So I found flights to Lisbon using AA miles for 36k miles round trip! And now...I have to figure out where to go! My wife and I will arrive in Lisbon on April 1 and depart April 8. We plan to spend at least a few days in Lisbon and side trip to Sintra. What would you recommend for 7 days in Portugal? I just ordered the RS Guidebook after I got the plane tickets and it will arrive tomorrow. TIA for the suggestions! We love art, history, churches and food. And wine. :-) How big will the waves be in Nazare that time of year?
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
You are likely to be jet lagged the first day and your last day will probably just be about getting back to the airport, so in practice, you have 6 days, which is a good length of time for Lisbon and an overnight trip to Sintra. At a push, you could also have a day trip to Evora.
The best time for Nazaré’s big waves is December, but you may get the big waves up to March. The sea will be very cold at that time of year. Nazaré itself is overrated.
You are visiting during European school holidays and just before Easter, so places will be busier and more booked up.
Posted by
Massachusetts, USA
1603 posts
Do you like to travel slow and see as much as possible in one location? If so, I agree with Jennifer that spending your time in Lisbon and Sintra makes the most sense. You have 7 nights, which gives you 6 full days and a small portion of April 1, depending on when you arrive in Lisbon, and as Jennifer states, you will have jetlag on April 1. Based on our short trip to Portugal, I recommend either 5 nights in Lisbon and 2 nights in Sintra, or 6 nights in Lisbon and 1 night in Sintra.
We spent 5 nights in Lisbon, and that included a day trip to Sintra. It would have been nice to stay overnight in Sintra, but with only 5 nights in Portugal, we didn't want to move around. We had about 3.5 days in Lisbon, and even so, we didn't see everything we wanted to see. You mention that you like art, history and churches. Lisbon has quite a few excellent museums. Our favorite is the Gulbenkian Museum, which is awesome! I am not a great fan of modern art, but we loved the Modern Collection just as much as the Founders Collection. We spent a lot of time at this museum, and also enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the café. We also enjoyed the Coach Museum. Didn't have time for the Tile Museum or the Museum of Ancient Art.
We spent a day in Belem. Then another day at the Sao Jorge Castel and wandering around the Alfama. There are quite a few interesting small churches, too. And Lisbon is a great city for just leisurely wandering around the neighborhoods, and enjoying the miradouros (viewpoints), where you can stop for drinks, if you wish, to enjoy the views.
There is a lot to see in Sintra, too. We took a bus tour that included Pena Palace, a small amount of time in the city center for a snack/light lunch, and a drive by Cascais and Estoril, which looked really pretty and would have been nice to spend more time there. When you start reading about Sintra, you will see there are many more palaces/castles to visit that we didn't have time for.
Posted by
Gettysburg PA
6052 posts
We plan to go straight to Sintra on arrival- 2 nights- then to Lisbon.
Our trip is much longer though with 24 nights.
With just 7 nights I would either stay in Lisbon the whole time with maybe 2 day trips (Sintra, Evora) or split Sintra 2 Lisbon 5.
Eating Europe now offers food tours in Lisbon (and Porto)
We have done their tours in several other cities and they are always fantastic-more than just food, a bit of history as well
EATWELL10 for a discount
www.eatingeurope.com
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1671 posts
I agree with the other posters - stay in Lisbon the entire time with day trips. Sintra and Evora (and maybe Cascais 😉) work as day trips. If you haven’t made accommodation reservations, do so soon.
All the cities mentioned have lots of history, good food and wine - especially if you like seafood. I would suggest a good walking tour of Lisbon at the beginning of your trip and food tours are also great.
And, I’m amazed you found such good FF tickets on American. When I look, lots of times it’s 30k one way!
Posted by
OP
Charleston, SC, USA
922 posts
Kathryn - The AA tickets are a web special. The price was 17k outbound and 19k return. No changes allowed once ticketed. I bought the insurance - just in case!
Posted by
7664 posts
Only a week, I would stay in and around Lisbon.
Do Evora on a day trip from Lisbon. Spend at least 3-4 nights for Lisbon. Sintra you can do on a day trip, but if you go to other places west and northwest of Lisbon, do it enroute. Check out Obidos, Batliha Cathedral and Nazare, although the water will be chilly in April.
Do Porto and the Douro Valley next time you come to Portugal.
Posted by
Fairfax, VA
763 posts
Spend the week in Lisbon, no contest. It's got heaps of everything you're looking for. Day trip to Sintra if you like, but you'll find more than enough to keep you busy in Lisbon. Nazare is nice, but considering how much time you have, I'd save it for another trip. I lived in Lisbon for a year and left wanting more. Have a great trip and congrats on finding that great deal on the airfare.