On-road: the N2, Route 66 of Portugal

The longest road in Europe

There are many roads and lanes going through Portugal that stun you with their beautiful views, showing the diversity that Portugal has to offer. However, there’s one that stands out: the N2. With its length of 739,26 kms it is the longest single road in Europe and the third longest in the world.

The N2 runs north-south like a spine through the middle of the country. It starts in the north in Chaves, a town going back to Roman times, and ends in Faro on the Mediterranean.

The road officially got its N2 number on May 11, 1945 and at the time consisted of a series of connected smaller and larger roads. Some of these dated back to the Middle Ages and even to the days of the Roman Empire. Long stretches were unpaved or consisted of macadam, a technique developed by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam in which two layers of gravel were rolled on a basis of rock to create a relatively smooth surface. The English word tarmac derives from this: instead of gravel you use tar.

Obviously the current road differs here and there from the original of 1945, but not much has changed. It still goes through many of the same districts, counties, towns and villages as it did back then. The pace of life is slow here and so is the speed at which you drive. In this way you can fully enjoy the culture and nature that Portuigal has got to offer. Be surprised.

Culture and nature

Right at the start you find a cultural highlight: Chaves, an old town where it is a joy to stay. Take a stroll, have a look at the Roman bridge and visit the castle.

In the northern part you drive along a mountain range through a barren landscape, empty and with endless views.

The river Douro dominates the middle part. The valley that the river has created, is one of the oldest wine regions of Europe. Its terraces on which the vines grow are typical for the area. It is beautiful and fully justifies its designation as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The road leads past villages beautifully set in the mountains, where the houses have been constructed of granite walls and slate roofs. Some of them are 900 years old. Rarely do you get such a strong feeling that time has stopped.

South of the River Tagus we arrive in a totally different setting. Rolling hills filled with olive and cork groves characterise the Alentejo. Finally we get to the Ãlgarve, looking completely different from what you know from the brochures of travel agents. Here you find mountains, nature, solitude. At the end of the journey we reach the Mediterranean. More touristy, of course, but still, look around carefully, walk to the harbour and observe the fishermen. You will find that here, too, you can taste life in Portugal.

Drive the N2

To enjoy the scenery, the road, the towns and villages to the full, we tsake fove days to go from the northern tip of the N2 to its finish in the South. Furthermore, this gives us time to meet the local people, enjoy the cuisine and excellent wines.

We start with a day in Chaves so that you have a relaxed start of the journey on the day after. Once in Faro we spend a day on the coast to rest, reflect on the journey behind us and let it all sink in.

Group trip

For groups we offer this trip with a local, highly knowledgeable guide. José Almeida is a well-know expert on Portugal and specialist writer for Overland Journal, who puts all his knowledge and passion for the country at your disposal to create a fabulous journey for you. We take care of everything; you only have to enjoy your trip.

Programme

You drive between 100 and 180 kilometers per day. We take plenty of time to absorb everything the area we’re travelling through has to offer. We do several excursions, a boat-ride, visit quintas, where we taste wine, port and other local products. We stay in excellent hotels, all with a certain wow-factor.

Day 1: arrival in Chaves
Relax after your journey to the start. Have a stroll in Chaves.

Day 2: Chaves – Lamego
Distance: 98 km

Day 3: Lamego – Lousã
Distance: 157 km

Day 4: Lousã – Montargil
Distance: 177 km

Day 5: Montargil – Aljustrel
Distance: 161 km

Day 6: Aljustrel – Faro
Distance: 118 km

Day 7: relax in Faro
Have a quiet day on the Med.

Practical information

We offer this journey for €2500 per person, based on two people sharing a room. You form your own group. The minimum number of participants is eight (four cars); the maximum is 12 (six cars). Together with you we establish the dates on which you travel.

Best time to go

You can do this trip the entire year through. The best time of year is spring, from April until the end of June and autumn, from September until the end of October.

Included

Included in the price are:

  • Seven overnight stays in excellent hotels
  • All meals
  • All excursions
  • All tastings: wine, port, local products
  • Boat-trip on the River Douro
  • Extensive information before you leave
  • Trip guided by a local English speaking guide
  • The guide drives his own car; all participants get a walkie talkie to communicate during the driving

Not included

Not included in the price are:

  • Expenses to travel to Chaves and return home from Faro
  • Rental car if applicable
  • Fuel
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses

Extensions and adaptations

You can extend what’s included with a rental car. And you can personalise the trip according to your own or the group’s wishes. If you’d like to travel with a smaller group than eight people, this is possible. All changes are made in dialogue with us and will influence the final fee you pay.

Booking

To book, please contact us by sending an email to info@4x4discoverytravel.com or by filling in the contact form. Because of all the different options, you cannot book using the booking form.

This offer is guaranteed by STO Garant. You can find the terms and conditions of this guarantee schem on the website of STO Garant (www.sto-garant.nl/en/downloads).


