As much as we (the wife and I) love the major draws of Europe: Lisbon, Munich, Paris, London, Rome, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Prague, etc. I think this year is to try to enjoy some of the lesser tourist visited areas in the respective countries. After so many folks had 2,3,4 trips cancelled due to Covid they estimate crowds to be overwhelming this summer in Europe. Good for the countries and the businesses to recoup after 2 years of heavy losses, not so good for the tourist. We have been fortunate to have visited all the major "must see" European cities and major attractions in years past and now we love to try to visit some still incredible cities-towns-villlages of Europe but a little "off the tourist scene". Next week we will visit Portugal and yes visit some tourist areas but going for lesser crowds in Estoril, Tomar, Amarante and Vila do Conde. September brings 3 weeks in Spain enjoying Sanlucar de Barremada, Medina-Sidonia, and Zahara de los Atunes (Andalusia). Only drawback in the venture to visit some of the less visited gems is public transport is limited and a rental vehicle is needed.

Sue54 - Bom Jardin is an excellent, though no-frills restaurant where you will get the most amazing piri-piri chicken. If I were to return to Lisbon, this would be the first restaurant on my list! I also ate at and enjoyed restaurants by the chef Jose Avillez.

Mike, there is a fantastic photo op view of Zahara located on the #8102 heading out of town's NW corner, at the intersection where that same route meets the road coming down from Bocaleones. There is, or at least once was, an old ruined farmstead there that shutterbugs may step onto for the best view.
Good luck.
I am done. the end

My impression pre-COVID was that the crowds had as much to do with cheap flights such as Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, etc. Are there any data on how many of the tourists in, for example, Sintra are cruise passengers and how many arrive by air or land? IMO cruise passengers are easy targets when on a ship's tour. (In 2019 I was in Portugal via Ryanair.). Maybe 150 of what seemed like thousands in line at Jeronimo were on cruise tours.

I don't know or have seen data about the number of Sintra visitors that arrive on a cruise ship day excursion.

It seems to be a combo of the many cheap flights from Europe to Lisbon (and Porto), a huge pent up demand for travel, the fact that Portugal is on many travel site's "best destinations for 2022" lists and cruise traffic. I do know that the cruise traffic has increased tremendously in Lisbon and to handle more mega ships, they've built a new terminal.
The cruise port schedule is here-
https://www.cruisemapper.com/ports/lisbon-port-65.

I do know that when exiting Jer�nimos Monastery on March 15 at 11 am, the many, many cruise ship excursion buses plus other excursion buses (along with the HOHOs) had just arrived, and we watched the passengers head to the Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries and the Bel�m Tower. My advice to anyone contemplating a Bel�m day these days is to get a very early start and purchase Monastery tickets online at the official site.
https://bilheteira.patrimoniocultural.pt/pos/space/list.

It opens at 10 am but is closed on Mondays.

Interesting question mlgb. A comparison pre-COVID vs this year would be interesting. Comparing this years numbers to the last two years is unhelpful, as naturally numbers were down during COVID. It's my impression that the flood gates have opened and this summer is going to be a doozy. Not just in Portugal, but elsewhere in Europe. Similar to the onslaught of tourists visiting US National Parks during COVID, as few wanted to get on an international flight.

The place did seem to be crawling with Brits, and there seemed to be a lot of people there to party - lots of people walking with beers through the streets, celebrating their release from two years of lockdowns, that sort of thing. I think Portugal has always been a hot spot for Brits taking cheap flights, and for Spaniards due to proximity. And I suspect that because Portugal is so inexpensive and has such a high rate of COVID vaccination and admirable COVID polices, that many feel very comfortable visiting.

I'm getting skewered on other threads for sharing my impressions of Lisbon and Sintra. It seems a negative impression isn't welcome amongst the Portugal lovers.

I'm in the process of writing a very detailed trip report, but am hesitant to post it. Seems I'm being blamed for my choice of time to travel, my choice of area to stay (which ironically was based on recommendations received here on Fodor's) my method of travel (public transport) and my initial reactions to the place.

