The food is specatular, especially the bread. The people may seem a little morose but they are very kind.

While in Lisboa be sure to take the train to Sintra. I am the furthest thing from a romantic, but there is a true storybook quality about that town.

If it is on the menu try the espada, the ugliest fish in the world.

https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=espada%20fish%20portugal&psj=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.,cf.osb&biw=1119&bih=584&wrapid=tlif133364724681210&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=n9d9T737IISQ8wSN0Mz_DA

Have a great time.

Visit Sintra and stroll Cascais. get to Belem, too. It would be comfortable to be at same place for 7 days IMO, but as I said earlier, I am not an expert.

I think Evora would be an easy do-it-yourself by train / bus from Lisbon. Also there are companies that do a day tour to I think Fatime and Obpios (something like that). We are going to Portugal in May and we will be spending 5 nights in Cascais and doing Lisbon and Sintra from there. We had planned to stay in Lisbon for the 5 nights so I had investigated day trips from there - I am sure there is plenty for a 5 day stay in the area.

I would split between Lisbon & Porto (3 hrs by train or bus). You can always fly to London from there. You don't need a car (presently combined metro/tram/bus/lift day pass is 5 euros). Sintra is 2 euros o/w from Rossio (40 min). I was skeptical about Porto but now prefer it to Lisbon.

I would also split between Lisbon and Porto. From Lisbon you can make an easy daytrip to Sintra (although Sintra deserves more than one day).
We ourselves did it the other way: we stayed in Sintra for 5 nights and daytripped to Lisbon. So glad we did, 'cause we found Lisbon to be very hectic. Much preferred Porto over Lisbon. Stayed in Porto for 3 nights.

I personally would not split my time between Lisbon and Porto for a first trip. But this is your trip. I could easily spend the whole time staying in Lisbon but I understand wanting to see more of the country.
There is so much to see in and around Lisbon....Belem, Sintra in and of themselves will burn three days easily.
If you want to venture outside of Lisbon I would either go toward Evora and the Alentejo. Or I would head toward Obidos and the coast which will be a lot cooler in August, believe me.And a car for part of the trip would give you a lot of flexibilty to explore outside of the city.
But whatever you decide maybe you might want to meet up for a Lisbon GTG. We will be there at that time too.

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you very much for choosing the Avenida Palace, hope you have an enjoyable stay. Let us know if there is anything we can do for you.
Sincerely Yours
Pedro Costa

Lisbon is a great city, but 7 days might be too much in one place. Evora would be a great destination for a few nights, since it's just big enough to not get bored, and the surrounding countryside has lots to see. I would recommend renting a car for this part of your trip - driving in the flat, uncrowded countryside near Evora is very easy, and you can explore pre-historic ruins, sleepy little villages and spectacular hill towns near the Spanish border. Just realize that central Portugal gets very hot in the summer. Another nice spot for an overnight (especially if it's hot!) might be Sesimbra, a small fishing village/resort town with a great beach just an hour south of Lisbon.

Thank you, everyone!

(Wow, I am surprised that the Avenida Palace found this thread. Maybe they can comp me a night or two for advertising for them! haha)

I think we might have to cut one night from Portugal, having 6 instead of 7. Still looking for conference and hotel confirmations in London, so I'm not sure yet.

DH loves trains, so I think we will avoid getting a car. We are most interested in seaside towns and seeing interesting spots near the ocean. We prefer not to have to pack/unpack, move hotels, etc., as that always seems like a huge chunk of vacation time wasted.

We are not opposed to day-tripping by train to a destination up to two hours away, if we can get there and back in one day.

I will check out flights from Porto, though, just in case.

More suggestions?

The train system is pretty good (and good time keeping) I'd take trips out to Evora and Faro. Many people would say Faro in August (you must be mad) but you get to see lots of interesting things on the journey and the station is right on the sea. You step out into what looks like a little rough area, but the actual town centre is good and there are some good local restaurants/shops as summer/beach tourists tend not to come into Faro.

No real need for a car for the whole trip.

Lisbo to Porto is a good train journey and if you have an interest in Port wine then worth a trip. Porto is nice in a slightly de-sheveled way but it is a long journey.

I have a bunch of links at http://www.mybikeguide.co.uk/Algarve_Guide.php which might prove useful

Sintra is the best. Rent and car and travel the cost.

