Viajar vs. percorrer
While both viajar and percorrer can be translated as to travel in English, they are not interchangeable. Viajar refers to the general act of taking a trip or journey, while percorrer emphasizes the action of covering a distance, a route, or an area.
Viajar
A1This is the most common and general verb for to travel. It focuses on the whole experience of going on a journey from one place to another, whether for leisure, business, or other purposes. Think of it as to go on a trip or to take a journey.
No próximo ano, eu vou viajar para Portugal.
(Next year, I am going to travel to Portugal.)
Ela precisa viajar frequentemente para reuniões de trabalho.
(She needs to travel frequently for work meetings.)
O meu sonho é viajar pelo mundo inteiro.
(My dream is to travel the whole world.)
Nós gostamos de viajar de carro para ver a paisagem.
(We like to travel by car to see the landscape.)
Eles viajaram durante três semanas nas férias.
(They traveled for three weeks on vacation.)
Ler um bom livro é como viajar sem sair do lugar.
(Reading a good book is like traveling without leaving your spot.)
Percorrer
B1This verb means to travel through, to cross, to cover, or to go over. It highlights the physical act of moving across a specific path, distance, or area. The focus is on the route taken and the ground covered, not just the destination. It is similar to the English verb to traverse.
O peregrino vai percorrer o Caminho de Santiago a pé.
(The pilgrim will travel the Camino de Santiago on foot.)
Passámos a tarde a percorrer as ruas antigas da cidade.
(We spent the afternoon wandering through the old streets of the city.)
O rio percorre centenas de quilómetros até chegar ao mar.
(The river travels hundreds of kilometers until it reaches the sea.)
O ciclista percorreu a distância em menos de uma hora.
(The cyclist covered the distance in less than an hour.)
Ele percorreu a lista de nomes à procura do seu.
(He went over the list of names looking for his own.)
A notícia percorreu o país em poucas horas.
(The news spread across the country in a few hours.)
Summary
In short, use viajar for the general act of taking a trip to a destination (e.g., you viajar to Rome for a holiday). Use percorrer when you want to emphasize the action of covering a specific route or exploring an area (e.g., once in Rome, you percorrer its historic streets).