A tour of Portugal

The story · 1 days

A fantastic tour of Portugal, thanks to the invaluable advice of the other travellers on Viaggiscoop.it we planned our itinerary as well as we could, and it worked out perfectly.

We like to start with a VERY IMPORTANT TIP...!!! About the LEGENDARY "Electric Tram No. 28" — WATCH OUT FOR THE FAMOUS THEFTS.... we saw one happen live. After a few stops the tram reaches the terminus and makes everyone get off, even those who still need to travel on, though it stays there for a few minutes so people can get back on five minutes later from a stop almost opposite (a very odd thing in my opinion). When the tram arrives, people crowd to get back on as if they were going to work rather than on holiday, to grab a seat first; my husband and I stayed seated at the stop until the end... if there's still room, fine, otherwise we take a walk on foot to another stop, rather than getting squeezed into that tiny tram.

At that point we notice that two people, although they had boarded first, instead of sitting down had slyly stood on either side of the entrance behind the tram driver, and when we were about to get on, last, they pushed brusquely, together with the people still on the steps, and ran off before the tram set off again. Only then does some poor unlucky person realise their wallet has just been lifted. So here's a tip... when you need to tap your card (the Lisboa Card) on the machine, don't pull it out of your wallet — just keep it in your pocket and pass it in front of the machine without taking it out, because by showing you have a Lisboa Card you're already marked as a tourist. I noticed the locals did this and we followed their example.

Departure from Milan to Lisbon, arriving by plane in LISBON - Car hire from the 5th day (Enoleggio auto) to visit the other cities of Portugal too: Sintra, Tomar, Fatima, Obidos, Bom Jesus, departing from the airport of PORTO (Oporto) after returning the car with the agency's free shuttle service (with quality and courtesy from the staff from the moment the car was handed over in Lisbon).

Here's how we set out our trip. 06 October Flights Catania-Milan, Milan-Lisbon from Lisbon airport we took bus 91 to our hotel

All our stays were in a "Matrimoniale con bagno in camera" (double with en-suite bathroom), with and without breakfast.

Accommodation in LISBON - 5 nights - at the Hotel "Pensão Praça Da Figueira", 55.00 euros per night (without breakfast)

Accommodation in TOMAR - 1 night - at the Hotel "Residencial Trovador", 45.00 euros per night (with breakfast)

Accommodation in PORTO - 3 nights at the Hotel "Pensão Grande Oceano", 35.00 euros per night (without breakfast)

1st Day CATANIA - MILAN - LISBON - 06 October Departure flights Catania - Milan and Milan - Lisbon Arrival at Lisbon airport in the afternoon; we took a city bus that would take us to Praça Rossio, which was near our hotel "Pensão Praça Da Figueira***" First evening, tired from the journey, we stayed in the area: a walk in Piazza Rossio and Praça do Comércio; we had dinner on the main street, but in the following days we discovered a great little restaurant on the parallel street where the food was much better and cheaper, so every evening we preferred that one.

2nd Day LISBON - 07 October

Breakfast at a great café just 15 metres away with a vast assortment; you were spoilt for choice, from sweet to savoury and fruit too. (breakfast for 2 with 2 cappuccinos plus two pastries, 5.70 euros)

First stop, the tourist office at Praça do Comércio where they advised us to buy the "Lisboa Card", valid for three days, with a guide booklet to take advantage of discounts and free entry to all the monuments, with opening times and the relevant bus/metro/tram connections with their times so you can reach them the validity starts from the moment of first stamping though we validated ours for the following day since for that day we preferred to tour the city on the YELLOW BUS sightseeing bus (ticket bought with the "Lisboa Card" discount) so as to get to know the city and orient ourselves with distances, times and travel times to reach the various monuments. "Money" well spent, since you get it all back, with the added advantages it gives you if you spend at least 4/5 full days in Lisbon (enough time to get around it almost entirely in a relaxed way).

3rd Day LISBON - 08 October

breakfast and departure in the direction of Praça do Comércio to go and visit the Belém Tower - the Jerónimos Monastery, the Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos) visit to the Coach Museum (Museu Nacional dos Coches)

4th Day LISBON - 09 October

breakfast and departure from Praça do Comércio to go and visit Castelo de S. Jorge (which you pay for despite the Lisboa Card, and which I strongly advise against because only the ruins of the castle remain; the only good thing is the lovely view over Lisbon, which you can also enjoy from the "Santa Justa Elevator", free with the Lisboa Card) the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda the Electricity Museum (Museu de Electricidade EDP) the Maritime Museum (Museu de Marinha)

5th Day LISBON - SINTRA - 10 October we went for breakfast and to collect the car to drive to Sintra, admiring along the way the town of Cascais and the magnificent views of the Atlantic coast of Cascais and Estoril morning visit to the "Palácio Nacional da Vila de Sintra"; given the time we decided to have lunch in a little place among the characteristic alleys of the town itself then on to the "Palácio Nacional da Pena / Parque da Pena", a marvel.....hidden among the woods. In the evening return to Lisbon with paid parking under the square adjoining the hotel itself.

6th Day LISBON - ÓBIDOS - FATIMA - TOMAR - 11 October Having said goodbye to the hotel owner we headed for Óbidos, a small town enclosed by its walls

7th Day - TOMAR - PORTO - 12 October Breakfast and departure for the Convent of the Order of Christ and the Castle of the Templars (Convento de Cristo em Tomar)