calibusje
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This is a travelogue, quite extensive, but you can stop at any time and continue reading later.
For our summer trip in July 2026, we chose Portugal —a country completely unknown to us— as our summer holiday destination, primarily because I had heard about the "European Route 66": the N2 (also known as the EN2). The plan was to travel from north to south through the interior, from Chaves to Faro, and then, after a few days in the Algarve, head back north along the coast. I set aside 20 days for this trip, and -spoiler alert- we all enjoyed every single day and moment of it.
We set off from Bruges, Belgium, for a journey of a good 1,700 km to Portugal. France meant toll roads -péages (not cheap, but that’s just how it is)- and so did Spain. Note: as soon as you enter Portugal, you will come across a point -known as a "welcome point"- where you can register your vehicle via license plate recognition for their toll highways. Make sure to do this, as it covers the highways that lack toll booths and rely on cameras to log your license plate. You can also register online, which is a simple process. Just don't put it off; it even might be best to do it in advance.
Next up: Chaves, Portugal—just across the border and our starting point. We pick up the children's passports at a cool shop. There are about 35 towns and villages along the route where you can get a stamp for your passport, often at town halls, police stations, shops, hotels or restaurants but almost always also at fire stations. Our young son wants to be a firefighter, so we ended up visiting the fire station almost every time. I could also easily ask for information about the forest fires that were raging in certain regions of Portugal at the time, if I wanted to. We were given the green light to continue our journey each time. We remained far from the fires at all times, although while driving through the Algarve mountains we did pass through large areas that had burned, the result of fires from just under a week earlier.
You receive a friendly welcome everywhere, and it is striking how many merchants, artists (as evidenced by the lovely artworks you encounter along the route), and municipalities enthusiastically participate in the N2 route and make it a great experience for everyone.
As for the route itself, it is well worth doing: the starting point, Chaves, is a pleasant place, and before you know it, you are in the Douro Valley, where you can enjoy the views, the port wine, a boat trip on the Douro, a train ride, and so on. Be sure to drive the N222 from Peso da Régua to Pinhão—it features over 90 bends and stunning scenery. It has been named one of the most beautiful roads in the world several times. That might be a slight exaggeration, but it is undeniably impressive and beautiful, which is certainly saying something. Afterward, continue along the N2 and definitely visit Lamego: Santuário de Nossa senhora dos Remédios is well worth to see. Stop at Penacova: 238 km covered, 500 to go; great viewpoint. Not far from Penacova, you can visit many traditional windmills.
Some places aren't right on the N2 but are just a short drive away and well worth the detour. I won't discuss every single village or town, but I must mention this: the N2 route boasts some of the best and most beautiful motorhome stopovers we have ever visited. Can be found on the well-known apps or nicely marked on the spot. They often feature marked-out pitches and picnic tables, and are frequently free of charge or even have free electricity. Mostly fresh drinking water and a place for your grey water. There are also a few "Camping Car Park" sites. You can find public washing machines in many places along the N2 (we pack a week's worth of underwear each for the four of us, so we do need to do laundry occasionally). Another thing that stood out was that the villages and towns in Portugal are generally very well-maintained, some lively, and—remarkably—free of crowds. Tourists tend to visit during the cooler months. We have school-age children, so we have to stick to school holiday schedules; my wife also works in education, so those holidays dictate our timing as well. Consequently, you encounter very few other travelers—just the occasional motorcyclist, and the motorhomes you do see usually belong to Portuguese locals. As for the heat, there is something to be said: inland, it can get very hot -well above 30°C, and you might even experience temperatures above 40°C during the summer months- but in the evening it becomes a very pleasant 21–22°C, and at night it even drops below 20°C. We visited many places and were frequently out in those high temperatures, and you really do kinda ‘get used to it’.
Once again, you drive through a truly beautiful country; I was amazed by the beauty of the various regions you pass through. My favorite -though it gets very hot there- was the Alentejo; the cork oaks and forests are fascinating to see. The region is also known for its menhirs, dolmens, and megaliths. We went swimming regularly; there are lakes with small beaches, Portugal has numerous artificial reservoirs (albufeiras) created by the construction of dams for hydroelectric power plants (barragens). Many towns have lovely public outdoor pools.
The final stretch of the N2 route takes you through the Algarve, ending in Faro. I have to say that arriving in Faro and the Algarve coastal region created a completely different atmosphere -it was almost a bit of a shock for me- after traveling more than 700 km through Portugal's interior. We thoroughly enjoyed the N2 route, the sense of tranquility it offered, the stunning scenery, and the delicious food. I hadn't mentioned it yet, but the food in Portugal is excellent and reasonably priced; I occasionally had octopus or fish, but the meat is also delicious; you certainly won't be disappointed by what's on offer.
