Need help planning first visit to Portugal
 

Hi everybody.

My wife and I hope to visit Portugal next early September. We are in our late sixties, active, love to take long scenic walks, enjoy local fresh foods, beer and wine, and time to relax, We will be flying out of and into Boston, MA.

Hoping that we may receive some advice on how best to plan an approx. 10 day vacation. I say approx because we have some wiggle room if absolute need t add a couple of more days, e.g., 11 or 12 total. Prefer to keep it at 10, if possible.

I read that the weather is fairly consistent in being dry and warm with occasional short spells of rain.

Based on my googling, it appears the main sites (although I'm sure there are so many beautiful towns, cities, and places) are Lisbon, Sintra, Porto, Duoro Valley, and Algarve. We don't mind renting a car and taking long drives if it is practical and suggested. We try to limit the number of flights that we take. However, trains will work if recommended. We also try and limit the number of hotels we need to stay at since we don't want to be hoel hopping the whole time. The only time we don't mind the 1 night stay is at the airport on the return flight.
In fact, speaking of flights, we need help in terms of where to fly into and out of.

Then of course there are the Azores which I suspect will need to be a separate trip. The looks and sounds of the Azores are extremely appealing since we absolutely love hiking and looking for whales. Yet, I could be convinced to try and fit it in. I could also consider going to the Azores this trip and mainland Portugal on another. Love to hear the different feedback.

I know there is so much to see and do and distances become somewhat tricky. This is why I need your help.

Please let me know if you need any information to help suggest how to plan this trip.

Also, please let me know if I have not posted this in the correct forum since I sometimes struggle with that.

Thanks, W

With 10, or even 12, days you will need to be very selective. It is not unusual for people to spend 4 or 5 days in Lisbon, plus another day or two in Sintra. It is not unusual for people to spend 3 or 4 days in Porto, plus time for one or more day trips.

The Michelin Green Guide to Portugal is excellent. I strongly urge you to consult it.

You won’t have trouble finding fresh seafood and excellent wine in Portugal.

For weather: weatherspark.com

If you plan to visit both Lisbon and Porto, explore options for flying into one and out of the other. Or fly into Lisbon and immediately take the train to Porto; then work your way back down to Lisbon. You can get very detailed information about how, exactly, to get from Lisbon’s airport to Porto (and other info about trains in Portugal and elsewhere) on seat61.com

You posted correctly – Europe forum, tagged for Portugal. :tu:

Thank you so much. I will check out your references.

I'm trying to limit the flights to just into and out of Portugal. Prefer not to fly within for several reasons.

Based on what I read, Porto is more our style. Lisbon looks beautiful but we are not so much of big city/museum people. For a comparison, we have been to Florence and truly thought it was beautiful but 2 days there were plenty. Glad we went; I suspect the same for Lisbon unless told differently. Porto appears more our style where we could walk around the town, great scenery, food, etc although I believe the food is Portugal is outstanding throughout. Please don't get me wrong. I do want to go to Lisbon but I think we may want to spend more time in Porto.

Similarly, I want to spend time tin the Algarve area. Hence the dilemma, i .e., two opposite directions (Porto and Algarve).

I'm looking for the right mix of walking, hiking (easy to moderate), and relaxing enjoying the beautiful scenery. Fine with renting a car but heard that between some places the drive is not scenic.

I like your idea of flying into one area and out of the other even though it is not as convenient in terms of pricing and direct flights from/into Boston.

Not sure Sintra is a must for us. I am ignorant on this but we were just in the Loire Valley in France and have seen enough Chateaus and gardens as beautiful as they are. I have read that Sintra is somewhat (not exact) like that; although a day trip may be worth it since it so close to Lisbon.

Thanks again,

W

Only you can decide what to prioritize and how long to spend in each location. It seems to me that you would benefit enormously from a guidebook or two.

FWIW, Sintra is nothing like the Loire, is very scenic, and has some lovely walks. As a day trip, you'd be with hordes of others and would be rushed. Maybe that would work for you.

Hi and thanks. All great points.

after watching several Youtubes, I'm thinking of flying into Porto from Boston via a Delta alliance, i.e., Air France. From there we need to decide if we make Porto a base for 4 nights and do a day trip to the Duoro Valley or are we better off staying 3 nights in Porto and then 2 in the Duoro Valley before we head to Lisbon. Transportation is another issue.

