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. · confirmation ZV6MCH

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. · confirmation VLC9VJ

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. · confirmation NDSSY

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.