End of part 1
For our summer trip in July 2026, we chose Portugal —a country completely unknown to us— as our summer holiday destination, primarily because I had heard about the "European Route 66": the N2 (also known as the EN2). The plan was to travel from north to south through the interior, from Chaves to Faro, and then, after a few days in the Algarve, head back north along the coast. I set aside 20 days for this trip, and -spoiler alert- we all enjoyed every single day and moment of it.
We set off from Bruges, Belgium, for a journey of a good 1,700 km to Portugal. France meant toll roads -péages (not cheap, but that’s just how it is)- and so did Spain. Note: as soon as you enter Portugal, you will come across a point -known as a "welcome point"- where you can register your vehicle via license plate recognition for their toll highways. Make sure to do this, as it covers the highways that lack toll booths and rely on cameras to log your license plate. You can also register online, which is a simple process. Just don't put it off; it even might be best to do it in advance.
Next up: Chaves, Portugal—just across the border and our starting point. We pick up the children's passports at a cool shop. There are about 35 towns and villages along the route where you can get a stamp for your passport, often at town halls, police stations, shops, hotels or restaurants but almost always also at fire stations. Our young son wants to be a firefighter, so we ended up visiting the fire station almost every time. I could also easily ask for information about the forest fires that were raging in certain regions of Portugal at the time, if I wanted to. We were given the green light to continue our journey each time. We remained far from the fires at all times, although while driving through the Algarve mountains we did pass through large areas that had burned, the result of fires from just under a week earlier.
You receive a friendly welcome everywhere, and it is striking how many merchants, artists (as evidenced by the lovely artworks you encounter along the route), and municipalities enthusiastically participate in the N2 route and make it a great experience for everyone.
As for the route itself, it is well worth doing: the starting point, Chaves, is a pleasant place, and before you know it, you are in the Douro Valley, where you can enjoy the views, the port wine, a boat trip on the Douro, a train ride, and so on. Be sure to drive the N222 from Peso da Régua to Pinhão—it features over 90 bends and stunning scenery. It has been named one of the most beautiful roads in the world several times. That might be a slight exaggeration, but it is undeniably impressive and beautiful, which is certainly saying something. Afterward, continue along the N2 and definitely visit Lamego: Santuário de Nossa senhora dos Remédios is well worth to see. Stop at Penacova: 238 km covered, 500 to go; great viewpoint. Not far from Penacova, you can visit many traditional windmills.
Some places aren't right on the N2 but are just a short drive away and well worth the detour. I won't discuss every single village or town, but I must mention this: the N2 route boasts some of the best and most beautiful motorhome stopovers we have ever visited. Can be found on the well-known apps or nicely marked on the spot. They often feature marked-out pitches and picnic tables, and are frequently free of charge or even have free electricity. Mostly fresh drinking water and a place for your grey water. There are also a few "Camping Car Park" sites. You can find public washing machines in many places along the N2 (we pack a week's worth of underwear each for the four of us, so we do need to do laundry occasionally). Another thing that stood out was that the villages and towns in Portugal are generally very well-maintained, some lively, and—remarkably—free of crowds. Tourists tend to visit during the cooler months. We have school-age children, so we have to stick to school holiday schedules; my wife also works in education, so those holidays dictate our timing as well. Consequently, you encounter very few other travelers—just the occasional motorcyclist, and the motorhomes you do see usually belong to Portuguese locals. As for the heat, there is something to be said: inland, it can get very hot -well above 30°C, and you might even experience temperatures above 40°C during the summer months- but in the evening it becomes a very pleasant 21–22°C, and at night it even drops below 20°C. We visited many places and were frequently out in those high temperatures, and you really do kinda ‘get used to it’.
Once again, you drive through a truly beautiful country; I was amazed by the beauty of the various regions you pass through. My favorite -though it gets very hot there- was the Alentejo; the cork oaks and forests are fascinating to see. The region is also known for its menhirs, dolmens, and megaliths. We went swimming regularly; there are lakes with small beaches, Portugal has numerous artificial reservoirs (albufeiras) created by the construction of dams for hydroelectric power plants (barragens). Many towns have lovely public outdoor pools.
The final stretch of the N2 route takes you through the Algarve, ending in Faro. I have to say that arriving in Faro and the Algarve coastal region created a completely different atmosphere -it was almost a bit of a shock for me- after traveling more than 700 km through Portugal's interior. We thoroughly enjoyed the N2 route, the sense of tranquility it offered, the stunning scenery, and the delicious food. I hadn't mentioned it yet, but the food in Portugal is excellent and reasonably priced; I occasionally had octopus or fish, but the meat is also delicious; you certainly won't be disappointed by what's on offer.
End of part 1
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Do not forget Praia do Barril with the impressive Cemetery of Anchors. After that, we headed to Carvoeiro because we wanted to visit the famous caves. A tip: book the smallest boat possible, as they can navigate into all the nooks and crannies. The guides provide plenty of commentary, we were really happy with Carvoeiro Tours. Otherwise, Carvoeiro is much like many other towns—say, on the Costa Brava—and very touristy but hey, we were there too 
