divamorgan

We're travelling to Portugal in Oct. and pick up a car in Porto. We don't want to drive in Porto so thought we'd skip it, pick up the car at the airport and be off. Is it worth it to stay in Porto one night and then back to the airport for the car the next day? We will make our way south to Lisbon over a 2 week period with stops near Viseu, Alcobaca, Marvao, Evora and Sintra. We're skipping the Algarve. We're done with beaches. We we plan to spend 3 days in Lisbon. We can't decide whether to stay in Cascais and take the train to Lisbon or to just stay in Lisbon? We will have spent 2 days in Sintra.just prior to that. Any advice would be appreciated. It's been really hard to plan this itinerary because we're at the point in our lives when we don't like to be on the run to a different place every night.
Suzanne

HappyTrvlr

Porto is worth more than one day so don't sell it short. It is one of the most underrated cities in Europe.Porto has a lovely waterfront and is filled with history.It would be a shame to skip it.
Stay in Lisbon rather than the old beach resort Caiscais. You can visit Caiscais when you are staying in Sintra if you want.You need to stay in the city to really appreciate it. We basically did your itinerary with the addition of Coimbra and Guimares but with a longer stay in Lisbon.

suec1

Well I liked staying in Cascais and taking the train into Lisbon. Cascais was just the right size for me and not as gritty as Lisbon. I think it just depends on what you are looking for - Cascais was what I was looking for! Plenty of restaurants to choose from but not overwhelming. But I don't know if there was any fado in Cascais but that wasn't on my to do list anyways.

adrienne

I would stay in Lisbon if that's where you want to sightsee. No point in adding extra time to your day commuting into the city from elsewhere. Sintra is delightful! Most of the towns you're visiting have no nightlife so you might like a change and experience a city.

Since you're going as far east as Marvao you should also see Castelo de Vide. You can see both towns in a day.

Sher

Let me add my two cents, for what it is worth.
On my fourth trip to Portugal, I stayed in Cascais. The reason being that I was at a house party with friends and family and with so large a group we rented a house there.

I liked Cascais. But I wouldn't trade it for staying in Lisbon. I love looking at and being near the ocean. But frankly, the town itself held my interest for a day.

Lisbon has so much to offer. Cascais is a nice resort town with beaches. Sintra has a lot to offer.

When you listed the towns you are planning to spend time in on your journey South my thought is that you would enjoy Lisbon more than Cascais as charming as it is.

This is just my thought. Enjoy your trip.