
at Régua and bus transfer for a visit to a Port Wine farm
17:30 - Departure
from Régua on the bus to Porto
20:00 - Arrival
at Porto |
The price of
this one-day excursion is
15.000 escudos
(approx. 75 EURO),
all expenses included
(drinks, lunch on-board, bus transfers in Régua and the bus trip
back to Porto).
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Due to the early
departure in the morning (the group starts to assemble at 09:30 in the
departure quay), it is advisable that those willing to participate sleep
in Porto from Friday to Saturday. Rooms at the special price of 8.700 escudos
(approx. 44 EURO) for a single room, or 10.000 (approx. 50 EURO) for a
double room, including breakfast, may be booked at the four star Hotel
INCA in the centre of Porto. |
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Several alternatives
exist for the trip between Lisbon and Porto
The information
given below is accurate at the time of writing (APRIL 2000), but it is
possible that other timetables will be introduced during the month of May.
However, the alternatives available will not differ significantly from
those referred here: |
Both TAP (Air Portugal)
and Portugália have several flights per day, so it is easy
to find a suitable travelling schedule.
The flight time is
approximately 35 minutes and a return ticket will cost between 123 EURO
(TAP) and 170 EURO (Portugália). |
Trains take
approximately 3h30m and a return ticket will cost 47 EURO in first class
or 29 EURO in second class. Trains will depart from Lisbon on Friday at
16h50m, 17h50m and 19h50m (it is possible to have dinner on the train).
On Sunday morning the first train leaves Porto at 9h05m, followed by another
one at 11h05m. |
Buses are
possibly a little less comfortable than trains, but are more frequent.
The cost of a return ticket is 22 EURO and the trip takes approximately
3h30m. Buses will depart from Lisbon on Friday afternoon at 16h00m, 17h00m,
18h00m, 19h00m, 20h00m, 21h00m.
The first bus for
the return journey will leave Porto on Sunday morning at 7h30m, followed
by other buses at 9h00m and 11h15m. |
The distance
between Porto and Lisbon is 321 Km (200 miles) and there is a highway
connection between the two cities, so driving will take less than three
hours (at the speed limit of 120 Km/h). |
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| Further information
on Porto and the north of Portugal can be obtained by visiting the following
URLs:
- http://www.porto-convention-bureau.pt/
(Porto Convention Bureau)
- http://www.porto2001.pt/uk/
(Porto European Capital of Culture - 2001)
- http://www.ivp.pt/uk/Default.htm
(Port Wine Institute)
- http://www.cm-porto.pt
(Porto City Hall - only in Portuguese)
- http://www.fe.up.pt/porto-ol/
(Porto On-Line - only in Portuguese)
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