Individual on-road: the N2, Route 66 of Portugal

The longest road in Europe

There are many roads and lanes going through Portugal that stun you with their beautiful views, showing the diversity that Portugal has to offer. However, there’s one that stands out: the N2. With its length of 739,26 kms it is the longest single road in Europe and the third longest in the world.

The N2 runs north-south like a spine through the middle of the country. It starts in the north in Chaves, a town going back to Roman times, and ends in Faro on the Mediterranean.

The road officially got its N2 number on May 11, 1945 and at the time consisted of a series of connected smaller and larger roads. Some of these dated back to the Middle Ages and even to the days of the Roman Empire. Long stretches were unpaved or consisted of macadam, a technique developed by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam in which two layers of gravel were rolled on a basis of rock to create a relatively smooth surface. The English word tarmac derives from this: instead of gravel you use tar.

Obviously the current road differs here and there from the original of 1945, but not much has changed. It still goes through many of the same districts, counties, towns and villages as it did back then. The pace of life is slow here and so is the speed at which you drive. In this way you can fully enjoy the culture and nature that Portuigal has got to offer. Be surprised.

Culture and nature

Right at the start you find a cultural highlight: Chaves, an old town where it is a joy to stay. Take a stroll, have a look at the Roman bridge and visit the castle.

In the northern part you drive along a mountain range through a barren landscape, empty and with endless views.

The river Douro dominates the middle part. The valley that the river has created, is one of the oldest wine regions of Europe. Its terraces on which the vines grow are typical for the area. It is beautiful and fully justifies its designation as UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The road leads past villages beautifully set in the mountains, where the houses have been constructed of granite walls and slate roofs. Some of them are 900 years old. Rarely do you get such a strong feeling that time has stopped.

South of the River Tagus we arrive in a totally different setting. Rolling hills filled with olive and cork groves characterise the Alentejo. Finally we get to the Ãlgarve, looking completely different from what you know from the brochures of travel agents. Here you find mountains, nature, solitude. At the end of the journey we reach the Mediterranean. More touristy, of course, but still, look around carefully, walk to the harbour and observe the fishermen. You will find that here, too, you can taste life in Portugal.

Drive the N2

To enjoy the scenery, the road, the towns and villages to the full, we tsake fove days to go from the northern tip of the N2 to its finish in the South. Furthermore, this gives us time to meet the local people, enjoy the cuisine and excellent wines.

We start with a day in Chaves so that you have a relaxed start of the journey on the day after. Once in Faro we spend a day on the coast to rest, reflect on the journey behind us and let it all sink in.

Individual trip

José Almeida is a well-know expert on Portugal and specialist writer for Overland Journal. Together with him we have created a trip with an e-roadbook in which we have bundled all his knowledge and passion for the country. It contains the route with point-to-point directions, all hotels, restaurants, excursions and so on. Everything you need for a successful journey. We book everything for you; the vouchers will be in your roadbook.

Programme

You drive between 100 and 180 kilometers per day. You have plenty of time to absorb everything the area you’re travelling through has to offer. We offer several excursions, a boat-ride, visits to quintas, where you taste wine, port and other local products. You stay in excellent hotels, all with a certain wow-factor.

Day 1: arrival in Chaves
Relax after your journey to the start. Have a stroll in Chaves.

Day 2: Chaves – Lamego
Distance: 98 km

Day 3: Lamego – Lousã
Distance: 157 km

Day 4: Lousã – Montargil
Distance: 177 km

Day 5: Montargil – Aljustrel
Distance: 161 km

Day 6: Aljustrel – Faro
Distance: 118 km

Day 7: relax in Faro
Have a quiet day on the Med.

Practical information

We offer this individual journey for €1600 per person, based on two people sharing a room. You can go whenever you like and there is no limit to the size of your party.

Best time to go

You can do this trip the entire year through. The best time of year is spring, from April until the end of June and autumn, from September until the end of October.

Included

Included in the price are:

  • Seven overnight stays in excellent hotels
  • All meals
  • All excursions
  • All tastings: wine, port, local products
  • Boat-trip on the River Douro
  • Extensive information before you leave
  • E-roadbook in English to guide you on your journey

Not included

Not included in the price are:

  • Expenses to travel to Chaves and return home from Faro
  • Rental car if applicable
  • Fuel
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal expenses

Extensions and adaptations

You can extend what’s included with a rental car. And you can personalise the trip according to your own wishes. All changes are made in dialogue with us and will influence the final fee you pay.

Booking

To book, please contact us by sending an email to info@4x4discoverytravel.com or by filling in the contact form. Because of all the different options, you cannot book using the booking form.

This offer is guaranteed by STO Garant. You can find the terms and conditions of this guarantee schem on the website of STO Garant (www.sto-garant.nl/en/downloads).


