Hi, I am considering a trip to Portugal this March--but it would be the week leading up to and possibly including Easter. I have just started planning and have sketched out the following ideas:

3-4 days in Lisbon
Day trip to Sintra
Day trip to Obidos
3-4 days based in Levira, with day trips to Tomar, Batalha and possibly Albocoha (??Spelling)

I'm going for about 9-10 days. But, I'm wondering how Holy Week celebrations may affect these plans. Anyone have any ideas? Thanks

tt

For good info on the Tomar area of Central Portugal, check out the gekkoportugal website
http://www.gekkoportugal.com/central%20portugal.htm

TTT for Libby.

Hello, Libby123

It's always a pleasure to see someone posting about Portugal, an underrated country inmo. I found Portugal to be enchanting. In fact, after spending a few weeks in Croatia this last March, there's a lot of similarities between Portugal and Croatia.

Lisbon is a lovely old city that's easy to navigate, safe, and simply beautiful. The countryside is gorgeous, the people charming, well, I just can't say enough about Portugal.

We were there in March, likely a week or so before Easter. We've also been in Rome over Easter. Accomodations in Rome were a bit more difficult, but, I noticed nothing of the sort in Portugal.
I spent around 9-10 days in Lisbon, a week around Sintra and Obidos. I think your itinerary looks great. Will you be getting a car after Lisbon? I would certainly suggest that. While you will hear the Portuguese are terrible drivers, I found them no different than anywhere else. In fact, in March, it was very pleasant with few tourists around. The temps we had were in the 60-70's, perfect for being out and about.
I would book your hotels now. But, don't change your plans just because it's Easter there. I've noticed that churches are often not full in Europe over Christmas and Easter holidays, at least where we've been in the larger cities.

Have the best time in one of my favorite countries!

Libby... My wife and I are also headed back to Portugal again the week before Easter and I have just booked most of my rooms. Holy week will fill up the available lodging in many of the tourist towns. I agree with the previous poster, that you should start right now. As I made my reservations, there were only 2 or 3 rooms left in many of the hotels we booked in.

Unlike our other vacations in Portugal, this trip will be done in the area north of Porto. We fly into and pick up a rental car at the airport. Here's our itinerary:
We will drive up along the coast and spend the lst night in Viana do Castelo, a pretty coastal town northwest of Porto. The hotel I've picked is the Albergaria Margarida Da Praca.

Then on Saint Pat's Day we drive about 2 or 3 hours north crossing into Spain and heading to the end of the pilgrimage route in the city of Santiago do Compostelo. There we hope to find an Irish Pub that will serve us a few pints of Guiness to honor our dear Saint. We are there for 2 nights to see the cathedral. and the squares, parks. and museums in the old part of town. We have booked a room at the San Francisco Hotel Monumento.Check out their web site. It's very close to the Se and it is not as expensive at the nearby. world famous, Paradore of Santiago do Compestelo.

After touring the churches and museums, and dining at the local tappa bars we'll drive back into northern Portugal for another nite, at a yet to be determined little town, manor house, or a Pousada on Wednesday.

On Thursday we'll be in Braga at the inexpensive, but very adequate, Ibis Hotel. Braga is not my favorite town, but they have a traditional Holy week procession through the center of the old town in the evening.

On Friday we arrive back in Porto where we have a little hotel booked for 2 nights (Hotel da Bolsa). It's about a block away from the Palacio da Bolsa and it's walking distance close to the Riberia district and the Douro.

We check out on Easter Sunday, turn in the car, and move across the River to Villa Nova de Gaia where we embark on a Uniworld Cruise boat for their 7 day cruise of the Douro river. It's a neat cruise that moves east thru the Port wine growing areas, with daily escorted side trips off the boat to various little towns along the river, including a day trip to the University city of Salamanca in Spain. The boat returns to Porto on the following Saturday and we debark on Sunday morning.

Since our return flight to conus doesn't leave until Monday afternoon, I've booked a room out near the airport at an inexpensive hotel with an airport shuttle service (Hotel Pedras Rubras). It's located near a metro station that will allow us the oportunity to come back into Poreto for a final dinner in town.

I've down a lot of online planning for this trip so I think I've picked some good places to stay, however, I'd love to hear some feed back from anone who has been at hese places in the past.

