Portugal

Lisbon is reasonably priced in general, I wouldn't worry too much about finding cheap eats. We had lots of 10 euro 3-course lunches that were amazing and filled us up for the whole day. One thing to keep in mind in Portugal is that they place this plate of food on the table - usually has breads, cheeses, olives, and sometimes even meats and pates... they charge you based on what you eat. So even if you eat one olive you will be charged for eating some of that stuff. Avoiding those temptations can be a good way to keep your food bill down! From Lisbon, I would say a day trip by train to Sintra is a must-see. We combined it with a bus from Sintra to Cascais for dinner then the train back to Lisbon, it was a really fun day. In Lisbon, you have the castelo sao jorge on the top of the hill, also Belem with all the sights there (especially the monastery!). If you see the castle, i would recommend taking a bus or tram or taxi up, then walking down through the really cool alfama district. one thing I liked doing in Lisbon that I wish I had more time to do was just wandering the various neighborhoods. Each seem to have their own character and charms. Lots of nice churches, little museums, etc., where you can waste away the day wandering and enjoying! Have a great time! I feel like lisbon is one of those cities where if you give it some time to "get under its skin" so to speak, it has a ton to offer. I had 5 days there and felt like I barely got started on seeing the city!

While in Lisbon be sure to go to Belem (short bus ride) to see the Tower of Belem, the Monument to the Discoverers, the Jeronimos Monastery, the Museum of Coaches, and of course the Pasteis de Belem, the famous pastry shop. Check out the old Se (Cathedral) and see the Roman ruins under the cloisster, the Elevador Santa Justa (designed by Eiffel), the Alfama district and castle, and wander Rua Augusta. As was previously mentioned, a day trip to Sintra and Cascais would also be great. Agree that Lisbon has a lot to offer. We were there in September 2010 and the food was moderately priced with lots of delicious, fresh seafood available. Have a great time!

In Lisbon we were very impressed by the Gulbenkian museum. If you've not been there I would suggest a stop in Toledo.

I enjoyed Lisbon and all of Portugal for that matter. Prices in Portugal are perhaps 20-25% less than Spain so finding good value meals is not going to be a problem. I happen to be an arms dealer by trade and was naturally interested, but if you have any interest in military equipment or military history then by all means visit in the Portuguese Museum of Military History, which is conveniently located right next to the main train station is Lisbon! Three Euros, lots of exhibits to see, big comfortable chairs and couches to relax in, a small baggage area for your hand luggage (like Rick's travel bag) and also spotless toilets! Even is you are just laying over for a few hours between trains in Lisbon the three Euros spent on admission are well worth it when compared to just sitting in the Lisbon train station.

Evora would be a daytrip option from Lisbon. Porto is too far for a daytrip but worth at least one night. If you like wine at all, be sure to go to the port wine tasting rooms. The RS guide has the highlights and good food options pretty well covered.

Portugal is the anti-"must see" place. There is lots worth seeing, but mostly it is full of cities and towns that are themselves the main attraction, their ambiance and character. Including Lisbon. That said, I suggest a day trip to Sintra. And a few quidebooks might give you a sense of what would speak to you and your tastes the best.

I would suggest a night in Evora. If you can swing it, stay at: Albergaria do Calvario We had the best time there and you could explore Monsaraz and some other walled towns in the Alejento region.

I would not spend 6 days in Lisbon, I would spend no more than 3, with the other 3 in Porto, or the other 3 in the Algavre. The beaches in the Algavre are so beautiful. We stayed in Tavira for 3 nites, and the seafood was to die for! Port wine tasting was fun in Porto, and a trip up the river is absolutely wonderful.

@Adam: what did you mean when you said that it's the "anti-must see" place?... I'm actually very excited to see this post because we are staying 1 month in Lisbon in the fall and while so much focus is put on France, Spain and Italy, you don't really see/hear much about Portugal, so I'm trying to soak up every tidbit of info I can.
@Greg: not sure when you're trip is, but please feel free to PM me if you have anything you think might help a fellow Portugal traveller!

Monique, when we visited Portugal we spent two nights in Coimbra. It is an interesting, charming place, full of atmosphere and history, and very worthwhile. But there is not a single A-list sight to see in the whole place. Coibra is the sight. Much of Portugal is like that. That's why I called it the anti-"must-see" place, in response to a request for must-see places.

If you go to Coimbra, also check out Tomar and the monastery. Six days is not enough time to experience the various regions of Portugal. Lisbon and a couple of day trips would make an enjoyable six days.

Sintra absolutely. Re Coimbra, the Joanine Library at the university is stunningly beautiful.

Portgual is wonderful - I'm jealous!! I spent 12 days in Portugal a few years ago - not long enough. I echo a previous poster's suggestion to spend a lot of time wandering around Lisbon. What a charming city! I loved the Gulbunkien (sp) museum, as well as the sites in Belem suggested. I also liked the Museu Nacional do Azulejo. There was a long, magnificant tile display depicting the city of Lisbon before the "Great Earthquake." We went to Bussaco Forrest (beautiful, scenic), Evora, Douro Valley, Obidos, and Salema, Sagres, and Marvao. If Lisbon is the base, I think that you could day trip to Obidos (touristy walled city) as well as Coimbra, and Belem. Evora and Salema/Sagres, as I recall, were about 2-3 hours from Lisbon. My memory might be off. I would echo the previous poster, though, and a few days in the Algarve would be wonderful. Or Douro Valley. We stayed in pousadas in Duoro Valley, Marvao and the Buscaco Forrest -beautiful. We got great deals, so it was fairly budget friendly.

I want to thank everyone who posted a reply to my question. We are looking forward to our upcoming trip and are we are visiting some of the suggested sites and towns, again I thank each of you.

I'm envious. We were in Portugal two years ago and absolutely loved it. I was in Portugal on business , then my husband joined me in Porto for a week long vacation. The country is so small compared to California, we rented a car in Porto, then a week later dropped it off in Lisbon. We spent a day/night in Porto and visited a couple Port houses. Taylor's and Grahams both have have great tours. Then we drove up the Douro and spent two nights at Qinta Nova, a winery with a farmhouse, pool, and restaurant. There was a wonderful restaurant in Pinhao where we had lunch. We explored the Douro and stopped at Fonseca for an audio tour and tasting. Then we took a day driving to Alcacel de Sol, seeing lots of sights along the way and stayed at the Pousada there. Not in any guide book, but a very quaint non touristy town on a river. Two nights in Sagres (at a Pousada) was one of the highlights of our trip. What great history, and spent an afternoon on a beach. Our last night was in Lisbon, but spent a whole day walking the city and seeing the Sae Jorge castle, Belim, and the Port Institute. Lisbon reminded us of San Francisco. This was the first vacation with Rick Steves as our guide, and even though we stayed in 5 hotels in 8 nights, we didn't feel like really spent that much time in a car driving from town to town. The only thing we would have done differently, is extending our trip if we could. By purchasing a Pousada passport (4 nights), the nightly rate was only about 80 euros if I recall. We want to return to Portugal, but this year we are going to Italy.