13 days fascinating Kyrgyzstan in September

Kyrgyzstan: mountains, lakes and friendly people

Kyrgyzstan is for lovers of the outdoors. As 90% of the country is higher than 1500 meters, it is especially attractive for people who love mountains. The Kyrgyz mountains are pure, unspoilt, offering fresh air and stunning views. They are peopled by nomads who welcome you to their yurts. Old traditions have been preserved. Different religious and political influences over the centuries have resulted in a culture and atmosphere that can only be described as mystical. Read in-depth in Bradt’s travel guide on Kyrgyzstan.

From Bishkek into the mountains

You land in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan’s capital, a textbook example of Soviet urban planning, where you will stay in a comfortable 4-star hotel. On the day of your arrival we will do a brief tour of the city to give you your first taste of Kyrgyzstan.

Into the mountains

The next day, after a good night’s sleep and an excellent breakfast, you will get the keys for your 4×4. You’re here for Kyrgyzstan’s nature, so we leave soon heading West to the Toktogul water reservoir on an amazing road over the Tue Ashuu pass at an altitude of 3000 meters. We literally start on a high. Over the following days you will have the chance to dip your toe in lake Son Kul, altitude 3013 meters, drive along the Silk Road, altitude 3200 meters, and, to top it all, drive over the Tosor pass at 3950 meters.

Where there are mountains, there are gorges. You will see them from above and drive through them, at one time seemingly even through two simultaneously. This is where Semenovskoye and Grigorievskoye gorges meet: you drive into the one and out of the other.

Tash Rabat Caravanserai

In the heart of the Tian Shan mountains the Tash Rabat Caravanserai has been built into a mountainside, one of the most interesting sites in Central Asia. It contradicts the idea that Kyrgyzstan has only mountains and lakes to offer. It’s a 15th century stone building with 31 rooms where travellers and merchants could shelter on one of the roughest sections of the Silk Road. Its location is far away from anything resembling civilisation, both then and now. It’s probably the most authentic feeling you can get of the Silk Road.

Horse riding and eagle hunting

Kyrgyzstan has a great horse riding tradition. To see the country from the back of a horse is a special experience. We offer you the opportunity to do it yourself for a whole morning, feel like a nomad, meet the locals and be one with your surroundings.

The tradition of hunting with eagles goes back to the 12th century when the Mongols invaded the area. The art is slowly becoming extinct as fewer young people are willing to be trained, traditionally by their father, to become a skilled hunter. The need to hunt with an eagle to feed a community is not so great anymore either. Tourism is now the most important factor to maintain the tradition.

Practical information

One of the best ways to discover Kyrgyzstan, get to know its people and their way of life is by spending the evening and nights in homestays, guesthouses and yurts. We will be in a homestay once, twice in a yurt and three times in a guest house, which leaves two times in a hotel (four-star).

This is roughly the itinerary that you will follow:

Prices are per person on the basis of two people sharing a room and one comfortable 4×4 car. Included in the price are:

  • Transfers to and from airport
  • Minibus in Bishkek
  • All accommodations
  • Breakfast, lunch and dinner
  • Fine dining in Bishkek on last night
  • Rent of your 4×4 car
  • Fuel
  • Entrances to all museums
  • Eagle show
  • Mineral water during the journey
  • English speaking local guide
  • English speaking tour leader
  • Support car with driver

Excluded are:

  • Your flight to and from Kyrgyzstan
  • Horse riding
  • Any other shows you may wish to attend
  • Personal expenses
  • Alcoholic drinks

Your car is a Toyota 4Runner or similar. Upgrade to a luxury car, Lexus 470 or similar, is possible at an additional cost.

You must arrange for your own travel and cancellation insurance. No visa are required for visitors from the EU.

You will get a comprehensive information package well in advance of your departure.

Trip information

The dates for this trip are as follows:

  • 1 September: your first day of the journey
    We organise a tour of Bishkek in the afternoon. In order for you to start when you’re rested, we recommend you arrive in Bishkek a day early, on the 31st of August. This overnight stay is not included in the price, but we’re happy to arrange this for you.
  • 13 Septmber, departure from Bishkek in the afternoon.
    We visit the bazar in the morning and assume you fly in the afternoon. If this is not possible for you, you either miss the bazar or you can fly a day later. We will gladly arrange your additional overnight stay.

The minimum number of cars for this journey is three, based on two persons per car. A maximum of four people per car is possible. We will charge €1350 for each additional person.

The maximum number of cars is seven.

Click on the link below for a day-to-day description of the journey. We regularly make some changes to the programme. The trip may therefore deviate form the example below at some points.

13 days Kyrgyzstan

More information or booking

If you want to know more about this journey, you can always contact us. You can book this journey via our booking form.

This offer is covered by the STO Garant guarantee. You can find the conditions for this guarantee scheme on STO Garant’s website (www.sto-garant.nl/en/downloads).