Lisbon region -where to stay?
 

My husband and I are thinking of going to Portugal for the second week in April '11. We have visited the Algave before and so we are thinking of spending the week in the region around Lisbon. However I am finding it hard to make decisions on how to spend this week. We like a mixture of historical buildings and natural beauty and my research suggests that there is more than enough of both to keep us busy for the week.

Should we hire a car for a whole week and base ourselves on the coast at, say, Cascais or Estoril? Or would Sintra be better? Or two different bases?
Alternatively should we base ourselves in Lisbon and use public transport to visit Sintra and the coast? If we stay in Lisbon which area of the city is best?
A third option would be a combination of three days in Lisbon then hire a car and travel out to Sintra and other towns staying at hotels as the whim takes us. Would this be practical at this time of year?
Any advice and suggestions would be welcome to help me get a better idea of what will work and what won't!
Thanks.

You say that you have been to the Algarve before but you haven't mentioned if you have spent any time in Lisbon.

For a week, you have a hard decision. Lisbon could gobble up a week easily and more. If you have not been there and you are satisfied with a taste then what I would do is split the time.

I always like to end a stay in Portugal with Lisbon as that is where our flight originates. If I were doing your trip I would arrive in Lisbon, rent a car and drive North. It is an easy drive. A car gives you the freedom to enjoy the coast. You wouldn't have to even travel very far to be able to satisfy your taste for natural beauty and historical sights.

You could start with Sintra and travel to Nazare visiting coastal towns at your whim. You could then go a little inland to see some historical sights like visiting Alcobaca. In miles it wouldn't be very far but you would have plenty to enjoy.

There is a lot to see in Northern Portugal and there is the Alentejo but for a week you would be spreading yourself thin. The opinion here is Evora is a must see. I don't suggest it because I feel the Alentejo deserves much more than just Evora and that is why I don't include it for so short a trip.

My own suggestion for a stay in Lisbon is Baixa or Chiado. You have a huge choice of accomodations in these areas of all sizes shapes and prices. Also. Transportation is at your fingertips as are cafes and nightlife.

Portugal is becoming more popular and I think you will have lots to think about. And there are people on the Forum who will gladly give you great suggestions.

Good Luck

With a car, I suggest Cascais as your best base location. I have done that twice and find it most convenient.

Hi,
Lisbon and its coast is the perfect destination based on those interests (history and natural beauty). You definitely don't want to miss Sintra with a stop at Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point in Europe). Cascais is also quite beautiful.
I'd base myself in Lisbon and take daytrips (very easy to do by train or organized tours).

As for the best areas to stay in Lisbon, it depends on what kind of hotel you like. The standard chain hotels are in the Avenidas Novas district, while the more charming accommodation is found in Alfama and Santos (both areas have just a few hotels).
I suggest you take a look at this neighborhood guide and decide which is the right area for you: http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/bairros.html

April can be a great time to be in Lisbon (temperatures start to warm up), but it can be beautiful and sunny, or it can rain for days. It's only a matter of luck... But renting a car and driving west and north along the coast is also a good idea. In that case, you definitely should not miss Obidos, about one hour north of Lisbon.

Thanks for your replies. No, we have not been to Lisbon before and my inclination is to stay in Lisbon for three days at the start then travel north (leaving the Alentejo for another time). We would be flying into and out of Lisbon.
For the week starting 11th April do you think we need to book accomodation on the coast in advance or could we risk going "on Spec"?

Hi Spiral - my wife and are just entering our second week of visting Portugal and think we did a perfect split of our first week.

We spent two nights in Sintra and then took the train and spent 5 nights in Lisbon. 3 full days in Lisbon was perfect for us and then we did a day trip on the train (very easy) to Estoril/Cascais. You can see our pics and read our ongoing trip report by clicking my name (Bikerscott) and you should see it!

We are loving Portugal so far!

I don't think you will have a problem in April on the coast if you don't have to have a specific hotel.
I don't think you would even have trouble in Lisbon but if you didn't want to spend time going from place to place and you have decided which days you want to stay in Lisbon, I would book something there.
My choice would still be to rent a car. The public transportation is very reasonable but it doesn't give you the get up and take off at a whim that a car will give you to explore if that is your thing.
And car rentals in Portugal I have found to be very reasonable.

Sher- thanks for your input. A car looks very likely - any suggestions for a reliable rental agency?
BikerScott - Love your report! Makes me really look forward to our trip in April. Do hope your cold gets better soon - it can really take the fun out of travelling if you're feeling ill.

Hi Spiral - Bikerscott's wife here! His cold is all better )thank goodness, no one enjoys Man Flu) :)

We have rented a car for our 2nd week, just picked it up today. We always rent our cars through www.autoeurope.com they are wholesalers and have great customer service. You dont find out what company it is through until you pay - ours is this time through Avis, but usually in France it is through Europcar. Never had a problem. If you do a search here you will find lots of reviews and info.

Enjoy your trip!
Mmmmmm portuguese wine is yummy!

Instead of a hotel in Lisbon, we rented a beautiful apartment for 4 nights with easy access to public transportation, easy walk to train for Sintra, easy walk to ferry to cross river to a great restaurant--Ponto Final. The website for the apartment is: www.vrbo.com/77293
We were greeted by a young woman who was very helpful with directions to bakeries, groceries etc. We took a cab to the airport to pick up rental car and traveled throughout northern Portugal and Spain. Good luck!

In October, we rented the apartment mentioned in the above post by Mati. The apartment is as pictured and very nice BUT it's on a square that is party central every night and especially the weekends. The nearby bars never close and crowds poured down the neighboring streets and were singing and yelling most of the night. Even with the windows and shutters closed, we could hear them. If you're a light sleeper, this is not the apartment for you.
It is, as Mati says, centrally located and the people watching during the daylight and early evening hours was fun.
The apartment is advertised as having a washer and dryer (a major reason for our choosing that particular apt), but it is a combination model with cryptic icons which neither the property manager representative nor we could figure out. We suggested that better directions be provided to renters and maybe they've done so by now.
We spent our last 6 days in Portugal in the apt., having rented a car upon arrival and spent the first 3 days in Obidos, with day trips to Roman ruins and other towns. We loved Obidos, stayed in the Hotel Convento (where we were given a suite complete with 2 bathrooms, a separate bedroom and a balcony for 100E a night) and really enjoyed walking around the old part of town, catching the weekly market the first afternoon we arrived.
Gas is incredibly expensive and if you use the highway (which is the quick way to travel north and south) there are very high tolls, but it's not very traveled except by Mercedes going more than 100 mph. Signage was a mixed bag. We found that there were not very many warning signs of exits coming up -- there would be a sign AT the exit, so if you weren't prepared, you'd find yourself driving right by it. Local roads are picturesque, no tolls, and slower due to the traffic, but all local roads were quite good quality. Lots of rotaries which we liked because we could just keep going around till we figured out which direction we wanted to take.

Everyone recommends Sintra but be prepared for a town totally mobbed by crowds of tourists. The bus that starts at the visitor center is a good way to get from one site to another and is worth the price (I think it was 5E).

Have fun.

The region between Leiria and Lisabon is very nice and typical: many to see in few kilometers.If you want, I can send you photos and descriptions. I also know a location near the sea (800m) for 200 euros a week all includes in a little village next to a largier city: [email protected]