Portugal or Italy - May - please help me decide

[popsickle555]

I have narrowed down our 7-8 day May holiday to:

Option 1 - Italy - Tuscany inc Sienna and Lucca, flying to Pisa
Option 2 - Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra, fly to Lisbon (anything else?)

We have 2 DCs ages 13 and 9. Can anyone advise which of these would be more fun / interesting with children of that age? In Tuscany I plan to rent a villa with a pool (or hotel with pool) for at least a few days. Wherever we go they will want to swim! My older child likes sightseeing / tours etc, younger one not so much but will tag along. Just a bit worried that Portugal might be a bit less interesting compared to Italy but I have never been so feel free to shoot me down! Husband is happy to drive but I have read that Portugal can be done without a car and that does appeal as will be relaxing for him.

We did option 2 in may half-term 2023. Flew to Lisbon, Uber to Sintra, couple of days doing the sights around Sintra, Uber to Cascais, couple of days there including a trip to Belem, and then a few days in Lisbon. Really lovely holiday, weather was beautiful, warm enough for the beach, but both the sea and the swimming pools were on the chilly side. All 3 places are great, loads to do. I think the sea is cold all year round though. I've not been to Italy at that time of year, but I think it might be similar in terms of swimming pools being chilly.

We've had great holidays in both of these exact locations - you can't go wrong! For me I think Cascais is better connected. If you stay within easy reach of the station you can nip into Lisbon on the train really easily. Lucca is gorgeous with amazing restaurants, but Lisbon is a bit livelier.

I would choose Italy over most European destinations for the food alone. You can’t go wrong.

Thank you - good points about the sea though as this is a consideration because the kids will want to swim and I know pools tend not to be heated.

We’ve done both locations and I’d say the Portugal option would be more interesting for your children. The trains are cheap and with good connections. Cascais is on a different line from Sintra, both from Lisbon.

Thank you all. We have decided on Portugal.

Can I ask those of you who have done this trip - @Beebumble2 mble2 and @TeamGeriatric and @StrangewaysHereWeCome how long do you think we need to do this trip?I have found a good base in Cascais (apartment with pool) and we could just stay there for 7-9 days and do trips to Sintra and Lisbon? Or would it be better to stay in different places for a few days each? Lisbon is obviously more pricey for accommodation. Kids will enjoy being near a pool and it's making me think just have a base and go via Uber/train do different places for the day. Or hire a car. DH is fine driving.

caiscais is between 30 mins & an hour from Lisbon on the train so definitely doable to stay in caiscais and go over to lisbon. Trains are really cheap as well! Cais de Sodré station where train goes into in Lisbon is right on the river and not that far from downtown - plenty of trams & buses 😁

This is Jubilee Year in Italy; be prepared for high prices and huge crowds (admittedly focused on Rome, but likely impact throughout Italy).
Calendar of events : https://www.iubilaeum2025.va/en/pellegrinaggio/calendario-giubileo.html

(Quite aside from the question of the Pope’s health…)

Ah, good choice!

We arrived in Lisbon on the Sunday morning and took a train to Porto around 4pm following Saturday, so near enough a week. We missed a couple of things in Lisbon like the cable car, oceanarium and tile museum, but it was enough time to see most things. We moved around and did 2 nights in Sintra, 2 nights in Cascais and 3 nights in Lisbon, I chose that because I wasn't sure how warm it would be. It is definitely feasible to base yourself in Cascais and do trips by car/ public transport, but there is quite a bit of commuting time back and forth. I don't think Sintra is easy for driving around, lots of one way systems, I wouldn't be keen, and I have no idea where you'd park if you drove into Lisbon. I would favour using public transport, there is a direct bus (30 mins) Cascais to Sintra town, but the sites are then still quite spread out, nothing is at the train station/bus station. Sintra has enough sites to fill 2 days easily, although lots of people do a day trip but then you have to chose between palaces. Belem is 30 mins plus a bit of a walk by train from Cascais, you can do everything there in less than a day. There were long queues for sites in Belem. It's about 40 mins to Lisbon, but that's to the train station near the river, many of the sites are still a metro ride or a longish walk away from the station. The are pros and cons to either approach.

Roughly when is half term in May? No kids and just thought I'd ask here!

I'd do Portugal also. The Lisbon/Sintra area is very nice indeed.

@valder i think it might be different by county but for us it’s the last week of May.

I’d agree stay in Cascais and train into Lisbon. We’ve stayed there and visited Lisbon, but then on another holiday stayed in Lisbon as there was so much to see and do.
We got a travel season ticket, which was very cheaply bought from a machine at any of the stations in Lisbon. It works a bit like an Oyster card, you top it up and you go. It allows you to go on all the trains and busses in and around Lisbon. It avoided queuing up, especially going to Sintra. The Lisbon underground is easy to use, clean and simple to use, if you’ve not got a lot of time will get you quickly around the places of interest. Although, walking around is the best way to see the city.
From Cascais along the beach is a promenade that goes all the way to Estoril, worth doing.
Sintra was crowded, even on a dull day in October.

Is the sea really chilly all year round in Portugal? I’m surprised about that. I have never been to Portugal but your itinerary sounds great. Hadn’t thought about Ubers, assumed a hire car would be essential.

It’s on the Atlantic coast so bound to be chilly. The hotels don’t tend to heat the outdoor pools. Sometimes you can find one with an indoor and outdoor pool.

Yes - we are taking wetsuits! I am expecting the sea to be chilly, i think it probably is all the time but certainly end of May.

In Porto it was around 19 degrees in the sea at end of July, not so different to the UK, that was a different trip. We were in Cascais at the end of May, I think it was around 17/18 degrees in the sea, there are pictures of my husband and kids in the sea, but I didn't go in. Even down in the Algarve, in the height of summer, I'm led to believe it's much colder in the sea than in say Majorca.

Both nice but different; it really depends on what you want. Portugal is always very busy; both should be hot/warm enough but the Atlantic air will make Portugal feel cooker near the sea.

Do you want country side or sea.

We had a lovely holiday in Tuscany in April: Pisa, Lucca and Chianti; trips to Florence and Sienna, and delicious food,

Love Portugal too