Portugal - hard to get around?

We are going to Portugal in a week. We'll be staying in both Lisbon and Sintra. They are both very hilly. I've been working on plans with my Sintra BnB to get to the palaces. She is telling me that taxis are plentiful and inexpensive. Sounded like they are about 5 euro a ride.

I know the drop off for Pena still requires a walk up to the entrance. I would try to do some research, perhaps send an email to Pena and ask if there is a drop off for people that are disabled.

Lisbon is the city of 7 hills and Sintra is on a mountain.
The downtown of Lisbon (called Baixa) is flat. Using public transit and taxis can help. The Metro (subway) in Lisbon is good.

June is hot for me but it's subjective, for a person from North Africa, Portugal is cooler; for a person from Iceland, Portugal is hotter.

In some places there are English speaking private medical clinics/hospitals.
Google English/ tourist hospitals for the town's you're going to visit.

I just returned from a trip to Portugal, I stayed mostly in Vilamoura ( Algarve) they have an English speaking private medical clinic ( did not have to use , so don't know medical insurance procedure).

In Lisbon, taxis (or if you will have a phone with data service, Uber or Bolt) will be your friend. These are cheap (10 euro or less gets you about anywhere) and plentiful. Rather than trudging for blocks uphill, call a cab.

Lagos is compact, and taxis would be a good option as well. Sintra, you might consider a guided day trip with transport.

Of all the countries have been to, I think the public transportation in Portugal is the most plentiful, easiest, and cheapest, so don’t worry about getting around. And there are even senior discounts on the train! Enjoy!

For Lisbon, I also recommend using a Tuk Tuk to give you a good introduction to the city without climbing the hills. Then, you can Uber or Bolt to go back to those areas you want to explore further. There are elevators and escalators in some places to take you, at least part way, up the hills. But, finding them can be a challenge if you are unfamiliar. Bolt is usually cheaper than Uber but I find the app doesn’t pick up certain locations as easily as uber. But, I highly recommend downloading the app.

For medical care, CUF hospitals are the private hospitals in Portugal and are readily found in the locations you are visiting. They are modern with a lot of English speaking staff and doctors. They also are where you would find most physicians rather than in free standing offices. The care is excellent and amazingly cheap compared to the US.

Last June around the middle of the month there was a heat wave in Portugal-inland was hotter than coastal areas. Make sure you book accomodations with AC. I have MS and did fine in Portugal June 4-24 even with the heat wave when it was 100 degrees in Evora. Take ubers and taxis. In Alfama, we took an Uber as close as we could get to the castle St. Jorge, then walked down after enjoying the views from the castle. We took our Uber from Baixa up the hill and got dropped off with a short but steep walk to the entrance. We saw taxis dropping people off from the other side where walk was flatter. So make sure to tell your driver that you need to get as close the the entrance of St. Jorge's castle or where it is you would like to go. Portugal is great for slower travel! Great people, good wine, good food!

I also had no issues using the elevators in the Tile Museum (easy flat entrance, but take a taxi or Uber to/from the museum) in Lisbon. I had a letter with me from my neurologist stating I had a disability and needed to use the elevator, but I did not need the letter. On prior trips to Rome, I was not allowed in the elevator because I did not have a walking device, but I did have a letter from my doctor and then I was allowed to use the elevator.

Happy Planning!

Hello from Wisconsin,

Seems no one has mentioned the elevators, and escalators scattered around the city. If you Google either you get really mixed results, most hits will be for the tower that charges a fee to use. Not to be mean, but you recognize this tower by its rectangular Eiffel tower look. But in the large store close to this tower has a set of escalators that take you from ground level to top where you can walk out of the store. Two ways up are cog-trams, maybe just cables, but nonetheless, for a tram ticket you can get up or down. Tuk-tuks. I asked one what the charge would be for a ride to Belem...60 Euros. Now maybe that was a way of saying, "I don't do that." And he was correct, we didn't do that.

I have had a Dickens of a time finding these modalities on maps of Lisbon. I should have recorded all the options while we were in the city.

The locals have fought with these steep hills for as long as Lisbon has existed. They have built alternatives to climbing up and down.