Thank you for the advertising, unfortunately the comp night is not possible but if there’s anything else…
Jill is right, visiting Sintra is very important, and by car you can do the all coast, through Guincho, Cascais and Estoril, in this area without a car you will miss a lot.

Best regards

Pedro Costa

Sintra is easily accessible by train. We also loved the town of Cascais which was once Portugese royal retreat. The waterfront area of Lisboa was redeveloped for the 1998 World Expo and has many attractions (the Oceanarium, the cable car, the entire water front development). We spent 2 weeks traveling Lisboa and Southern Portugal by rented motorhome and fell in love with the area. The people are friendly, kind and generous with their time. If you have the transportation, I highly recommend getting off the beaten path in the South. That being said, be aware that many of the tourist areas are dominated by Sun-seeking retirees from the UK and the Netherlands (I am sooooo envious!).

I agree with Pedro. Rent a car for the Sintra & neighbouring seaside resorts part. Getting to Sintra from Lisbon by train is easy but once in Sintra station you will have to take a bus to get to the centre. If you could rent a car over there, it would be very easy to get into the city and to the beaches.

On the other hand, the most beautiful beaches (IMO) are in the south of Portugal: Algarve. Many places are overrun by sometimes loud tourists but you can easily avoid these places (such as Albufeira, Praia da Rocha, Lagos) by staying in the fairly unspoilt eastern Algarve. Tavira - close to the Spanish border - is so pretty and authentic. And the beaches - which are in fact islands - are long stretches of the finest white sand.
Another two months before we'll be there again ...

Hi,

I traveled to Portugal years ago and we did Lisbon & Lagos. We took a bus directly from Lisbon to Lagos. It was a few hours (maybe four?) but it was worth it. Lagos was a beautiful place. I have heard Porto is like that too. People were extremely friendly, food was great, and it was very relaxed. We were able to take a boat ride with one of the locals that took the little motor boat through the caves there and it was great. We also did parasailing which was very fun. I would definitely check it out if you are looking to combine the Lisbon sightseeing with something a little more relaxing too! Enjoy.

Thank you, all! We are not sun-seekers, and I particularly do not enjoy hot weather. So maybe we should head north, not south of Lisbon?

Anyone care to suggest a daily itinerary for us, based in Lisbon, using public transit to see towns and sites on the coast, north of Lisbon?

North of Lisbon will be as hot as South of Lisbon, you are going in the hot season. If it gets really hot you will soon understand
1) why the day should be broken into 8-12 and 4-8 with a sleep in the middle
2) why town squares have a good restaurant on the shady side.

Have you found http://www.cp.pt/cp/displayPage.do?vgnextoid=87cbd5abe2a74010VgnVCM1000007b01a8c0RCRD&lang=en

yet. A very useful planning tool with a good english section.

In August I would certainly avoid the Algarve, it will not only be hot but crowded.

If you only have six nights (five days) I would just stay in Lisbon. I spent seven nights there in 2008 - see http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/loving-lisbon.cfm - and went back for more last year.

With seven nights (six days) you could consider taking the train to Porto. With longer I would explore the Duoro valley from Porto, but you don't have time. Instead, you could cnsider a day trip to Evora from Lisbon.

You don't need a car. You can get a day pass for all the transport to and around the Sintra/Cascais/Estoril area. You don't need to go to Porto to taste port - visit the Solar do Vinho do Porto in Lisbon.

The Avenida Palace is in an excellent location. It is close to the place I stay (Residencial Florescente), close to the Rossio station (for Sintra etc), the metro, the funicular, the elevador and bus and tram routes.

Great suggestions. Thanks again! I will read your travel report and check that link.

The more I find out about Portugal, the more I look forward to this trip!

Any more day-trips with transport tips are most helpful.

This website is FULL of fun info!

www.lisbonlux.com

http://www.lisbonlux.com/magazine/the-10-most-beautiful-cafes-in-lisbon/

These two reports were most helpful to plan my trip few years ago - hope they might help you with your planning also:
THINGS TO DO IN AND AROUND LISBON
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/things-to-do-in-and-around-lisbon.cfm
The Lisbon Dining Club
http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/the-lisbon-dining-club.cfm

I loved Sintra and think it deserves more then a day trip.

