Paris trip fell through, Lisbon alternative, I'm disappointed, what's there to do?
 

I think the title said it all...For 6 months i thought I was going to Paris. Now I find out it's going to be Lisbon. I'm very disappointed...What is there to do in Lisbon? I'm a shopper, is there anything worth shopping for? How far to get to the beach? Lisbon lovers, HELP!

Here is a wonderful Lisbon report:

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threadselect.jsp?fid=2

Dont' be disappointed, I'm sure it will turn out to be much better then you think of it now. Every place has something unique to offer. Come back with your report.

Hop on a train and go to Cascais (pron Cass-caish) or Estoril, where Lisbonites go to see the sea. Both are not far - about half an hour or so on the train. www.designhotels.com has a nice hotel called Farol in Cascais. You can get cheaper deals through the usual web outlets.

http://www.fodors.com/forums/pgMessa...p;tid=34407721

I think this is the URL for the thread Faina mentioned. If not, it still has great info. Type "lisbon" and maybe "lisbon AND shopping" in the text box to find others, if you haven't already.

I would have liked to add Portugal onto my upcoming Spain trip, but just didn't have the time. I'm curious; what happened to change your trip's desination?

Lisbon is lovely...shop for tiles and other home items, for one, and shoes (if your feet are smallish!) and fashion.
Go to Sintra for a day, at least, and wander the old city part. There's some lovely embroidery and linens at the shops across from the palace.

My favourite spot in Lisbon was the Monasterio de Jeronimos; the Coach Museum is in the same area.

To be honest, I enjoyed Portugal more than either of my trips to Paris; different strokes for different folks, or something!

You got lucky! You will soon discover that Lisbon pastries rival any you may find in Paris or anywhere else. Metro Lisboa (subway system) is beautiful: each line has a theme and the stations along the line are designed to maintain the theme. My favorite is the Oriente line. The Portuguese have outdone themselves in the 'Traveler-friendly' Metro Lisboa.

Lisbon has been included on lists of most beautiful 'port' cities (right up there with San Francisco, Hong Kong & Rio de Janeiro).

There's an upscale shopping mall (Vasco da Gama) where the main entrance to Expo'98 was (Oriente) but you may want to do your shopping in the center of town, like the Baixa area. There's another fairly new (1999) shopping mall at Metro 'Militar.'

Amy mentioned los Jeronimos Monastery but there's a lot more in that Belem area: Discoveries Monument, Torre de Belem, Museo de la Marina, Centro Cultural de Belem, and some beautiful, well maintained gardens.

I prefer Estoril over Cascais but there is another Beach called Troia on the Barrier Island across from Setubal.

Someone mentioned tiles: azulejos as they are called - you can tour a factory where they are made if you like.

And then there's Lisbon's nightlife ...

Portugal has so many undiscovered gems; as somebody posted earlier, you got lucky! Try http://www.contactovisual.pt/viana/index.html

What month are you going?

Thanks so much for the encouragement, and I hope to keep getting tips! Lesli, to answer your question about why the trip was changed...Our trip to Paris was a sort of business/reward trip for my husband. The company which is offering the reward felt that since we are Americans, it would be in bad faith to travel to Paris after all the hoopla over the war....I support my country, but I don't think we should boycott France. But, it's out of my hands...Maira- we'll be in Lisbon the first of August, any pointers???
Thanks again for everyone's support. It's really helping my attitude!

If memory serves correctly, there is a crafts market on the grounds of the Casino at Estoril -- a short train ride from Lisbon -- on Sundays. Great shopping can be combined with a little judicious gambling.
To assuage your disappointment in not visiting Paris, the main avenue in Lisbon is modeled after the Champs Elysee, but is even nicer with marble paving blocks, gardens with waterfalls and swans lining its length, and attractive outdoor cafes. In the center of town is an elevator designed by Gustav Eifel. The Palace at Queluz is modeled after Versailles and has beautiful gardens.
The Alfama, Lisbon's oldest district, like Paris's Montmartre, is set on a hill. The trick to exploring it is to take public transportation to the top and just keep wandering downhill. You are bound to get lost -- it's part of the fun -- but as long as you go downhill you'll eventually wind up in the central business district.
Portuguese bull fights are interesting. While not bloodless, they are more a test of the skill and bravery of horse and rider than an exercise in brute force. The bull is not killed in the arena. And the forcadoes, who combine the attributes of rodeo clown. tag team wrestler, and danger junkie, put on an amazing display of courage and skill as they attempt to stop a bull with their bare hands. In Paris, you don't get bullfights.

Have a great trip,

Virginia

we have been to both lisbon and paris - totally different but both wonderful in their own way. we enjoyed lisbon - were there 1 week and did day trips to caiscais and sintra and estoril. lots of sightseeing - i also love to shop and found some great bargains in hand knit sweaters and of course pottery type stuff. also filligree jewelry is nice there. i did a little shopping in the city and on the day trips so got a variety of stuff. lisbon is a hilly city built on the water and has alot of areas with absolutely beautiful views. you will not be disappointed - also the portuguese people are very friendly - do eat the fish, portuguese style - as i had posted in a different message, it is the best fish i have ever eaten. have fun - i would definitely go back!!!