I have no doubt there are some wonderful bits of Portugal and I fully appreciate that we don't all love the same things, and that we all have different tolerance levels for crowds, that we saw a very small part of the country, etc, but one has to start somewhere.

Mel I wouldn't pay much attention to those skewers. All that matters is that you two were able to have an experience of travel, and enjoyed parts of it.
And I know that you've already read the following line from our own recent Jordan TR, but for those who may not, and are curious about cruise numbers and covid elsewhere:
"The Jordanian tourism industry experienced a bizarre juxtaposition, when pre-covid numbers from cruise ships resulted in a new need for crowd management at Petra. The subsequent covid collapse meant that tourist dollars became a trickle."

My understanding is that all visitors to Petra are welcome, except for one particular couple from NYC.
I am done. the wanted posters

Melnq8 - Thanks so much for sharing your honest impressions and great photos. And please do post your full trip report. I'm still dithering about including some days in Lisbon this October on our way to a longer stay in France. Reading your reports and those of others is so helpful when it comes to assessing the probable pros and cons of a destination.

Mel- I think some of your comments sounded odd. Some people who had answered your questions earlier are Portuguese. Then you compared parts of the country to the Middle East in how they smelled and the chaos. And that you were able to get a free Covid test in Lisbon, with results in 30 minutes I believe, but felt the need to post a picture of the test center covered with some graffiti.

These comments just didn't seem super respectful, while you were still in the country.

Unfortunately, Portugal isn't Germany/Switzerland with trains that go everywhere, so you were limited to some of the larger population centers.

As I previously wrote, I believe your report was very helpful to many, and will continue to be so. It's just that when written in real time, emotions are closer to the surface, and your frustrations were evident. I understand that. But still try to be respectful to the host nation.

I hope you are able to return at some point and visit the lesser traveled regions.

Well, I am a Portugal lover. I love my country for many things, but above all them, because we are a cohesive country. We are the oldest borders in Europe (I know, some people might say a thing or two about Oliven�a, please don't). Comparing, Italy is quite recent. We have only one language - compare, for instance, with Norway, or even more strange, Switzerland! Or Belgium!

And yet, Mel, I welcome your negative impression, that has nothing to do (well... maybe a litle) with the country itself. You are not denying anything that is portuguese: you just don't like somethings, someplaces, and some food. Neither do I! And you don't like crowds... well, neither do I, but... when a place becames touristy, that's the price to pay!

I believe it is extremely positive that someone can put the finger on the the things that are less good. Let's be realistic!

Thank you Melqn, for the photos and for your impressions!

Helena

I appreciate hearing the negative as well as the positive, when the reason why is given. "I hated this city" isn't helpful but "This city was too crowded for me" or "The weather was too hot in this city" or "I felt that X was a tourist trap" can be quite helpful. If one has a car in a city and can't find a place to park, that is useful info for the rest of us; no need to criticize the person for having a car there, just learn from their experience.

Helena- I'm very glad you posted that, as it was you I was thinking of. I noticed you had quite replying, and thought you may have been a bit miffed, glad that wasn't the case.

I am so appreciative when locals reply to questions about their country, and would hate to lose those local opinions. Which is why I tried to word my reply carefully, as I'm pretty sure Mel helped me with Amtrak questions while planning our trip to Colorado last Fall.

We're leaving Evora tomorrow am, and will be dropping the car in Lisbon to start the last 3 days of our trip. And I will be more aware of the increase in people, thanks to Mel. And will be better suited to avoid some of those crowds thanks to other posters. So this thread and Fodors have helped me, as I'm sure they will others.

Abrigado, y'all.

Hallo Mel,

I am so sorry you have been under fire for posting the truths of your visit. I had similar experiences when I visited Lisbon in 2018. Portugal was never an interest for me (even though my Mama was of Portuguese heritage), but when my cousins went there, I flew over for a few days to visit. To me, Lisbon was crowded, chaotic, and unappealing; I know that many others would say it is vibrant and alive and fascinating. We're all different. I do hope you post your trip report, and do show what you experienced.... others like you and me will appreciate knowing what to expect. I liked and learned from all your photos, showing the truth, which is sometimes ugly. Covering the truth is what is disrespectful imo.

