Barbara

I will be traveling in late December/early January to Portugal, and I wondered if anyone has stayed in the Hotel Britania or As Janeles Verdes in Lisbon, or Setais Palace or Lawrence Hotel in Sintra. I will be traveling on my own, and without a car. Thanks.

Claudia

Take a look at www.thetravelzine.com, a good website put together by Don and Linda Freedman. <BR> <BR>Go to the drop-down menu ("Read Our Travelogues")and click on "Portugal Spring 1997;" they describe the Britania in the entry "Lisboa1". <BR> <BR>Hope you find this helpful; I sure did! <BR>

joao

Seteais Palace is a beautiful place (and real palace). But is quite far from the public transport system. If you are not renting a car, it doesn't seem to be suitable.

coco

I was in Sintra last week for 3 days. We stayed at the Pensao Residencial Sintra, a converted great house that is somewhat faulty towers, but quite charming and with a beautiful garden and pool, just up the hill from "downtown." All the rooms are huge and have en suite bathrooms. We checked out the Lawrence (right in town and also maybe a converted house) and the Tivoli Hotel Sintra (also right in town and rather posh looking, tho very "hotel-ish"). We walked out to the Setais Palace--very, very nice, but a good walk from town. There are quite a few taxis at the stand right in town and seemed to be $3-5 to get just about anywhere, so we didn't miss a car. Also so beautiful we wanted to walk a lot, tho at night did take taxi back to the Pensao. <BR> <BR>In answer to your Lisbon hotel questions, we stayed at the Veneza--down the avenue from Avenida Palace and Tivoli Hotel. It was a charming room and the staff was beyond helpful. We met up with a woman friend there who loved how they fussed about her as a single woman. Her room was really quite small (as singles tend to be) and she says next time she'd pay the extra 2,000esc/ night for a double.

Linda

Barbara - have never stayed at the Janeles Verdes but have seen pictures and know the location. If you don't have a car, I wouldn't recommend this. Try to find a hotel on the Avenida Liberdade. This is a good walkable location to many things. We always stay at the Tivoli and like it very much. As for Sintra, I've never spent the night but I do know the Hotel Tivoli is in the heart of town. Enjoy Libon and be sure to take the train to Caicais and Estoril! Be sure to bring an umbrella, winter is their rainy season!

Teresa

Barbara, <BR> <BR>About Sintra, I think you should stay at Lawrences' Hotel which is so charming and in the center of the villa. You won't need a car because you'll be there! It's not a very cheap hotel but the quality is superb!Also don't forget to eat there: the restaurant is fantastic and the service very very nice! <BR>It's a quiet, cozy and friendly hotel. If you want something less intimate you'll have Seteais with beautiful rooms and views but is far from the center and the staff is like in any chian hotel. <BR> <BR>About Lisbon: Janelas Verdes is a very nice place near the river but in a wealthy residencial area; Britania is better located and they're both part of the same company. If you want go to their site: www.heritage.pt (have a nice trip)!!