My family which also includes my husband and three daughters (ages 7, 10, 13) will be traveling to Portugal next early June for 10 nights (not including flights). I am in the very early planning stages but have booked a hotel in Lisbon for the first 5 nights. In reading this forum, it seems we should travel north after that instead of south to the Algarve? We love both big cities and small towns and enjoy seeing beautiful sights and castles as well. The girls are good travelers. Can anyone suggest an itinerary for the next 5 nights? We are open to train or renting a car and we can fly out of Porto or back out of Lisbon. Also, should Sintra be a day trip during our 5 nights in Lisbon or separate? Thanks in advance for any help!
Posted by
11126 posts
We rented a car as we left Lisbon and stayed in Evora, Obidos(do not stay here but a two hour visit will do it,exists for tourism today, but cute, kids will enjoy it) Coimbra, Porto. Yes, skip the Algarve.
Using those bases we stopped at Alcabaça, Batalha,Nazare,Aviero.. We also spent time in the Minho region north of Porto, based in Guimares but you not have enough time. I strongly urge you to stay in Pousadas where they are available such as In Evora.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1596 posts
We spent 5 nights in Lisbon in April 2018, and that included a day trip to Sintra. You could, as an alternative, spend 4 nights in Lisbon and one night in Sintra, but that means checking in and out of an additional hotel. Have you done research on Sintra? Do you want to visit all the palaces and castles? Or would you be happy with visiting only 1 or 2? Even though we don't usually do guided tours, we did take a tour to Sintra. We visited the Pena Palace, had lunch in Sintra, and then stopped in Cascais for a quick visit. We were happy with what we saw.
We liked what little we saw of Cascais, and I think it would be a nice place to visit. If you are looking for some beach time, Cascais would be a good choice.
I haven't been to Porto yet but I think that would be a nice destination, too.
Posted by
7634 posts
Suki gave you good advice:
Yes, skip the Algarve.
Using those bases we stopped at Alcabaça, Batalha,Nazare,Aviero.. We also spent time in the Minho region north of Porto, based in Guimares but you not have enough time. I strongly urge you to stay in Pousadas where they are available such as In Evora.
You can do Evora on a day trip from Lisbon, also do Sintra on a day trip.
Moving north to Porto, I suggest stopping in Nazare and Obidos (small walled city dating back to Romans). Batalha Cathedral is nice.
In Porto, recommend the InPatio Guesthouse, it is wonderful.
Take the train from Porto to Minho or a boat up the Douro River.