If you are interested in art at all, see the Gulbenkian Museum in Lisbon. It is just the right size, with a cafe, and a "shopping list" of great works from Egypt, Greece, Rome, Turkish empire, & Europe. You can see it in a few hours without any "museum fatigue". From our hotel downtown, it was a few euros cab fare each way.

Day trips: Obidos, Evora, Sintra,Cascais.
We spent ten days in Lisbon and went to Sintra and Cascais as day trips, stayed overnight in Evora and Obiidos after Lisbon but could do them as day trips too. Loved Evora.
We enjoyed driving north towards Porto and ur stay there, but with so little time, concentrate on Lisbon and environs.

Stay in and around Lisbon would be my suggestion. With seven days, a day in Sintra, one in Obidos(h), and spend some time in suburban Belem. Lisbon itself will keep you busily interested. The Avenida Palace is full of intriguing history...a den of Axis and Allied spies during WWII. We stayed next doot at the VIP Eden, all close to Rossio Square and the train station, the tram up to Bairo Alto, and walk most everywhere in town. Street tram to Belem, same for the castle Sao Jorge...(if you can make train reservatons for Obdidos(h) you can avoid renting a car).

Lisbon and the surrounding area is great to explore and I thoroughly enjoyed my trip there 2 years ago.

lreynolds is a wealth of info and was most helpful to me in my planning:

http://www.fodors.com/community/europe/my-one-or-two-day-walking-tour-of-lisbon.cfm

http://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/Portugal2008#

Peace Out , these pics may give you an armchair feel for the city, Sintra and Obidos(h), among other locations...such as Evora, Nazare', Cascais, Marvao, etc.

Thank you all so much. I will look at those resources. Am out of town on a mini-vaca now with my sis, so haven't been checking this thread or responding.

We spent four nights in Lisbon and three in Porto and felt that the timing was just about right for a first trip. If the place is worth visiting, you never want to do everything in one trip - at least we don't.

Avenida Palace is a spectacular hotel, you cannot possibly be disappointed.

Wine in Portugal is outstanding; it's a shame that, other than Port, it doesn't travel well. I think you'll have a great time whatever you decide. I didn't want to go at all and I'm really happy that we did despite some unfortunate travel problems.

Stu Tower: great photos! we were in Portugal about a year and a half ago and your shots brought back some great memories. Thanks for posting the link. We stayed in the same inn in Obidos (I think at least partly based on your recommendation) and really enjoyed our couple of days in that town. This forum is a wonderful source of information, isn't it!
Regards,
Gail

Great photos, Stu!

PeaceOut et al:

Wanna quick glimpse of the Avenida Palace-of-Intrique
in 1940? Here 'tis!

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuarttower/AvenidaPalaceChap18#5714692316827366162

Thanks! Very cool.

I am so glad I chose Lisbon to visit. It looks wonderful.

I think we will stay put in Lisbon for 7 nights. The hotel looks awesome and I got a good price w/breakfast and free wifi. We don't usually spring for a 5-star hotel, so I want to enjoy it!

Love the walking tour info. But it was deleted by editors? Maybe it was an ad? I hadn't had time to read it through.

tower, great peek of the Avenida Palace in the 40’s, thanks a lot!
PeaceOut, hope you enjoy your stay, let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay ebven more memorable.
Best regards
Pedro Costa

".....let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay ebven more memorable.
Best regards
Pedro Costa"...

I could think of a couple things! he he he

you go first Lina..then I'll see if I can top your request!

I am totally confident that Avenida Palace will make this trip as memorable as they can.

bookmarking -- thanks

I think Pedro Costa will be looking out for lincasanova and tower!! haha

As you may remember, PO, we have done Portugal at least 7 times, usually as part and parcel of the beginning or ending of a cruise. My thoughts would be, for a first visit, do not spend it all in Lisbon, but if you do, the train system is excellent and you could do a day in Cascais, or Obidos, forget Sintra, and if you get going early, you could center in Porto and see some of the north country; fabulous mountain/grape country--or favorite little villages. If you are interested, I can recomment a favorite little guest house, high on a mountain that has been there for 400 years, Full of antiques, wonderful hosts and history. If you have the time, keep going north from there to Viana Do Costello and stay at the Posada there....incredible.!!

If you like beaches and lots of tourists, go sounth to the Algarve. The coasts of Portugal are incredible.

in Cascais we stayed in the Albatross, the one on the beach in the city of Cascais, and it is magnificant..(There are several with the name "Albatros" so be sure to identify.

