Spain and Portugal - 14 days

Hey, I know this is WAY to short of a time (14 days) to see both spain and portugal, but I got incredibly cheap flights to fly into barcelona and out of lisbon, so I am looking for the best way to spend my time seeing all the good sights in between in the time that I have...

You could barely see "all the good sights" in two months, never mind two weeks. IMHO the best way of organising a worthwhile trip is to concentrate on a few places which you want to prioritise, and spend a decent amount of time in each. By the time you've factored in travelling time, the itinerary you've suggested will barely give you a day in each place. And the more travelling you do, the more expensive it becomes.

I think you have a ton of basic research to do on travel options and accommodation before you have a workable plan, but I suggest that you start by deciding which places you really want to see, and taking it from there. You would benefit by halving the number of destinations. What's the real attraction of Gibraltar or Faro, for instance?

Self-drive in a camper van is not the usual definition of backpacker-style.

Yes...If you stick to that plan you will be in transit pretty much constantly, with no time to actually see any of those places.

I'd also cut drastically. You already have Barcelona and Lisbon....that is half your time or more easily gone.

One or two more stops in between? Depending on which places interest you most.

It would be a lot easier and cheaper by bus,train or even budget airline than by camper.....

Hi Melanielisa, I live in Barcelona so can give you some ideas of things to do here, but I do think you will have to target yourself to see the key places on your trip, rather than touring and hopping from place to place. My friends who come visit me in Barcelona, usually spend at least 5 days in Barcelona, as there is plenty to see and do.

I went to Lisbon last year, and I'd say there's a minimum of 3 days there too. I have just also been to Valencia and I found the transport system excellent (it's about 3.5hours from Barcelona to Valencia on the Renfe trains for example, and relatively cheap if you are flexible with your travelling times of the day). If you pay more, it's more direct and quicker. The trains are air-conditioned and it cost us under €20 each for a single, I think I booked a few days before, too. I wouldn't know about the other legs of the journey however, onwards from Valencia, but I'm sure it's reasonably priced.

I wouldn't do the van option, unless that's specifically the sort of holiday you want, but I think there'd be a lot of driving involved. It would be good though, my mate just did a tour of Barcelona / Valencia in a camper van and they had a great time. Good luck.

Would suggest Barcelona, Granada, Seville and then Lisbon so you can make the most of the time available without rushing things. Your list of potential destinations above reads like the back of a band tour t-shirt!

You may find that hiring a camper van on a one way rental basis is expensive as you have to pay for it to go back to the hire base you got it from.

Add in motorway road tolls in at least Portugal, campground fees in Portugal (seem to remember there's been a clampdown on campervans parking up off-sites) and parking prices or lack of parking places in popular cities would further point towards using public transport.

Self and partner have done two road trips in Portugal (plus week long trips to Lisbon and Tavira with side day trips) and one road trip in Spain - March this year. Never hired a car, just used trains or buses and local transport to get around. Booked most, but not all, of these in advance or went to bus/railway stations to get tickets the day before travelling.

Also travelled hand luggage only - dead easy to do in Portugal or Spain, even when doing the wash and wear thing in hostels or hotels!

And the other places on your list? Save for another time - we've got some of them on the agenda for our next road trip which will include a second visit to Seville.

Would suggest Barcelona, Granada, Seville and then Lisbon so you can make the most of the time available without rushing things

Something like that would make good sense. Say Barcelona 4 days, Granada 2 days, Seville 3 days, Lisbon 3 days. By this I mean full days of sightseeing. The rest of your time will be taken up in transit, assuming that you use pubic transport.

You need to forget half of this and as already mentioned a campervan will be costly even without one way drop off. November is the start of winter and whilst it can be pleasant in southern Spain and Portugal it is not exactly beach weather.

First thing, if you're coming in November forget the beaches! It's almost winter time in Europe, so it's possible to get rainy days... I agree with others about focusing on less locations.
I'm Portuguese and live in Portugal so my suggestion for this time of the year is that you forget places like Faro and Lagos (beach destinations) and travel from Sevilha to Elvas (the biggest fortified town in Europe)and from there to Évora - both listed by UNESCO as World Heritage sites. Lisbon is definitely a place to go and nearby is the amazing town of Sintra - do not miss it! Apart from culture, history and nature, gastronomy is also great in Portugal, so I'm sure you'll love eating in this country. On a future occasion, you should visit the north of Portugal too ;)

Concerning your trips, public transportation is cheaper than renting a camper van, however going by train or bus won't give you the same freedom...

I hope you enjoy your stay in the Iberian Peninsula - definitely, two wonderful countries!

Thanks all. All very helpful. Do you need to book accommodation in advance, or is it pretty easy to get there and just wing it (book the day before as you go)?

I believe it's better to book in advance because, even though it's not high season, there many tourists all around (depending on the places, of course).