A day trip to Aveiro

Today we took a little break from Porto and did a day trip out to Aveiro. I’d seen so many TikToks calling it the “Venice of Portugal,” so of course we had to go see what all the fuss was about. Even though it was much colder today than it has been lately, we were still excited to check out another small town.

The morning started with us catching a tram from our accommodation to the main train station in Porto, then boarding a bigger train for the one hour ride to Aveiro. Once we arrived, we didn’t have any plan at all we just headed off in the direction that felt right.

Aveiro itself is really pretty. The town is full of soft, pastel coloured buildings with tiled facades, open streets, and these gentle little canals cutting through the centre. It feels relaxed and colourful, and you can immediately see why people compare it to Venice, even if it’s a much smaller, quieter version.

It didn’t take long before we came across our first canal. Just as we reached the bridge, a gondola style boat drifted underneath us, perfectly timed like it was waiting for us to arrive. We crossed the bridge and walked along the water for a while before ending up at a small shopping centre. We wandered through a few shops and then kept going until we reached the main canal area.

The streets there were beautiful with bright boats, cute little shops, and the main canal lined with people taking photos and hopping on rides. We walked around for a bit, enjoying the scenery, until we realised it was lunchtime. We found a cool, vibey cafe/restaurant and decided to stop there. I got (of course) another acai bowl, and Jayde ordered a pizza.

After lunch we explored a little more, but eventually decided it was time to head back. Lucky for us, when we arrived at the station there was a train to Porto that had been delayed perfect timing again!!!!! So we hopped on. Otherwise, we would’ve been stuck waiting another hour.

Back in Porto, we did one last wander through the shops and finally found a postcard to add to the collection. Then we walked the hour back home and got in just after 5pm. We chilled for a bit before making dinner a delicious spaghetti bolognese.

Our night wrapped up the usual way showers, a cup of tea and climbing into bed to watch a movie. Tonight’s pick was Night at the Museum.

But lying there watching it, I felt a strange mix of emotions knowing that the end of our trip is near. It’s that heavy, sad but excited, unsettled feeling where you’re grateful and sad all at once. Tomorrow we head back to the UK for two nights, and then we’re off to our final country of this whole adventure… which barely feels real. For months we’ve been hopping between new places, new foods, new trains, new cities living in this rhythm that became our “normal.” And now suddenly it’s almost over.

We honestly can’t believe that five months of travelling have passed so quickly. It feels like yesterday we were packing our bags at home, nervous and excited and not really knowing what the next 150 days would look like. And now here we are, on our last night in Europe, reflecting on everything we’ve seen and done every early morning, every late night arrival, every language barrier, every perfect moment. It’s bittersweet in the truest sense our hearts feel so full with all of the amazing memories we have made but also a little heavy knowing this chapter is nearly closed but also excited to see our families and friends again. Tomorrow begins the final stretch of this wild journey, and we’re trying to soak up every last second.Read more