SashieZ

Hi ALL

I am in the beginning stages of planning my trip to Portugal in May for eight nights. Thinking of 2 nights Lisbon, 4 nights Algarve, one night Elvora and 2 nights Sintra or Cascais (or maybe another town in that area). Uh oh that's nine nights. Maybe one less in the Algarve.

I would like to fly into Lisbon and then take car service into Sintra and relax at a pool when we arrive (nice way to recover from jetlag) and explore the town(s) for two days before heading to Lisbon. Would love a pampering, lounging hotel with a pool. Liked Tivoli Palacio de Seteais - but I don't think it is walking distance and at this point I don't want to rent a car. Any other hotel suggestions would be welcome.

SashieZ

Well, now I'm thinking of skipping

SashieZ

oops.... well now I'm thinking of skipping Sintra and flying to Faro from Newark via Lisbon and driving to Lagos (just writing this makes me tired - how much would a taxi from Faro cost?) Or maybe I should stay in Faro? I'm looking to stay in a town with lots of restaurants, cafes, shopping, historic sites. Then on to Evora for three nights to explore the wine region and to Lisbon for three nights.

I know I want to see Lisbon, Evora and area and the Algarve. Any ideas on the order in which I should see these cities?

thanks

pookymimi

We drove from Lisbon to Algarve and as we were in Salema it tooks us about 3.5 hrs. To Faro would be shorter as it's right by the A2.

krgystn

Sashi, how about fly into Lisbon, go to Cascais and stay there for 2 nights (with a day trip to Sintra), then rent a car and drive all the way down to the Algarve, finally come back to Lisbon (get rid of the car) for the final 2 nights.

SashieZ

krgystn:

That sounds like a good plan...however wanted to limit our overnight stays to three cities and definitely want to go to Evora to visit wineries and do the wine trail. How about staying in Cascais or Sintra with day trips into Lisbon?

krgystn

That is even better, if you do not mind driving on your arrival day-- where are you coming from? Just go to Evora on day one, then drive down to Algarve (or vice versa) then finish in Cascais. You can vistit Lisbon from there, and also get to the airport reasonably from Cascais.

SashieZ

We are coming from NY and would rather not drive the first day since my husband will be driving and he never sleeps on planes. I do like the idea of being in Cascais and visiting Lisbon from there. Would like to hear other opinions on that however.

thanks

bobthenavigator

Theer is an easy commuter train from Cascais into Lisbon--stay in Cascais.

tower

SashieZ:

We liked the the very reasonable rates at Tivioli in downtown Sintra..pool, etc. Just steps from the National Palace and shops and restaurants. Convenient bus for the short ride up hill to the Moorish ruins and the Pena Palace. From Sintra, you can easily make a day trip by car to Cascais, on the scenic coast road, and a day trip via train to Lisbon.
stu

MacSporran

Just back from Cascais and Sintra, and while Sintra is lovely and a very interesting place to visit, I can't see you needing a hotel with a pool in May.

Sintra is pretty high up, has a micro-climate (breezy and often cloudy) and even in July was pretty chilly compared with the coast.

Many of the attractions are not really within walking distance of each other as well.

Personally, we loved the relaxed (and warmer and sunnier) vibe of Cascais...a place which seems to get less glowing remarks on here than Sintra but is a vibrant, lovely, well-heeled town with some great hotels and excellent beaches.

We also found it much more full of life...it attracts lots of Portuguese visitors.... than Sintra which came across to us as a bit of a living museum, and frankly a bit over-touristed.

If I had 2 days, I'd choose Cascais every time. If you have a car, by all means take time to visit Sintra...they're only 20 minutes apart.

HappyTrvlr

I would stay in Cascais over Sintra but I would also stay in Lisbon for a few nights. It's a wonderful city and you need to stay there to appreciate itfully.

BeniciaChris

When we were in Portugal 2 years ago we bought 2 Pousada Passports. The one that they have in their system in Cascais you can only use 2 nights but since we boutght 2 we used 2 from each book and stayed our first 4 nights. It was wonderful-I had a guide pick us up so I didn't get to enjoy the lovely pool. I am glad we stayed there. It was hard picking which other |Pousadas to visit on our way to the algarve but I am glad we stayed in Evora.
I wish I could remember the places we ate in Cascais-one was a fish restaurant-good but expensive-another sold rotesorie chicken-inexpensive & good-we took back to hotel to eat. Enjoy Portugal-It was our 2nd visit & we loved it.Chris

clarasong

BeniciaChris: Which B&B, quina, Pousada did you stay in near Cascais....very interested in your comments above...We do have Passports. Sd have stayed at the Casa de Pergola once and it was okay, as I remember it..was that it?