Hotel and other recs for Porto and Lisbon
 

I’ll be happy for any recommendations on Portugal -- we will have 6 days total in September, flying into Porto (from Geneva) on a Tuesday for 3 nights, and then taking the train on Friday to Lisbon for 3 nights.

We'd like to do a day trip out of Porto to Aveiro for the Art Nouveau. We usually travel by train or other public transit, but would it be better to rent a car for the day and cover something else too, like Coimbra? Any recs on car rentals in Porto? From Lisbon we are planning a day tour to Sintra with a small group

I’d be happy for any feedback as to the locations of these properties, they are cancellable, as well as any other recs you’d like to share.


https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/por...fc4cc607ed34b8



https://www.booking.com/hotel/pt/che...ail_hotel_name

I think I would go out of my mind in that location in Porto, it is like Grand Central station around there. Just way too many tourists. But for sure it is central and you can walk to the train station easily. And the apartment looks nice, If hordes of tourists don't bother you, go for it, If they do, look for accommodation a bit less "central."

The Art nouveau in Aveiro is overrated, from our experience seeking it out this past May. A few spectacular building facades by the canal near the tourist office, no real interiors--the Art Nouveau museum is a disappointment-- and other buildings spread out in the city. Given three nights, i.e. two full days, a full day in Porto (it has Art nouveau buildings) and a day cruise up the Douro with a return by train would fill in your time nicely.


Coimbra would be a better alternative than Aveiro, both for its old town at the base of the hill and for a tour of the old university on top of the hill.

do you need apartments given you are there for only a short period of time.
In Lisbon we stayed in a good hotel. https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel..._Portugal.html
a bit away from the tourists. lots of places to grab light lunches as well

in Porto we stayed in this B&B. It was fantastic and a great location. short walk to the station.
https://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel..._Portugal.html

Thanks for that insight -- so hard to tell when booking hotels how crowded the area can get . For 3 nights we will be oK in an environment like that -- typically we are looking for airbnbs which are in a neighborhood just outside the center.

Ginnyjo, have a look at "Porto Náutico" at Rua do Almada, and bnapartments at travessa do Carregal. Both are in the center, near to lots of things, but in streets not yet crowded.

Didn't look at the Porto hotel as it has been a while since I was there. I certainly wouldn't stay in the Lisbon location - well out of the way. If I could afford it I would stay at the Avenida Palace, since I can't I stay nearby on the other side of the Praca dos Restauradores.

Thanks for the insight, thursdaysd. Do you have any specific recommendations? I spent a lot of time looking at options on booking.com but nothing better is jumping out at me. I might stick with the current choice for the 3 nights as it's convenient to Belem which is our first day, another day we are doing a Sintra tour with hotel pickup, and so we only have one full free day to explore Lisbon. The Avenida Palace looks beautiful but the price is pretty intimidating! We will definitely stop by to check out the public spaces there and maybe have a drink.

Thank you, Helena! *I will check these out.

Residential Florecente is sold out for my dates unfortunately. Thanks for the rec on Taylors in Porto. And I do wish we had more time for the Lisbon area than 3 nights; maybe we will skip Belem on our first day. More research to do!