Visiting Portugal

I recommend Lisbon, Sintra, Nazare, and Evora. Many people do Sintra as a day trip, but I would recommend two nights and one full day. It's a good place to start your trip, ending with Lisbon. Lisbon is good for at least four full days, but you might have to cut it back to four nights and three full days to visit all the places mentioned above. It might be long day of travel between Nazare and Evora though. Not as many people go to Portugal, which is part of the appeal. The country may not have as many famous sights as Italy, France, or England - but that can be very liberating. It frees you to just relax and be there. You're not spending as much of your time with hoards of other tourists just checking off boxes next to the things you "have" to see. We were there for two weeks in September 2008 and there were no tourist crowds to speak of. The weather was great, and the sunlight was beautiful that time of year. Rick's book is especially strong in Portugal. The standards for hotels can tend to be a little lower that the rest of Western Europe, so stick with Rick's selections.

I was in Portugal in September 2002, so I don't have more recent information. I do think of think of returning. I liked Lisbon, Sintra, and Coimbra. I didn't get to Nazare or Evora (next time). Two places I enjoyed visiting that aren't in Rick's book (which was otherwise very useful) are Santarem and Tomar. Santarem is a charming town, and it has a wonderful church with gorgeous floor to ceiling azulejos. Tomar (besides its historical importance as the base for the Knights Templar) has a fascinating museum of matchboxes. All of Portugal (even Lisbon) has fewer visitors than many other places in Europe, but Santarem felt like a real "back door" like Rick found, years ago, in places like the Cinque Terre and Gimmelwald (which, of course, stopped being "off the beaten path" once he wrote about them and they were "discovered"). By train, Santarem is an hour from Lisbon and Tomar is two hours from Lisbon; they're on the same line, and in 2002 there were trains every hour. Santarem's train station is below town, however, so buses (which go to a station right next to the center of Santarem) are easier, if less frequent. On the other hand, I didn't enjoy Porto at all (it wasn't in Rick's book in 2002, but is now). I didn't get to the surrounding Douro Valley or go to wineries, which may have been the problem. But the city itself was a snooze, at least for me.

We stopped in Obidos for half a day on our way north. Very charming. We spent the next three nights at the pousada (similar to Spanish paradores) at Condeixa Nova, which was very nice and not too pricey. The reason to visit C.N. is the magnificent Roman archaeological site. We also visited Coimbra from there. Nice Old Town and university. There's a beautiful monastery at Batalha, which is in the same general area. I think you can easily spend ten enjoyable days exploring Portugal.

We have been to Portugal many times, most recently in April. Portugal is a small country but it offers a lot of history, scenery, beaches, great food and friendly people. For a 10 day visit it would probably be best to stay in 2 or at most 3 towns. I would recommend Lisbon, Sintra, and Nazare. We generally rent a car, and if you do so it might be best to start in Nazare. From there you can visit Coimbra and Conimbriga (Roman ruins) in one day, Alcobaca, Batalha, and possibly Obidos in one day, and possibly Tomar(about an hour drive) on another day. You could also add in Fatima if you have an interest in the religious site. And, of course, you would want to enjoy Nazare as it's on a beautiful beach. From there you could drive to Sintra, perhaps along the coast with stops at Peniche or Ericeira and Mafra National Palace. Sintra offers the Pena Palace, National Palace, Regaleira Estate, and other castles and palaces, but the most interesting might be Pena Palace. After Sintra you could drop off the car and enjoy Lisbon for a few days. Evora is also a great place to visit but a bit out of the way. It's about 1.5 hrs from Lisbon so you would probably need 2 nights for a 1 day visit. To make a good itinerary for yourself, you should research these sights on Google and/or in guide books to see what interests you. Which ever towns and sights you choose, you're sure to have a great time!

We did the RS tour in May of this year and loved Portugal. Agree with all of the places mentioned above. I would probably skip Evora, although it is lovely, and head north from Lisbon. Sintra can be done in a daytrip from Lisbon but it is a bit of a push. So I like the idea of an overnight there. We enjoyed Nazare, Obidos, Coimbra and especially the Duoro Valley and Porto. It is only 2 hours on the fast train from Porto to Lisbon direct. Pretty much follow the RS guidebook and you can't go wrong.

I like Portugal and have spent time in Lisbon and Porto primarily. Both cities tend to be rundown and poverty is more apparent than in most of the rest of Western Europe. But it is a safe country and the people are friendly. If you're not into wine, especially port wine, Porto might not appeal to you. But Lisbon has incredible history and architecture and the other sights people are mentioning are well worth a visit. I concur with the earlier poster that said accommodations are not generally up to par with other cities in Europe. Even the RS recommendations are much more Spartan and run down than you might be used to. Do your homework and use tripadvisor for ing lodging if that is important to you. I found the same thing with food, ranging from really nice meals for a good price to bad meals.

We are taking a cruise to Lisbon and am wondering how far the city is from the port. Can we walk into town and do our own walking tour? Is there a HOHO bus tour? We have 6 hrs. in port and the cruise tours are about 4.5 hrs. I'm very interested in the sea-faring discoveries, like Vasco de Gama. We like museums too. Not interested in the aquariam or a tropical garden, as we are from Florida. How hilly is it for walking? So sad Rick did not include Portugal in his Med Cruise Ports book.

According to the Port of Lisbon Web Site: "The port is equipped with three cruise terminals – the Alcântara Terminal, the Rocha Conde de Óbidos Terminal and the Santa Apolónia Terminal –, all of which are located on the North bank of the River Tagus, surrounded by the historical and cultural centre of Lisbon, which is a unique advantage for those who visit the city."
If I were you I would get the RS book and hire one of his recommended guides with a car. You can do Belem by train but to pack in the most for your trip I think it would be well worth it. I also read that sometimes there is trouble finding an outgoing cab at the cruise terminal. you will love it!

Just looked at the map, if it is the Alantara port that your ship docks at then you are in luck for Belem, as you are just one stop east of Belem.

Debbie for the most up todate and specific information on cruise ports, what to see, what to do , how much things cost, personal recommendations etc go to cruisecritics.com it is the most thorough cruise forum I have ever been on.. all other travel forums have "cruise forums" but they seem like small off shoots and not as well used at the other forums on their sites.

Take in Porto and the Duoro Valley region. Well worth 2 or 3 days of your time. You won't be disapointed.

Take in Porto and the Duoro Valley region. Well worth 2 or 3 days of your time. You won't be disapointed.

My niece and her husband have an oceanfront home in Southern Portugal. They just love the Algarve Region, and have found it an extremely affordable place to vacation. Faro Airport is easily reached by EasyJet from Gatwick at their usual discount prices.

Been to Portugal twice since 2009. In Lisbon day trip to Sintra and Belem. Great city for walking around. Porto is worth a few days. Our favorites are Coimbra (college town), Obidos (small walled village) and the Douro Valley. We stayed on a port wine farm called Quinta de la Rosa which is recommended in the RS Portugal guide. Loved it.