Portugal - so sad

[GoldenVision]

We first came to Portugal in the van 10 years ago. Wonderful - so many excellent towns to visit and wild camping made it so easy.

Not so now. The ban on wild camping - €300 fines for parking in the national parks, in cash, thank you very much - means that all Aires and campsites are rammed. I have no problem paying for camping, but they are now really unpleasant places to be - because there's nowhere else without lining the pockets of the local police.

And travelling along non-Motorway roads is an equally unpleasant experience. They seem to have given up on road repairs, and have absolutely no idea how to sink manholes.

If we head south next winter it will be straight to Spain and onwards to Morocco.

Met many people who have voted not to return to what was once a very desirable country to visit in a motorhome.

 

[JJ]

We first came to Portugal in the van 10 years ago. Wonderful - so many excellent towns to visit and wild camping made it so easy.

Not so now. The ban on wild camping - €300 fines for parking in the national parks, in cash, thank you very much - means that all Aires and campsites are rammed. I have no problem paying for camping, but they are now really unpleasant places to be - because there's nowhere else without lining the pockets of the local police.

And travelling along non-Motorway roads is an equally unpleasant experience. They seem to have given up on road repairs, and have absolutely no idea how to sink manholes.

If we head south next winter it will be straight to Spain and onwards to Morocco.

Met many people who have voted not to return to what was once a very desirable country to visit in a motorhome.

I don't recognise the Portugal you are posting about...

I find plenty of off-site locations if I so choose... the "ban" doesn't seem to affect me... and I'm more interested in the charm and friendliness of the locals than the height of the manholes and their covers...

I hope you enjoy yourself next season in Spain and Morocco.

(Pray tell me... where have the local police been lining their pockets?)



JJ

 

[jumar]

Of course the number of Motorhomers visiting Iberia during the Winter will have a detrimental effect on all of us...what has caused Portugal to make a stand against inappropriate park ups, will also force some Spanish regions to follow the same course...

What some have written in the Media including Fun..."Spain needs us" well believe me....they do not... everywhere on the coast is greatly overcrowded...this year even worse than last...so anyone planning a visit here...plan ahead...be prepared to get turned away from your favourite stopover..
.

 

[Carpmart]

Of course the number of Motorhomers visiting Iberia during the Winter will have a detrimental effect on all of us...what has caused Portugal to make a stand against inappropriate park ups, will also force some Spanish regions to follow the same course...

What some have written in the Media including Fun..."Spain needs us" well believe me....they do not... everywhere on the coast is greatly overcrowded...this year even worse than last...so anyone planning a visit here...plan ahead...be prepared to get turned away from your favourite stopover..
.

I’m in complete agreement Martin. It’s way different down in costal Spain than even last year and indeed that was way busier than the year before…. IMHO, winter is the new peak season for Motorhomes on Campsites…

Waiting for all the responses saying ‘there is always somewhere to park’ (I agree) but it won’t be where you want to be, or that there is always space on XYZ campsite as I’ve been going for 20 years, sorry to burst your bubble, but the last two years has show that there is not!

 

[bobnick]

We are heading there at the end of this month.
I hope it's not as bad as descrided as it's been decades since we were last there.
One advantage of Portugal, you can get out within a few hours.

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[carolyn]

We are visiting the Algarve in the van this year for the first time as part of a 6 week trip. We’re leaving on the 5th March . We booked a campsite for 10 days as it includes the Easter period. Got into Touriscampo. We booked within the last month BF crossings as well. I’m sure the Portuguese people will be as lovely as those I’ve met on my many visits to Porto plus my wonderful dentist Francisca. Maybe not the wingeing motorhomers though

Harvey Carpmart is right about the campsites being busy, we like to stay in one place relax for a bit so wanted a couple of weeks in one place first. We have managed to get 2 weeks at Cabopino but only just. We are having to really motor from Santander to get the spot. Obviously we are booking late but very little about along the coast. We wanted a change from the Beni area especially as we were heading across to Portugal.

 

[MichaelT]

We are currently in Spain for first time in winter and we have found it to be busier than summer. Camp sites are full on the coast but ok inland, beaches are packed with some having 100+ vans on.

 

[bobnick]

I've just booked 5 nights Villasol Benidorm from 15th March. First site i tried and no issues, plenty of room.

 

[Next Stop]

We are planning to visit Spain and Portugal over the Easter holidays, haven't booked anywhere yet as we plan on winging it, hope I haven't made a mistake
We are staying away from the coast though as we live by the sea so want to see something different, fingers crossed it won't be rammed!

 

[MichaelT]

I've just booked 5 nights Villasol Benidorm from 15th March. First site i tried and no issues, plenty of room.

Try for tomorrow, I tried 2 others for next week and no room. I think March is better as a lot of the snow birds go home.

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[HugoBNB]

We are off at the weekend. Nothing booked going to La Cala via Duoro Valley then Algarve. Will post what we discover where we stay. Safe and happy travels.

 

[Lenny HB]

Last couple of years we have gone later April/May no problems then as most of the snowbirds have left.

 

[jumar]

Try for tomorrow, I tried 2 others for next week and no room. I think March is better as a lot of the snow birds go home.

Correct...winter visitors start to head north again...however Watch out for an Early Easter....the coast gets quite full and a little noisy....

