Anyone been to Portugal?

[StringFellow]

Thinking of booking a last minute week (or 10days) in Portugal for the end of March. It will just be me and DP, and we won’t have a car. Any tips on places to go and how long to spend in each? We’d like to travel around a little bit, spend a few days in Lisbon, Sintra I heard is nice, Porto…. I think the trains seem relatively easy to manage? Any ideas on other places to go or any other tips please?

Thanks!

Bump…

Caiscais is lovely. An hour from Lisbon, pretty town and sea front, and there are buses up to Sintra.

Fly into faro, bum around there for a couple of days (there's good Roman remains a bus ride away and awesome beach on a sandspit opposite the town). Then get the train along the coast to tavira. It's a nice town and you can go east and west asking the coast using green ways, either on hire bikes or walking and then using the train to get back. Great beach, again on a sandspit boat ride from about 3km outside town. You can walk miles along the beach to the west and then get the wee train back into the land before walking back to tavira or getting the bus back.

Awesome car free holiday.

I live in Portugal. The inter city trains are great and not expensive. Both Lisbon and Porto are worth a visit, and have good public transport, and Cascais and Sintra are easy to get to from Lisbon

We've been to both Porto and Lisbon - although not on the same trip. We had 5 days in Lisbon. We used the trams to get out to Belem and the trains to go to Sintra on one day and Cascais/Estoril on another. We also caught the bus from the airport. Public transport is great and you can buy cheaper tickets to cover a few days rather than getting individual tickets. Everyone was very helpful - including when DH was struggling to get train tickets out of the machine.
Porto is a relatively small city so easy to walk around. We did a boat trip combined with a port lodge tour (got tickets cheaper from tourist info than buying from touts on the quayside.
Can't comment on transport between the 2 cities if you want a 2 centre break but I'm sure it will be easy enough.

@Ofcourseinamechangedforthisyou

Fly into faro, bum around there for a couple of days (there's good Roman remains a bus ride away and awesome beach on a sandspit opposite the town). Then get the train along the coast to tavira. It's a nice town and you can go east and west asking the coast using green ways, either on hire bikes or walking and then using the train to get back. Great beach, again on a sandspit boat ride from about 3km outside town. You can walk miles along the beach to the west and then get the wee train back into the land before walking back to tavira or getting the bus back.

Awesome car free holiday.

Thank you this is really helpful! I would like to explore a bit of the south

@bigbluebus

We've been to both Porto and Lisbon - although not on the same trip. We had 5 days in Lisbon. We used the trams to get out to Belem and the trains to go to Sintra on one day and Cascais/Estoril on another. We also caught the bus from the airport. Public transport is great and you can buy cheaper tickets to cover a few days rather than getting individual tickets. Everyone was very helpful - including when DH was struggling to get train tickets out of the machine. Porto is a relatively small city so easy to walk around. We did a boat trip combined with a port lodge tour (got tickets cheaper from tourist info than buying from touts on the quayside. Can't comment on transport between the 2 cities if you want a 2 centre break but I'm sure it will be easy enough.

Really good to hear, and I will look up Cascais/Estoril and maybe a boat tour, thanks

We've also been to Lisbon (a few times) and Porto in a different trip, and loved both. Always planned to do the train from one to the other some time so I hope you go ahead with that and report back!

Found the local trains/trams/buses very good - we also did the very interesting train from Lisbon to Cascais which is a pretty little place.

Tram to Belem is essential for the pasteis de nata at the shop with the long queue for takeaway (but there's loads of seating inside).

You MUST eat and browse the Time Out Market near the river at Cais de Sodre. Lots of restaurants/chefs have an outlet, all in the same big hall. You choose from any of them and take unreserved seating. Wonderful place and very popular. Has a nice gift shop as well within the hall.

I know some on MN consider this sad, but I absolutely love Portuguese supermarkets to buy light portable stuff to bring home to keep the holiday feel going a bit :)

Porto was amazing, and, while small as PP said, it's very HILLY! we once walked 13 km in one day around Porto and I swear all of it was uphill There are lots of nice little places to eat. Don't forget to at least visit the Livraria de Lello which calls itself 'the most beautiful bookshop in the world' - I think there is an entry fee for the actual shop with the wonderful stairs that inspired JKR, but you get it back if you make a purchase, I think that's right.

I'm envious - had some of the best times of my life in Portugal! We love the Algarve too in summer. Have a wonderful holiday, OP!

Porto is lovely, a walking town but mind its very hilly. Had a fab meal in a restaurant where the waiter asked a few questions then proceeded to serve food & wine he thought we'd like. Masses of both, all delicious. We thought the bill would be huge but it was amazingly reasonable - left a huge tip.

Can I piggyback on your request op? I put a post in the Holidays forum but no answers so am finding this helpful.

We plan on flying in to Porto and spending 5 days or so there but we don't know where to spend the rest of the holiday. We've been to Lisbon before so were thinking somewhere up north. Does anyone have suggestions for the remaining 10 days?

We have ds19 with us so a bit of chilling in the sun. We also like to walk/cycle (well, dh likes to cycle). Cultural bits and pieces appeal too.

Coimbra? Aveiro? Across the border into Spain?

I went to Porto for 5 days and loved it! Definitely climb the bridge if that’s youre thing. I also spent one of the days in Guimaraes, about an hour away on the train. It’s the cutest little town with some really great walking spots, and has a really good cable car too!

Thank you both. I'll have a look at those.

We've been to Spain a fair few times so want to stick with Portugal.

I love Lisbon :D But I also love custard tarts :)

@duvetdayforeveryone

I love Lisbon :D But I also love custard tarts :)

Yum. Me too

Thanks all! Glad this is helpful @OchonAgusOchonOh ! When are you planning on going?

For anyone who has been for a week- how long would you spend in each place? And how doable is it to do quite a few places in one week?

@duvetdayforeveryone

I love Lisbon :D But I also love custard tarts :)

Me too, I really can’t wait for those!!

@StringFellow

Thanks all! Glad this is helpful *@OchonAgusOchonOh* ! When are you planning on going?

For anyone who has been for a week- how long would you spend in each place? And how doable is it to do quite a few places in one week?

We're going in June.

It's a long time since I was in Lisbon but I loved it. The Institute of Port is great if you like port. They have a massive menu of port by the glass. We ended up going in for a glass (or two) of port after dinner most nights.