We’ll be using the Brittany Ferries crossing from Portsmouth to Santander to get us onto the Iberian peninsula. We will embark on the evening of 28th September, arriving in Santander on the morning of the 30th.
On the return journey we will embark on the ferry from Santander on the afternoon of
October 11th, arriving in Portsmouth late evening on the 12th.
We’ll disembark our ferry at Santander and head straight on the road. Today we’ll be skirting the southern peaks of the Picos Mountains in Northern Spain, visiting the town of Potes for lunch and traversing a few mountain passes on our way west. We’ll head west of Oviedo to our 4 star Parador hotel in a rugged, mountainous region.
Our route today will take us south, across several national parks with breathtaking views of Lake Luna. Lunch in a fantastic restaurant set in a cave followed by a short motorway stint to get us to the Portuguese border. From here we cut into Portugal on scenic roads heading for our 5 star hotel in rural northern Portugal.
Today we head south for the Douro Valley, where we will spend four nights in one hotel. Our route today will take us along some of the most revered driving roads in Northern Portugal with views to match. Expect the whole range of roads, from open, sweeping to twisty. This is a fantastic route to introduce you to the region we’re going to be exploring.
We’ll be spending 4 nights in our spa hotel in the Douro Valley, where you’ll be able to either partake in any of the driving days we will be running, visiting local towns and places at your leisure, or relaxing and enjoying the superb facilities of your hotel. We’ll have the hotel completely to ourselves!
Today we’ll be heading south for the Estrelle National Park. This is the largest mountain range in Portugal, with the highest point at just under 2000 metres asl. The area is known for its dramatic glacial valleys and high altitude roads, and we will be exploring the very best of them!
Day 8 – Our drive today is to Braga in the Northwest of Portugal, where we’ll spend a couple of nights. Our route will take us up parts of the N2. This is the quintessential South-North road trip through central Portugal, heading over the highlands around the Douro Valley once more before cutting across to Braga.
Day 9 – Today is a rest day with no organised driving routes planned. Our hotel features several swimming pools and a large spa and excellent restaurant. If you’d like to venture out then it is a short ride to the old centre of Braga, a beautiful old town. Or if you’d like, you could travel a bit further to the city of Porto.
Back on the road for a cracking drive today, we travel the N103, another classic portuguese route very popular with motorcyclists. There is the option to grab lunch in Chaves or Braganca if you wish before taking a breathtaking route into Spain. We finish the day at our Parador in Benevente, built from the remains of a built on the remains of a 12th-century castle.
Our final full day of driving will take us back to the Picos mountains with a drive to wonderfully round of our time here. Our final hotel is on the outskirts of the city of Oviedo, where you can explore the beautiful old town here.
One last route today on the way to our ferry in Santander. We’ll skirt the northern peaks of the Picos and take in some of the coast road of Northern Spain. Alternatively if you prefer, you could head straight to our destination and visit Santander before embarking on our ferry home.
Your Tour Package
Our tour packages provide nearly everything you need to enjoy your tour:
Fantastic 4-5 Star Hotels Including Breakfast
Safe Overnight Parking
Return ferry crossing from Portsmouth to Santander
Lead & Rear Car
Experienced Tour Guides
Full-Colour Tour Handbook
Two-Way Radio for Each Vehicle
Action Camera & Drone Footage
Pre-Programmed Sat-Nav
Optional Sat-Nav Integration with Android Auto or Apple Car Play
Extra Costs
You will need to fund certain costs on your trip, which would include:
Fuel
Other Road Tolls
Parking (except at hotels)
Food & Drink
Entrance Fees
ETIAS and Visa fees if required
Vehicle Emissions Stickers
Personal and Vehicle Insurances
Room Upgrades
Cabin Upgrades (Ferries)
Vehicle Breakdown Policy
Personal Purchases
If you need further details on the rough costs involved, please do get in touch and we can advise you.
Pricing
£2999 per person, based on 2 people and 1 vehicle, sharing a room.
Single Occupancy
£5599
Prices are based upon you driving your own car. For other combinations of cars/hotel rooms or for group bookings, please contact us for a quote.
This Road Trip will run with a minimum of 7 vehicles. Places limited to 13 vehicles.
Only £599 per person deposit required to secure your place!
Deposit payment required to secure your booking.
Final balance due by 28th of June 2026.