Does it make sense to rent a car in Porto so that we may drive to the Duoro Valley and then return it in Porto and take the train to Lisbon or just drive to Lisbon and return the car there? Or do we just keep the car for the 2nd half of the vacation? I hear that a car is Lisbon is not practical.

Is the drive from Duoro Valley or Porto to Lisbon scenic?

Then I'm now thinking of staying in Lisbon for 3 nights with a day trip to Sintra and then off to Algarve for 3-4 nights for relaxation and scenic walks along the shore if that is possible. I think I would like to end our trip here. I hear that having a car in Algarve would be nice. The issue is renting in Porto, returning in Lisbon, and if we take the train to Algarve then we need to re-rent a car. Need advice on what's the best option in terms of the transportations. I assume hiring a driver from Lisbon to Algarve would be very expensive.

Unfortunately there are no reasonable flights from the Faro airport back to Boston so we would head back to Lisbon for one night before the flight home.
Does it make sense to stay near the airport for the last night?

So it sounds like we need more than 10 nights to make this work without being too rushed. Prefer to keep it at 12 nights max, if possible.

Alot of questions! When to rent a car and when to take the train is challenging for me right now. However, I think the order of Porto, Duoro Valley, Lisbon and Algarve makes sense. We will do the Azores on a separate trip.

I value your feedback and please feel free to pick this apart.

Thanks, W

Frankly, I consider watching YouTube videos to be a terrible way to plan a trip. For inspiration, maybe -- especially if you want an action-packed, see everything at a superficial level trip. Google searches aren't great either -- you just end up with the most popular places, which might not suit your interests. You won’t find what YOU want either way. Honestly, get a guidebook. The expense is trivial in comparison to the cost of your trip. For that matter, you should be able to consult guidebooks in your local library.

For the Duoro Valley, it depends on your interests, but with only a day or two, I don’t see the benefit of a car. You can enjoy the scenery from a train, and if you want to visit a winery or two, you can do that by train, too, without having to worry about driving after a wine or port tasting.

With your interests, a day trip to Sintra doesn’t sound ideal. You say you want some nice walks, and it is a great place for that, but I don’t see that happening with a day trip. I could be wrong.

Why would you plan on two separate stays in Lisbon? Put all your time there in one block at the end.

For transportation options, rome2rio.com

Even with 12 days, I would find your trip rushed – and I travel hard. YMMV.

Thanks Kia.Appreciate the feedback. Special thanks for the link for the transportation.

Youtube helps me with seeing some of the sights and tips like using Airalo, subways, transportation, etc. Agree that it is not best for exact planning but I do find it helpful for some considerations of where to visit. I never use it for restaurant recommendations because that is a very subjective matter. Your suggestion on guidebooks is well noted and I would recommend the same for anyone. I myself currently have several books out from my local libraries. I particularly like the Fodors Essentials but there are several others as well.

I would like to minimize car rentals but often I find that there are times when it is very convenient for the flexibility. However, as noted, Lisbon is not a place to have a car similar to Paris. When we went to France, we rented the car when we left Paris for Normandy which allowed us to stop at Honfleur which was amazing and would not have been possible if we took the train. However, I agree, trains are very practical depending on where you are, where you are going, and what you want to do.

This is exactly why I love your opinion and others. I take it all in and try to make the best decision that works for us.

The two separate stays is Lisbon is based on my desire to end the trip in the Algarve area and simply having 1 night near the airport in Lisbon before the flight home if we have an early departure. If it is a late departure we will just drive from Algarve to Lisbon. At least this is my present thought.

Thanks again, W

Go straight from Porto to the Algarve.

Faro is especially nice out of season and train is a great way to get there

Really think you are trying to do too much in a short span of time. It looks like you are trying to visit all the “high points of Portugal” in one trip. A mistake in my opinion. I regularly travel Boston to Porto/Lisbon as well as Boston to the Azores and have always tried to enjoy a certain area with days trips from the home base. It sounds like you would enjoy Porto over Lisbon. Lisbon has really become a very busy, touristy city with I would expect huge crowds in September. Porto will have the crowds but more manageable. The Douro is nice but we enjoyed short day trips from Porto to Guimaraes, Braga, and Viana do Castelo much more than wine tastings in the Douro. All towns are within an hour from Porto by vehicle or train. The train ride from Porto to Lisbon is about 3 hours and scenic. Do not rent a car in Lisbon but maybe train travel to Evora, Sesimbra or Ericeira. All short train rides. Estoril and Cascais are a scenic train ride from Lisbon in under an hour.

