Lisbon w/kids - where to stay/what to do
 

We will be traveling to Lisbon for vacation with two small children (6 months and 3 yrs) for one week in early April. I have done some research and reading (including the Fodors forum), but I am still deciding on where to stay and what to see. Does anyone have recommendations on apartments vs. hotels? Is it best to stay the entire 7 nights in Lisbon and do day trips to other towns (possibly Sintra)? Or share the nights over two towns? From what I can tell, the Lisbon Zoo and Aquarium are very nice. We are flying into the Lisbon Airport and are not planning on renting a car, since it sounds like the bus and train system is pretty good. The children travel well and we still plan on doing some site seeing, just need to fill some time with children friendly activities as well. Any recommendations on the above is very much appreciated. Thank you.

That's Oceanarium, not Aquarium; and it is very good. It was built for Expo'98 and is located on the Expo'98 site at Oriente.

My daughter was in her early teens when we took her to Portugal for the first time; so I am short on recommendations for a toddler and a 6-month old baby. Your 3-year old might enjoy Portugal dos Pequeninhos, a re-creation in miniature of some of Portugals monuments, in Coimbra, a city about halfway between Lisbon & Porto.

I would also recommend a daytrip to Estoril and a stroll on the beach there.

Pay attention, darling. You want to stay in an area around Baixa so you will have easier access to all the major sites of Lisboa. The Metro and tram system are fabulous. You can cab it to places like Belem to see the Jeronimos Monastery and the Coach Museum.

I can't recommend anything for your snappers, but I can recommend the following sites as a must:
Castelo Sao Jorge, Elavator Santa Justa, Gulbenkian Museum, Jeronimos and Coach Museum, a walk through Alfama.

Do you realise that Lisboa is VERY hilly?? This can cause a problem for you and your kiddies. Pushing a stroller through the cobblestone streets of the "old city" will be a major obstacle.

And, yes, darling, you want to take a trip to Sintra, one of the most BEAUTIFUL places you will ever see in your lifetime. Take a day trip or stay overnight. (I hate Estoril, but recommend the town next-door, CASCAIS.)

Good luck, and do visit the showroom of the fabulous Portuguese fashion designer Fatima Lopes if you have a chance.

Balenciaga, darling.

Great. Thanks for the suggestions. I was a little worried about using a stroller in Lisbon. I have heard about the steep streets and cobblestone areas. Any suggestions or leads on hotels / apartments in Lisbon?

By far you need to go to Sintra!!! It is soooo amazing. My boyfriend and I went there for three days and returned after not liking Lagos... We stayed at a bed and breakfast called pensao residential sintra (email is: [email protected].) The price during the summer was only 85 euros! They spoke english, had a pool and hiking grounds. They also have american food, which was a big plus. We actually preferred staying here as opposed to Lisbon because you cannot beat the scenery, plus it is only a half hour away from lisbon.

If your staying at lisbon, check out VIP Eden. It is great! Rooptop pool, with bar etc. and right smack in the center.

We also stayed at another place in Lisbon called pensao residencial florescente. This was also in the center but cheaper. Don't be fooled by the word pensao because this place had brand new amentities and a view of the castle!

Enjoy your trip ;)
and look on tripadvisor.com to look at the reviews concerning these hotels