Lisbon to Porto Road Trip (4 Days)
A 4-day drive up Portugal's Atlantic coast from Lisbon to Porto — day-by-day route, where to stop, real costs and the towns worth the detour.
Rough estimate — fuel + nights at typical rates. Get an exact figure in the calculator.
Lisbon to Porto is a relaxed 4-day run up Portugal’s Atlantic coast, trading the fast inland motorway for walled towns, giant surf and canal-laced cities. You drive on the right, and it is one of the easiest and most rewarding short trips in western Europe.
Day 1 — Lisbon to Óbidos and Nazaré (130 km)
Collect the car and head north. The A1 motorway is quick — a classic barrier motorway with staffed toll booths, so just take a ticket and pay by cash, card or the Via Verde lane. Stop in Óbidos, a walled medieval town, then push on to Nazaré, famous for the giant Atlantic waves at Praia do Norte. Ride the clifftop funicular up to Sítio for the view.
Day 2 — Nazaré to Aveiro (100 km)
Take the slower coastal roads where you can — they are the scenic alternative to the tolled A1. Aim for Aveiro, laced with canals and colourful moliceiro boats, then drive out to Costa Nova to see the striped wooden houses along the beach. Sleep in Aveiro.
Day 3 — Aveiro to Coimbra and on to Porto (110 km)
Detour to Coimbra and its hilltop historic university, one of the oldest in Europe, before continuing to Porto. Arrive in the afternoon and settle into the Ribeira riverfront.
Day 4 — Porto
Cross the double-deck Dom Luís I bridge on foot and tour the port wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia on the far bank. Wander the Ribeira lanes and drop the car back before you leave — the old centre is best on foot.
Costs
Use the cost calculator to price fuel, tolls and nights for your exact dates. As a rough guide, budget for accommodation, fuel over ~330 km and the A1 tolls. Booking the car early saves the most hassle.
This trip is also in the free Roadcut trip planner: change the number of days and where you sleep each night, pick your vehicle to see the fuel cost, check the weather on the road, and open each day in Google Maps, Apple Maps or Waze.
Where to stay on this route
Night by night, in the towns this itinerary sleeps in.
- Night 1Hotels in Nazaré →
- Night 2Hotels in Aveiro →
- Night 3Hotels in Porto →
The search opens with sample dates a month from today — change them to yours on Booking. Affiliate link — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The route on video
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⚡ By electric car on this route
156 charging stations within 1.5 km of the road, 101 of them fast (DC). Most powerful: 400 kW.
Longest stretch without a fast charger tagged: 60 km, from km 178 of the route.
According to OpenStreetMap and operators’ websites. Fast = a DC plug or 50 kW and more; not every station has its power filled in, so there may be more. See them on the planner map → · EV charging →
🚦 Know before you go
Tolls · Good to know
Tolls. The A1 Lisbon–Porto is a Brisa toll-booth motorway costing approx. €23–25 one-way, paid at the booth by cash, card or Via Verde transponder.
Good to know. The A1 has physical booths so you can pay by card, but rental cars should still carry a Via Verde transponder because Portugal has no vignette and many other roads are electronic-only with no way to pay on the spot.
Estimate your exact costs in the cost calculator. Prices are approximate — check official sites before you travel. Some links are affiliate links.
Plan this trip
Where to sleep
Hotels & B&Bs →Holiday homes & apartments →Campsites (bookable) →Campervan & overnight spots →Tours & tickets
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