I'm about to book my car for the week with an online car rental service called "Economy Car Rentals". Their web site is www.economycarrentals.com Their rates are by far the best that I have been able to find on line. No extra charges and the insurance is included. I beleive that they meet you at the airport and take you to your car. they don't have a dest/office at the airport. They also promise to pick up the car at the end of the rental at your hotel. No charges associated with the pickup. I was hoping that someone out there on the web could tell me of their experiences with this company. They sound too good to be true.

That's it Libby. Sorry to be so windy. Hope you will have a great vacation. I really like the Estrolagem Convento, which is just outside the entrance to the Castle at Obodos if you want to spend an evening at Obidos. Great walled city that is amaxing to walk around at night. Don't forget to look at the Pousadas on line. They have some great rates if you are 55 or older and they offer some great 4 night bookings that make your trip financially bearable in an era of declining dollar to euro. Happy Near Year to all Fodorites... Socal

Socal, sounds like a wonderful trip! I hope to read a follow up report when you return.
BTW, great tip re economycarrental.com. We used them last March when driving in Croatia, Bosnia, and Montenegro, as I recall. I just did a quick comparison with autoeurope, who I've rented from lots of times, and the price for the Germany portion of our trip was much less with economycarrentals.com.

Designergigi... Thanks for the feedback on the car rental company. I feel a lot better now that I've heard from someone that has used them before. Am I correct in assuming that they send a rep with a hand held sign to meet you after your flight arrives at the airport? There web site is a little vague about that part and about the return of your rental car at our hotel in Porto and the end. After just looking at some neat fodorite online pictures of the towns of Braganca and Chaves, I think we'll leave Spain and drive down that way to spend a night in one or the other. Now to find a nice place in one or the other. Thanks again.

socal. Let me know how the car rental works out as we intend to use them in May-June in Portugal.

I had booked them before but had to cancel that trip so I would like to know your experience.

Sounds like some great trips to Portugal!

Socal, two things -- In Santiago de Compostela, on the street named Entrecercas in the old part of town there is an Irish pub. To get to it from your hotel, you'll have to go to the main square in front of the cathedral and take another little street radiating out of the square which leads to Entrecercas (not very helpful directions, I know, but you will find it easily). I stayed in the San Francisco in 1995, before it had its most recent makeover. I was back in Santiago last summer and took a look at the new place and it's really something.

And if you're looking for a place in northern Portugal on the way back down to Braga, I'd recommend the Portuguese pousada at Vila Nova da Cerveira. It's a very nice little town on the river (fills up with Spaniards on the weekends who seem to come over just for a few drinks in one of the square's many cafes). The pousada is inside the castle walls and the rooms are all in a series of little houses around the grounds. We enjoyed it a lot.

Have a great trip.

p.s. Sorry, but I just saw that you are thinking of staying somewhere further east. The Spanish parador in Verin is quite nice, a bit out of town right next door to the castle. Chaves has a nice hotel in an old fort, the Forte Sao Francisco. I've never stayed there but had a drink in their bar and walked around for a while. Rates were incredibly reasonable. Chaves has an old roman bridge and a very pretty square with the requisite castle, old town hall, and a church or two thrown in for good measure. It's a town with a good feeling to it, I thought.

lreynold1... thanks for the info on the pub in Santiago do Compestelo. If I can't find that one I just read on one of the student blogs that there is also a Molly Malones somewhere near an area called Porta Faxiera. I think I'll head back thru Chaves and stop to see the sights you recommended and then we'll continue on further east to spend a night in Braganca. Nice photos of the town. thanks to all for the great comments... socal

Socal. Economy booked us with Sixt and they have a counter in the airport so we do not have to be met by anyone.
I would still like to know your experience.

Hi Thanks everyone for the encouragement. I was a bit discouraged so have been thinking of going to Mexico instead. But, I gather from fodorites on that bb that Mexico beaches are packed. So, I think I'm back to Portugal. I'll look for a hotel right away. I am going to try and stay with my itinerary rather than going north of Porto. I appreciate the suggestion but it's my first time in Portugal and I only have about 9 days and I prefer to make a base and stay put. Since I'm going alone, I was planning on taking public transport. Does anyone have any experience with buses/trains? Thanks