We have about a week to spend in Portugal then going to Barcelona. Will probably be flying into LIsbon. Could use some suggestions on where to spend the week besides Lisbon. I have no clue what Portugal is like.
Also, how would we reach Barcelona using the train? Would we have to travel to Madrid then Barcelona?

We spent 2 weeks in Portugal over new years this past Dec/Jan.

You can read about it and see our pics here:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...l-20102011.cfm

We spent 2 nights in Sintra and 5 nights in Lisbon, followed by an additional week in the interior. I would highly recommend a combo of Sintra and Lisbon for a 1 week stay - will give you a taste of the country and the city.

Enjoy!

Portugeuse, nice (older people are basically short due to starvation under a dictatorship) people addicted to salt cod, they have been some of europe's traveling waiters for many years so have a good idea about customer service.

Good points, "green wine, port and then a whole range of wines from grapes you have never heard of which are fantastic at good prices", anything from the Henri the Navigator (Portugeuse/English prince) period. So on Lisbon go to the Arsenal and see thet tririeme.

Evora, Porto need to added to the must do list along with Lisbon. Algarve is really a giant gold course with people lkiving on it but does tend to have nice weather all the year round

seat61.com for training Portugal/Spain nice way

to go on over to Barcelona also hopping on and off

via Madrid.

In a week for me Lisboa Sintra Evora perhaps Algarve if

time Oporto a bit too far in time you have for me.

virtualtourist.com great info from locals...

Happy Travels,

Reasons to visit Portugal? Excellent hearty food, fresh fish, delicious breads, and great wine at prices well below those in other European capitals. From Lisbon, the nearby towns of Cascais and Estoril abound in fabulous villas, many built by European royalty who luxuriated there on the “Portuguese Riviera” or sought refuge from hostilities in their own countries during the turbulent 1930s and 40s.
Portugal has a sad, proud history bound up in its proximity to the sea and the diaspora of its children seeking a better life abroad where they often clung to the cultural traditions of the homeland. For example, two “whaling” cities on the Atlantic coast near Boston – New Bedford and Gloucester, Massachusetts – maintain many Portuguese legacies including the language, feast days, and the blessing of the fleet.
The geography of Portugal dictated much of its history.

Cascais is a nice day trip out of Lisbon - about 30/40 min by train which runs along the coastline. It's very pretty along the way and the town is most relaxing.

The Algarve is about 4 hours away and is really a tourist/summer holiday expat destination. Check it out on some websites before you commit to it.

In terms of being in Lisbon, I prefer an apartment to a hotel and generally stay in the Barrio Alto/Chiado areas. This puts you in walking distance of almost everything in the historic areas of the city and has the feel of traditional Lisbon. You can check out some rental properties on Home Away Holiday rentals and Ownersdirect.com to see available properties. Let us know if you need more specifics.

Evora is an easy drive from Lisbon, an interesting town and nice "take off" point. Albagario de Calvario (sp?) is a terrific place to stay. We enjoyed Evora and the area very much last year.

You could easily spend the whole week in Lisbon - click on my name for my "Loving Lisbon" trip report. But if you really want to go somewhere else, with so little time, I'd take the train to Coimbra. For Coimbra and other things to see in Portugal go here: http://wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html and read the Portugal piece.

We enjoyed Portugal. We covered the Lisbon area and up the coast to Oporto, plus a few places in the mountains. Here is the web page on our trip.

http://www.travel.stv77.com/portugal/pt.htm

You should not miss Sintra http://www.lisbonlux.com/sintra/ and Evora http://www.lisbonlux.com/evora/. Obidos is also nice http://www.lisbonlux.com/obidos/ but very difficult to reach without renting a car or going on a tour. If you're looking for a seaside daytrip, Cascais http://www.lisbonlux.com/cascais/ and Estoril http://www.lisbonlux.com/estoril/ are the places to go.

There are many attractions to see in Lisbon: http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/
But if you're interested in getting to know Portugal before your trip, the Fodor's guide has an overview and you can learn more about the local culture and history here: http://www.lisbonlux.com/culture/

Portugal's second-largest city, just about 2h45min by trian from Lisbon is also nice: http://www.gooporto.com/

Wow...great info!! Thanks everyone.

We were in Portugal for 8 days in early October. Here's my report:
http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...l-portugal.cfm