You might want to t ake a look at my trip report. It's not recent, but the historical sites have not changed. Click on my name to find it.

You budget is a lot; for 19€ to 27 € you can eat well.

I was hoping you'd get some more responses as we've rented an apartment in Lisbon for January and I was planning on stealing any recommendations you garnered!

We haven't done much research yet, clearly too lackadaisical, but I did bookmark some very detailed discussion of restaurants in Lisbon over on Chowhound. It looks like there's a poster there who is a local foodie and has lots of opinions and suggestions which might be helpful?

In which neighborhood did you rent the apartment? There are a number of good options for dining in both the Barrio Alta and Chiado neighborhoods.

As far as visiting Evora, Porto and the Douro River Valley go, you might be interested in reading some of the posts on the blog: www.iberiantraveler-ontheroad.com having to do with Portugal.

Wining and Dining in Portugal’s Alentejo
Pousadas of the Alentejo - Touring Portugal’s Alentejo
Exploring the Alto Douro Wine Region - Caldas de Aregos to Pinhāo
72 hours in Portugal’s Historic Port City - On The Road to the Alto Douro

I would see Evora as a day trip from Lisbon. It's only 1.5 hours on the train and you won't need more than 1 day (or less) to see the sights. There is no nightlife in Evora - everything closes up by 6 or 7PM, even in nice weather and on weekends.

Sintra - see the Pena Palace first as it will take the longest amount of time and is truly fantastic. Again, Sintra has no night life so you need to decide if you want to stay there or do 2 day trips. It's only a half hour from Lisbon. Good, inexpensive food can be found near the train station.

Ask for half portions of meals as the portions are large; sometimes the half portion was too much. Food and wine are very inexpensive.

I'm sure you know all about the wine lodges in Porto, but I can also recommend a place in Lisbon called Solar do Vinho do Porto with a port menu (a book really) -- amazing selection. Also don't miss the fado in Lisbon!

We really loved wine from the Borba region (near Evora)-- not well known at all. Another favorite is Requengos.

Not sure where you plan to go in the Douro Valley, but we really enjoyed Lamego, especially the Sanctuary of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios with its incredible staircase decorated with tiles, fountains etc. Raposeira sparkling wine comes from vineyards nearby. From Lamego, you can walk the road to Balsemao (first discovered this in Lonely Planet) -- its a great walk through olive groves and vineyards to the fascinating little chapel in Balsameo.

One observation -- 8 nights seems like a long time to spend in Lisbon. You could shorten that and make a stop between Porto and Lisbon - Nazare is a cute beach town and you could do an easy day trip to Monasterio de Alcobaca, a UNESCO site, and probably my favorite spot of my whole trip -- absolutely gorgeous with a tragic Romeo and Juliet type story about Pedro and Inez. Highly recommended!

Portugal is one of my favorite countries -- you are in for a real treat!

@welltraveledbrit I cannot believe I forgot to check out Chowhound – will do so ASAP! And please let me know if you'd like to meet up while there. IMHO I am a delightful dinner companion.

@ Robert, good question about neighborhoods. That might help you help me Porto: Rua Miguel Bombarda; Douro I’m at Casa Cimeira-Douro in Valença do Douro; Lisbon will either be couple blocks from Rua Prata or in Lapa. And thanks for the blog tip, I’ll take a look.

@ adrienne: thanks for the food tips and good to know about what to do first in Sintra.

@Magster Thanks for all the great info! Do you have a favorite spot for fado? Your rec’s for Douro are great – thank you! Might do them all!

As for Alcobaça & Batalha, I was trying to figure out how to do them both as one day trip from Lisbon, but it’s looking like a lot of travel to make it work as well as a lot of rushing around. I think I may take your advice and stop in Nazare before going to Lisbon. Is there enough around there for me to do two nights and fill my time (with things other than reading, eating, and drinking)?

Hi, bubbly, I'll leave it to you to decide whether my walking tour of Lisbon is "fascinating" or not, but I've given it to a bunch of friends who have all enjoyed it. It's posted here: http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/my-one-or-two-day-walking-tour-of-lisbon.cfm


For Lisbon restaurants, there are numerous posts here if you use the search function and I've gotten some good suggestions. There's also this website that I check before going to Lisbon to see what's newly recommended,
http://www.spottedbylocals.com/lisbon/category/activity/restaurants/ and I usually find something new to try.

For Sintra, if you have a couple of full days, you could see some of the more out of the way places. Maybe rent a car for one day and visit Monserrate (a beautiful summer home of a magnate lovingly restored), the cork monastery (Convento dos Capuhos), -- all these sites are described here: http://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/index.php#.ULQk1ny9KSM /
and then swing over to Praia d'Adraga for a fantastic fish dinner in a little restaurant right on a small but beautiful (and usually nearlyl deserted) beach. This restaurant and beach are impossible to get to without a car (or taxi from Sintra wouldn't be too outrageous) and are reallyl worth the visit.

