Go Back   Horizons Unlimited - The HUBB > Planning, Trip > Route Planning
Route Planning Where to go, when, what are the interesting places to see
Photo by Alessio Corradini, on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia, of two locals

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Alessio Corradini,
on the Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia,
of two locals



Reply
 
LinkBack Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 9 Nov 2018
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 4
Smile Riding in Portugal

Hallo all, we are a group of 5 riders from Israel intend to ride in Portugal may/June 2019. All of us are experienced riders (age 32 up to 60) riding on a daily basis in Israel. prefer the nature instead of the city and small villages riding on side roads.

We need some advices in some issues:
1. Best place where we can rent motorbikes in Lisbon.
2. Weather at this time of the year (rain, cold, hot..)
3. Any recommendations for the riding? (Places, roads, adventures..)
4. Any other advices would be appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
Stolarski Ronen.
My personal email is: ronenst1@gmail.com
Reply With Quote
  #2  
Old 9 Nov 2018
Vaufi's Avatar
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Munich, the beer capital
Posts: 1,060
I've only been in and around Lisbon, which is a very interesting city. Not far, to the north-west is a little town called Sintra. People in Lisbon recommended it, saying it has a beautiful old city centre. Otherwise I have only made a short blast through the Serra da Estrela when travelling along the western border of Spain. Was sure worthwhile, great landscape.


Here is a link that might be of interest: https://www.adventurecountrytracks.c...tugal/?lang=de


May/June should be warm and dry.
__________________
Only when we pause to wonder
do we go beyond the limits of our little lives.
(Rod McKuen)
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 9 Nov 2018
Registered Users
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Gatwick UK
Posts: 498
Go online to Ride Magazines site, look up the routes section and there is one for Portugal and Spain. You can then download these onto ur satnav
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 11 Nov 2018
Registered Users
New on the HUBB
 
Join Date: Oct 2017
Posts: 4
Thanks all, appreciate it.
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 11 Nov 2018
Registered Users
HUBB regular
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Posts: 37
hi try to get in touch with joao gomez ,very helpful based in porto, organising tours and bikes to hire ,see my post in morocco section.good luck. we had a great day out from porto following the douro river over the mountains then food and wine @peso da regua. hope to get down that way again soon.
Reply With Quote
  #6  
Old 14 Nov 2018
Contributing Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2016
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Posts: 1,102
I used https://www.lxrent.pt/en when I was there a couple of years ago - very nice people, recommended. Their shop is just off the main seaside tourist square in Lisbon.

I only did a daytrip on a Vespa 250, but I went to Cabo da Roca (westernmost point of Europe), had a great time riding around Sintra and the roads and historical monuments there, then stopped by the Estoril F1 track on the way back and took a photo with the Ayrton Senna statue. Generally, if you follow the coastal main road west out of Lisbon past Cascais, then go up into the mountains around Sintra, there's plenty of good riding there. It's touristy though, so I think the further north you go, the better it will be.

My usual advice is: open Google Maps and look for areas filled with green, with white squiggly lines.

Weather in May/June will be hot (I was there in February), but I guess if you're from Israel, you're used to it. In fact I think Lisbon and the coast of Portugal will be less hot than Israel, since the Atlantic winds do moderate the weather quite a bit.

Bring your riding gear from home if you can. A rental agency will give you a helmet and maybe gloves. From what I remember, most people in Portugal ride without special protective gear, especially the scooter riders. I'd brought all my gear from home except the helmet, because it was a shakedown for a longer trip and I wanted to check how I can pack and transport it; I was by far the most-protected scooter rider in Lisbon on that day!
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 16 Nov 2018
Gold Member
Veteran HUBBer
 
Join Date: Jan 2002
Location: Toronto, Canada
Posts: 2,134
Hi Stolarski:

Welcome to the HUBB community.

Although I live in Canada, I keep a motorcycle in Europe, and Portugal is one of my favourite countries to ride in. It's a delightful place and the cost of accommodation and food is below the European average.

I can't help you with any recommendations for bike rental. But, if you plan to ride in Europe for more than 3 weeks, I suggest you consider shipping your motorcycles from Israel to Europe. I say that because 3 weeks is about the break-point for North American residents... if we are planning a European ride that will last longer than 3 weeks, it's generally cheaper for us to ship our motorcycles (by air) to Europe than it is to rent bikes in Europe.

You might not have many options for air shipping from Israel to Europe, because El Al operates narrow-body aircraft (Boeing 737s) on routes serving continental Europe, and motorcycles only fit into the cargo holds of wide-body aircraft. But, you might be able to easily stuff all your motos into a 20 foot container and ship it by sea - that would likely cost less than air shipping.

It is very easy to arrange insurance for your Israel-plated motorcycles - heck, your local insurance company might even be able to extend your coverage to include Europe.

As for the weather, May and June are perfect months. The weather will be pleasant (very temperate) up in the north, where the mountains and nice twisty roads are, and quite warm down in the south.

Personally, I like the north of the country more than the south - there's more history, more varied topography, more interesting roads to ride, and fewer tourists. But, the whole country is interesting, and it's not that big a country... you can easily move from one end to another over the course of 3 or 4 days of relaxed touring (or 1 day of hard slogging). The portion of Spain that is directly north of Portugal is also great riding - the Picos de Europa are just a half-day's ride to the north-east of Portugal, and that whole area of Spain is spectacular.

The only other advice I would offer is to bring good quality safety gear (helmets, gloves, riding jackets & pants, etc.). The roads are twisty, and Portugal's auto accident record is pretty poor relative to the rest of Europe.