I loved Sintra. It is an easy day trip from Lisbon. If I get back to Portugal I will spend another day in Sintra.

Thank you all!

W

Hi again. In the process of booking flights and hotels.

For hotels/resorts we like, if possible, places that have balconies, pools, and in a great location. If you have personal experience and would like to share your favorite, please do.

First I will say that rome2rio.com is very helpful regarding the different methods of transportation but still need some advice.

We are going forward with the following based on research, feedback, and of course our personal choice:

Fly into Lisbon.
Lisbon 3 nights. Any recommendations of what area to stay?

Porto 3 nights. Also looking at what area would be recommended to stay. Leaning towards the Ribeira section based on the reviews of the guide books.
Still undecided on how best to get there from Lisbon? Train or car? Not interested in bus. Does anybody have a preference and why? Car gives more flexibility but if the train ride is scenic and we don't need a car in Porto we are happy not renting until we leave Porto.

Algarve 3 nights. Similarly, any recommendations on which part to stay? I'm leaning towards the western side. I think a car rental from Porto would be our best bet since we will need a car in the Algarve area.

1 night at a hotel near the Lisbon airport. Drop off car.

Chose to skip the Duoro Valley based on our personal preferences especially since we were just in Burgundy, France and recently Napa, CA.

That gives us 10 nights which will work for us. We will plan a separate trip to the Azores in the future.

Any follow up will be greatly appreciated again!

Thanks, W

Sorry, not sure what I was thinking.

We would actually fly into Porto, train to Lisbon, car rental for drive to Algarve and then drive back to Lisbon airport to return car.

However still need thoughts on that plan as well as best areas of each to stay.

Thanks, W

I'm glad you found rome2rio useful!

Assuming that your route as described in post # 14 is correct -- Porto, Lisbon, Algarve, Lisbon, home -- then my only comment on the routing is (as already noted in post #8) to see if you can go from Porto to the Algarve and then end in Lisbon. That would save you one change of hotels. (I assume you'll want to be in Lisbon the night before your flight. i would!) I'd take the train from Porto to Lisbon or somewhere in the Algarve, pick up the rental car ASAP for time in the Algarve, return the car to Lisbon and spend my last few days there.

Porto is small and, IMO, quite walkable. As long as you are in the core of Porto (or, for that matter, Vila Nova de Gaia) and are in walking distance of the things you want to see, you should be fine.

Where to stay in Lisbon depends, I think, on what you want to see / do, what you want in a hotel (or other lodging), etc. Your trip, your call. Research your options on booking.com

I don't know the Algarve and so have no comments.

Just going to offer this as I think you have made your mind up
Portugal is the sixth most dangerous road country in the EU
I'd take the train

Hi.

Are there certain areas that are more dangerous regarding driving? Regarding the danger, are you better off driving yourself or trusting someone else?
We drove in Costa Rica 92 miles from the airport to our destination at night in the rain and it was a terrible experience. I would never do that again.

I have thought about doing Porto to Algarve to Lisbon for the most effective solution but I wanted to end the vacation relaxing near a beach resort in the Algarve other than the last night at a hotel in the airport.

This is good info you all provide; it's helping me finalize plans.

Thanks again, W

https://landgeist.com/2022/12/03/roa...ies-in-europe/

We took a tour from Lisbon to Sintra and Cascais with Inside LIisbon tours. We liked they take only 8 people in a van. The guide was informative and knew all the short cuts to seeing the sights.

https://www.insidelisbon.com/en

In Lisbon we stayed at the International Design Hotel. Excellent location right on Rossio Square.

https://www.idesignhotel.com/location/

A few comments: First do your preferred ten days in Portugal include the day you fly in, and the day you fly out? For in that case, you'll have only eight full days in the country -- not quite adequate, in my opinion, but still better than not going to Portugal at all.

Second, I got back just three days ago from a 12-day (full days) Portugal trip in which I flew into, and out of, Porto -- the airport is very nice. And if you do end up spending your last night at the Porto airport, consider the Park Hotel. As airport hotels go, it's not too expensive, though they make up for it a bit in their restaurant -- but their buffet-style meals are very good.

