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Portugal in May

Hello folks!

I am so excited to be posting in this forum! I will be taking my first ever overseas trip to Portugal in May. My wife and I will be celebrating our honeymoon. We are two women, so would love any tips folks have about safety and LGBT events.

So far, all we have booked is our flight. I have been doing lots of research, and reading Rick Steves Portugal book to prepare. I am currently thinking to visit Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, and Salema (in that order). I had originally tried to plan more cities than that, but my wife tampered my excitement.

Are there other must see cities that anyone would suggest on this trip?

How soon should I be making hotel reservations?

Does anyone have AirBnB experience in Portugal? I have used AirBnB in the states, and enjoyed those experiences. However, I don't know anyone that has used it abroad.

Thank you and happy travels to you in 2016~
NI

Posted by
1654 posts

I've traveled with my daughter to Portugal and have now retired here - solo. So traveling as two women is not a problem at all. I've felt safer here than in the U.S.

Regarding the number of cities to visit - you don't include how many nights you will be here. I believe the fewer moves you make during the trip, the more enjoyable it will be. You can easily visit Sintra from Lisbon as a day trip. And when staying in Porto, the Douro valley is easily accessible as a day trip.

I've used Airbnb plus Homeaway here in Portugal and have had good results. Just be certain to do your research. If you are coming the end of May, you quite likely will need air conditioning in your hotel or apartments. We certainly did last May. Most hotels will have AC, but fewer apartments will.
I definitely fell in love with Portugal and would be happy to answer other questions, if I can.

Posted by
6113 posts

I have used Airbnb in Europe and not had any problems. Be as cautious as you would be booking anywhere - look for the number of reviews, length of time on there etc.

How are you going to get around and how long do you have in each location?

If you are going late May, the weather should be good, but maybe more unsettled earlier in the month. There is plenty to keep you occupied in Lisbon, Sintra and Porto. Take a boat trip in Porto and a tram in Lisbon. I was surprised how hilly Lisbon was, so wear good shoes.

I was in Salema for the last 2 weeks of May and the first week of June 2015 and the weather was hot, but locals said that it was hotter than normal. Due to the wind in Salema, we didn't have and didn't need air conditioning. Salema doesn't fit easily with your other locations, which is why I asked how long and transport questions.

I have had c 15 trips to the Algarve over the years and it has changed much in that time with lots of new tourist apartment developments. Salema is such a place. We found that both the supermarkets had closed down in 2015, so the nearest is a couple of miles away near Budens - this was OK because we had a car. In the whole 3 weeks we were there, we didn't see any small fishing boats go out as we have previously and the men weren't sat there mending their nets. The bread van wasn't in the village in the mornings as it has been previously (maybe it was there in high season). Half of the restaurants had changed hands in 2 years - not a good sign. Worst of all was the huge white elephant on the hillside that was supposed to be a 115 unit tourist complex. The developer went bust 4 years ago when it was part completed and it sits there gradually declining. Maybe something has happened since last May, but...... All in all, Salema is no longer the quaint fishing village that it was when I first visited it. We still had a good holiday, don't get me wrong, but it has changed.

Be careful with your belongings. The only time I have ever experienced any crime is whilst in Portugal - a break in to the apartment and someone attempted to jemmy the car door lock. We now ensure that nothing is on display in the car and leave the glove box door open. We are going to the eastern end of the Algarve this year, so none of this has put us off - just take care as you would anywhere.

Book your accommodation ASAP as Portugal is likely to be busier this year now that Tunisia, Egypt etc are out of bounds for Brits and others due to the terrorist threats.

Posted by
477 posts

Hi,
We went to Portugal last April, early May and loved it. Used VRBO to rent an apartment in Lisbon, but otherwise we found that the hotel prices were so reasonable and the restaurants so delicious that we didn't see the advantage.

We only booked the first week of our trip, and then booked the 2nd week as we went along, however we were a bit earlier in the month. If you do decide to go to Salema, RS book recommends a place Amare. If you wish to stay there I would try to book right away.
We did see Salema, and I'm glad I did, but would not make it a priority on another trip. I would consider for beaches that you consider Nazare, it has a long stretch of beach, and there are beaches all up that coast to explore, including fairly close to Sintra.
We did stay overnight in Sintra, and I was glad we did. We ate in a town close to Sintra ( walking distance) called Sao Pedro.
We then rented a car at Sintra for the rest of our trip, and dropped at the airport.

The other town we loved was Evora ( in the book) and of course Obidos is the "wedding" town, as this is your honeymoon.

Posted by
5 posts

What wonderful responses! Thank you!

We will be staying from May 2-15. We haven't set specifics on how long to stay in each location - open to suggestions!

I hadn't gotten to Obidos in the book yet. Thank you so much for pointing out the "wedding city." You are absolutely right - a perfect place to visit while on our honeymoon.

After reading posts on this site, I believe we are going to go ahead and book hotels instead of AirBnB.

I am reluctant to rent a car - mostly because it just seems like an extra hassle to me. RS book notes public transit options...thinking to use those recommendations. Do you feel like cars are necessary for visiting Lisbon, Sintra, Porto and then Salema?

Thanks!

Posted by
477 posts

You wouldn't want a car in Lisbon, or Sintra. Train service between the two is good. There is also good train service from Lisbon to Porto. For the Salema portion though, you would be looking at a combination of train and buses to get there. As well for other areas I believe they are better connected with buses. I think with your amount of time, that if you don't want to rent a car I would consider dropping Salema.

Posted by
233 posts

Hi!

Answering yr questions:

Reservations - book as soon as possible. We are being invaded by tourists! Portuguese people discovered aribnb recently, and for what I know In Porto and Lisbon apartments are really cozy (I work in real estate) - better than hotel. But you don't really need an apartment as eating in Portugal is cheap. You must decide what you enjoy more. We are romantic, so advise that you are in honeymoon and I'm sure you will have some extra attention!

Safety - No problem. Just avoid walking desert areas late at night (this goes for women or men). And be carefull with pick-pocket, mainly in public transport. Pick-pockets are usually well dressed men carrying a journal.

LGBT events - from 25 to 30th May - Festival Lisbon Bear Pride : http://www.lisbonbearpride.com/

Lisbon, Sintra, Porto (You should include Obidos as said before): ok
Salema: well, I don't quite understand this thing with Salema. It is nice, but not the nicest place in Algarve. And besides in May it's still cold in Portugal, the only place good to go to the beach is Algarve, but to the other side (the eastern part, or at least the center). But who am I to say this, what is cold for me may not be for you! I see all the time, here in Porto, foreign girls in dresses and sandals while I'm still using my cardigan and boots...

Other must see cities: besides Óbidos, well... a lot, it depends on what you prefer. Anyway, I'g gonna give you one suggestion near Porto, that is Vila do Conde, you can visit in one morning, just take the subway (that is not a subway, it's a tram), it's more or less half an hour to get there.

Should you need any further info, just tell! Hope you have an excellent stay in Portugal!