BUDGET Car Rental at Porto Airport

At Porto Airport passengers in need of car rental will find the car hire service desks on the terminal's ground floor near customs. Pick-up and drop off can be arranged by calling +351 21 032 3605. Budget's fleet at Porto Airport includes the nippy mini category vehicle Citroen C1 and the Economy category vehicle, the Mitsubishi Space Star, both good choices for the narrow historic streets in Portugal's northwest.

Taking the A3 motorway on a 41 minute drive will take you to the lovely city of Braga, one of the oldest cities in Portugal, built more than two millennia ago and founded by the ancient Roman emperor Augustus.

Braga is a bustling university town today, but in the past the city competed with Santiago de Compostela in religious and political power, as the Braga Diocese is Portugal's oldest and has been a major destination for pilgrims since the Middle Ages. Braga's Cathedral reflects this importance. Built in the 12th century, the cathedral was built on the orders of the parents of Afonso Henrique, the country's first king. His parents are both buried in the cathedral.

Housed in a Baroque palace, the Biscainhos Museum is the former home of a noble family. The contents of their home has been kept in its original form, showcasing many fine examples of 17th and 18th century art, furniture and Chinese porcelain, silver and textiles. The park surrounding this beautiful little palace is a fine example of 18th century French landscaping. It is one of Portugal's best preserved examples of such a park, (for more information, please visit http://museus.bragadigital.pt/Biscainhos, tel +351 253 204 650). The palace is located in Rua dos Biscainhos.

Also well worth seeing are the Palácio do Raio, the Arco da Porta Nova, and the Cathedral Treasure Museum, the Tesouro-Museu da Sé.

If you're using Porto as your base to explore, there are many such cities as Braga within an hour's drive. A little closer is the historic district of Ribeira, one of the oldest parts of Porto. Ribeira is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the best ways to see this part of Porto is to take a Douro River taxi. They run below the six bridges that span the river, including the beautiful Luíz I, D. Maria II and Arrábida bridges. São Nicolau Church, Cubo Square and the Rua da Reboleira are among the highlights on a visit to Ribeira. Rua da Reboleira's number 55 and 59 are especially interesting due to the blend of architectural styles that have been applied over the centuries.

Across from House No 59 is the other historic district that draws tourists to Porto: Vila Nova de Gaia, the city's historic wine district, brimming with lodges and cellars that have been supplying the world with fortified wines for centuries. Among the list of famous port wine cellars are Taylor's at Rua do Choupela 250, Sandemann Cellars at Largo Miguel Bombarda No. 3, and the Offley Forrester cellars, founded by William Offley in 1737. The latter cellars are open daily from 10.00 am to 12.30 pm and again from 2.00 pm to 6.00 pm from March to October, and from November to April by appointment only. Located at Rua do Choupela 54, the cellars can be contacted on +351 223 740 672.