Hello all! I'm planning on about a two-week a trip to Portugal this coming late-June/July. I've done a lot of researching and have mapped out an itinerary, but I haven't booked my flights yet, so I can add a day or two on if I'm convinced there are additional sites I absolutely must see. When traveling my general interests are: food!, wandering neighborhoods, sitting in public parks and people watching, historical sites, museums (but not too many), gorgeous views, quaint little towns. (This makes it sound like I might be kind of slow and sedentary, but I'm young and active and healthy, so I generally do lots of walking when I travel.) I don't drink, so wineries and nightlife are not really my style.

A couple of specific questions:

1) I'd like to see all/most of the sites in Sintra and I've read about how crowded it can get there, so would it be of any benefit to stay overnight and take the sites in two days instead of one? It seems like most people do Sintra in a day, but I have the time to stay overnight if there's an advantage to being in the city after most people leave.

2) Since I'll be in Portugal during high season, do I need to buy train tickets in advance? From what I've read it seems like I should be able to get train tickets for the day trips on the day of. I'm planning to take the train from Lisbon to Coimbra, hang out in that city for a while, and then continue on to Porto the same day. Should I get those tickets in advance or will I be okay to just leave Coimbra and buy a ticket onto Porto whenever I'm ready?

3) I've done a good amount of research and chosen day trips to the places that sound most interesting to me, but if you've absolutely LOVED a city I don't have on my list, please tell me about it. For example, why did you love Evora? It seems like that's a popular day trip from Lisbon, but the photos I've seen and the sites I've read about haven't really convinced me to put in on my itinerary. (And before someone posts the inevitable comment that says "what are YOU interested in?"...yes, I know I'm pretty confident in the itinerary I've already planned out, I just like to hear about other people's experiences so that I can take those into account with my own preferences.

Itinerary
If I can find a cheap enough fare into Lisbon and out of Porto I'll take it, since that would be most convenient, but for now I'm assuming I'll be flying in and out of Lisbon. The order of my day trips may look strange, but I'm trying to account for weekends and when sites will be more and less busy.

Day 1: Depart US
Day 2: Arrive Lisbon
Day 3: Obidos day trip
Day 4: Lisbon
Day 5: Lisbon
Day 6: Cascais day trip
Day 7: Sintra (overnight?)
Day 8: Sintra
Day 9: Coimbra, Porto
Day 10: Guimaraes day trip
Day 11: Porto
Day 12: Porto
Day 13: Braga day trip
Day 14: Porto to Lisbon
Day 15: Depart to US

Thanks for your thoughts!

I have not been to Portugal yet, but we will be going to Lisbon in April, so I can't really comment on your itinerary. However, I would like to point out that open-jaw tickets, where you fly into one city and out of another, are generally not that much more expensive than roundtrip tickets. You have to take into account the money and time it will cost you to backtrack to Lisbon. And if you don't backtrack to Lisbon, then you gain an extra day of sightseeing.

Well, I was not wowed by Evora itself, although I did enjoy a visit to wineries in the countryside. On the other hand, I would allow more time for Coimbra, where you definitely need to visit the Roman ruins at Conimbriga as well as the town and university. I would not bother overnighting in Sintra, and I would not give it two days. Obidos rates half a day.

I agree that open jaw tickets would be better for this itinerary - you might be able to add a Douro trip.

Yeh train tickets should be available on day of travel but booking in advance can yield discounted fares - www.cp.pt - state railways site; www.seat61.com has great advice on booking your own ticket in advance - but full-fare in Portugal won't break the bank either. And first class at a little more will provide more comfort - check prices for both for discounted fares and see how much you can save. At least Lisbon-Coimbra for discounts as those fares are train-specific usually and can't be changed - Coimbra to Porto shorter and just buy ful-fare ticket you can use on any train as you will not know when you may really want to leave Coimbra (Coimbra-B is the main train station at bottom of hill Coimbra is perched on - take lift up to old town area - put bags in station locker.

A few years ago we visited Portugal in April and spent two nights in Sintra. The town was lovely in the evening with the crowds gone and many of the major sites illuminated. The castle on the hill above the town was beautifully lit up and seemed to float in the night sky - very pretty in a light rain. We were glad we spent the nights there and we enjoyed having a full day to see the Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle. Be forewarned, however, that the buses that travel up to those locations from the town were packed even in April.

I spent a week in Sintra once, many years ago, staying with friends who’d rented a Quinta (villa) there for a month, actually; it remains a favorite travel memory. I think
an overnight or two, as Candace mentions above, would be enough time, however, to enjoy its charming ambiance...

Sinra being so close to Lisbon could be a base for that town too for folks who love ambience of smaller towns?

We loved Lisbon! Another good day-trip is to Cascais, a cute little waterside town that's a short train trip from Lisbon.

Yes, do the open jaw and consider spending the night in Sintra. Although Sintra is a daytrip from Lisbon for most travelers, it's that much better once the crowds depart and you can relax in the evening and take the early afternoon train back to Lisbon after touring first thing in the morning, before the crowds arrive.

If you can, always purchase your train tickets between Porto and Lisbon in advance. Local trains are not a problem. You may find the attached file useful in planning your stay. The file is also available at Amazon (www.amazon.com/dp/B078RDB1JX)

Why always buy Lisbon-Porto train tickets in advance? Because they can be full - even in 1st class or because of getting cheaper ticket prices - not clear. Full fare is not that expensive for someone wanting flexibility and if can wait until Lisbon before buying may want to but if trains are all booked - unlikely IME of European trains in general - then that is a good reason.