Elaineh, I visisted Northern Portugal, got as far south as Porto. Portugal is in my short list of places to go back to. I do remember the most gorgeous tablecloths, linens, ceramics for the kitchen, the most amazing tiles I've ever seen, beautiful lace, wine from Porto is exquisite; Elaineh, you lucky girl!!

Message:Elaineh, I too will be going on the same trip as you. We will also be at the Intercontinental in Prague for the "I.C." I also felt a little disappointment with the change of location from Paris, but I'm glad we will still be in Europe. After doing extensive research the past 4 days I'm more excited then ever. We are traveling with our 8yr old son. After Lisbon we will extend our trip to 2 nights in Seville at the Hotel Alfonzo XIII and 4 nights in Marbella at the Puente Romano. We will do day trips from Marbella, but also relax and enjoy the beach. Thanks for this post. You're not the only one getting great tips. Bonnie

Don't miss an opportunity to see Fado (a type of Portugese soul/folk music) while in Lisbon. The city nightlife (the authenitic nightlife) starts late and ends with the dawn.

The food is excellent: watch for the special cabbage soups, fresh fish prepared in interesting ways and desserts of almonds and lemons that taste like summer on a plate. The bread is also very, very good, chewy and tasty and hard to find elsewhere in the world.

A tip from a Portuguese fodorite:
Please try the genuine "Pasteis de Belém" (pastry) sold nearby Mosteiro dos Jerónimos.
As you were already advised, go to Sintra (you will never forget it). If possible, make a tour passing Cascais, Guincho, Colares, Azenhas do Mar, Ericeira ...
The best malls are "Colombo" (metro station: Colegio Militar) and "Vasco da Gama" (metro station: Oriente).
The beaches of Cascais and Estoril, although close to Lisbon, are not the best ones. On the other side of the river (rio Tejo), you have a long, long beach called Costa da Caparica, where you may go if you rent a car, for example.
As for food, there are great restaurants. Try, for instance, "Bica do Sapato".
If you want to eat something typical, in Summer we all eat "sardinhas assadas" (grilled sardines). It is better to eat them in an open space (the Handicraft Fair near Casino Estoril, for example).
I believe you will then become another LISBON LOVER.

I luvvvvvvvved Lisbon and can't wait to go back.

When you're there, be sure to try AlCantara Cafe, Rua Maria Luisa Holstein, 15 (at Rua Cozinha Economica). tel. 363 71 76.

Beautiful restaurant with fabulous food.

Are you kidding? This could be the best thing to happen to you. Take a trip to Sintra,it is fantastic. Good food,great people. Get lost walking around Libon,it is a great city with lots to offer,I'm jealous.

Elaineh,

We will be in Lisbon for two short days before we head to Paris for the 5th time. I am excited to see Lisbon and I want to thank you for your question because now these answers will enrich my trip! I am even more excited about our trip in May. I thought that our first trip to Europe would be our "only" trip but it was just the first of several. Maybe someday soon you will see Paris!

Just an addendum to Mcouto's excellent tips. The beaches on the Costa da Caparica are indeed spectacular, but you don't need a car to get to them. There is a very easy bus connection from the Praca de Espanha. The trip is about half and hour and you're dropped off near the beach in Caparica town. You can then take a little mini-train down the coastline to more isolated beaches. Beautiful dunes and cliffs, and no development except a few beach bars.

My girlfriend and I went to Portugal a couple years ago not knowing much about it beyond what we saw in guidebooks and had a great time like most everyone else on this thread. Lisbon doesn't have the manicured perfecttion of central Paris but it is a beautiful city that will remain in your memory and I look forward to returning.

I wish we had stayed in Sintra instead of just making a daytrip and would encourage that if possible. If you are going to be in Lisbon in August it will be warm and Sintra, although close by Lisbon, is significantly cooler because of geography (it became a royal summer retreat). Sintra is spectacularly otherworldly (don't miss the Palacio da Pena).

Belem, situated on the river, is another good place to get some cool breezes and it has great sights like the spectacular Jeronimos monastery, the Belem tower and fun museums like the Maritime and Coach museums. The Cultural Center there is a good place to get a cool drink and take a break from the sun.

If you are climbing up through the Alfama the Decorative Arts Museum is a fascinating place to take a break from your walk.

Because of my girlfriend's good travel planning we were able to stay at the Four Season Lisbon Ritz for $150 a night through a promotion called the Shopper's Special. This wasn't available on the website at the time but we got it by calling the 4 Seasons line in the U.S. Don't know if it's something they still do but worth a shot because we had a beautiful room.

The hotel also suggested hiring a driver to see some of the nearby sites which I haven't done elsewhere. The driver was an excellent guide and taking the car enabled us to see quite a few sites. Some like Sintra we wanted to return to others like Cascais we pretty much saw enough. Cost was around $100-$120 for a full day so seemed like a decent deal for 2 people considering we were able to see quite a bit that might otherwise have taken a lot of time with multiple train trips.

Also, Time Out has a Lisbon guide with information, including some monthly items, available on their website at:
http://www.timeout.com/lisbon/