Which part of Portugal is good for families?
The Algarve makes a popular choice for families visiting Portugal, and whether you opt for Vilamoura with its pretty marina or bustling Albufeira, you’ll find plenty of beautiful beaches and family-friendly activities to entertain the kids in the sunshine. For families with older children and teens, the cities of Lisbon and Porto are not to be ignored and are both bursting with history and culture.
Mumsnet users love Carvoeiro and Lagos for a perfect balance of modern amenities, beautiful beaches and rich culture.
What’s included in the price of a villa holiday?
The full list of what's included will depend upon the specific villa you stay in, however the vast majority of villa bookings provide all bed linen and towels, with the cost of WiFi and utility bills included in your package.
It's important to leave the villa exactly the way you found it, as many villas request a refundable security deposit to cover the cost of any breakages or damages. They may also charge a fee to bring in their own cleaners at the end of your holiday.
Depending on the location, you might need to pay a separate tourist tax so it's worth checking carefully when booking to see when you might need to pay it. It's also worth asking whether there are any extra fees for use of the facilities (e.g. heating the pool) or for parking on site.
Along with travel insurance, to cover you in case of unexpected cancellation, you may find better protection from cancellation policies when booking through an online travel agency like Booking.com or Vrbo rather than direct with a villa owner.
Do you need to hire a car in Portugal?
Whether or not you should hire a car will ultimately depend on the kind of holiday you’re looking for. If you plan to explore outside the resort or if your villa is far from amenities and key tourist attractions, a car can be helpful. It’s worth mentioning however that travelling by car in busy cities like Lisbon and Porto can be challenging.
Most destinations in Portugal are conveniently located with good bus and tram networks, so it’s easy to explore other local resorts without needing to hire a car.
How we chose our recommendations
Because we know that there’s nothing like a real recommendation, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which destinations in Portugal were being recommended. We then did some online research, looking at which regions and villas come highly rated on review sites and booking sites like Booking.com, Vrbo, Oliver’s Travels and Tripadvisor. We scrutinised user reviews before narrowing down our list of the best villas in Portugal for families.
About the author
Lucy Cotterill is a mum of two and a Content Writer at Mumsnet, specialising in product reviews and roundups. Having written reviews on her own blog Real Mum Reviews since 2012, Lucy loves to research and explore the pros and cons of products to help people make confident purchases. She has also written for US parenting site Pregistry and the Evening Standard.
As a city dweller, Lucy lives for the school holidays, relishing the opportunity to travel with her daughters and get that first sight of the sea, whether staying at one of the best family hotels in Cornwall, or exploring the best Mark Warner or Neilson resorts for active family breaks.
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