Not sure I would spend two nights in Nazare. It's beatiful, though very touristy now, and you would enjoy going up to the upper town for the beautiful views, the church, the ride in the cable car that creeps up the hill, and the hoards of women dressed in colorful traditional clothing selling snacks and the like. Good fish restaurants, but that's about it. But getting to Alcobaca and Batalha would be easy from Nazare if you have a car.

One last thing -- Lapa is a very nice, but very residential neighborhood of Lisbon. There is some public transportation but it's best served by taxis (which aren't expensive but you may prefer public transportation). Lots of nice streets for walking, past all the embassy houses, a fancy hotel or two, but not a whole lot more. I'd stay closer to the center, but you may be looking for peace and quiet.

My favorite mderately priced lodging in the Douro Valley is hands down Casa das Canilhas. Spectacular views, great location (about a km from the pousada in Mesao Frio and close to the small town of the same name with a decent restaurant). I'd say that a train ride from Regua or Pinhao east to the end of the line in Pocinho is a must. Many people take the train from Porto and get off at Pinhao and miss the real beauty, which starts after Pinhao. The train goes out and back with a short stop at the end of the line so you can get out and go to the bar/cafe, walk around a bit, buy some local honey or olive oil, a nice way to spend a few hours.

Sorry that this is kind of scattered, but I hope some of it may be useful to you.

It's been several years since I was in Lisbon, so I don't know that you can trust my fado recommendations, but I really liked Adega Mesquita -- excellent entertainment (but the meal was terribly overpriced).

Not a lot to do in Nazare, but it's a beautiful place and anyway you'll want to spend the better part of your one full day seeing Alcobaca. You will love the seafood there. (Unfortunately, our favorite restaurant seems to be gone.) Be sure to walk up the cliff to Sitio for awesome views and lots of great places to eat.

This is all great - thank you everyone!

I'm more familiar with the restaurants in Foz do Douro then in the center of Porto. If you take the tram out to Foz, you'll find the popular Al Forno and the outstanding Pedro Lemos, one of the best chefs in Portugal (www.pedrolemos.net). And the Restaurante Foz Velha is worth the tram ride by itself (www.fozvelha.com).

If you need to choose between Alcobaca and Batalha, I would choose Alcobaca. We enjoyed the architecture much more and it's also the burial site for royalty. King Pedro and his Inez are there(see Coimbra and read about their love story.)
Loved the seafood in Nazare..Loved the food in Lisbon. Acorda.. And a restauarnt with that name too..
We did day trips to Sintra from Lisbon as we wanted to stay in Lisbon.

When you are in the north ( if this is on yur route) you must try the Broa, a dense bread of the locale. Very good...the full circle skirts of the fishermen's wives in Nazare are another unique item,. You will see them on the ladies and hanging on the window clothes lines. Portugal is a great experience.

Can you all help me decide between a few apartments?

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p388030

http://www.ownersdirect.co.uk/portugal/P11328.htm

http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p3166065 (this one is in Lapa, which seems a little far away for me, I like lively)

Oh, and one more: http://loureiro2.wordpress.com/category/photos/

The first one,looks the best to me -- bright and airy and right in the thick of things (since you like lively)!

@ Bubblywine, would be fun to meet up if the dates work, feel free to email me on the contact page on my blog. At least one of us will be a delightful dinner companion
http://somuchmoretosee.blogspot.com/p/contact-me.html


We opted to rent in the Bairro Alto but I liked the look of the Graca neighborhood too. Lapa was recommended but the place we looked at seemed a walk to the shops when I looked around the neighborhood on Google Maps. I always ask for the address and make sure to have a good look around the streets online, it's not foolproof but it does give you an idea.

I'd go with the first one because I like a place that has reviews posted, it also has a separate sleeping area which is nice though I wouldn't fancy the stairs after a couple of glasses of wine!

PS Please keep asking questions, at this rate I won't have to plan my trip at all, perhaps you could even cover the trip report for me too?!

I'm not a huge fan of Rua Augusta. Although the one benefit is that it's pedestrian only so no traffic noise except for the cross streets. Also, 3rd floor probably means 4th floor. If you're in Lisboa for 8 nights, you won't be rushing as much to see things and you might better enjoy a more residential neighborhood with friendly corner cafes and shops. Check out the Principe Real area.

I think y'all are right about the first one and the pics are my favorite and the price can't be beat.

@lreynold: What a great walking tour you put together, thank you! And I always love trying hot new places, so that website will be a great resource.

