Is this Too Hectic- Lisbon-Evora-Combria-Sintra/Cascais

When this question is ask, my response is generally -- if you are asking it probably is. For us we always leave the 4th, maybe 5th day completely unscheduled. No schedule goes exactly as scheduled because of delays with transportation, checking in and out, and maybe something else you want to see or do but with no space in schedule you cannot do it. Personally I prefer a lot of flexibility as very rigid schedules. You have a very rigid schedule with little more for anything but it may suit you way of travel. You don't have an impossible schedule but it is busy.

I mean it’s busier than I want it to be but we have 4 people who all have things they want to do. I really want to go to Evora and Fatima. My one sister wants the beach and my other sister has her heart set on Combria. My daughter is meeting up with her friends who will be in Lisbon. If there’s a better way to fit it all in I’m open to it. We tend to go through things very fast. So any of the big tourist attractions won’t take us as long as most. I had it narrowed down to Lisbon, Evora and a beach (still not 💯 on which one) and then my sister sprung Combria on me and she’s really excited to go there. Last year we went to spain and for 2 nights in Seville, 2 nights in Granada, 3 nights in Malaga and 1 night in Madrid and none of us really loved Madrid. My Combria sister would like to skip Lisbon altogether but again my daughter wants to meet up with friends. Do you see a better way to do it all? Thanks.

Everyone has their own style that they are comfortable with.

If you are flying from USA in economy class you may not be able to do too much on the first day.

Frank has given very helpful advice about creating buffers within iternery itself. But to me, it seems you do have buffers if you are willing to let go something for other of adverse conditions)situations arise

If you feel you didn't get enough time in Lisbon, you do have spare day(s) at the end.

You have 2 days in Evora which means something goes wrong, you do have buffer (or at the most lose winery visit)

If something goes wrong with Fatima stop on the way to Coimbra, you do have option to do that on way to Cascais.

Similarly if Sintra had adverse weather, you do have option to do that from Cascais (it's only 10 miles by bolt - 12 euro)

With 4 people, Bolt/Uber will be economic even compared to public transport within city and surroundings (Cascais/Sintra)

When you want to do direct nonstop transfers like Lisbon-Evora or Coimbra-Cascais, Bolt/Uber is still a choice.

For multistop Intercity transfers, we used Fernando Batista of PortugeseCauffereur.com
He has 7 seater with excellent WiFi and is fluent in English as well as Portugal history/current affairs.

If you stop at Fatima on way out then for return recommend an hour or so stop at Obidos.

I don't think your trip is hectic at all
(But everyone has their own style, energy level, likings etc)

Current itinerary looks to rushed, imo. And adding another stop in Obidos will only make it worse. My philosophy is to do less and enjoy more.

Perhaps the 2 sisters could go to Coimbra while you and your daughter go to Evora. Then all 4 of you will spend less time transferring and have more time together in Lisbon in the beginning and Sintra/Cascais in the end.

Thanks for the replies. We probably will want to all stay together. I thought I did have buffers in place but maybe I need to rethink them.

Hi again! I appreciate all the help. I have a new idea which may make this trip less rushed and stressful. Please give me feedback. Thanks so much.
Day 1- arrive in Lisbon in the am and go directly to Evora, explore Evora and have dinner etc.
Day 2- continue exploring Evora and maybe so a winery depending on how we feel.
Day 3- head up to Coimbra with a quick stop in Fatima, dinner in Coimbra
Day 4- Coimbra
Day 5- 9 - Cascais in a beachfront hotel or Airbnb and use Cascais as our home base instead of Lisbon. Then we can use the trains to go to Lisbon and Sintra and whatever else is close and fly home from Lisbon.
Thoughts?

I think it's better. Note, you would most likely be taking a bus between Cascais and Sintra. A train would require you to go from Cascais to Lisbon and then Lisbon to Sintra.

The area around Evora is known for its cork trees and the megaliths. Another tour option. Also, what time of the year are you traveling? Evora gets very hot in the summer.

And if you rent a car, there is a Europcar office right by the train station in Cascais, which would be convenient to return a rental car.

I don't think Lisbon is like Madrid. Now, I haven't been to Madrid since I have no interest, but I have had a few trips to Portugal. And recently returned from Southern Spain (Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga). If I had to pick a Spanish city to compare to Lisbon, it would be Seville with hills.

I did love seville! but I promised my sister some beach days so this is our compromise.

From Cascais to Sintra fur four people Bolt makes more sense.

It would be similar or cheaper than public transport and significantly quicker.

Thank you to everyone who responded. We took all of the suggestions and comments under consideration and now have our final itinerary.

Day 1- overnight flight to Lisbon, arrive in am stay over night in Lisbon
Day 2-3- stay in Lisbon with a day trip to Sintra
Day4- private transfer to Evora- stay overnight
Day 5-8- Lagos. Already booked an Airbnb on the marina. Plans to just soak in the sun and relax.
Day 9- back to Lisbon for one more night and fly home in the am.

We are now working on deciding what we want to see/do while in each place.

Day4- private transfer to Evora- stay overnight

In case you are not already aware, there are frequent bus and trains that go to Evora from Lisbon. One of the reasons many make it a day trip. So a private transfer is not necessary, unless that's the route you want to go.

Depending on the time of year, renting a car for 5 days with pick up and drop off in Lisbon can be affordable divided between four people. And having the car in Evora and Lagos would be very convenient for exploration. Check out Zestcarrental.com

Thanks. None of us feel comfortable driving in another country. I’m barely comfortable driving in the US.

Have you looked into the transportation between Evora and Lagos? It will be a bit of work to get there and back for a couple of days.