 

[jumar]

We are planning to visit Spain and Portugal over the Easter holidays, haven't booked anywhere yet as we plan on winging it, hope I haven't made a mistake
We are staying away from the coast though as we live by the sea so want to see something different, fingers crossed it won't be rammed!

A good plan....the Coast gets full over Easter...as do the main routes out of Madrid..

 

[David and Sally]

This is our first winter in Spain. Are we officially Snowbirds.?

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[jumar]

This is our first winter in Spain. Are we officially Snowbirds.?

Check your Passport stamp if it has SB by the date stamp you are..

 

[MichaelT]

This is our first winter in Spain. Are we officially Snowbirds.?

Same here but we are classing ourselves as newbies this year as only 6 weeks.

 

[JockandRita]

Upon arrival at Villasol for our booking, we tried to book our pitch for Feb - April 2025. "Sorry, all the large MH pitches in that block, are fully booked already for the same period."

Good luck those trying to book.

Jock.

 

[DandJ]

It's weird and wonderful how different folks have different views of the same thing. We are enjoying our first trip to Southern Iberia in our first motorhome and haven't had an issue booking any of the sites we have found and wanted to visit...none have been on the coast near the tourist hotspots as that really isn't us. We are now on a small site a few miles west of Lagos in Portugal and it is lovely. Space for perhaps 30 MoHos and there are about 20 here. Cycled on back roads into Lagos yesterday and the road was no worse than any in the UK and travelling at moho speeds wouldn't have been an issue at all. We move east towards Loule tomorrow, still inland and the site gets great reviews. There seem to be more and more small sites popping up that weren't there 2, 3 or 5 years ago (judging by Google maps and chatting to the owners) I wish the new businesses well and hope they succeed.

 

[Raul]

It's weird and wonderful how different folks have different views of the same thing. We are enjoying our first trip to Southern Iberia in our first motorhome and haven't had an issue booking any of the sites we have found and wanted to visit...none have been on the coast near the tourist hotspots as that really isn't us. We are now on a small site a few miles west of Lagos in Portugal and it is lovely. Space for perhaps 30 MoHos and there are about 20 here. Cycled on back roads into Lagos yesterday and the road was no worse than any in the UK and travelling at moho speeds wouldn't have been an issue at all. We move east towards Loule tomorrow, still inland and the site gets great reviews. There seem to be more and more small sites popping up that weren't there 2, 3 or 5 years ago (judging by Google maps and chatting to the owners) I wish the new businesses well and hope they succeed.

Brace for the windy rain today, it should clear by night, and more mixed next week. We found Portugal very wet in February, maybe our luck.

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[DandJ]

We've had the rain..looking OK for this aft...a bit of a breeze now.

 

[Brains]

We have travelled the world, been to every continent (bar Antarctica), lived in the far east, Americas and Europe, we have been to almost every country in Europe (including Andorra, Lichtenstein and Monaco), but neither of us have been to Portugal !

So we are going for a month in April/May.
We have the ferry booked but nothing else yet.
We like looking at old stuff, castles and cathedrals, museums and art galleries.
We like cycling and walking.

Where would you start ?

 

[Lenny HB]

We have travelled the world, been to every continent (bar Antarctica), lived in the far east, Americas and Europe, we have been to almost every country in Europe (including Andorra, Lichtenstein and Monaco), but neither of us have been to Portugal !

So we are going for a month in April/May.
We have the ferry booked but nothing else yet.
We like looking at old stuff, castles and cathedrals, museums and art galleries.
We like cycling and walking.

Where would you start ?

The north and work your way down. Loads of castles on the eastern side near the Spanish border.
Have a look at my threads links in my signature.

 

[GMLS]

I've been following Reds Go Travelling and they have found the east side of Spain to be quite a bit busier than expected but have found plenty of park ups and campsites apart from most recently along the coast itself.Maybe that area is taking those that are avoiding Portugal.

 

[eddie]

Lyn and I are off to Portugal in April and have never been there before, given that we've always ended up staying in France or Spain due to the restraints of a three or four week holiday.

So we are planning on using our full 90 day allowance in Portugal and nip back across Spain for the ferry at the end

Looking forward to it

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[bobnick]

We are just going to wing it. Starting at the top zig zagging down. Got all the go to places on a list, maybe we will get there maybe not. Who knows, who cares.

 

[Toady]

Just arrived in Tavira and aire is full

Me….happy as free night on the roundabout outside gran-plaza.
Wife….unhappy as loves this aire.

Up early to queue for aire.

 

[chesterfield hooligan]

We have travelled the world, been to every continent (bar Antarctica), lived in the far east, Americas and Europe, we have been to almost every country in Europe (including Andorra, Lichtenstein and Monaco), but neither of us have been to Portugal !

So we are going for a month in April/May.
We have the ferry booked but nothing else yet.
We like looking at old stuff, castles and cathedrals, museums and art galleries.
We like cycling and walking.

Where would you start ?

There's a nice cathedral at Batalha there's a aire just up the road world heritage site.

 

[Welsh geordie]

Hello fellow Funsters, we are off in MH to Portugal on April 15th for 90 days. Nothing booked just winging it. Newhaven to Dieppe. Then slowly meandering down west coast of France, Northern Spain. Not been to Portugal before. Chasing the sun.

 

[laurieash]

I think I will stay north a little longer.
Until a lot start to make there way north.
Seen 15 or so vans traveling up N2 towards Castro Verde this morning.
Mostly cloggy,s.

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