Travel itinerary · for Mom

Ben in Portugal & Spain

Saturday, August 1 → Monday, August 17, 2026 · 16 days, traveling solo

Porto·Douro Valley·San Sebastián·Rioja·Bilbao

Hi Mom — here's the whole trip in one place so you always know where I am and how to reach me. I'm doing a food-and-wine loop: the Atlantic coast and port country of northern Portugal, then the Basque coast and Rioja wine region of northern Spain. No rental car — all trains, buses, and short flights.

How to reach me

💬

Best wayWhatsApp (or iMessage), anytime, at +1 (516) 639-1275. I'll have data on my phone the entire trip (a travel eSIM), so WhatsApp calls and messages work normally — regular US calls/texts to my number may not come through, so use WhatsApp.

🕐

Time differenceI'm 5 hours ahead of you (New York) while I'm in Portugal (Aug 1–7), and 6 hours ahead once I'm in Spain (Aug 7–17). When you're having breakfast, I'm at lunch; when you're at dinner, it's already late night for me — so your morning to early afternoon is the best time to catch me.

🏨

If you can't reach meCall the hotel where I'm staying that night — every one is listed below with its phone number (tap to call).

🛂

Back to San FranciscoI fly home on Monday, Aug 17 — landing at SFO around 4:40 pm (Iberia, via Madrid). I'll call you once I'm through customs.

Where I'm staying

Six stays, in order. Phone numbers are tap-to-call.

Porto · Portugal

Cénica Porto Hotel

Aug 2 – 5 · 3 nights

Rua de Gonçalo Cristóvão 156, Porto
Website ↗ · Map ↗

+351 22 012 8360

Douro Valley · Portugal

The Vintage House

Aug 5 – 6 · 1 night

Rua António Manuel Saraiva, Pinhão
Website ↗ · Map ↗

+351 254 730 230

Porto · Portugal

Moov Hotel Porto Centro

Aug 6 – 7 · 1 night

Praça da Batalha 32–34, Porto
Website ↗ · Map ↗

+351 220 407 000

San Sebastián · Spain

Hotel Arrizul Congress

Aug 7 – 12 · 5 nights

Calle Ronda 3, San Sebastián
Website ↗ · Map ↗

+34 943 32 70 26

Logroño · Rioja · Spain

Eurostars Fuerte Ruavieja

Aug 12 – 14 · 2 nights

Calle Ruavieja 22–28, Logroño
Website ↗ · Map ↗

+34 941 276 090

Bilbao · Spain

Hotel Miró

Aug 14 – 17 · 3 nights

Alameda Mazarredo 77, Bilbao
Website ↗ · Map ↗

+34 946 611 880

Flights

Sat
Aug 1depart

San Francisco → Lisbon → Porto

TAP TP238 departs SFO 7:35 pm, arrives Lisbon 2:50 pm Sun Aug 2. Then TAP TP1932, Lisbon → Porto, 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm. All times local.

Fri
Aug 7hop

Porto → Bilbao

Vueling VY2703 · 4:25 pm – 6:40 pm (Spain is 1 hour ahead of Portugal), then a coach to San Sebastián — arrive around 9 pm.

Mon
Aug 17home

Bilbao → Madrid → San Francisco

Iberia IB0442 departs Bilbao 6:45 am; Iberia IB0355 departs Madrid 1:05 pm, lands SFO 4:40 pm the same day.

Day by day

Where I'll be each day, and which hotel I'm at that night.

Aug 1Sat

Fly out of San Francisco

Evening flight, overnight across the Atlantic.

✈ Overnight flight

Aug 2Sun

Arrive Porto Portugal

Land early evening, settle in, walk the riverfront at golden hour.

🛏 Cénica Porto Hotel, Porto

Aug 3Mon

Porto

The historic center; port-wine cellars across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia.

🛏 Cénica Porto Hotel, Porto

Aug 4Tue

Porto

The coast at Foz and Matosinhos; seafood lunch by the ocean.

🛏 Cénica Porto Hotel, Porto

Aug 5Wed

Train to the Douro Valley (Pinhão)

Scenic morning train up the river (9:20 am → 11:46 am); an afternoon at a vineyard.

🛏 The Vintage House, Pinhão

Aug 6Thu

Back to Porto

Afternoon train back (departs Pinhão 2:07 pm); last evening in the city.

🛏 Moov Hotel Porto Centro, Porto

Aug 7Fri

Fly to Bilbao → San Sebastián Spain

Afternoon flight, then a coach to the coast. Arrive San Sebastián ~9 pm.