TAP-Chicago to Lisbon with Transfer to Porto Flight, as Final Destination-Experiences to Share

I didn’t have the transfer to Porto, but I did fly from Chicago to Lisbon last year. I wrote about my experience with TAP and the Lisbon airport in my trip report.

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-lisbon-portugal-my-trip-report

Thank you, Carrie.

I have read through all the helpful posts. We start our trip in Porto and return to Lisbon, but the challenge is to make the most of our limited time in Lisbon. We have a full day trip to Fatima, Obidos, and Nazare. On another day, we will visit Sintra and Cascais. On the first day, we have a two-hour guided tour, which feels restricting. This leaves only half a day open for exploring Lisbon on the first and last day. I would appreciate any suggestions on how to maximize our time and see the must-visit sights.

I would buy a ticket to St. George castle before you leave home. The tickets are good for 90 days. That way, you can visit when you have a free hour or two and then walk down through the Alfama district.

Buy your ticket here and then print out. That way, you won’t have to waste time waiting in line when you are there.

https://castelodesaojorge.pt/en/

Lisbon is a great city for just wandering. So, when you have some spare time, I would just walk around. You could go to the Time Out Market and then walk around by the river.

We did this route on TAP but from Miami. It did not go well but I am not sure how much I would generalize from it.

Our flight was delayed for 2.5 hours which resulted in us missing our connecting flight. We knew this might happen so rebooked before we even left Miami airport. Then we were lined up to go on the bus to go to the plane to Porto (had our tickets checked) and we all had to return and wait as they were missing crew members.

On the other hand, our return from Lisbon was seamless.

We didn’t have any difficulty at the airport and used machines like in London for passport check after arrival.

Regarding this comment:

We did this route on TAP but from Miami. It did not go well but I am not sure how much I would generalize from it.

Are you talking about the connection between Lisbon and Porto?

This is a good point and gives us another thought about understanding how many flights leave each day from Lisbon to Porto.

Another question related to this comment:

I would buy a ticket to St. George castle before you leave home. The tickets are good for 90 days. That way, you can visit when you have a free hour or two and then walk down through the Alfama district.

Does the Lisbon card cover admission to St. George Castle?

Yes, it looks like the Lisbon card covers the castle.

https://lisboa-card.com/frequently-asked-questions/#:~:text=Yes%2C%20S.,this%20iconic%20symbol%20of%20Lisbon.

Would you recommend getting tickets in advance for the Jeronimos Monastery? Do you know how to prompt the senior discount?

Thank you.