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May in Portugal - Dear Fordorites, please help me plan

May in Portugal - Dear Fordorites, please help me plan

Old Feb 16th, 2019, 01:30 AM
  #21  
 
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Jettery - I found Portugal, on the whole, to be cheaper than Italy (I've not been to Spain). We found a studio flat in the Alfama district of Lisbon for around $70 a night - and for the two of us it was almost perfect.
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Old Feb 16th, 2019, 04:07 AM
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Jeterray, Portugal is significantly less expensive than Spain and Italy, where we have been many times. We were staying in beautiful four stars hotels in Portugal for the prices we are not accustomed to. All of them had fabulous breakfasts included and our rooms were lovely.

Restaurants in Portugal are also less expensive in general (depends where you go of course). And attractions are also not too pricey.

Enjoy planning!
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Old Feb 16th, 2019, 04:12 AM
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Originally Posted by vinonobile987
Jeterray, Portugal is significantly less expensive than Spain and Italy, where we have been many times. We were staying in beautiful four stars hotels in Portugal for the prices we are not accustomed to. All of them had fabulous breakfasts included and our rooms were lovely.

Restaurants in Portugal are also less expensive in general (depends where you go of course). And attractions are also not too pricey.

Enjoy planning!
Restaurants in Lisbon are less expensive, and I agree that admission prices to museums, attractions, etc. are very reasonable. We only stayed in Lisbon so I can't comment on rest of Portugal. We did think hotels were a little pricey in Lisbon, especially in the center. Of course, there were less expensive hotels, but they got a lot of negative reviews. We stayed at the Hotel Real Palacio, near Edward VII Park. Paid $170 per night including a huge breakfast buffet.
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Old Feb 16th, 2019, 05:34 AM
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Seamus-That's great news. I have not done enough research since my proposed trip is over a year away. I got that idea by clicking on some hotels recommended on here. Looking to stay about 2 weeks, beginning with approx. 5 days in Lisbon. Is it feasible/desired to stay in Lisbon the entire time and do day trips with our rental car ? If we decide to stay somewhere outside of Lisbon, is there a favorite ? We like beautiful scenery, historic sites and wine. Based on the above posts sounds like Portugal id made for us, Thanks
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Old Feb 16th, 2019, 05:49 AM
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We stayed in Cascais at the lovely hotel “Fortaleza do Guincho” in Cascais (it is a Relais & Chateaux property). Unforgettable stay: stunning views, fabulous service, breakfast to die for, Michelin Star Restaurant, free parking.

https://fortaleza-do-guincho-hotel-cascais.booked.net/

And for Evora we stayed in the beautiful countryside nearby, in the refurbished 16th century monastery “Convento do Espinheiro”. My only regret is that we did not stay there for at least 3 nights.

https://www.conventodoespinheiro.com/

It was one of a kind experience.
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Old Feb 16th, 2019, 04:35 PM
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jeterray - Of course you'll get recommendations for lush and pricey places, as they are generally available almost everywhere. But there are many, many alternatives if they are not within your budget. Have a look at a site like booking.com for an idea of the range of possibilities. There are also plenty of options on airbnb, if an apartment would suit - surf around.

As for touring, keep in mind that Portugal , sort of like California, extends from north to south with a long coastline and multiple regions. I would not advise staying in Lisbon the whole time and day tripping, but spending several days there then renting a car to drive around is a very popular option. Roads are pretty good - though you may encounter some tolls along the way - and a wandering pace is just fine. From your list of likes, the Alentejo wine area would be a good fit, as would Porto and the Douro Valley. You could even go from Lisbon to Porto via train, then rent a car to make your way back to Lisbon for your return flight.
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Old Feb 17th, 2019, 08:24 AM
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We found Lisbon prices to be less than other European cities we've visited.

For instance, we do not ordinarily splurge on 5-star hotels, but the Hotel Avenida Palace rate was about what we'd pay in the States for a nice Marriott.

I think our double room was about $210, a few years ago, including the best hot/cold breakfast buffet anywhere.

We fell in love with this hotel, when we arrived at 10:30 a.m., prepared to wait for our room till 3:00-- but, instead, our room was ready and we were immediately checked in to it. What a treat. I had informed them we'd be there around that time, arriving from the States. This is just one example of the excellent customer service at this hotel.
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Old Feb 17th, 2019, 06:27 PM
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We stayed at the Hotel Britania in Portugal. It is one block off the main avenue in Lisbon.
You can easily train to Sintra and or Cascais for a day trip.
Hotel Britania is a small hotel with a very nice buffet breakfast. We got a 55 and over rate since my husband had just turned 55! Our first senior rate, lol.
i would say it was about 200 US dollars per night?

Food is very reasonable and wine is cheap. Food is also very good!

Driving was easy.

We also stayed in Cascais. The hotel, the Intercontinental was very nice and we stayed there using Amex points. It was pricey.
There are so many options for hotels that you can definitely find one that suits your budget.
we also spent the night in Fatima outside the “compound “ of the Church’s area, but we were a mile up the road in the coolest place. It was cheap and very nice with a great breakfast. We could hear the men’s choir singing at 6:00am mass, very haunting. The hotel was called Luz Charming houses, very tranquil and spa like
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