Magster-do you have one or two wine houses in Porto that you like best? I think I'll do Sandman, but am wondering if there is another that would be really interesting to see. Or maybe one with exceptional, and inexpensive, ports for me to try.

I'm going to swap out a night in Lisbon for a night in Nazare and will hit Batahla on my way there from Douro and Alcobaca and Obidos before dropping the car in Lisbon.

Thanks for the rec's, Robert! I got some great ideas from the blog you suggested for Douro, as well. Question for those who have spent time driving around Douro valley: does this itinerary look okay? Is it too much to pack into two days, and if so, what should I cut? I’m also having trouble finding the train schedule from Regua to Pocinho – wondering what time the first train is.

Monday:
Dept. 9am to stop in Lamego for museum and stair case
Lunch: DOC Restaurante in Pinhao
PM: Quinta do Seixo
Dinner: Hotel

Tuesday:
AM: train Peso da Régua to the end of the line, in Pocinho
Museu do Douro
Lunch: Castas e Pratos
PM: Quinta do Vallado
Quinta Nova
Quinta do Portal
Dinner: Hotel

Thanks!

We loved our visit to Taylors -- excellent explanations of the portmaking process. And lunch at the Taylor's restaurant is a must-do. You sit on a terrace with this amazing view of the Porto Riverfront, great food, complimentary glass of port, and superb service. Highly recommend it!

We also liked our visit to Osborne -- very generous pours there!

Here is my trip report from our recent visit to Lisbon, which we loved. It includes some restaurant recommendations and day-trip details:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/lisbon-europe-without-the-attitude-or-price-tag.cfm

Two nights in Sintra would be too much, IMHO. It is a fine day-trip.

I'm following the apartment recommendations in Lisbon closely since I hope to be there for about a week in March. Can someone tell me more about the Principe Real district?

We did the Sandeman port lodge in Vila Nova de Gaia (across the river from Porto), and the tour was great, and got to taste some very fine ports.

Anything in particular you'd like to know, WWanderer? Disclaimer: my opinions are biased as someone who lives here and not as a traveler

Hi, bubblywine,

The train schedule is available on the Portuguese train web site, www.cp.pt To get times, on the bottom right of the webpage, plug in Regua and Pocinho. I've done a round trip search for a random day, and I hope this link will bring up that page: http://www.cp.pt/cp/searchTimetable.do

If not, here's what I found:
LV Regua 9:15 AR Pocinho 10:35
LV Pocinho 11:16 AR Regua 12:39

Other departures from Regua are at 11:18, 15:42, 17:35 (there's also one at 19:07, but you won't be able to get back to Regua that night). Times for these later departures are essentially the same duration as the full trip I listed above.

IMO, if you are going to have a car, and if you want to save some time, I would drive to Pinhao and cut 40 minutes off the train travel (20 minutes each way) by starting and ending there. You can drive along the river between Pinhao and Regua, so the train doesn't give you any special vistas. If you are going to be traveling around the Douro area that day, Pinhao is just as good a base as Regua, IMO. But that may interfere with your idea about visiting a museum in Regua and eating lunch there.

And one little thing about the apt. in Lisbon, I think the Rua Augusta one is more convenient for public transportation, though the others (except for the Lapa one) are fairly close too. Sounds like this is all coming together nicely.

BTW, Guimaraes is a UNESCO world heritage center. And well worth a visit!

Bookmarking

You're right, lreynold1, I want to take the train from Pinhao rather than Regua. It's actually much closer to where I'm staying and I just reworked that schedule to fit it all in without much backtracking. Thanks!

I'm absolutely planning a day trip to Guimaraes. Hard to pass up those UNESCO sites when they're so close.

Thank you everyone for helping me put this all together. I’m feeling great about my first couple weeks in no small part to all your thoughtful suggestions. I’m now hoping for some help with my Lisbon itinerary. I’m going to go for the apartment on Rua Augusta – just looks so nice and comfortable and “me.” I have seven nights there, which some have expressed is a lot, but I’ll be taking this opportunity to just hang out, drink wine, read, and drink more wine.

Any other day trips I should do? I’m already hitting Batalha, Nazare, Alcobaca, and Obidos before and Sintra and Evora after.

Here’s what I’m thinking so far for Lisbon – what should I add or take out?

