Lisbon, Porto, & Lagos Itinerary

October weather is usually sunny and warm - not hot like August.

Flying into the first city and flying out from the last city of your itinerary is the most efficient if possible.
I would start in Porto and end in Lisbon.

The national train
https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en
Buy your tickets only from them , they are usually available a maximum of 60 days before departure.
The fastest train between Porto and Lisbon is about 3 hours and the same between Lisbon and the Algarve.

The national bus
https://rede-expressos.pt/en

The other national bus
https://global.flixbus.com/

Porto and Lisbon have their own urban buses and subway.
Other large cities have buses but no subway.

Is any city a must? - it's subjective.
I enjoy the Algarve area - stayed for 2 months last winter but I wouldn't go for just a couple of days.

Between Lisbon and Cascais (45 minute train ride) there some nice small beaches, Carcavelos is the largest.

We visited Portugal at the end of September and spent 4 nights in Porto, 5 in Lisbon and 4 in Lagos. The weather was still warm. We had a few drizzly days in Porto and Lisbon.

I would always recommend open jaw, even if it is a few hundred dollars more. We flew into Porto and out of Faro. You end up wasting valuable time doubling back, probably an extra hotel change and a single last night which is usually not productive before flying home.

With only 10 nights, I would suggest choosing only two cities. I would have liked more nights in each city in our trip.

Drop Lagos. With only 10 nights, you simply won’t have the time to go that far. There are many beach towns much closer for your beach fix. If you don’t want to do Cascais, Ericeira is another option but it would be a challenge without a car. Of course, I’m partial but I think Cascais is more charming than Lagos anyway.

The weather in the first half of October is usually great. Still quite warm and rain hasn’t started. It’s very much still beach weather and the water is warmer. Porto will be cooler than Lisbon, so starting there might be good. If you can fly open jaw, it will save time.

With four nights in Porto, you have time to, at least, day trip to the Douro. It’s lovely and, of course, has great wine and wineries.

The bus is likely cheaper but the trains are still very inexpensive. You would have more options for departure times with the train.

Thank you for the advice so far! Based on everyone's input, it sounds like sticking to Porto and Lisbon might be our best bet with the limited time we have, with a possible side trip to a closer beach town.

With that being said, does anyone have any recommendations on places to stay in Lisbon, Porto, or even Cascais if we decide on that? Restaurant recs? We will definitely be checking out the Douro Valley while in Porto :)

In Cascais, Hotel Baía is my favorite.
It's beachfront with lots of restaurants around.
https://www.hotelbaia.com/m/en/

We’ve stayed here many times. Emporium Suites, R. dos Bacalhoeiros 18, 1100-070 Lisboa, Portugal

Large rooms, with excellent kitchenettes, great location on the river in the Baxia area. Surrounded by restaurants walkable to most sites. I suggest a room on a higher floor if possible.

We book direct with the hotel, alternatively you can book on booking .com.

Thank you! I will keep those hotels in mind :)

BD, for Porto, I loved my stay at In Porto Gallery Guesthouse, R. do Bonjardim:

I loved this sweet guesthouse for the lovely courtyard gathering place for our included European breakfast every morning. My room was so inviting with a canopy bed and balcony overlooking the pretty courtyard/garden. There was no elevator, but I was only up one small staircase. Gilbert was very engaging and was always around for any help I needed.

https://www.inporto.pt/

As to weather and order of flights, I suggest flying into Porto and back home from Lisbon because it may get rainy and cooler in Porto by the middle of October. When I was in Lisbon this year from October 2-8, it was HOT. YMMV on tolerance for heat and/or rainy days (I don’t know where you are flying from), but starting in Porto gives you more of a cushion on avoiding cool, wet weather and ending in Lisbon avoids (maybe) the heat.

The weather during the first part of October is typically fantastic. It remains warm and there is no rain yet. It's still perfect for the beach, and the water is also warmer. Porto will have lower heardle 80s temperatures compared to Lisbon, so beginning the trip there could be a good idea.

Thanks for everyone's replies! We are coming from Florida so we are used to the heat! We will definitely start in Porto to hopefully avoid rainy/chilly weather.

Nice info !!!!!

October is a great time to visit Portugal. The weather is generally mild, with daytime temperatures ranging from 15-25°C (59-77°F). It's usually sunny with occasional light rain, snaptik so pack layers and a light jacket.

The characters in Friday Night Funkin are all very adorable and unique. I like the way they are designed and the way they express personality through musical confrontations.

I also plan to go in September. Hope the weather is nice bob the robber