Apartments for rent in Portugal

Some questions:
1. Why Obidos?
2. What time of the year will you be there, and what year...2017 or 2018?
3. I want to confirm you wrote 3 months?
4. Would you be able to break up your stay with 2-3 different apartments in different parts of Portugal?
4. Is Sao Miguel, Azores an option for a few weeks to explore these Portuguese islands?
5. Budget range for 3 months of apartment rentals?

Have some friends moving there in July. So around June this year. 3 months yes I'd like to be able to do that. Budget well from what I can gather obidos not too bad so maybe 400 a month. Not looking for vacation rental. Regular 1 bedroom or studio apt. My plan is to just live there, so to speak. Can sightsee heading there and returning home as plan to buy one way tickets.
Thanks for any advice, even if it to say 400 is not possible

Ok... good answers!

My questions were important for you and your 7 year old travel partner.

There is not much in and around Obidos to stay busy for 3 months straight. That is why I was thinking about breaking up your 3 months in different locations. And public transport is not excellent there either.

I have used vrbo, homeaway, and airbnb for all my European stays so I would start with these. I doubt €400 month is doable, but you may find some. IF you could break up the 3 months then a few weeks in Lisbon which has so much to stay busy and keep a 7 year old interested! And public transportation is excellent. Even a couple of weeks in Lagos, Algarve for the beaches would be a nice added option. A couple of weeks in the Azores would be amazing for both of you.

I hope my thoughs start some good ideas with others offering different options.

Thanks for the information. I will see what I can do. Wanted to venture out but wanted a place to keep our things and just go here and there traveling light. The sites you mentioned aren't they more for vacationers? Yes this is a trip but wanted a regular apt. as if I were a resident.
Will continue to plan and check out the options offered by those sites.
Thanks so much for your help.

My opinion only, any stay over a week renting a house or apartment in one location in Europe is living like a local and not on vacation. I would add that your personal style of travel would influence this "thinking". Shopping at the markets and making your own breakfast, getting your coffee and pastry at a cafe with only locals instead of a tourist trap, using public transportation, dining at a family owned restaurant instead of a restaurant where everyone else there is on vacation, etc. is what I believe is THE Rick Steves method of traveling in Europe.

You can live safely and enjoyably like a local in the places I mentioned or anywhere in Europe quite easily for a couple of weeks or few weeks....it depends on your comfort zone and level of exploration interest. I will never forget "living" on a houseboat for 4 days in Amsterdam with my family and all the "tourists" on the boats waving to us as though we owned it and lived there! Every trip we have made to Europe includes renting a house or apartment and living with the locals, whether it was for 2 days or a month.

You will have an amazing trip no matter where you stay or for how long! Enjoy the planning and anticipation.

Obidos is very popular with tourists and your three months June through to September is peak holiday season and therefore not cheap. You will be lucky to find anything much less than €400 a week, rather than per month! Most places will be booked up by now. Obidos isn't that well connected by public transport.

The issue is that a 3 month rental would be viewed as a holiday letting at that time of year, as longer term rentals are for 12+ months and are often unfurnished. Short term lets are furnished. Tenancy agreements (not holiday lets) are in Portuguese and you need a Portuguese Fiscal Number to sign a rental agreement.

Landlords sometimes offer monthly deals in the winter, but don't need to do this in the summer. You may or may not be able to find something by asking around when you get there, but that's very risky with a 7 year old in tow. If it backfires, it could be an expensive trip.

At that time of year, there is no way I would go anywhere in Portugal without prebooking and I am only UK based, not from a different continent.

You don't mention which year you are going to be here. 2017 summer is likely mostly booked by now - at least in the Lisbon area but might be different further inland. I do agree that three months in Óbidos might not be the best location. And, that public transport is not good in that area.
You would likely be able to rent a vacation rental for three months but long term rentals are becoming more and more difficult to find and the prices have skyrocketed since I arrived in 2015.
If you were to look at some of the towns on the commuter line from Lisbon to Cascais or Lisbon to Sintra, your public transport would increase significantly. I live in Cascais without a car and have no problems. But, a long term rental does require a Fiscal number, contract, etc. and would likely be impossible without a Portuguese realtor.
I would encourage you to rethink Óbidos.

Thanks so much for the good advice. I have decided to try and do 1 month in 3 locations.
I want to show Carson, my great nephew, different places, cultures etc.
We live in a place in the south that you need an escape from. Will start out in the southern part and then head north as temps rise. Found a place from long term lettings but received an email warning against them? Will begin to search for places that have an affordable monthly rent and good public transport. Again thanks for your help!