Friday: get in 6pm, dinner near apartment

Saturday: AM Flea market, wander Alfama quarter; Lunch: Restaurante Comidas De Santiago; PM: Tram 28, Estrela Basilica, Sé Cathedral and St George's Castle

Sunday: AM Fodor friend walking tour, Shopping on Pombaline Baixa, Rossio and Chiado

Monday: AM: Belem and Monastery of the Hieronymites, Nat’l Coach Museum, Solar do Vinho do Porto for drinks, Fado club

Tuesday: Day trip to Tomar

Wednesday: Walk Abril bridge & Ajuda area, Religious and historic sites walking tour (self-guided), PM: Aquarium

Thursday: AM Setúbal by bus to wander and seafood lunch, PM: Wander Bairro Alto

You should double check, but I'm under the impression that Belem Tower and Jerónimos, as well as many museums, are closed on Mondays (Segunda-Feira).

They are free on Sunday mornings. Also check for exact times.

Hi, bubblywine,

Nutella's right that places are generally closed on Mondays. Maybe you'd want to switch Sunday and Monday, since shopping is much better on Monday than Sunday (though some stores are open on sundays).

Since you'll be there in January, the crowds won't be too great in Belem even on the free Sunday mornings. If you get there early, you have plenty of time to visit many of Belem's attractions (which also include an anthropology museum, a naval museum, and the huge modern Centro Cultural de Belem with its modern art museum and a cafe with a terrace over the river that is very very nice). You might add the Torre de Belem to your vsit to Belem if you have time. I've brought a lot of people out to Belem and most like it a lot. And you absolutely can't leave Belem without eating a pastry or two at the Pasteis de Belem. The shop is on the block right before the monastery (coming from Lisbon) and is usually lmobbed. There will be a mad crush at the counter for take-out and there is also a warren of little rooms all weaving around where you can sit and have pastry and coffee or whatever else you want. There are tons of places in Lisbon and Portugal that make similar pastries (called Pastel de Nata), but NONE come close to what you will get here. Warm, with a little cinnamon and sugar dusted on the top, they are incredible.

When you say you're going to visit the April 25 bridge and the Ajuda area, I assume you know you can't walk or get anywhere near to the bridge. there's a very good restaurant right at the base of one of its main pylons on the Lisbon side, called O Mercado. Lots of delicious and very fresh fish. Ajuda is also home to the mansion turned Pestana hotel, and it's really quite an eye-popper. The Ajuda palace is not IMO worth a visit, but there may be other things I'm not thinking of.

The Saturday flea market may disappoint you. It's pretty much a lot of junk and a few people selling scarves and jewelry. I haven't been there in a few years, but that was my distinct impression, lots and lots of junk.

The day trip to Tomar is a great idea, it's a nice walk up to the Convento on the top of the hill. Trains are frequent, but kind of slow (about two hours each way unless you can catch one of the occasional fast trains that run to Porto and stop in Tomar). But that still gives you a lot of time there, it's a nice little town in addition to the Convento.

I note in your earlier post that you are a fan of art museums. Have you looked at what the Museu de ARte Antiga and the Gulbenkian have to offer? Arte Antiga is on the edge of the Lapa district, with a cafe with a great river view. The Gulbenkian is at the Praca de Espana, well served by metro, and adjacent to one of the main shopping areas with the Corte Ingles.

There's a lot of good fish in Setubal, but also a lot of tourist traps. I remember a great meal out at the fishing port where there are several simple and no-frills places that just plop the fresh fish on the grill. So I would do some research on the Setubal eateries.

As far as its architecture and design, the Estrela Basilica has never done much for me. The park right across the street has always been higher on my list. It's really an oasis in the summertime. Actually, continuing a little further up on the Tram 28 you'll enter the neighborhood Campo de Ourique, a 19th century grid street residential neighborhood that is one of my Lisbon favorites. Lots of good little restaurants hidden in here, some small shop shopping cafes, etc.

So much for my scattered thoughts, boa viagem!

Bubbly...seems like most everything that can aid your plans has been very well said. All I can do is add pix covering many of the aformentioned sites. This could give you a pictorial idea of what to see and do. There are some resto suggestions strung throughout also. There are also some fado pix taken at a place mentioned by Lobo Mau, our Lisboa resident maven on all things Portugal. We enjoyed it immensely...good place to try the populat caldo de verde (soup). If you decide to spend a night or two at a pousada, there are three where we stayed (Arraiolos near Evora, Marvao and Belmonte wherein I had a mission)...winter rates should be
reasonable, whatever that means!

Any questions, please pop 'em. Young lady, you are in for a super visit! Enjoy it!

Stu Tower
https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Portugal2008#

Thanks for the tip on stuff being closed on Mondays - that could have been quite the disappointment!

You are all just amazing at helping - thank you.

In Setúbal I heard good things about El Toro. Thoughts? Anyone been there?

Stu - great pics, thanks for sharing!

I'm now feeling pretty set for the Portugal portion of my trip. For any Spain experts, keep an eye out as I'll be asking many questions about it shortly.