Hello fellow travelers!
My husband and I will be traveling from Porto to Faro starting when we arrive in Porto the morning of September 2 and depart Faro the morning of September 9. We have never been to Portugal and need advice on how much time to spend in each city. Lagos and Lisbon are must-sees. We will be traveling by bus/train/ride share. Any advice is much appreciated!
Posted by
Honolulu/Seattle, HI/WA, USA
2787 posts
Do your have a Rick Steves Portugal Guide book yet? If so, good. If not I would get one ASAP. We returned from Portugal on Friday, June 24 and used it. It is full of good information to answer most of your questions. If you need to buy one, one can be ordered elsewhere on this web site.
Posted by
8331 posts
We recently did 12 days in Portugal, with three days in Lisbon, a 7 day Douro River cruise and two more days in Porto.
We did not go to the Algarve.
InPatio Guesthouse in Porto is well located and a wonderful place to stay. If you are in Porto at all, consider it.
You won't have time for a river cruise, but the Douro river valley is amazing.
Also, Obidos, Cascais and Sintra are worth a visit. Three days in Lisbon should be enough. Ever, is east of Lisbon and worth a day trip.
Love the people of Portugal and the food.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1826 posts
With such a short time, you will really want to limit the places you visit. I'm assuming you already have your plane tickets so are tied to Porto and Faro. Without a car, the Algarve is a challenge so that might be your shortest stop. If you haven't booked your tickets yet, I would encourage you to either drop Porto or the Algarve. I didn't see the Algarve my first trip here and am glad I limited the (17day) trip to Porto, Lisbon and silver coast.
The train works well from Porto to Lisbon and Lisbon to the Algarve. Buy tickets ahead of time and save about 40%.