Also may read some of my trip reports of Portugal to get a sense of how it seemed to me.

Have a great time...We will probably be in Portugal in November and are trying to think of a part of that country we haven't seen. They have very good roads, good sinage, and many folks speak English, lots of history and variety in the terrain--rivers, mountains, beaches...

Me, I am not a city person, so we have left Lisbon as soon as possible...but I am sure there is much to see and do there.

Thank you, clara! Your insights will be very helpful.
Do you have links to your trip reports, by any chance? Otherwise, I can search.
Looks like we will defimitely do 6 nights in Lisbon, not 7. The rest of our trip is set by business needs, so we would be in London 4 nights and Paris 3. (I would definitely change that, if I could.)
That means we would stay in Lisbon the entire time, because I do not want to do four hotels in different cities in two weeks. Not our pace.

So I would love to hear more day-trip ideas from Lisbon. Probably not southern, though, if it is hot and crowded. Not our style.

I still wonder why the detailed walking tours of Lisbon were deleted by the editors! I did not get a chance to read carefully and take notes. I would very much appreciate walking tour ideas.

Merci beaucoup, y'all.

PO: Here's a little photo essay I did when we were in Portugala year or so ago. This is the north town of Pinhao, in the wine country and on the Douro river. We took most of these photos from the train window.

This trip was fro Pinho in the north part near porto....we took a train exxcrusion down the Douro river where I took these pictures. The ship at the end of the reel is the Windsurf, which we returned on, docking in Miami. Wonderful month long trip. Also a bit of prose and goofy stuff I wrote about my personal feeling while travelling called "Portugal for Dummies" and you can search in the search box to get it on Fodors Lounge. If you can't open, copy into your browser:

_____________________________________

http://picasaweb.google.com/clarasong3/PortugalAndCrossing08?authkey=Lz64FQelrxw#

One more thought. Get a hotel near the train station if you must center in Lisbom....go one day to Cascais (most beautiful and great beach), maybe to Sintra one day , altho I have been underwhelmed the few times I've been there, or to Estorial maybe another day, and that will leave you a few in the city. If you can't explore the north this time, or the middle, be sure to promise yourself to come back. It's my favorite place.

To eat: try the Portugese Cataplana, a fish rice dish that is steam in a copper kettle....yum.

We'll be sleeping elsewhere .. can't beat our rate, I don't think. And this is a very budget trip this time.. I'm just happy we can go!

Your hotel looks gorgeous. I hope to try it one day!

We really enjoyed Cascais. It has a wonderful promenade along the seaside and above some small cliffs. I could have walked that everyday for weeks.

Thank you both! I am interested in all ideas for day-trips. Cascais would be one, eh?

Good point about hotel distance to train stations, but I am staying with the deal I got at the Avenida Palace. Prices are a lot higher there already. It looks worth the extra shoe leather if we hoof it further to transit. We love historic hotels.

So I need specific suggestions about transit to take for day-trip destinations. How to get there, what to see there, and places to eat? A tall request, I know!

Your pictures are stunning, clara! Thank you.

I am so excited to visit Portugal.

Are there any transit passes we should consider?

Considering the Avenida Palace is NEXT DOOR to Rossio Station and steps to two metro stops I can't imagine how you could stay anywhere more convenient....

I enjoyed Sintra, and wasn't that excited by Cascais and Estoril, but I'm not a beach/resort type persom. For day trips beyond Belem and Sintra I'd look at Evora and Obidos.

There is a transport pass for Lisbon, see http://www.lisbon.net/transportation and also one for the Sintra/Cascais/Estoril area that you can buy at Rossio station.

Can't answer that one, PO, as we always rented a car. Roads are good and we pretty well know the country. Hope you come to love it as we do. It's Europe at it's best, and they like Americans, most speak English, are very civilized, etc. We plan to be there again in Nov. before we sail home on the same ship you saw in the photos...just can't think of a part of this country we haven't seen..Perhaps back to the Algarve...all the European kids will be back in school by then, we hope.

Duh, thursday! Haha. I should have known that. Blind luck on my part, eh? Now I am really in love with that hotel. Thank you.

You, too, clara.