As an added note... as you may remember, I sometimes get yelled at for posting my bad impressions of some beloved spots like Lauterbrunnen, Interlaken, etc. Please don't stop!

s

mel,
I’m very appreciative of all your posts and have loved seeing your photos. It helps a great deal to have your impressions (though admittedly, it’s made me a bit nervous!) and has given me a realistic idea of what to expect when we arrive next week.

I never thought your comments were odd or off base. I think you gave very clear reasons why you had negative impressions, and I’m also glad Helena posted what she did, acknowledged that she, too, appreciated your post.

I’ve been following trip reports elsewhere and I’m aware that there will be crowds in many places so am prepared to work around these as best as possible. Thanks again for your ongoing trip report and I look forward to reading the more detailed one when you’re finished (and I’m in awe that you’re willing to do that! I
thought the “live” one was pretty darn good!).

Mel - please do post a full report! I love reading about Portugal, and your report to date has been great. I don't have a problem with people reporting the bad (or so-so) as well as the good. I do it myself.... I don't remember getting flak about it here, but I did once get an email from a stranger about a less than enthusiastic post on Porto on my public website.

I appreciate the encouraging comments, I really do.

And especially yours Helena, as I absolutely never intended to be disrespectful. Likewise, the photos I posted were never meant to disparage, just to share what I saw. I loved the street art, and took many photos of it, the graffiti, not-so-much, but I thought the COVID testing site photo was amusing more than anything; as well as the Elevador da Gloria, which was a pristine yellow one day and covered in graffiti the next.

By the way Helena, Porto was our favorite place, and the hospitality and friendliness of the Portuguese people was second to none.

Potential title: 'Any Porto in a Storm'.
I am done. the full-report

Zebec wrote:

"Potential title: 'Any Porto in a Storm'."

True. But not this Porto.

Porto airport is not in Porto but in Maia.

Porto producers of Port Wine are not in Porto but in Gaia (Vila Nova de Gaia).

Porto terminal cruise is not in Porto, it is in Matosinhos.

And in a storm (an heavy one) a boat called "Vapor", catched in a storm near Figueira da Foz, tryed to escape returning to Porto port (in those days it was not in Matosinhos, it was in the Douro river), and everyone died.

Coming late to this thread, but hope my thoughts may be of interest to others.



First, Mel, very artful photos as always, which I enjoy seeing. Sorry this trip didn't live up to your expectations, but if we had encountered the same crowds, I'm afraid that my opinion of Portugal would have been different. Totally understand why you are looking for "a quiet weekend trip" as posted on the US Forum.



Laurie (is she still around?) was an excellent help in suggesting places to stay for our trip. We always try to stay outside of cities and loved the small, homey quintas and guesthouses we found. These are different from the larger, more expensive posados. I know others may not like this, but staying in places with thick stone walls dating back several centuries was wonderful as well as very quiet. Many are still located in vineyards or farms, but certainly have charm. I would really recommend looking into them, both for the price and peaceful locations. They also gave us the chance to interact with locals rather than only tourists.



As mentioned in the following Trip Report, we arrived in Lisbon late afternoon and left early morning for our return flight, which was enough for us. Sure we probably missed seeing some interesting places, but we are usually much more impressed with exploring smaller towns and soaking in that flavor.



Yes, the Trip Report is from 2010, but I rechecked the places we stayed and especially "Alice's Restaurant,**" and all are still there. As I said, many have been operating for centuries in one way or the other. **https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaura..._Portugal.html



Since I received several compliments on this report, I hope it may be of interest to anyone looking for a quieter experience without the glitz and the crowds.April 2010 in northern Portugal

Sorry, my trip report didn't list for some reason.April 2010 in northern Portugal