First time Portugal Itinerary Thoughts

I would skip the Algarve on a 10-11 day trip. It’s a lot of extra travel for beaches and there are very nice beaches between Porto and Lisbon. Plus, it very difficult to get around with public transport in the Algarve.

I would add another day in both Porto and Lisbon, with a possible overnight in the Douro valley. If you do a tour to the Douro, you definitely need to book ahead.

If you don’t want an extra day in Lisbon and Porto, stop in Coimbra for a night or two. You could also day trip to Evora from Lisbon.

There is much to see both places without the hassle of going to the Algarve.

Thank you. I would appreciate thoughts on this alternative itinerary. It would eliminate Porto and spend more time in Salema and the Algrave. We can extend this by 1 day if there are suggestions where to add the day.

Day 1. Arrive in Lisbon in PM and check into hotel.
Day 2. Sightseeing in Lisbon
Day 3. Day trip to Sintra (should we book in advance?)
Day 4. Day trip to Cascais. (should we book in advance?)
Day 5. Fast train to Lagos. Rent car to Salema. (Do we need to reserve in advance?)
Day 6. Salema and environs
Day 7. Salema and environs
Day 8. Salema. Drive to Faro.
Day 9. Fly to US from Faro.

Thank you!

Logistical suggestion.
Take the train from Lisbon to Faro and rent the car at the Faro airport, that will make it easier to return the car at the airport for your return flight.

If you're going to either Cascais or Sintra on your own, the train is a commuter train that doesn't have pre-purchase or reservations.
If you're on a tour they should provide transportation.

Pre-purchase for some of Sintra monuments is available and recommended/ required.

Cascais is a town that you can visit on your own by taking the train from Lisbon.

I would never visit Salema instead of Porto! I have no idea why RS is so in love with Salema. It has a nice beach but is very small with lots of high rise apartments. It is not a good representation of Portugal. If you must visit the Algarve (which is my least favorite place in Portugal), stay in Lagos and visit Salema as a day trip. But, again, you definitely need a car in the Algarve.

msticklor - I am planning a trip almost identical to your initial plan (staying in Lagos instead of Salema, renting a car in Lisbon and driving to the Algarve). It seems Salema changed decades ago, but the magic was so great back in the day that Rick just can't pull the plug. I can see why you would want to prioritize the Algarve - you like natural beauty and beaches, and it adds diversity to the trip (something different vs another city). You mentioned you don’t want crowds, what time of year are you going?

With your second itinerary, I would suggest adding a night to Lisbon and dropping one in Salema. If you do decide on 4 nights in the Algarve, I would suggest a 2nd place, maybe Tavira, or Lagos. We stayed in Salema years ago, and enjoyed it, but it is very quiet and we were driving elsewhere each day.

You did mention initially that you prefer to travel by cab or rail. You could consider taking the whole time in and around Lisbon, stay part of the time in Cascais for the beaches and a couple of nights in Sintra, as it is lovely ( but crowded) and this would give you more time to see the gardens and avoid some crowds in the evenings. I'm not sure if your flight is booked from Faro, but I think that would be the more relaxing option.

Would recommend Coimbra definitely.

Road trip (rental car or hire a car+driver) between Porto and Lisbon allows opportunity to visit Obidos, Nazarre, Fatima, Coimbra ( or a subset of these) - all four are quite different. Train Ride is not that Fast and bit boring.