Third, if you stick to the Porto -- Lisbon -- Algarve itinerary you mentioned, you will probably be able to manage everything by train. As an applied statistician by profession I'm a little skeptical about the value of quick-and-easy statistics like the one mentioned a few comments above; but as this is not the place for a statistical dissertation, I'll just point out that for me, the heavy traffic of big cities like Porto and Lisbon, the narrow, confusing streets of Portugal's thousand-year-old towns, and the many tricks and scams that car-rental agencies seem to be adept at these days, would cancel out whatever flexibility a rented car might provide. Wherever possible I would prefer to avoid those stresses, and enjoy Portugal's great grain system.

Fourth, on Sintra: after two trips to Portugal, I still haven't seen Sintra (and the tourist police never kicked in my hotel door late at night to find out why). And not having seen Sintra, I'm not in a good position to judge, but like you, I doubted whether it was for me. I'm sure Sintra is great for the right kind of tourist, and perhaps you are that kind; but grand fairly-tale castles for fancy aristocrats just aren't my scene, especially when they're likely to be smothered by tourist masses. Basically, a long time ago I abandoned the "must-see" approach to travel, in favor of a "mind-of-my-own" approach, and I've never regretted it -- I recommend that same approach to those who are so inclined.

We spent a few weeks in Portugal, with the first six great nights in Lisbon and the last four in Porto. Below is my trip report link with a million photos (more or less). FYI, we spent three nights in Sintra, too, and absolutely loved it there. Porto was our favorite. Loved the vibe there.

https://travelswithmaitaitom.com/portugal-2022/

You may find our trip report helpful-https://www.fodors.com/community/europe/wonderful-portugal-1713270/

Great links, great reports, great summaries, and great opinions and advice.

I'm finalizing:
Dates in September (most likely mid Sept)
Route we will take (most likely fly into Porto, then train to Lisbon, then train to Algarve, rent a car, then drive to Lisbon for the final night before flying back)
Lengths of stay in each (most likely 3 in Porto, 2 in Lisbon, 4 in Algarve, and 1 at airport in Lisbon)
Areas within each region (most likely Ribeira or Baixa/Downtown in Porto, Baixa/Chiado in Lisbon, and either Lagos or Carvoeiro in the Algarve).

We will search for the best hotels that suit our needs. We want local charm, clean, with great locations, walkable to most everything. Not looking for anything too fancy or too expansive with one exception, that is in the Algarve. Once in awhile we do splurge and the Tivoli Carvoeiro may be the time to splurge. Looks like it is in a great location with beautiful scenery. However, Lagos may be the better choice for us.

Always appreciate any comments on anything.

Thanks, W

Late to this thread...

Algarve: maybe check out beach-side Salema?
Remote village: Marvao.
Island recco: Madeira.
Bilbo remarks 'Portugal is the sixth most dangerous road country in the EU'. He is right.
My friend and I were almost killed there back in '88. Close call on Xmas day!

I am done. the brigado brigade

Hello, I went to Portugal last August and have some comments that will differ from most on this board. We LOVED Lisbon and were not great fans of Porto. Lisbon felt like a small and important, beautiful city with lots of history. We are not big wine wine drinkers and apart from one day in the Douro Valley and a day or day and a half to see the main sites in Porto, we found it to be very congested and not terribly pretty or unusual. I would therefore reverse my day count between these two cities.

I found it particularly hard to plan this trip given the many different viewpoints on this site. In the end, we spent about 4 days in Lisbon, 1-2 days in Sintra and 3 days in Porto including the Douro Valley. We did not rent a car which I ultimately was disappointed about since there were wildfires in the region and it would have given us much more flexibility to modify our plans. We did not need a car in Lisbon, Sintra or Porto though.

We were very pleased with the location of our hotels and you can check some of my earlier posts since I commented specifically about this.

Hope this helps though imagine it may confuse you further!

I appreciate all feedback and different opinions. It just helps me consider all options.

And appreciate all the links provided.

I am very impressed by the International Design Hotel in Lisbon.

Stil finalizing.

Thanks again, W

I'm flying in and out of Lisbon this June. We have a very early arrival so we've decided to take a train directly to the Algarve and spend 4 nights there. Return to Lisbon for 4 nights, where we'll take a day trip to Sintra (nothing set in stone yet). Seems trains and ubers are easy and not expensive. Porto doesn't seem to be an option for us due to time constraints. If Lisbon doesn't appeal to you, just do Porto and Algarve.

