EuroOut – travel in Europe

Porto is incredibly bright city – just walking there along the Douro rive is a pleasant activity. And for sure there are some sights that worth visiting.

Porto is incredibly bright city - just walking there along the Douro rive is a pleasant activity.

1. Palacio de Bolsa. The best impression from Porto, for sure you need to take one of the guided tours that start each half hour. If you will be there early in the morning you’ll probably have something like private tour with just few visitors. No pictures allowed inside.

Palacio de Bolsa. The best impression from Porto, for sure you need to take one of the guided tours that start each half hour.

2. Just next to the Palacio de Bolsa is a Institute of Wine, which suppose to do checks of wines, the institute itself is closed to visits, but there is a wine shop with possibility to test some wines.

3. Museu do Vinho do Porto. Worth visiting just because of pleasant walk along the river, but you will also learn there some economic grounds of Porto and wine trade.

Museu do Vinho do Porto. Worth visiting just because of pleasant walk along the river, but you will also learn there some economic grounds of Porto and wine trade.

4. Centro Portugues De Fotografia – for anyone interested in photography – you’ll find there some temporary exhibitions as well as permanent exhibition of various (mostly antique) cameras, including some special models such as 3D or spy-purpose cameras. Entry is free.

5. Even if you don’t need train check the hall of the train station!

Even if you don't need train check the hall of the train station!

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One full day is normally enough to explore all major sights. Take a 10-minute walk from “Palacio Nacional” to “Quinta da Regaleira” – amazing place. Plan about 2 hours to explore some building there what is the most important various caves and tunnels.

Take a 10-minute walk from "Palacio Nacional" to "Quinta da Regaleira" - amazing place.

Another interesting place to go is “Castelo dos Mouros”.

Where to stay: if there are free rooms stay in Hotel Nova Sintra, you will find there extremely helpful staff, beautiful hotel (feels more like visiting friends) with lovely terrace. Delicious breakfast is included in the price. Free wi-fi available. There is no free parking, but hotel’s staff will explain you where you can park for free (actually the street parallel to the train station, just 3-4 minutes walk to the hotel). And it was really nice to receive a “thank you letter” from the hotel after the stay.

On the way to/from Sintra visit Capo de roca (about 30 minutes driving from Sintra). It is the most western point of the Europe.

On the way to/from Sintra visit Capo de roca (about 30 minutes driving from Sintra). It is the most western point of the Europe.

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There are a lot of tourist information available, some important tips to help plan your trip:

1. In “Belem” area you will find many museums, some restaurants and pleasant walking route. Plan to spend there the most part of the day, if you want to visit some important museums there:

In "Belem" area you will find many museums, some restaurants and pleasant walking route.

Maritime museum in Belem area

2. For “Fado” go to the well-known “Clube de Fado” (www.clude-de-fado.com), as it is easy to find this place, there is a great kitchen and service. Average for one person will be about 40-50 Euro. Show start 21-30 (in other places later in the night). Visiting Fado museum is a good idea to understand historical roots.

3. For accommodation - stay in Hotel Dos Anjos, if they suggest good pricing (about 45-55 Euro/night). It is centrally located, metro station (green line) is just 1 minute walk from hotel. There is a free underground parking and hotel stuff is really helpful. Internet was not for free, but there is possibility to use much cheaper wifi (fon.com).

If you will go to from this hotel to the main street (where is metro) and turn in the direction of the center then within 5-minute walk distance you will find some non-touristic restaurants where you can each for 8-10 euro. One is on the right side on “Calcada do destrerro” street.

4. Transport - driving is not a pleasant task there, bike either, so better buy dayly ticket for about 4 euro, which works for tram, metro and bus. But it might be hard to understant the route of the bus, so ask on the reception of the hotel before go.

Transport in Lisbon - better use tram, bus and metro

5. Two museums (why they are not promoted at all!) that should be visited by anyone interested in art – Museu Calouste Gulbenkian and Centro de Arte Moderna (both located in the same place and managed by the same organization, so buy combined ticket if you plan to visit both). Can get there with metro “Placa de Espanha” or “Sao Sebastiao”.

Gulbenkian museum in Lisbon

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On the way from Sevilla to Lisabon is “Muelle de las Carabelas” – small “museum” with 3 replicas of Columbus’s caravels, that you can visit to feel how it is to be on the board of such a small ship:

3 replicas of Columbus's caravels

There is no such a site in POIs of navigator, it appears the best is to point navigator to Monasterio de La Rabida and follow 1 or 2 sings on your way.

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• El Albayzín (barrio árabe).

El Albayzín (barrio árabe)

• Narrow streets, great place to walk and check spectacular city views:

Narrow streets, great place to walk and check spectacular city views

There are still security warnings for this area, so take this into account.

• Alhambra – make sure to buy a ticket 1 week before the visit.

Alhambra - Granada - Spain

You can bought it in ServiCaja bank machines that supports selling of tickets. If bought using Internet you might need an assistance to print your ticket with ServiCaja machine. The key point which is not really clear is that you need to insert the bank card that you used to buy your ticket in the ServiCaja bank machine first. Then follow instructions on the screen.