If you want to stay in Lisbon take transport to Nazare, a small fishing village on the coast just to the North. It's beautiful there, maybe stay overnight. Check out the Palacio in Sintra and in Lisbon at night make sure you go to Alfama and take in some Fado. Also, in Lisbon you have to eat the genuine Pasteis de belem..go there for breakfast, it's near the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos. I don't think you should go to Porto, that will require another visit, then you can also visit Braga and other places in the North.

Whatever you do, don't order "pulva"...DH did, thinking it was related to chicken and he gagged in public. It's some thing akin to squid, I think, but almost inedible, to our way of thinking.

Could that dish have been poorly executed octopus? (POLVO?)

I love octopus.. maybe it was done in an unusual fashion.

Don't think I'd be tempted to order something called "pulva"! haha

Any more ideas for walks in Lisbon and day-trips from there?

Thanks so much!

I was googling Portugal off the beaten track, since we have been there so much and are planning to go again in November and they had something like 'find a friend' program--a local who likes to act as your personal guide in Lisbon (I suppose you pay her/him too) for a day and shows you personally what you'd like to see, or makes suggestions. I think we might try that while in Lisbon. Big cities (London being the exception) tire me in a hurry.

If I get my way we will go to Cascais for at least a few days..so lovely and quaint. There used to be a book called "Inns and Posaudas" of Portugal that we used as our bible when in that country. Wonder if it's still in print and updated. Anyway, you can't lose with the Pousadas, state run guest houses, always nice and predictable and they will book you ahead so you are never wondering where to stay at night..always good local food in elegant restaurants. Starting to get excited already.

Thanks, Clara. We are going to stay put in Lisbon at the hotel and not look for overnights elsewhere. So day-trips are what we need. Thanks for the tip on finding a guide for the city. We usually do not get guides, but it's a good idea.

Reporting in from Lisbon! Arrived at our hotel, the Avenida Palace, at 10:00am yesterday, expecting we'd have a few hours to wait for our room. But, no, our room was ready for us! What a relief. We checked in and napped. We were delighted to find there was an international bike race on the avenues just below our hotel room. Perfect for DH, who loves his bike riding.

We have 5 more nights, so I will check in again soon. Loving Lisbon!

If you're looking for day trips since you have so little time, you could look at the possibility of a private tour taking in one or more cities. Last January we and some friends (six people in all) did a day trip to Batalha and Alcobaca with a visit to a vineyard thrown in - with a company Have a Wine Day (website is just www.haveawineday.com )and it was a fantastic day out.
We emailed and they answered straight away - they picked us up at our hotel and we didn't have to worry about a thing and got a lot more done than we ever would with public transport. We went on our own steam to Obidos on another day and it was quite a performance. I think they also do an Obidos tour and one to Sintra (maybe they can squeeze Cascais in as well on that one).
Anyway, you will surely love Portugal!

Be sure to try some "pulvo" if you get a chance...a national dish that may surprise you. You will either love it or hate it, that I can promise...also Cataplana..a nice sea food composite that is delishous.

Peaceout, really looking forward to hearing more! We are considering Portugal, possibly combined with Southern Spain or Morocco, for April, and I would love to hear more about your trip.Soaking in lots of good info from this thread.

We are still traveling. In Paris now. Will write a report next week.

We LOVED Lisbon. Very friendly, interesting, and affordable. Weather was perfect. Food is great. Very easy day trips from Lisbon.

The Hotel Avenida Palace is the best value anywhere! It is gorgeous, serves a full hot/cold breakfast buffet, and the staff could not be nicer.

Welcome to the "I love Lisbon" club!

Glad you had a good time.

Thanks, all, for your help in planning our awesome visit to Lisbon. My friends are tired of hearing how much I love Lisbon!

I wrote up my notes and posted them on my other thread. Please take a look!

Here's the link to the trip report

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

PeaceOut,

I LOVE PORTUGAL!! And am so happy that you enjoyed your time there.

My family is Portuguese -- we still have many relatives in Lisboa -- was there in 2010 and can't wait to go back next year.

Wish I had seen your thread earlier, I would have suggested so many day trips you can take from Lisboa (Sintra, Cascais, Estoril, Boca do Inferno, Obidos, the list is endless)....

Looking forward to reading more!

saving for December planning. Great ideas........I will be 'annoying' you all shortly for ideas for our 17 days driving Portugal & a bit of Spain.
Thanks