Just a reply since so fresh in my mind . . . Ubers are very easy though we did one from Sintra to Porto (crazy I know, though we had heavy bags and decided to leave very early since the sites were closed in Sintra) and the driver accepted the fare and then reneged so we agreed to pay him out of pocket. (Apparently, this is quite common for long distance trips since the driver needs to do the round-trip and Uber takes such a huge chunk of the fare.). During the trip (the driver drove a Mercedes), we learned the car was electric and to save power, he drove like 40 mph! So what was supposed to be 3 to 3.5 hours, turned out to be 5 hours plus!

We did end up taking the train back from Porto to Lisbon and out hotel booked us for the wrong stop or train to Lisbon so we had to Uber for 30 minutes when the right train stop was 3 blocks from our hotel!

Hope this helps someone out there!

Thanks for the heads up.

My plan is to take trains between Porto and Lisbon and Algarve and then rent a car in Algarve so that we may explore that region. Then we plan on driving back to Lisbon airport for one night. Most likely at the Melia.

We plan to drive to Sintra on our way from Algarve to Lisbon to make the most of our time.

Still trying to finalize hotels in Ribeira, Porto, Baixa/Chiado in Lisbon, and tossed between Lagos in Algarve or split 2 nights in Lagos and 2 in Carvoeiro.

Thanks, W

Hi.

Flights and accommodations are finalized! Finally! Thanks again for all your help.

fFy into Porto as planned. 3 nights at AS 1829
Train to Lisbon. Still need to make these reservations. 3 nights at Lisboa Pesoa
Train to Algarve, Still need to make these reservations. Rent a car in Faro. 4 nights at Cascade Wellness.
Drive to Lisbon Airport for 1 night before flight. On way thinking of stopping in Sintra.
Will be researching restaurants for advanced reservations.

Little concerned about making train reservations since when we were in France last year our train was canceled due to a strike. Not sure if that is common in Portugal as well.

Appreciate any more comments.

W

Couple of thoughts.

Be sure to rent your car in Faro from the US . . . When we tried to rent a car in Lisbon, a day or two before needed, the rates were exorbitant.

For your last night in Lisbon, I would suggest staying back in the city. The airport is not very far and the city will likely provide you with a more fun evening.

As far as location in Lisbon, we loved the Avenida Liberdade. It is kind of like the Madison or Fifth Avenue of Lisbon and a 10 or 15 minute walk from everything. It feels very safe and the train station (to Porto) is about 2 blocks away. We absolutely loved the location.

As far as location in Porto, we stayed at the Intercontinental which was an amazingly central location. If you decide to stay nearby, I would just check about the massive construction going on right across the street.

As far as restaurants in Lisbon, we loved Pateo so much, we ate there twice! The lobster bisque was the best I’ve ever tasted and I’ve recommended it to several people who also loved it. The tuna tartare was fabulous there as well.

A local foodie had recommended Cervejaria Ramiro and said he ordered a single prawn that was the largest he’d ever seen. We didn’t end up going there because it was closed for a few days during our stay.

Btw, know you booked your flights, but just an fyi, there is the Faro airport in the Algarve which has international flights.

Apologies, just saw that your accommodations are booked and that it’s just the trains that are left so you can ignore some of my comments above. 😉

The Cervejaria Ramiro is often mentioned as a go-to for Lisbon, but my experience at in April of 2025 was not all that great. For some relatively recent comments by Fodorites, see this thread: https://www.fodors.com/community/eur...rants-1725872/

Thanks.

Great feedback on the restaurants!

We may still head into town on our last night but we like staying at the airport hotel the night before the flight. Less rushed in the morning.

Has anyone ever used Airalo for an esim for their phone? I have never but we like to have access to data when not on local wifi. From what I read it sseemss pretty good as opposed to paying the international daily fees from Verizon.

Also, any preference on which train from Porto to Lisbon, i.e., high speed vs inter city for comfort and safety including our luggage?

Now that flights and rooms are booked any other :wish I knew before I go to Portugal" tips?

Thanks, W

We found the train from Porto to Lisbon very safe. If I recall, there wasn't a tremendous difference between the high speed train and the regular. I would book the one where the time best meets your schedule, and as I mentioned above, where the stop in Lisbon is on the Avenida Liberdade which is right in the center of town.

