Lisbon and vicinity
 

We are spending 4 days in Lisbon and want to travel to Cascais and Sintra for the final 2 days. Which town would be better to stay in?
Thanks

Sintra could be one of my favorite small towns in Europe. Cascais was also great but Sintra would be my choice.

Another vote for Sintra! Lovely town.
La Pena palace was the highlight of my trip to Portugal.

I would vote for Sintra also. However, you can stay in Lisboa and take the train into Sintra or Cascais. It takes less than an hour to get to either place. You take the train to Cascais from Cais do Sodre Station; Rossio Station to get to Sintra. If you stay in Lisboa, you could spend one day in Sintra, one day in Cascais: the best of both worlds. If you want to know more about Lisboa, Cascais, or Sintra just ask here. My ex-husband lives in Lisboa.

After you get to Sintra by train, how do you get around to the various sites. Are they within walking distance of each other or do you need to take taxis? I think I heard that there is no public transportation there.

Blimey, Kristine, aren't you lucky I am here to advise you?? Actually there is a bus that can take you up to Pena Palace. It does a circuitious route so you can get off at other sites. You can catch the bus near the Palacio Nacional de Sintra. You can also take a Mercedes taxi to Pena. The driver will ask you if you want him to wait for you. I think it is about $25 if you want him to wait. My husband, Keith, and I took a Mercedes to Pena, but told the driver to go because we didn't want to pay $25. When we came out of Pena, we had a horrible time trying to find a taxi to take us down the hill (they were all hired out). We would have taken the bus, but the line was about 30 people long, some families with children and prams. Finally, we shared a taxi down to Sintra with another couple. Thank the Buddha because we were getting worried. If I had to do it all over again, I would have the Mercedes wait, who cares about the cost? There are horse-drawn carriages around Palacio Sintra and I think you could hire one to take you to Pena, but I can't comment on the cost.

I forgot to mention that you can easily walk from the train station to Palacio Sintra and the old town, which is where you can find many shops and restaurants.

ThinGorjus: Thanks! Yes, I am very lucky to have you advising me! How about a little more advice? We are thinking of going to Lisbon for a week in early January. I have checked on the average high temperature which is 58 degrees, which doesn't sound too bad for January. What do you think? Will there be many other tourists around? Will sites be open? I presume it is not beach weather. Any thoughts?

My ex-husband, Rogerio, is a big party promoter/DJ in Lisboa. While I have only been on holiday in Portugal in either July or September, I can tell you that January can be very rainy. It is also a "dark" month--very little sun. But, you can still visit many sites, visit Sintra and Fatima. However, Sintra is best seen in summer with all its trees in bloom and a beautiful blue sky. I am almost positive that the Sintra bus doesn't run in January either, but you can still get your Mercedes. I doubt there will be any tourists in Lisboa at that time of year, so you would have everything to yourself. I honestly don't think I would want to be in Lisboa in January, but maybe you will have some luck and get some sun? I recommend seeing Gulbenkian Museum, Castelo Sao Jorge-great views of Lisboa from the battlements, Elevator Santa Justa, Sao Roque, Jeronimos Monastery, and the Coach Museum. Where are you staying in Lisboa??

I'm looking at a Go-today package with the cheapest hotel being Hotel VIP. It says that it is in the business/banking district of Lisbon. I am not feeling encouraged by your reply. I was looking for a cheap week's trip somewhere in Europe for a week in January before my husband goes back to his college teaching. We have been to London and Paris and I am interested in Brussels, but thought it would be too cold. Lisbon has a much higher average temp so I was looking at that trip. Do others have the same opinion on this as ThisGorjus?

Hello,
Lisbon is one of my favorite cities! I preferred Sintra over Cascais. You can go the the lovely beaches just a few kilometers away and even Cabo da Roca.
Everything ThinGorgus said is spot on, btw. :)
In Lisbon the trolley cars will take you all over the city. Do not miss the tile museum, it's great!
Enjoy Portugal. The people are great!

To designergirl: Are you saying, as ThinGorjus did, that you would NOT go to Lisbon in January?

Good morning! While the temperature of Lisboa will be in the 50's in January, it is the rain and darkness that is the problem. If you don't mind that, you shouldn't have any problem. However, anyone who is used to a sunny Spain/Portugal will tell you that inclement weather ruins the mood. I will not lie to you when I say how breathtaking Lisboa is on a warm, sunny day with azure sky. There is also nothing like sitting at an outdoor cafe, like Cafe Basileira in Chiado. But, cheer up, darling, you may have some sun. (Fatima is cold in September, so it will be colder in January. Bring a coat.) The best area of Lisboa to say in, in my humble opinion, is Baixa. It is accessable to other parts of the city that are worth exploring, like Alfama and Biarro Alto. It is easy to get around Lisboa, as there is the Metro and the cablecars, mentioned above by GiGi. Taxis are cheap. I do not know the Hotel VIP, but if you give me the address, I will tell you if that is a good location.

Here is the address: Rua Fernao Lopez 25
Thanks for all your help!

topping

Sweetie, this is important! Find the address again and look to see if it is RUA Fernao Lopes or AVENIDA Fernao Lopes. Avenida Fernao Lopes in in Oeiras, near Belem, but FAR from Baixa. Ta, John G.

Hi, glad you're back! I cut and pasted the address so I think it is RUA! What say you about that?

Darling, you can buy me a glass of Champagne later. I just called my ex on his mobile in Lisboa. There is a Rua Fernao Lopes in Saldanha, which is near Estefania. (My ex actually said, "Your friend, she not stay at the Ritz? Too bad.") This isn't the best place to stay, but you are near the Picoas Metro stop. The Metro is very easy to take. It would be better for you to stay nearer Baixa so you could walk. But, it is not so bad as you are somewhat close to the Gulbenkian Museum. Cheers, John G.