Heart problems can be serious. I would consider finding a place to stay in the flat center of town where you can catch the tram #28, and that line will take you just about everywhere you want to go in Lisbon. The city is great in March. June could be hot and have much increased tourist activity. In February/March the tram 28 is empty. During the summer there is often a waiting line to get on.

wayne iNWi

Hi again,
I bumped into this video on this same RS site. In case you haven't viewed this, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI0u1HtMccA

He moves along pretty rapidly. but he does a nice job. I don't think he covered every option. But he hit quite a few. And the mass transport in Lisbon is impressive.

I have two maps I can email you. One is a simple Google map that closely matches the elevation map I found. It might help you make your decision of Lisbon or no. I am at [email protected]. let me know you want the maps of Lisbon.

wayne iNWI

Hi again again,
I promise to leave you alone after this.

The store near the Santa Justa elevator (the iron structure) with the escalators is called, Armazéns do Chiado, a shopping mall. And I forgot about the Metro station also in this corner of Lisbon that has escalators that will do the same for you, it is Metro station Baixa-Chiado.

If you find the Elevador da Gloria, AKA Funicular Gloria, that will take you to the top and to the São Pedro de Alcântara Miradouro (overlook) above Lisbon. What a great place to go toward sundown. Get a gelato and a seat on a bench and watch the golden glow of evening shine on the opposite side of Lisbon. Beautiful. Plus there is an art nouveau cafe/bar, Pavilhão Chinês, a couple blocks away on R. Don Paedro, filled with students and construction workers, all oblivious to glory of the building's interior. It is a bit funky. It is why you travel. You don't have one of these at home. Further down this street is Tascardoso, a simple place to eat.

wayne iNWI

Hi,
A good recommendation from the NYT. During heavier tourism season use the 12E tram instead of the 28E. It is less used, and yet, still takes you most every where you want to go.

wayne iNWI

I am currently in Portugal. We traveled to Lisbon with a day trip each to Belem & Sintra, then on to Porto with a day trip to Guarmeres, then we traveled to Madeira and are now in the Azores (Sao Miguel). My family's experience has been that everywhere we've gone has been incredibly hilly. This cannot be understated. Bring your best sneakers for walking with a good grip on the soles. The sidewalks everywhere have mosaic tiles and can be a bit slippery too. There is no need for dress shoes in Portugal, in my opinion, after all this climbing and walking. I am currently in the Azores on Sao Miguel, and where we are staying in Ponta Delgada has been some of the flatter terrains we've had our entire trip.

I was worried about the hills coming to Portugal, so had been upping my workouts so I could handle all the walking uphill. Still, it was not enough. My husband, children (both 16), and I are not out of shape, but the seemingly never-ending uphill walks followed by steep downhills get tiring. Yes, there are some escalator/elevator things, but they may not always be convenient, and you really can't totally avoid the hills. I'm just being honest about what I experienced. Add to this the heat you might experience when you are going, which could be very draining. I would suggest maybe lining up some door-to-door transportation (you won't want to drive in Lisbon) for certain things. For Sintra, even taking public transportation once you arrive at the Morrish Castle and Pena Palace, you will still have an uphill climb. We did not go to Lagos, so maybe that is less hilly, but I'm not sure.

As for the hospital, about 10 years ago my late father-in-law was on a cruise and docked in Madeira when he needed to have surgery there on the island. He had surgery there and all went well and it was a good experience medical care wise.

Just left Sintra. You will not be able to avoid the hills. It only cost a few Euros for a taxi from our B&B to the Peña Palace. Just add on the transfer when you buy your ticket online to avoid the hike up to the Palace from the main gate but even then you still have an incline to walk up and there are stairs to climb inside the Palace. We hiked back to town after visiting the Palace and the Moorish Castle but I don’t recommend anyone doing the trail down from the castle parking lot unless they’re in good shape. It’s very steep in places and with a lot of rocky stone steps. We were told by several locals to avoid the Tuk Tuks as most are unlicensed.

We hiked up from the Pena grounds entrance to to palace entrance. If enough time is allowed, it’s enjoyable. We also hiked thru the Pena grounds to get to the Moorish castle. It was pleasant and the views of the castle were lovely. It was easy hiking for a person without health issues:

I will also say, we enjoyed Pena very much. ( also Monserrate and Regaleira