Day trip to the Douro by train

[Tym Lewis]

Hello,

My mom and I, and maybe one or two other retired travelers would like to take a train from Porto into the Douro valley this October.

What do you recommend? what are some must do activities?

How do you get from the train station to the wineries?
Where should we eat lunch?

Is "Pinhão" far enough? or is the additional hour to "Pocinho" a much better day trip?

I am very likely to want to revisit Casa do Romezal, since we all fell in love with them, but maybe there is a better opportunity? It looks like Regua is the train station closest to there.

Let me know what you would do!

Thanks!

[Glenn E.]

I would say that Pinhão is far enough, mostly because it's really the "center" of the Douro Valley. Pocinho takes you all the way out into the Douro Superior, and unless you've made arrangements to do something while you're out there (such as visit a particular Quinta), there's not much to do once you get there. Pinhão is a small town of maybe 1,000 people... Pocinho is tiny. It might just be a couple hundred people.

If you take the train to Pinhão then you don't really need transportation once you get there. The train station is right next to the Vintage House Hotel and also Dow's Quinta do Bomfim, which has been recently renovated and given a very nice visitors center. Quinta das Carvalhas (Real Companhia Velha) is right across the bridge, but I don't know for certain whether or not they take drop-in visitors. Quinta de la Rosa is a reasonably easy ~2 km walk West of town (technically South due to the curve of the Douro). Again you should probably contact Quinta de la Rosa before just dropping by just to be safe. Quinta da Foz is on the way out of town as you head toward Quinta de la Rosa.

You could do one of those touristy Barco Rabello boat rides up and down the river from Pinhão, too. I've only ever been on ones that were privately arranged so I can't speak for the quality of the tourist versions, but the ride itself is fun because it gives you a very different perspective of the river and the Quintas.

There are many well-known Quintas surrounding Pinhão. Quinta do Noval, Taylor's Quinta da Terra Feita, Warre's Quinta da Cavadinha, Wine & Soul are all just North. Croft's Quinta da Roeda is just a bit further up river. The home of DR Port - Argi-Roncao's Quinta da Levandeira do Roncão - is one of my favorite places in the entire valley and is only maybe 2 miles from Pinhão as the crow flies, but it'll take you 45 minutes to an hour to get there by taxi. There's a reason that Pinhão is known as the center of the Douro Valley. But you'd need transportation to get to most of them, and probably a pre-arranged appointment.

[Al B.]

Depending on your budget, you could take the train up to Vesúvio and take the organised visit. It’s not cheap, but it’s an amazing experience and means you take the train through the most spectacular parts of the Douro which lie upriver of Pinhão, past the cachão de Valeira where barão Forrester died.

You have to pre-book the Vesúvio visit!

If you only go as far as Pinhão, you can easily take a taxi back towards Regua and spend time either at Sandeman’s Quinto do Seixo or Kopke’s Quinta de São Luíz, both of which have amazing views and great restaurants.

[Andy Velebil]

As mentioned, unless you have a specific reason to it is not worth going past Pinhao. Unless you just want a relaxing train ride to the end of the line and back.

Places already mentioned by others and agree.