Last year in 2025, my IE Business School friends and I turned Portugal into our playground—but this time it was a full-on road trip starting from Madrid and looping back home, totally unlike my 2018 family trip when we just hung out in Lisbon. Back then, it was all gentle family rhythm: group strolls to Belém Tower, passing around warm pastéis de nata, kids buzzing at LX Factory, aquarium stops, and easy days keeping everyone happy in one spot. Sweet memories, no itinerary, just us together. Our 2025 Madrid-to-Portugal adventure? Next level—18 hours each way in a rental van, non-stop road trip banter, veggie pitstops, and that unbreakable squad energy making every kilometer count.
We piled into the van from Madrid, blasted playlists through Extremadura's golden plains, crossed into Portugal and hit Lisbon first. Those seven hills were our warm-up (thank goodness for the van shuttle between stops). Tram 28 rattling through Alfama's flower-strewn alleys and blue-tiled walls had us all yelling pics from the windows—pure chaos. Pastéis de Belém got devoured on the hood of the van, flaky and perfect. Veggie fuel was on point: Time Out Market's spicy lentil stews, loaded falafel wraps, vegan custard tarts keeping us going. Nights fired up with ginjinha shots in chocolate cups, fado tunes giving us goosebumps, and Tagus miradouro sessions trading MBA war stories over €2 beers. Zero family curfews—just friends owning the city.
Loaded up for the 3-hour coastal cruise to Porto, van windows down, ocean glimpses pulling us north. Snagged that huge sea-facing Airbnb on the Douro—waves crashing right below, massive balcony for group fry-ups and sunset cheers, felt like our road trip HQ. Ribeira's rainbow houses sparkled from our perch; we hiked the Dom Luís I bridge hollering across the river, geeked out in port wine cellars (tastings doubled as pitch practice), wandered medieval lanes. Veggie stars: eggplant-mushroom "francesinhas" with gooey cheese, egg, and fiery sauce at a local dive; fresh market paella and salads. Balcony nights with Super Bocks, sea spray, road stories—unreal.
Then the long haul back to Madrid, van full of souvenirs, sunburns, and inside jokes, retracing coasts at dawn. The contrast hit hard: 2018's cozy Lisbon family bubble vs. 2025's Madrid-road-trip frenzy—spontaneous van naps, group-voted detours, veggie hacks on the fly. Lisbon partied with our crew; Porto's oceanfront base made it epic downtime. Portugal just vibes with you—soft and simple for family, full-throttle freedom for the squad.
Both own my heart: family glow in '18, road-warrior rush in '25. Madrid-Portugal loop three? Let's plan it. Food deets or van tips next?