Regards, Michael
Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
portugal, rent a motorcycle, riding, travel


Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 Registered Users and/or Members and 1 guests)
 

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are On
Pingbacks are On
Refbacks are On


Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Quit my job... gone riding through the Americas LovinglivingAdventuring Ride Tales 49 30 Mar 2017 20:23
How dangerous is riding in Vietnam? ColinD SE Asia 20 27 Mar 2017 04:03
Riding South for Fiestas. UK to Spain Ian T-J Ride Tales 8 1 Feb 2014 11:17
Riding solo in Mongolia Kilian Northern and Central Asia 18 8 Mar 2013 14:46
bike rental, swap portugal, slovenia container Bike Swap or Rent 0 16 Apr 2012 00:20

 
 

Announcements

Thinking about traveling? Not sure about the whole thing? Watch the HU Achievable Dream Video Trailers and then get ALL the information you need to get inspired and learn how to travel anywhere in the world!

Have YOU ever wondered who has ridden around the world? We did too - and now here's the list of Circumnavigators!
Check it out now
, and add your information if we didn't find you.

Next HU Eventscalendar

ALL Dates subject to change.

2024:

  • California: April 18-21
  • Virginia: April 25-28
  • Germany Summer: May 9-12
  • Québec: May 17-19
  • Bulgaria Mini: July 5-7
  • CanWest: July 11-14
  • Switzerland: August 15-18
  • Ecuador: August 23-25
  • Romania: August 30-Sept 1
  • Austria: September 12-15
  • France: September 20-22
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 31-Nov 3

2025 Confirmed Events:

  • Virginia: April 24-27 2025
  • Queensland is back! May 2-4 2025
  • Germany Summer: May 29-June 1 2025
  • CanWest: July 10-13 2025
  • Switzerland: Date TBC
  • Ecuador: Date TBC
  • Romania: Date TBC
  • Austria: Sept. 11-15
  • California: September 18-21
  • France: September 19-21 2025
  • Germany Autumn: Oct 30-Nov 2 2025

Add yourself to the Updates List for each event!

Questions about an event? Ask here

See all event details

 
World's most listened to Adventure Motorbike Show!
Check the RAW segments; Grant, your HU host is on every month!
Episodes below to listen to while you, err, pretend to do something or other...

Adventurous Bikers – We've got all your Hygiene & Protection needs SORTED! Powdered Hair & Body Wash, Moisturising Cream Insect Repellent, and Moisturising Cream Sunscreen SPF50. ESSENTIAL | CONVENIENT | FUNCTIONAL.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

2020 Edition of Chris Scott's Adventure Motorcycling Handbook.

"Ultimate global guide for red-blooded bikers planning overseas exploration. Covers choice & preparation of best bike, shipping overseas, baggage design, riding techniques, travel health, visas, documentation, safety and useful addresses." Recommended. (Grant)



Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance.

Ripcord Rescue Travel Insurance™ combines into a single integrated program the best evacuation and rescue with the premier travel insurance coverages designed for adventurers.

Led by special operations veterans, Stanford Medicine affiliated physicians, paramedics and other travel experts, Ripcord is perfect for adventure seekers, climbers, skiers, sports enthusiasts, hunters, international travelers, humanitarian efforts, expeditions and more.

Ripcord travel protection is now available for ALL nationalities, and travel is covered on motorcycles of all sizes!


 

What others say about HU...

"This site is the BIBLE for international bike travelers." Greg, Australia

"Thank you! The web site, The travels, The insight, The inspiration, Everything, just thanks." Colin, UK

"My friend and I are planning a trip from Singapore to England... We found (the HU) site invaluable as an aid to planning and have based a lot of our purchases (bikes, riding gear, etc.) on what we have learned from this site." Phil, Australia

"I for one always had an adventurous spirit, but you and Susan lit the fire for my trip and I'll be forever grateful for what you two do to inspire others to just do it." Brent, USA

"Your website is a mecca of valuable information and the (video) series is informative, entertaining, and inspiring!" Jennifer, Canada

"Your worldwide organisation and events are the Go To places to for all serious touring and aspiring touring bikers." Trevor, South Africa

"This is the answer to all my questions." Haydn, Australia

"Keep going the excellent work you are doing for Horizons Unlimited - I love it!" Thomas, Germany

Lots more comments here!



Five books by Graham Field!

Diaries of a compulsive traveller
by Graham Field
Book, eBook, Audiobook

"A compelling, honest, inspiring and entertaining writing style with a built-in feel-good factor" Get them NOW from the authors' website and Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Amazon.co.uk.



Back Road Map Books and Backroad GPS Maps for all of Canada - a must have!

New to Horizons Unlimited?

New to motorcycle travelling? New to the HU site? Confused? Too many options? It's really very simple - just 4 easy steps!

Horizons Unlimited was founded in 1997 by Grant and Susan Johnson following their journey around the world on a BMW R80G/S.

Susan and Grant Johnson Read more about Grant & Susan's story

Membership - help keep us going!

Horizons Unlimited is not a big multi-national company, just two people who love motorcycle travel and have grown what started as a hobby in 1997 into a full time job (usually 8-10 hours per day and 7 days a week) and a labour of love. To keep it going and a roof over our heads, we run events all over the world with the help of volunteers; we sell inspirational and informative DVDs; we have a few selected advertisers; and we make a small amount from memberships.

You don't have to be a Member to come to an HU meeting, access the website, or ask questions on the HUBB. What you get for your membership contribution is our sincere gratitude, good karma and knowing that you're helping to keep the motorcycle travel dream alive. Contributing Members and Gold Members do get additional features on the HUBB. Here's a list of all the Member benefits on the HUBB.




All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:23.