I like spending a few weeks in one location, immersing myself in the local culture and wandering outside the normal tourist areas and dining with the locals. I’m contemplating 1 month in Porto and 1 week in Lisbon. I may take a few day trips to a few places around Porto, i.e., Douro valley wine tour, Aveiro, Guimaraes. Lisbon seems too big and busy and Porto seems ideal for just picking neighborhoods and walking across the Douro, etc. I’m a seasoned traveler and will be staying in Airbnbs. So, Porto or Lisbon. I usually prefer European travel in October, but am considering late April and all of may. Will there be a lot of rain then?
Posted by
Portland, Oregon
5687 posts
Personally, I'd do the month in Lisbon. Yes, it's much bigger than Porto, but I would not necessarily call it busier. Both places were touristy. Porto was more touristy than I expected. Lisbon was touristy but that's what I expected. There's just a lot more to see in a month in Lisbon, I'd say.
I was in each town only a few days, in May a few years ago. It rained most of the time I was in Porto. Of course, the weather is going to vary every year.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1673 posts
There would likely be more rain in the Porto area. But, the weather has changed in the last couple of years, so it’s hard to guess. Late April and May are usually quite nice where I am (Lisbon area) and I’ve only been to Porto once during that time. The time I was there, I had no rain.