Melnq8

wtm003 -

Do you live in Colorado? COVID tests here are free. We're booked for our 72 hour NAAT test today at Walgreens - we need to show our insurance, but it's supposed to be free to us. Results due back in two hours.

CO also has many free testing site across the state. There are drive throughs all over the place. We'd planned on using one of those, but worried about getting the results back in time, especially on a weekend. We have a back-up 24 hour antigen test booked for Monday, just in case our NAAT test takes too long. We have to pay for the antigen test ($69) but only because they guarantee quick results, so paying for the turnaround rather than the actual test.

When we get our NAAT results we'll cancel the 24 hour antigen test.

progol

Wow, thanks to all who have contributed to this thread!

wtm, I’m sorry that you decided to cancel Lisbon but certainly understand the anxiety of dealing with the preflight testing. Amsterdam is a wonderful place, though, so you’ll have a great time no matter where you go.

Mel, whoopee! I can’t believe it’s already here! May the testing go smoothly and easily! Happy and safe travels to you!

Maribel, thanks as always for your good advice! The reminder about the sneaky conversion charges in the ATMs is invaluable.

EYWandBTV, thanks for your comments loving Sintra. That’s reassuring to hear especially as you were there at a clearly busy time.

For me, just over a month to go!

wtm003

Mel, yes, I'm in Colorado. My plan was to use CVS which has a PCR/NAAT with a 1 - 2 day turnaround and then book a 24 Hour antigen test at Walgreens, like you, to be safe. My Walgreens is so unreliable right now due to staffing issues, so they'll close the pharmacy without warning, which makes me nervous. Many of the drive throughs that I googled are shutting down at the end of March. If we got in a bind, there's an urgent care nearby that'll do a PCR with 24 hour turnaround for $250/person or Xpress testing at DIA, which is also expensive. So, honestly, I was just tired of thinking about it, so changed our itinerary and now we're excited for chocolate, cheese and tulips. Please let us know how it goes and have a great trip!

Melnq8

wtm003 - yeah I get that. Sure hope our Walgreens isn't having issues today. I certainly don't need the stress.

xyz99

So much good info here....I'm following! We canceled the March/April trip, we were supposed to be there now, but I really was not comfortable going to Europe not knowing how this war will evolve. In a strange way, I think it was meant to be this way. My aunt is dealing with some serious health issues, and I am glad to be here with her.
Now, I'm rebooking everything for October, and adding an extra week so we can have some time in Douro valley. So we're going for 4 weeks now, and I'm sure I'll have more questions as I reshuffle the itinerary. Progol, Mel, Maribel, I hope you will all post TR when you come back.

progol

Now you can have fun planning again - and take the best of all our experiences! Glad you’re going to go in the fall, too. It should be a wonderful time.

layanluvstotravel

I am sorry I don't have time to read other people's replies to you but as soon as I saw your title I yelled "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO". Please don't make this big mistake. You can easily do Cascais as a day trip. I believe we did it from Lisbon. It is a sleepy town that you'll walk through, enjoy the waves splashing on the rocks, eat a lovely dinner and maybe stroll around before heading back to Lisbon. On the other hand, Sintra is a real gem! We stayed 2 nights and I wish we had made it 3. Like you, I was so confused by the different opinions - do it as a day trip some people said, it's Disney 2.0 others said, and like what you've read: it's filled with tourists. However, there's a reason why places have tourists... they know where to go. We started our days early in the morning and it was just fine. Again, do NOT miss Sintra. Cascais you can afford to miss.. it's very similar to any geography with waves splashing on the rocks (please folks don't attack me, this is my opinion). Sintra, on the other hand, is unique!

progol

Thank you for this! Yes, we have decided to stay in Sintra (do I hear a huge sigh of relief?) and I so appreciate your thoughts! It’s been so interesting to read different perspectives on a place, and now we are comfortable with our decision to stay in Sintra. And the more I read comments that reassure me that despite the downsides, it’s very worth it to stay there, the more I’m happy with our choice. Again, thanks. This really does help!

Maribel

I’m heaving a huge sigh of relief, too, progol😁

xyz,
I completely understand your postponing your trip, as we postponed our post Christmas trip because it just didn’t feel right. It’s great that you now have more time to enjoy and to savor Portugal!

macgyv13

Great! I think you'll really enjoy it. One of my favourite memories was waking up at 5:30 am (body still on East Coast time) and there was a light, misty fog and it made for a remarkable background for pictures as I walked through the town square and up to the arches of Sintra National Palace. After about a hour, I had only seen 2 other people the whole time - both seemed to be workers on their way to their jobs. By 7:30 am, people were starting to come out of the woodwork. Really was pleasant for me to stroll around the narrow streets on my own and make a note of stores and eateries I wanted to check out later. I recognize getting up early in the morning isn't for everyone (I hate doing so while at home), but that walkabout really made the whole experience that much better for me.

TL : DR... crowds are an unfortunate part of travel and it tells you there's a reason why that particular place is popular. But you can reduce your time in the crush of people by going early to important sites (i.e. Pena Palace once it opens), getting your lunches and walking done in between and then circling back in the late afternoon to stores/restaurants when day trippers are starting to leave.

progol

Missed this one earlier!

Thank you, a huge sigh of relief to just go with the decision already made! Now, if I would only stop second guessing myself with everything else! But only a month+ to go!

macgyv, thanks for sharing your experience and recommendations. I love the description of seeing Sintra in the early hours. I know those kinds of moments are magical, and the description of Palace Peña with light fog sounds very beautiful in a mystical sort of way.

Maribel

Our hostess in Cascais was amazed that we had a sunny day in Sintra, as she said”but it’s always foggy”, so if you can get up early, enjoy that early morning fog and have the park to yourselves!

progol

Hmm, not too sure about that early morning plan, but if I do wake up early, I’ll try to take advantage. Light fog creates such wonderful ambience, too.

Maribel

My main reason for a relatively early morning rise in Sintra is to beat the crowds, but not t-h-a-t early! Not at 6 am! I want to get started at 8:30 to watch the town "waking up", but it's a struggle to convince my husband! I'm the early riser of the 2 when on vacation, but strangely enough, not at all at home.

xyz99

We'll definitely have at least a very early morning there, but not by choice. The way the flights look now, ours will land at 5:30 am, so we'll be in Sintra maybe at 7:30 or so?

Maribel

Yipe! You'll definitely be able to beat the crowd!

progol

I’m an early riser both at home and during travel, but I still get going very slowly! But the first few days, I’ll probably be getting up too early, anyway.

Once we’re on the road, I’m much more relaxed, and really enjoy what we see and do and really don’t stress about what we don’t see.

Maribel

Having the coffee machine in our hotel room really helps to get me going, especially if it’s a Nespresso or one of those Delta coffee espresso machines. Coffee lovers will be in heaven in Portugal where there is a vibrant coffee culture, and coffee is consumed all day long in a dozen different ways. A bica is strong shot of espresso w/o milk, straight espresso. A galão is a shot of espresso with lots of milk topped with foam. A meia de leite is a shot of espresso with milk served in a large cup, like a Spanish café con leche.
This coffee addict was kept very happy in Portugal!

Melnq8

As is the wine drinker, hic.

In Porto now.

Maribel

Well, Mel, that's me too! Have a great time!