Airbnb in Lisbon recommendations please

I'd just comment that Lisbon (like many other cities, and my NYC suburb) has put stringent restrictions on AirBnb because of the damage it has done to the local real estate economy. Like everywhere else, the number of hungry apartment dwellers making enough to live has plunged, as owners of MULTIPLE apartments find they can make multiples of the residential-rent by housing tourists.

Personally, I use Booking.com. You are able to see a good mix of lodging from hostels, to small hotels, to chains and apartments. Locations shown are exact, and all fees are transparent and disclosed upfront. Reviews are also realistic and only by people that have stayed in that property, so you will see a range of ratings, not all "5 star" reviews.

Parking may be an issue in Porto. You may consider picking the car up in Lisbon, do Nazare, Coimbra, and Duoro valley, then return the car in Porto, using the train or bus to get from Porto back to Lisbon.

As for location, in Lisbon, get closer to the river and the central area, same with Porto. In both Lisbon and Porto, Uber and Bolt are super cheap, like 12 euro from the Airport to central Lisbon, less than 10 euro to get nearly anywhere within Lisbon.

OnTheGo, sorry for the negativity here. Sounds like you may not get much Lisbon and Porto advice on your question on this forum. All I can say is start working your way thru the AirBnb listings for Porto. Good luck and hope you have a great trip.

Here are previous discussions/recommendations that may help with your search:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/portugal-reviews/lisbon-airbnb-apartments-etc

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/portugal/portugal-2-bdrm-2-bath-apartments-porto-lisbon-algarve-sept-2024

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/trip-report-portugal-aug-sep-porto-coimbra-lisbon-then-to-spain

Mary, this is a good forum, and it feels good when people like you prove that by taking the time to help.

When I planned my trip to Portugal, I realized that, for whatever reason, there are not a lot of forum members that respond to Portugal posts. Its kind of surprising since Portugal has experienced a huge increase in travelers, but perhaps, on the forum, there are just fewer folks that travel to Portugal. I was able to get a lot of good information on a couple Facebook Portugal groups and also from a blogger Julie Dawn Fox. I did get some disdain from someone for recommending a facebook group, but one of the Portugal groups has more members than this forum. Additionally, I think there are more and more people using facebook groups to plan their travel. I used one for New Zealand, another for Hawaii and there was a group Belgium. All that to say that you may get more responses if you participate in a facebook group. The Facebook group I used extensively was "Travel Portugal". And this is the link to Julie Dawn Fox https://juliedawnfox.com/

Well, I will ditto Paul in recommending booking.com.

It is a good site for research and then you can go directly to the lodging site to book or book through booking.

Booking does offer a great variety and you can use it for Porto as well as Lisbon.

I agree, Bostonphil. Booking.com has about 1500 short-term rentals. VRBO more than 300 listings, and I imagine AirBnb thousands. A lot of those are the same apartment on different platforms, and that helps you choose price and terms. But what the OP asked was which area or neighborhood.

Mister E, I responded to your comment about the OP not getting much help with her question. Julie Dawn Fox has been recommended on the forum. A post on the Portugal Facebook group will yield much information on best neighborhoods to meet the objectives of the OP.

jules m, absolutely. It helps all of us when people you take a monent and contribute. Thank you for making the forum a better place (or at least my opinion).

We should burry the OP with good stuff. Wish I knew the first thing about Porto. LOL

Hello Mr E and OP

My hotel was in the Baixa neighborhood and I never explored the others. And I am kicking myself. There is never enough time.

I chose the Baixa neighborhood because it is flat and because I have mobility issues. Lisbon is very hilly.

I suggest to OP that she research The Neighborhoods of Lisbon and decide which neighborhood might be the best for her and friend. And go from there.

Booking will help you find lodging in. the neighborhood of your choice.

I can't help with air b&bs -- I stayed in regular (non air) b&bs in Lisbon and Porto and can share those if you are interested but it sounds like you want a full apartment. For Lisbon neighborhoods, if mobility is not an issue, I recommend the areas around Aveniida Libertad (Avenida metro stop) as very convenent to both tourist sites and more residential restaurants and bars.Some of the side streets are quire hilly and many of the buildings may not have elevators. For Porto, parking is likely to be a challenge. You might consider getting rid of the car for Porto and taking an organized day tour to the Douro Valley, or perhaps, going there first with the car and then returning the car when you get to Porto. Maybe someone who dealt with a car in Porto will offer some advice.

We loved being in the center of Porto (close to the cathedral and Sao Bento). I'm concerned that if you find a place where you can park a car, you will end up in an area that isn't very interesting.

Thank you one and all for the very helpful information on Portugal. I agree Booking.com is a great source for good, reliable information. We’re pretty flexible and I’m sure we’ll locate some nice lodging in a desirable area. Appreciate all the Portugal sites for ideas and planning also. Definitely agree to leave Lisbon in car and drive to Nazare, Coimbro, Douro Valley and return car in Porto and train to Lisbon. We might also research flights from Porto back home to SeaTac. Going to be fun planning for this trip.