One other caveat, the streets in Lisbon are paved with tile. The streets are narrow, winding and hilly so it best to have shoes or sneakers with really good tread. Looks like you guys are very active so I imagine you will be walking a lot . . . My friend fell twice, particularly while we were walking down hill near many of the restaurants. I was surprised no one had mentioned this to us beforehand.

Also, not sure if the funiculars will be working in the city as there was a horrific accident in Lisbon that happened a month or two after we departed (maybe October 2025). If they are and deemed safe, Tram 28 is a very popular tourist choice and it gets really crowded. I'm sure this is in the guide books but our concierge suggested we take an Uber to the end of the route and then ride the tram back to avoid the crowds. When we arrived by our Uber, there was a cemetery there and it was one of the more fascinating spots of our trip, believe it or not. They had these mini mausoleums with doors and windows with curtains on them. You could peer in the windows and in some, see 6 or 7 coffins inside - yet it was like 105 degrees outside! They were like these mini houses sometimes not much larger than an outhouse. Have never seen anything like it anywhere I've traveled. One of the benefits of just wandering around unplanned and seeing the most interesting things . . .

Enjoy your trip!

Prior to the pandemic, my husband and I had a ten day trip to Portugal in June. We did not to the Algarve. We flew r/t to Lisbon and rented a car spending two nights initially in Evora which isn't a far drive from the airport and was very lovely, with several historic sites as well as being a major foodie destination. I was sorry we didn't spend three nights and do a day trip from there to Castel de Vide as opposed to driving there and then on to Marvao and then long drive back to Batalha. Lovely modern business hotel and great location practically next to the amazing monastery. Then on to Coimbra to visit the University and the famous churches. It was blazing hot and so we added a stop in Aveiro for a refreshing canal boat ride and gelato before heading to Porto. We arrived in early evening. It was a holiday associated with fertility and while long ago it was celebrated by having women stop and smell bunches of herbs but now has evolved into people bopping each other on the head with plastic hammers, which our hotel gave us our own pair. The sky was lit with fireworks and people lighting balloons. Next day we walked downtown to the riverfront and saw the detritus of the previous night with smashed red cups and water bottles and plastic hammers, so not the best look. We toured Porto and did so much walking to see the railroad station with the tiles and the cathedral and the guild hall bulding. It was overcast and drizzly/misty so we didn't go on a boat ride as originally has planned. We did sit out for wine at a cafe but didn't visit any of the port houses. Next day was a bit more rainy and we walked up to modern Porto section to see the Casa Musica building as we travel to view architecture and then got our car to drive to Braga and Guimares. Never made it to Braga as driving through a mountainous area, there was much fog and mist and we missed the turn-off but no problem as Guimares was real find. We loved the Castle and the medieval architecture as it seemed to be more Flemish or it reminded me of the timbered streets in Rouen actually. Back to Porto late and headed south to tour the monastery at Alboaca, stopped at the touristy town of Obidos and to the airport to return the rental car, spending three nights in Lisbon which was of course hilly as well as blazing hot. It was very festive as this was the World Cup year. The Praca had giant sized screens and people were wandering around with their country flags and faces painted. We stayed at a boutique hotel on one of the shopping streets between Rossio Square and the Praca. We took the giant elevators up to the Castle, a modern tram to the statue and monument to the Portugeuse explorers. Huge line in the midday sun at the famous pastry shop and for the Jeronimos monastery so we didn't go. Highlight of Lisbon was a day trip that our hotel concierge booked with Hello Portugal that took us to Sintra, Cascais and the westernmost part of continental Europe. The tour took us through a modern part of Lisbon and our driver was very informative. Loved Sintra and the Palace as well as the town itself. Cascais very pleasant. In general I loved the vibe of Lisbon but if I did it again, I would perhaps stay overnight in Sintra to spend more time there. Both to and from the airport in Lisbon, we were able to use airport bus that we picked up and got off at Rossio Square but that my no longer be an option. Picking up and returning rental car at Lisbon airport was a chaotic experience, as nothing like exiting the car rental and driving into a roundabout. On the return, one line for anyone entering the airport and then a man directing you to terminals or car rentals, regardless of whether you had a car, a taxi, a passenger van or a bus. Needed patience and thankfully we were only heading into Lisbon, not making a flight.