Portugal with a toddler
Jan 26th, 2007, 06:57 AM
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Portugal with a toddler
Hi all, I've been reading many of your messages on Portugal, and was wondering if anyone can help me with a few child friendly tips.
My husband and I + our 2.5 year old toddler will be traveling to Portugal in May. We have 9 days, and will probably just be in the Lisbon area and Algarve area this time.
1. Would you base yourself in Sintra and do daytrips to Lisbon? We live in NYC and could do with a little bit more laid back of a town.
2. Has anyone rented an apartment on the Algarve coast near Tavira or Salema with a child? We would prefer this over a hotel so that we can do some cooking of our own.
Thanks for your input
My husband and I + our 2.5 year old toddler will be traveling to Portugal in May. We have 9 days, and will probably just be in the Lisbon area and Algarve area this time.
1. Would you base yourself in Sintra and do daytrips to Lisbon? We live in NYC and could do with a little bit more laid back of a town.
2. Has anyone rented an apartment on the Algarve coast near Tavira or Salema with a child? We would prefer this over a hotel so that we can do some cooking of our own.
Thanks for your input
Feb 28th, 2007, 05:40 PM
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ttt
Also very interested in learning more about Portugal (and Lisbon, Sintra and Porto) as a possible destination with a toddler. Are these places easily naviagble on foot (aside from the Lisbon hills)? Can we get by on public transport & trains or is a car necessary?
Also very interested in learning more about Portugal (and Lisbon, Sintra and Porto) as a possible destination with a toddler. Are these places easily naviagble on foot (aside from the Lisbon hills)? Can we get by on public transport & trains or is a car necessary?
Feb 28th, 2007, 06:10 PM
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There are a number of self-catering apartments/condos located in Tavira. We stayed in Tavira Gardens which has 3 pools, including a lovely children's pool - all nestled among beautiful gardens. Will you have a car, erdoc?
Nov 6th, 2011, 06:07 PM
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How did this trip go for you and your family, erdoc? I know this post is several years old, but I'm hoping to reopen the conversation as my husband and I are thinking of a similar trip with our daughter, who will be about 20 months at the time of our trip in May 2012. Still fleshing out the details but the idea is to rent a villa in Sintra with several other couples with babies. We've travelled with these couples before, all are close friends, but we've never undertaken a big trip together with little ones in tow, never mind abroad...
I've also been to Sintra/ Cascais/ Lisbon, so that makes it a little easier on the planning, but planning with a toddler is VERY different. For example, i remember the Moorish castle having some pretty dangerous heights and would not think it baby/toddler friendly at all. Can I get a small stroller through the Pena Palace, or would a baby carrier be necessary? Other plans I had in mind with the babe- day trip to Obidos, beach days at Guincho beach and Cascais, the Oceanario in Lisbon, museums and sights in Lisbon, etc. If you or others had particular success (or even failure) with these places with your little ones, could you please chime in??
I'm also hoping to do a week in the north, flying into Porto, driving out to the Douro for a couple of nights, and staying with an aunt at her home near Serra da Estrela. Then we'd drive down to Sintra, perhaps with a stop in Coimbra for some sightseeing (the children's park in particular- I have pictures of myself there as a child). Meet up with our group in Sintra for the week, fly home via Lisbon. This would probably take two weeks, and might be a little much for a toddler. Although I am taking into account our slower pace and need to have a fairly consistent nap and bedtime when we can. (Whatever THAT means when you take jet lag and a time change into account...)
Just looking forward to hearing other folks' experiences with toddlers in Portugal. Fodors forum is excellent, but doesn't seem to have many posts related to this type of travel. Thanks for letting me tag on to your post!
I've also been to Sintra/ Cascais/ Lisbon, so that makes it a little easier on the planning, but planning with a toddler is VERY different. For example, i remember the Moorish castle having some pretty dangerous heights and would not think it baby/toddler friendly at all. Can I get a small stroller through the Pena Palace, or would a baby carrier be necessary? Other plans I had in mind with the babe- day trip to Obidos, beach days at Guincho beach and Cascais, the Oceanario in Lisbon, museums and sights in Lisbon, etc. If you or others had particular success (or even failure) with these places with your little ones, could you please chime in??
I'm also hoping to do a week in the north, flying into Porto, driving out to the Douro for a couple of nights, and staying with an aunt at her home near Serra da Estrela. Then we'd drive down to Sintra, perhaps with a stop in Coimbra for some sightseeing (the children's park in particular- I have pictures of myself there as a child). Meet up with our group in Sintra for the week, fly home via Lisbon. This would probably take two weeks, and might be a little much for a toddler. Although I am taking into account our slower pace and need to have a fairly consistent nap and bedtime when we can. (Whatever THAT means when you take jet lag and a time change into account...)
Just looking forward to hearing other folks' experiences with toddlers in Portugal. Fodors forum is excellent, but doesn't seem to have many posts related to this type of travel. Thanks for letting me tag on to your post!
Nov 6th, 2011, 06:58 PM
#5
<B>FUBella</B>: erdoc hasn't posted in Fodors in nearly 5 years. Instead of tacking on to a really old thread you might get better response starting a new thread of your own (many folks will answer the OP not realizing it is from 2007).
