howsyamama

Hello. (FYI, I also posted this on another travel site. So if you saw it there, too, sorry for the duplication.)

My wife and I are taking a way too short trip to Portugal in early November, for only 6 nights, to celebrate our 10th anniversary.

Neither of us has been before, and I realize this is a short stay. So I'd really appreciate any suggestions for how to spend our time.

Our initial thought was to divide our time between Lisbon and Porto, and possibly make a day trip or two from both. Just not sure where - of if Porto is our best, other stop-over.

FYI, we arrive VERY early on Day 1 (6am) and depart in the morning of Day 7. So we have 6 full days - the first one after flying all night.

We love to walk for miles, enjoy experiencing the local culture/history, museums, great food. We enjoy organized tours, too, so if you have favorites, please let me know.

FYI, we live near the beach (and it won't exactly be beach weather anyway), so beaches aren't of interest - although beautiful, culturally interesting coastal communities are certainly a consideration.

Thank you in advance. I realize there's WAY more to enjoy and experience than we can manage in such short time, so want to make the most of it!

lauramsgarden

we spent ten days in Portugal last year - I would do two days in Lisbon, then divide the rest between either Evora and the surrounding area and Obidos/Tomar which are great bases for exploring the surrounding countryside, and neither is too far from Lisbon, so you won't waste a lot of time traveling. We didn't enjoy Porto that much and the countryside is so lovely.

howsyamama

Thank you, lauramsgarden! Just the kind of input I'm looking for. I don't know what I don't know.

dani007

From Lisbon, a day trip to sintra where you can visit the Pena Palace, a a 19th century Romantic architecture and a UNESCO world heritage site. From Porto, the Douro Valley is not to be missed. The landscape of green hills with the river is breathtaking!!!

msweg

Since you fly out in the morning on the 7th day, I'd suggest making seeing Lisbon your last stop rather than doing it at the beginning.

Will you want to rent a car? What worked for me was to pick up a car on arrival and drive to Sintra for the first night. It wasn't too much of a drive for a jet lag day, and there is plenty to see there on foot for the first day. Then you could take off from there for another 2 nights before returning the car in Lisbon. I'd leave 2 full days for Lisbon, which would mean 3 of your nights spent there before flying out. There are lots of choices for where to spend the remaining 2 nights after Sintra. I didn't make it to Evora, but enjoyed stopping in Obidos, and the scenery between Nazare and Tomar. If you stick to points of interest in that general direction you would easily fill your time without driving long distances.

If you don't want to rent a car, however, I'd recommend doing Sintra as a day trip from Lisbon (making that 4 nights in Lisbon to allow one full day for Sintra, and 2 full days in Lisbon), and pick just one other place for your other 2 nights, something easily reachable by train or bus, so Evora might be a perfect choice for that time frame.

I also didn't really enjoy Porto so much, partly because it was pouring down rain the whole time I was there, but the Douro Valley and a stay at a B&B in that area was one of the high points of my trip. But with only 6 nights, I think you should save that part of the country for another time.

Robert2533

You can read the following newsletter regarding "72 hours in Portugal’s Historic Port City'' http://tinyurl.com/ps374q4

danon

I found a lot to see in Lisbon...had three full days..made a half day trip to Belem,
but did not have time to go to Sintra.

thursdaysd

You could (and I have) easily spend all your time in Lisbon, with day trips to Belem, Sintra and perhaps Obidos. You could also spend a couple of nights in Evora, which you can easily reach by bus, although you might want a car when you get there. My last trip I flew into Lisbon, took the airport bus to the bus station, and took the bus to Evora, but I wasn't coming off an international flight. Click on my name for my somewhat dated but still relevant Lisbon TR.

If you want to go further afield my pick would be Coimbra rather than Porto, by train, with a visit to the Roman ruins in Conimbriga by bus.

Percy

Well having just got back from 3 weeks in Spain and most of Portugal I would say it depends on what you want to see.

You have plenty of time to make an outline plan.

1. You can easy spent 3 days in Lisbon , if you don't then you are missing things BUT then you might not want to see them

2. When I say Lisbon I am including Belem ( pronounced Bay-Lay)

3. You could go to the coastline Cape Roca just by the Sintra Mountains...why ! because this is the most westernly edge of Europe.


here:

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Cape+...ih=923&dpr=0.9

4. Then do Sintra and the Palaces and Castles like :

Monserrate Palace
Sintra Palace
Pena Palace
Castle of Moors

It is 60 miles from Sintra to Obidos...do you want to go there?
Quaint place, nice shopping stores and simple to walk about.

OR do you want, on your way back from Sintra to Lisbon , to stop off at the lovely Queluz Palalce.

https://www.google.ca/search?q=Quelu...ih=923&dpr=0.9

Better do Queluz Palace, reduce you driving and have ample time to take everything in.

I was at Obidos (pronounced Oh-Bee_Douch )
Tomar
Nazarne, Fatima, Alcobaca Monsterry and Batalha Monastery...BUT

you do not have time to go zipping around. !

howsyamama

Thank you ALL for your excellent advice! Based on everything we've read, we've decided to stay in Lisbon for our 6 nights, explore the south a bit, and leave Porto and surrounding area for another trip. This way we can more fully appreciate Lisbon and make a couple of day trips, as many of you suggested. We also decided on Baixa as a neighborhood that seemed most appealing to us. I'm sure it's going to be a wonderful - but WAY too short - trip.

Thank you all again!

burta

We were in Portugal two summers ago and loved it. I think six days there will be a lovely anniversary trip for you. You could spend a few days in Lisbon with Sintra as a day trip, then train to Porto for two days, and drive back to Lisbon. It's an easy drive with great roads. On the way back, there is a UNESCO world heritage site at Coimbra. You might also stop in Nazare, where Garret McNamara rode the biggest wave in the world (http://tinyurl.com/ookx9b9). We are not surfers, but are from Hawaii where he surfs big waves, so we made the pilgrimage. In the summer the waves are small, but the town is still quaint and enjoyable. In November, you'd actually be able to see the big winter surf and go down to the lighthouse shown in all the clips of that ride.

Have a great trip!

sandralist

I spent a week in Lisbon and never got to Sintra and took no day trips, and I had a wonderful time in the city itself and was never bored. Hope you have lovely weather, but in November, be sure to pack shoes with non-skid soles because the old stone streets of Lisbon are really steep and can get slippery when wet!

lauramsgarden

If you are staying mostly in Lisboa make sure to spend a day in Belem - fantastic, and if you are staying in Baixa make sure to eat at the Xapuri bistro - one of our favorites (I still have their business card)