Portugal in March?

I was in Lisbon the second week of March this year. There was some rain, but after freezing in London I found the temperature much warmer.

Thanks to Carol, Ann, and Kathy for replying. Would being in Portugal over Easter be a problem? I know Spain is big with Holy Week celebrations, and I assumed Portugal would be too. Are there higher prices, crowds during that time? Our friends have to be back by April 21st and it's nice to have at least 2 weeks when you "cross the pond". Any thoughts on this vs March? Also any other ideas are appreciated. I'm getting excited about Portugal!

I've been in Portugal in May before. I loved it. My husband is Brazilian, so the fact that we spoke the language helped. We did rent a car there and my husband was able to get around no problem. We loved Lisbon. We did a lot of walking there and took subways. Went up to St. Jorge's castle for the view. There is the high and low part of the city. A neat elevator I think was done by Eiffel. Alfama the quaint old part. My favorite was Belem. Go to the Torre de Belem. That was the point from which the navigators left. Eat a Pastel de Belem at the famous old cafe. The museu dos Coches is worth a stop not far from there. An ex-Portuguese brother in law gave me that tip! You must take a day trip to Sintra if you have never been, you will love it. We drove to Tomar/Fatima/Obidos and somewhere in the we saw Alcobaca. Have you heard the story of Pedro and Inez de Castro? Okay, I take it back this was probably my absolute favorite. Wish I could go back! Have a wonderful trip to Portugal!

Have not been to Portugal in March so can't help there. You definitely should rent a car after Lisbon. Besides the major sites you will choose, there are many minor yet very interesting towns, churches, and castles along the roads where you can stop for a break and explore. We have been to Portugal 6 times in 25 years, most recently in September 2010, and continue to enjoy new discoveries. Have a great trip!

We were in Portugal Easter week last year - no problems - great trip!

I loved Portugal - I spent 2 weeks there on a solo trip, but in October. I loved Lisbon more than I thought I would (get a transit pass and wander around), and Porto was great too, but neither city is good for a car. When I was in Porto I parked the car for 2 days and walked, or took taxis or transit. The Pestana Porto hotel was well worth the cost - comfortable hotel, fabulous location, great view (get a river view). I highly recommend spending a day wandering around in the old city of Obidos. I rented a car for 2 weeks; you should be aware that most of the major thoroughfares are toll routes, and many of the local streets are narrow and steep - it was a fun challenge, but I (and the car) emerged unscathed and un-traumatized.

We did Portugul in December(XMass) and had a great time. I agree with Kia. We parked the car in Lisbon and Porto, and used public transportation, or just walked. We found it warm and sunny in the South (Lisbon and the Algavre/Tavira) and rainy in the area around Porto, at that time of year. tavira was very quiet that time of year, but was a wonderfull base to use to explore the Algarve. It was so nice there that we were wading in the surf. We rented apartments in Lisbon and in Tavira (using VRBO and Homelidays.com) We picked up our rental car in one area, and dropped it off in another. The freeways are awesome, with no traffic. Yep, they are all toll roads, and the toll is based on the time that you spend on the road...not the distance ( I had a real "lead foot" on that trip!) We found Rick Steve's book to be right-on the-money, and explored all of his pics on our journey from the south to Porto.