We are planning to spent our last night in Portugal at the pousada in Setubal. Our flight will probably leave around 10:30 the next morning. How long is the drive from Setubal to the Lisbon International Airport (this would be on a Wed. morning in October). Would the Palmela pousada be a better choice? Thanks - Claire

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"Our flight will probably leave around 10:30 the next morning."

That sounds kind of indefinite ...

If you go back east on the expressway and cross the Vasco da Gama Bridge you should be able to make it Setubal to Portela airport in less than an hour. If you cross the 25 Abril bridge into downtown Lisbon it may take you longer - but the views along that route (i.e., Almada, for ex.) and from the Bridge are wonderful.

I stayed at Palmela and hit the bridge before 0800 and it took me 1:20.

Hi Ned, I am sorry for contradicting you most of the time. Please accept that it's nothing personal. I think that to be in the airport by 10:30, Claire and David shoud by all means avoid 25th April bridge.
Vasco da Gama has much lower traffic and the airport is about the North end of the bridge. Taking the 25th April bridge requires a longer time to arrive to the actual bridge more the time to cross almost all Lisbon.

Is there any significant traffic on Saturday?

Thanks everyone. We haven't booked the flight yet, which is why this is indefinite, but that's what Continental seems to schedule for returning to DC via Newark. I'm assuming we'll need at least 2 hours at the airport for security, so with an hour drive we'll need to leave by 7:30 am.

BTW, any feedback on Continental vs. Air Portugal for Newark to Lisbon trip? Claire

I think Continental 'Code shares' with TAP Air Portugal on the EWR-LIS route; so it may be the same aircraft.

lobo_mau: you didn't contradict me on the Setubal to Portela airport bridge route: I just said the views along the approaches and from the 25 April Bridge were wonderful. Of course the Vasco da Gama bridge is an architectural wonder and was the longest suspension Bridge in the world when it opened in 1998; and it has a great view of the former Expo'98 site (Park of Nations). It's also a faster route from south of the 'Sea of Straw' (Tagus river) to Lisbon's Portela International airport.

Maybe this is a bit off topic, but if I were going to choose a pousada to stay in for my last night in Portugal, I would go to Queluz. It's a lot closer to the airport and doesn't require crossing either bridge. True, the road that you have to take to get there is the Segunda Circular, which is notorious for unpredictable traffic stoppage, but if you come in on the april 25th bridge you're going to have to get on it anyway. Queluz Palace is one of my favorite Lisbon attractions, about 16 km outside of town. The palace is modeled after Versailles, and though it could use a bit of sprucing up, it's a beautiful place. And the gardens, with their tiled "boating channel" that the royals used to use, are also very nice. The palace is right across from the Pousada, and there is also a very nice (kind of pricey) restaurant in the palace grounds as well.

We loved Quelez, I could imagine a leisurely row on the tethered row boat surrounded by the most remarkable display of tiles ! That last sentence doesn't seem to make sense until you go there, and yep it needs a bit of a polish up but still a site that needs to be seen ! PS Eat some Cod !