Bruge/Amsterdam or Lisbon

creesepv - Lisbon/Sintra would be your best bet weather wise for Mid February and it would be less in expenses. Amsterdam / Bruges is much better in April and May with tulips blooming during those months and milder temperatures.

Is this in conjunction with something else? or just a quick 4 day get-away to "somewhere"?

The two are quite far apart, so if you are somewhere else in Europe for a trip, best not to waste a bunch of time just getting there and back, one might make more travel sense over the other.

Just a quick getaway from NYC. Both have direct flights
Thank you

While I agree with RJean, keep in mind the differences in weather in February might be pretty marginal. February in either location could be cool and wet or mild and dry - slightly better in Portugal, but really just up to chance. So yes, statistically, Portugal would get the edge, but in either location you might encounter either unusually better or unusually worse weather. No way to really know.

All things being equal, which one is more appealing to you?

There in lies the really question. We want to be able to do walking tours as opposed to museums. Is Sintra easy to get to from Lisbon? Another day trip from there?
We go all day exploring so we can do a great deal in a day.
I hear Luke warm things about Brussels so not sure worth the time and train travel there

There is plenty to keep you occupied in Amsterdam for 4 days, without wasting time travelling to and from Belgium.

Amsterdam has more world class museums than Lisbon, but is much more expensive. I prefer Lisbon, with its friendly people and probably better weather. Sintra is an easy day trip by train from Lisbon.

creesepv - Lisbon to Sintra is less than an hour by rail. There are trains at least every 30 minutes on weekdays, every 30 minutes at weekends, from Lisbon's city centre Rossio station.

https://freetoursbyfoot.com/free-walking-tours-lisbon/

If you want to count on "good walking around weather" in February, you shouldn't go to either Lisbon, Amsterdam, or Bruges. There's a reason those airfares are low.

If you can handle possible rain/snow, and are willing to do what you do in New York in February when the weather's bad (bundle up and keep going), then you can visit either one. If you're envisioning pleasant strolls, pick a different month.

I also agree that with only four days, I wouldn't try to combine Amsterdam and Bruges. If you're flying to Amsterdam, there are lots of closer day trip options, from small cities like Utrecht to rural areas. If you're flying to Brussels, in addition to Bruges you can easily see Antwerp, Ghent, or Brussels for part or all of a day (frequent inexpensive trains connect all four).

Hi,
Weather-wise you just have to be lucky and prepared. But if you have to choose.... then travell wise between the cities is not to bad. Lisbon to Sintra a little over one hour and Amsterdam to Brugge I believe around 2 hours.
You need to think about what you want to do. Walking around was something you like. But what would you like to do when the weather is not so good? If I was in this situation, I would choose Amsterdam and stay there. And if you really like to go to Belgium, Maybe Antwerp? It has a direct connection by train ( to Bruge you have to transfer trains). But then again, there are many places in Amsterdam's surroundings you can take a day trip to.
So many options!

Went to Berlin last year same time, had great weather and loved the city. Looking for a quick getaway. Don’t need hot weather but if dressed correctly can enjoy the area. Other ideas?

Does “other ideas” mean TWO CITY pairs so we can feel like we made the most of the short trip?... Bruges-Antwerp was a superb idea in an earlier reply. London-Bath. Seville-Carmona. Cologne-Koblenz. Brussels can pair with Cologne but not Bruges, and Brussels is dreary enough in the summer. Frankfurt-Aschaffenburg. Cologne-Duesseldorf. Hague-Rotterdam. Amsterdam-Leiden.

EDIT: Maybe Seville-Cordoba is better in the winter. But I haven't been to Cordoba. It's praised here, often.

Prague-Cesky Krumlov, Avignon-Marseille, Barcelona-Palma, Madeira-Tenerife (if direct flights available),

Don't need to "feel" like we made the most of a small trip but to enjoy a small trip. Don't even need to pair places together. I have not heard great things about Brussels so really don't find the need to go there. The other ideas look nice thanks

Going to preface this with the fact that we haven’t been to Amsterdam or Lisbon yet, so no help there. We did visit Bruges, Ghent, and Brussels. Also another fantastic Belgian town, Leuven. We really enjoyed the museums in Belgium. I would say with the right attire you could have a wonderful trip in Belgium. We really enjoyed our time there. It’s a cool country to visit and I definitely recommend it. Just depends on what place calls you more! :)

I agree with Harold. Do either 4 days in just Amsterdam or stay in Bruges or Ghent and see Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp. Too much to do in Amsterdam for just a day or two.

Thank you for the information

I just looked at the timeanddate website for Lisbon. I only browsed mid-February for the last 2 years, but there was a lot of sun and balmy temps. That would make my decision really easy.

You can use that site to go back 10 years and see daily conditions in all the cities you're considering.