Last minute trip to Portugal...will be there 6 nights. Which cities should I see and any advice on where to stay? Will the driving be difficult? Are there tolls to pay? I am a vegetarian, so what kinds of food can I expect to eat? Help!

I've only been to Lisbon but it's a lovely city. I stayed at the Mundial which is brilliantly located and perfectly acceptable (a good breakfast, if I recall correctly!). Great restaurants and bars in the Docas (docks) area. Can't see there being a problem with vegetarianism - foods pretty good.

Besides Sintra, which everyone raves about (but I have never been there, so I won't rehash the words of others), I would recommend the Estoril coast, or even better - - Cascais - - a place I managed to stumble through, (a bit lost, as I recall), on my way out to Guincho Beach. <BR> <BR>Best wishes, <BR> <BR>Rex <BR>

Definitely stay in Sintra and visit Lisbon from there. Sintra is extremely beautiful and very lush. Lisbon isn't, yet you'll still want to see Lisbon's sights. And it's only a short train ride from Sintra to Lisbon. Plus, Sintra has many of its own wonderful sights that warrant at least a day of sightseeing. <BR> <BR>We also quite enjoyed Porto. And I think that there's lots going on in Porto this year--they were busy with lots of construction during our visit last year because it was designated a 2001 European Heritage site (or something akin to that). <BR> <BR>You'll also want to see one of Portugal's walled cities. Obidos is in between Lisbon and Porto. It is worth seeing, but definitely not for more than a day. <BR> <BR>If you have more questions, you can email me (minus the "nospam").

Travis: <BR> <BR>DO visit Sintra for sure, it was the highlight of our trip (got home two weeks ago). After Sintra we found Cascais a little bit of a letdown; if I could do it again I would have visited Obdios or Evora. <BR> <BR>Driving is easy but NOT in Lisbon - rent outside of town if you can; although keep in mind it's very hard to do a one way rental. <BR> <BR>I disagree with the previous poster regarding veggie food unless you are a seafood eating vegetarian, in which case you will have no problem at all. <BR> <BR>If you want to email me with any questions feel free to delete the "1" from the end of my address above.

I just stayed for two weeks in Sintra in the historic section and would have happily stayed for two more. I had an apartment, which was great for meals and as a "haven". Highway driving is not a problem from all accounts, but driving in the cities, especially Lisbon, is a definite "not". It does take a long time to get anywhere as, of course, the country is mountainous. (example--about 5 hours from Lisbon area to the Algarve in the south.) There are lots of great cheeses (if you eat that) and produce available at the markets, but veg choices in restaurants might be scant. Rice is everywhere, but usually with seafood or meat mixed in. <BR>Personally, I wouldn't try to go to far in just six days; just depends on your priorities, but the Lisbon area has a great variety. Have a wonderful trip!

Here's still another vote for Sintra - La Pena Palace was the high point of my trip. Would also recommend a day in Obidos & Tomar (Knights Templar and all that good history). <BR> I try to be vegetarian & I had a tough time finding food to my liking. Our best meals were at a small Tibetan restaurant in Lisbon (recommended by someone at the tourist bureau on the Avenida - forgot the name). <BR> My husband thought the fish, in general in Portugal, was excellent but that's about all he found to eat (since we don't eat beef & pork).

Hi, Travis <BR>We loved Portugal, especially the coast around Sintra. We stayed 3 nights at a B&B run by an English couple about 10 minutes from Sintra, in Colares. We also stayed 3 nights at a hotel on the ocean. It had very large tiled rooms. We paid only $70 USD in March but know the rooms are 4 to 5 times that in the summer. If you look at our pictures you will see the view from out balcony. <BR>We picked up our car at the airport and traveled for a couple of weeks. The Sintra area was a good base for several day trips that we made, Obidos, Coimbra, etc. I didn't care for the over developed southern portion of the country. The northern area is much nicer. <BR>You should see Cabo de Roca. It is the most westerly point in Europe, but, also one of the most beautiful places on the coast. <BR>Enjoy the pictures and especially, your trip!!! I love Portugal! <BR>Gloria <BR> <BR> <BR>http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=1459728

Definitely stay in either Caiscais or Sintra....Both are only a 20 minute train ride west of Lisbon...suburbs really....and both are beautiful...Sintra is at an elevation of around 2000 and is cooler in summer. The castles here are like a something out of a fairy tale...a unique special <BR>place in the world, not just Portugal.. <BR>Caiscais is the top beach town with fine hotels and restuarants and shopping. We stayed in both places and enjoyed them both much much more than our one night spent in Lisbon. Just about 10 minutes west this sophisticated town is wild open rugged beach. Have fun!!!

Travis, if you're interested in the Algarve (we're going Oct), check out: <BR> <BR>www.carvoeiro.com

We liked Cascais too...although I wouldn't call Cascais a must see, one of the best places we stayed in all of Portugal is there: Casa da Pergola. Gorgeous rooms, lovely staff, good prices. We also went to a Fado house called Rodrigo; we were the only tourists there and had a wonderful time. <BR> <BR>Also, we found respite from Portugese food (which were just growing tired of by the time we got to Cascais) and had an amazing dinner at an Indian restaurant called Estrela India. <BR> <BR>While Cascais was lovely, we found two days plenty of time to spend there. <BR> <BR>Marlena

Topping some great little old questions about countries other than Italy.