Well, we've convinced ourselves that we can do this trip despite high COVID rates (because - COVID rates are high here too). But this is very late for me for trip planning, all this COVID investigating put me behind. But here's the deal -
We're seasoned travelers, in our late 60s. We generally travel alone, we don't mind driving, although as we're getting older, we're using more public transportation. I've looked at airfares and we'll likely book for the latter half of May, maybe 10 days?

It seems easiest to book round trip from the Washington DC area to Lisbon. I had thought about flying TO Lisbon and FROM Porto, but the choices from Porto are limited, or just stop in Lisbon anyway. I'm a big fan of non-stops. So it is possible to plan an itinerary starting in Lisbon, and then going right to Porto (by train maybe?). Then we could work our way back to Lisbon. Maybe we could do without a car until we leave Porto and drop it off right before we go home.

I would do a day trip to Sintra from Lisbon, and the Douro Valley from Porto. We would likely skip the Algarve because I'm fairly sun-phobic (big fan of hats). I haven't quite figured out the in between, I see in the forum that there are multiple good choices. I'm anxious, though, to book my airfare and find hotels or apartments in Lisbon and Porto and then flesh it out.

SO does this make sense? Or should I just book an open jaw flight and start on one end, work my way to the other? Will 10 days (not travel days) give us a good taste of Portugal? I could push out a day or two.

I always get such good information from these forums, I've used them for years and always try to re-pay with good trip reports!

Thanks,
Alice

Things here in Portugal are much better. The vaccination rate in Portugal is now very high. Yes, covid is still with us, but there isn't a requirement to mask outdoors, only indoors, and CDC vaccination records are no longer required for hotels/restaurants. We've been having a wonderful time. And despite occasional, intermittent rain showers, the weather has been mild, with daily highs of 61 F.

Yes, it's possible to fly into Lisbon, then take the high speed IC or Alfa Pendular directly to Porto (it does stop in Coimbra), then make your way by rental car back to Lisbon.

I do love non-stops, so I won't try to convince you to fly open jaw, into PORTO (furthest point) and out of LISBON, unless your flight connections from Dulles to Porto are easy. They aren't for us from SEA.

I would push it to 12 days if possible, so as possibly to spend a night or two in Sintra OR a night or two in the Douro The Porto-Douro day trip makes for a very long, 8-10 hour day, and it's more relaxing to have an overnight or two there. The Lisbon-Sintra day trip, 40-minute commuter train ride, is easier than the Porto-Douro one.
There's so much of beauty to see here.
And I would in this time frame skip the Algarve since you're not seeking water sports, hiking the Costa Vicentina or golf. It's great to have 4 full days in Lisbon as there are so many great museums and monuments to see.

Just some thoughts.

I’m going out a limb here. We also usually plan and go our own way. With only 4 days in Lisbon after a sailboat cruise we mostly explored on our own. After a recommendation from a friend we booked a Sintra/ Cascais day tour with Inside Lisbon. Small van, 8 passenger vehicle worked out very well. The local guide got us to Peña Palace before the crowds, then off to the westernmost cliffs of Europe. We LOVED free time in Cascais and had an excellent lunch at John Bull restaurant, that is one lovely town.
All in all a wonderful tour from us who don’t like tours.
https://insidelisbon.com/package/sin...-estoril-tour/

Porto was lovely but we had stopped there on the sailboat from Dublin to Lisbon. Had fun on the tuk-tuk tour.

Thanks so much Maribel, you are such a good resource. It's very good to hear that covid is improving there as it is here. And it's good to hear that taking a train to Porto and then working our way back to Lisbon is a decent plan. I'm particularly against open jaw right now because I want to minimize my time in airports and on planes.

I like the idea of a night or two in the Douro. We had considered a Douro river cruise pre-covid, but I'm not big on cruises and figure we will eventually hit an age where cruises are our best choice. But not yet!

I will work on an itinerary I can get some comments on - and I do see slipping towards 11 or 12 days as better. (We always used to go for 2 weeks, sometimes more, and now my husband likes shorter trips. But I figure once you go to the trouble to GET there, and given the likelihood we won't go BACK - why not stay a few more days? Our difference on this topic may have to do with the fact that I do most of the planning...).

Alice

TPAYT, thanks so much for the suggestions! We're not averse to guided day tours or half day tours. We're HUGE fans of the free walking tours you find in most cities. And as you say, sometimes a tour can get you where you want to go faster and easier.

Alice

Hello! I just traveled from Dulles nonstop to Lisbon in February. TAP was surprisingly great, and despite having to get tested for COVID before flying each way, everything went smoothly. We stayed for only about eight days, but I can attest to how wonderful it is to spend at least one night in Sintra. We stayed there for two, and it allowed us to enjoy the town before and after the crowds arrived, experience it in different kinds of weather, and visit sites at a leisurely pace. Plus, there are great restaurants and fun shops there. And staying overnight doesn't preclude doing a private tour in a van. At our hotel, we met a family that did one of those tours and highly recommended it. I only wish I had gotten the name of his guide!

One note about free tours in Lisbon: We took one that provided a wonderful overview of the city, but it involved a huge crowd (about 20 people), and it was really tough to hear the narrative and ask questions. I walked past the meeting place where the tour started many times during the week, and there never seemed to be a day when the tour groups weren't large. So instead or maybe in addition to that, you might want to try a smaller (but somewhat expensive) tour, like Taste of Lisbon. We took a private one for just our group of four, and the personalization and opportunity to really get to know our guide (plus taste an array of foods we might have otherwise missed) was well worth it.

Thanks, abbydog, my husband has some preconceived notions about TAP, I don't know why. We are looking at them as well as at United and Lufthansa (sort of in partnership). I reading more and more about spending enough time in Sintra, so thanks for that as well.

There's a fair chance that another couple will go with us, in which case private guides become a bit more cost effective. I've been in big free groups before, but I somehow manage to wriggle my way to the front so I can always hear!

Alice

Alice9, we have flown TAP Airlines many, many times because our daughter lives in Provence and we fly to Marseilles. TAP always has inexpensive, affordable airfares to Marseilles with a lay-over in Lisbon. They have never been late. The planes are clean and crew are wonderful. One year, when we arrived in Lisbon, we discovered our flight to Marseilles was cancelled due to a strike in Marseilles. TAP put us up free of charge in a nearby hotel, bused us to the hotel, gave us food vouchers, and bused us back to the airport the next day. We flew TAP as recently as last August and no problems at all. Yes, we did have to test for Covid for our flight to Marseilles and our return flight home, but that is also a US requirement (to enter the US). No big deal.

Alice,
While we’ve never flown TAP transatlantic, we have flown them MAD-LIS and MAD-OPO multiple times without complaint and will fly them next fall LIS-SVQ.

I will have my husband come and take a look at the positive comments about TAP! I don't know how he formed his negative opinion.
Thanks so much!

Alice