casacruz1111

It appears that some are pro Portugal, while others were underwhelmed.
We are thinking of going just after Christmas for about 9days. We are curious to see Portugal and while we like the idea of spending New Years away, we also want something more relaxed. This is why we are choosing to only do Portugal. I’ve been to Spain numerous times and we just got back from an 18 day trip to Rome, Amalfi Coast and Greece. Hence, why we like the idea of one country and less travel (as little planes as possible). My wife and I like exploring new cities, we enjoy new experiences/cultures, good food and wine. Our 8yr old son will be with us, but he goes everywhere with us (Europe 2x).

For those of you who have been, is there an itinerary or a must do in 9 days?

Thank you!

Andrew

I had nine nights on my recent trip (Lisbon 4 nights, Coimbra 2 nights, Porto 3 nights). I would think Lisbon and Porto for most of your time would be the easiest approach. Fly into one city, out of another, as an open jaw. You can take the train easily between Lisbon and Porto or rent a car if you want to stop places in between, though I think it's a good idea to avoid having a car while actually in Lisbon and Porto. Can't speak to what Portugal is like in December - probably less touristy than when I was there in May so probably good, if the weather is decent.

thursdaysd

For further discussion of "free" tours see:

"Free" walking tours--what to tip guide

I could easily spend nine days in Lisbon, but otherwise Andrew's itinerary is good, although I would do the whole thing by train.

ToujoursVoyager

I feel like Iceland like Portugal are very popular destinations right now and the plane tickets are very cheap (Wow, Iceland Air, Tap Portugal.) But these countries are not calling me and there are many more areas in Europe I would rather explore or revisit. I just said no to a trip to Portugal with a good friend last week, and no to my parents, my sister and another friend to Iceland (3 separate trips). Like the OP mentioned, my vacation time is limited and my list of places to go to is very long. Maybe one day I will go to Portugal or Iceland. Until then I enjoy reading trip reports from both people who loved these countries or were lukewarm about them.

casacruz1111

Thank you.

layanluvstotravel

lol, I didn’t notice. Everything seemed quite normal lol

layanluvstotravel

Very true... good to know about Iceland. I’ve also heard it’s quite expensive so that’s another reason it’s not on my bucket list. We’ve decided to turn to another continent next summer... will leave Europe for a while.

For the poster with 9 days - 4 in Lisbon (day trip to Obidos, really wish we had gone), 2 in Sintra and 3 in the Algarve (I suspect it would be less crowded yet still nice weather) would be my choice. Of course it depends on your interests.

HelenaFatima

Yeah... that is impossible. Probably you were somewhere else.