• Cathedral and chapel - worth paying 3 euro for each. Centrally located, on the northern side of the cathedral you’ll find bus stops to go to the Alhambra.

Transport: use small buses that cost 1,2 euro to get to Alhambra and back. For other points its better just to walk. Make sure you take taxi if return from Sacromonte after flamenco show.

Accommodation: one extremely cheap and well located option is Hostal Nevot, which actually is a 2 start hotel just 8 minutes walk to Cathedral with private parking (or you can also park in the street). You’ll sleep with more comfort there if you have earplugs.

Tapas and cafe: avoid Plaza Nueva (prices might be specified without taxes and some standard tourists tricks are used there, as for instance not including bread price in the day menu price).

• For good options (=free tapas) go to the “Elvira” street (if go from Cathedral you need to cross Grand Via and Elvira is parallel to Gran Via.
• There are some restaurants (one next to Caixa, which is in front of Cathedral) under the brand name “La Bella y la Bestia” – great place with good prices as well. For tea and cheap food go from Elvira up to the Albayzin.
• For drinks in the evening: Plaza de la Trinidad, Plaza de Derecho.

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Ciudad de Las Artes y de Las Ciencias.

Ciudad de Las Artes y de Las Ciencias

There you’ll find:

1. Oceanografic - worth visiting, the best part is dolphin show. Normally overcrowded, so reserving tickets online might be a good idea.

Oceanographic - the best part is dolphin show

2. Hemispheric – cinema where movie is projected on the sphere. Another (better?) way to make 3D effects. Normally there are colorful movies about nature life.

3. Museum of Science – if you short in time or if you visited something similar in Germany or France you might skip this option, but if you have 1 day, you can buy a combined ticket to visit this museum too.

4. Former “Turia River” now 7 km park. Rent a bike or just walk!

5. Bioparc. It is not another zoo! Make sure you have enough free space on your flash-card.

Bioparc in Valencia

6. Former silk exchange market (La Lonja de la Seda) is UNESCO list and is just opposite to the main market (Mercado Central), for some reason not promoted much, but really nice place. You won’t need more than 20 minutes there.

Silk exchange market

7. Centro Cultural Bancaja (Plaze Tetuan 23) – search for the current exposition, its great exhibition place. There is also IVAM (Institut Valencià d’Art Modern).

IVAM (Institut Valencià d'Art Modern)

two more typical touristic places:

8. Central market

9. Cathedral of Valencia – if seen from the top the Latin cross shape of cathedral can be seen.  Holy Grail (according to some of Christian historians) can be seen in one of the cathedral’s chapels.

10. Albufera is about 20 minutes drive from Valencia. Do a boat trip there – you need to drive to Palmar.

Boat trip in Albufera

General tips:

• Rent a bike – there are short term (7 days) and long term options. Ask in TouristInfo for the map of the bike stations, it will be easier to locate them in the future;
• For hotel select something near center or near Ciudad de Las Artes y de Las Ciencias; Metro near your location is a big advantage. There are more connections with bus, but for first visit buses are not easy thing to find and use.
• Drive carefully especially on the circular crossroads – they are 4-6 lines and sometimes it is not clear where other drivers want to turn.

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Stop in Zaragoza for launch with tapas and beautiful central square with cathedral.

Stop in Zaragoza for launch with tapas and beautiful central square with cathedral

All places of tourist interest are around central square:

All places of interest for tourists are around the central square.

For tapas bars and restaurants go to Calle del Cuatro de Agosto, most places open in the evening.

• Accommodation: check if good prices are available at Hotel Ramiro I now, this hotel is good-located with private parking (rooms for about 45 euro), extremely good for these money.

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Visit Andorra on the way from Toulouse to Zaragoza – its just + 1.5 hour, but you will see some beautiful landscapes. Paid part of the road is about 7 Euro.

Beautiful landscapes on the way to Andorra

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Toulouse is known as air-space center, so when you’ll be there make sure you’ll check:

• Cite de l’Espace a Toulouse (you’ll need min 4-5 hours there), you’ll easily find it in POI of your navigator or in any guide;
• Airbus factory in Toulouse – important – EU citizen can book visit normally for the next day, for not-EU citizens it is necessary to book in advance, check the latest information on their web-site; You’ll need to show pass;

Cite de l'Espace - space center in Toulouse, something similar to Sinsheim in Germany, but space-oriented. Interesting for both - kids and adults.

After checking major sites of interest pay attention to contemporary art gallery – Les Abattoirs (Alles Charles de Fitte). Most likely you’ll catch there some interesting piece of modern art.

Les Abattoirs - great contemporary art gallery in Toulouse

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Before getting into crowded Toulouse streets visit Albi. Must-have stop for these who would like to visit Toulouse-Lautrec museum there. Exposition is not big one, with audio guide it takes about 1,5-2 hours to check everything. Albi’s cathedral is something unusual, looks rather like fortress.

• Toulouse-Lautrec’s museum is just few steps from cathedral.
• Navigate to the city center, when approaching cathedral you’ll see unremarkable parking house (just 1 minute walk from it), park you car there.

Stop in Albi (near Toulouse) for 2-3 hours to visit Toulouse-Lautrec museum and take pictures of unusual brick cathedral

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