Porto & the north
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 7 & 8
Day 7 Our week on board MS Riviera Rose was drawing to a close with just one full day left to enjoy the luxurious facilities on board. After another delicious breakfast served in the ship’s main restaurant we wandered up to the sun deck where we found some comfortable chairs shaded by a large parasol…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 5 & 6
Riviera Rose – Day 5: The ship set sail whilst we were having breakfast enabling us to take in the spectacular views from the restaurant windows. The engines on Riviera Rose are very quiet and if it wasn’t for the ever changing views one may not even realise that the boat was moving. Riviera Rose…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Days 3 & 4
Riviera Rose: Day 3: We enjoyed a leisurely start to the day, starting off with a delicious breakfast whilst taking in the breathtaking views of the Douro Valley as we sailed along the river. We passed through two more deep locks as well as sailing under a very low bridge so we watched with interest…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise Day 2
We woke refreshed after a good night’s sleep on board the Riviera Rose and started off the day with a relaxing breakfast in the ship’s restaurant. It was just like staying in a luxurious, boutique hotel – barista made cappuccinos, a selection of fresh fruit, yoghurt and pastries, followed by our favourite Eggs Benedict. After…
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Riviera Travel Douro River Cruise: Day One
Day One We were so excited to be setting off on our first ever river cruise and after enjoying a relaxing overnight stay at the Gatwick Airport Sofitel we woke refreshed and then boarded the shuttle across to the south terminal to check in for our TAP flight over to Porto. Whilst waiting in the…
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Review: MS Riviera Rose
MS Riviera Rose is a luxurious ship that has been specifically designed to sail along the Douro River in Portugal. Newly launched in April 2025, the ship is 80 metres in length and can accommodate up to 114 guests in 57 cabins, including 4 balcony suites with a total of 38 crew. I was excited…
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A Day Exploring Espinho, Portugal: Top Attractions and Experiences
Our original plan had been to set a day aside to visit the Douro valley but as organised trips were not operating, this proved problematic. It’s possible to take a train from Porto to Pinhāo from where one can connect to boat trips up the Douro valley. However, with a journey of more than two…
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How to Spend a Day in Vila do Conde from Porto
We decided to spend a day along the coast in the town of Vila do Conde, a seaside resort 25km north of Porto. It’s a town favoured by locals though perhaps not on the day of our visit as it was cool and overcast. Lying at the mouth of the Ave river, it was historically…
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How to Spend a Day in Coimbra from Porto
We were interested to visit Coimbra as it was the medieval capital of Portugal for just over 100 years from 1145-1255 when King Afonso moved his court to Lisbon. The city is also home to one of Europe’s oldest universities. Trains from Porto to Coimbra depart from Campanhã station which is on the main north-south…
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How to Spend a Day in Aveiro from Porto
There’s little need to hire a car whilst staying in Porto as there are numerous interesting places to visit which are easily accessible by train. So, for the third morning in succession we took the now familiar route to the São Bento station, this time for a train to Aveiro. Return fares are priced at…
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How to Spend a Day in Braga from Porto
After breakfast in our hotel, it was back to Saō Bento station again with its beautiful blue tiled concourse. Our destination was to be Portugal’s third largest city, Braga, return day tickets €7 each. The train was reasonably quiet and we enjoyed looking at the passing scenery from the carriage windows during the 75 minute…
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How to spend a day in Guimaraes from Porto
After spending the first two days of our holiday exploring Porto we were ready to travel further afield so after a hearty breakfast we headed off to Saō Bento station where we marvelled once again at its exquisite blue and white tiled concourse. From the ticket office we requested return tickets to Guimaraes with discounted…
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Exploring the Gaia and Foz districts of Porto
After enjoying breakfast in the aparthotel’s cafe we went along to the nearby Trindade metro station to take a train across the Douro to the Jardim do Morro station. Staying in the Bolhāo district appealed to us with its close proximity to Trindade as all lines can be accessed from this interchange station. As we…
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Discover Porto City Centre and the World’s Most Beautiful McDonald’s: A Unique Travel Experience
Porto is an historic mercantile city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s famous for its port wine, medieval walls and steep sided waterfront on the banks of the Douro river. We had originally planned a visit to this wonderful city for April but eventually managed to get there several months later. I hope you…
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