Lodging in Porto and others

Hi Chani
We stayed up closer to the Clerigos and really liked that location. A bit out of the tourist crush, but still lots to see. I thought the restaurants were better too. We didn't really like our Tomar accomodation, so sorry i'm no help there. I can't remember where we stayed in Coimbra, we did really like it, and I might have recommended it before on this site. If I find it I'll repost

The Porto Belo Clerigos is not in a terrible neighborhood as far as I can tell, looking on a Google Map; I must have walked close by it. It's near the "Harry Potter Book Store" that all the tourists go into. But it is up the hill quite a ways from the waterfront area and more "away from things" whereas the hostel is just up the hill from the waterfront. I am a photographer so was down at the waterfront often taking pictures, so the hostel was convenient for me. For you it may not matter so much once you go down there once. I was able to walk to the hostel from Sao Bento train station (about 10 min), but I do tend to walk with my carry-on bags to places like that. The flat is a bit more of a walk but perhaps doable.

In Tomar, you might consider "winging" it if you will have a car and not booking a place at all until you get there. I doubt you will have trouble finding something, especially if you will have an internet device like a phone for making reservations. I've book places near the last minute with Booking.com or even just walked up to hotel front desks and asked to see a room. Can't do that so easily with B&Bs and apartments, though, I guess. Tomar is small enough that if you stay down by the town center somewhere, it's easy to walk around to restaurants and such or to walk up the hill to the convent.

Olá Chani!

I’ve not (yet) stayed in these hotels but both of them have been recommended to me by someone on the forum.

In Tomar we’ll be staying at Thomar Story.

In Coimbra we’ve booked Hotel Vitória

I’d suggest sending a PM to Helena, from Porto. She’s very knowledgeable and helpful!

Ciao!

Olá Priscilla! Thanks for doing all the great research. I booked both Tomar (on the Thomar Story website) and Coimbra (phoned Silvania at Hotel Vitoria, she sounds really sweet).

Andrew - how steep is the climb?
Lisa, thanks for your encouragement re Porto.

Now all that's left is Aveira and one yet-to-be-determined night somewhere in Portugal.

Chani, both Lisbon and Porto are built on hills, so you should plan on climbing some of them no matter where you stay. There are elevators and public transit however. The hike up to where Porto Belo Clerigos is from the train station is a little steep, but you can check Google Maps - there must be a tram or bus route that takes you up there. From the train station down to the hostel is not as steep (more of an incline up on the way back as I recall), but from the hostel down to the water is very steep.

What I'm always hoping is that I won't have a steep climb home at the end of a long day of sightseeing or after a good dinner.

Hmmm, maybe that's why my favorite cities are Paris and Venice - no hills :-)

Hi, You may want to look at the Serenata Hostel in Coimbra. I am booking it for one night in June, my sister and I will share a room with a shared bath, and my friend will have her own room and bath, I think the private room is under $65 for the night, ours is about $54. The hostel looks like it's in a great location, near the official place to go listen to Fado (Casa Fado ao Centro) as well as two good restaurants, Tapas Vas Costas and Loggia. The hostel got very good recommendations.....Sandy

Yes, that hostel in Coimbra is in an excellent location (I've been to Coimbra and see it on a map but didn't actually see it while I was there).

However, Coimbra is small, and there are number of cheap (if dumpy) hotels close to the train station, and I stayed at one of them: the Hotel Domas. OK, "dumpy" is probably too strong of a word; it was clean and comfortable, but the furnishings were a bit dated and not in a good way. I'd definitely stay there again but I would also look around for a better place . (I booked it as a walk-up with no reservation. Coimbra doesn't get many tourists.) I left something in the room by accident and the Domus owner was nice about it and made sure it was there when I came back for it.

But, it's a super easy walk from these hotels by the train station to the center of Coimbra. There are plenty of towns where I might pay more to be "central" but Coimbra didn't really seem like one of them.

Hi Chani!

I would choose the Porto Belo Clérigos - much well located! There you can walk flat to a lot of places! At Rua do Belomonte (wich is the street where my father were born and lived) you are also very well located (in the midlle...) but... it is a very narrow street, trafic both sides, and either you have to go up or down for the major actractions!