portugal city break Porto/Lisbon??

eoinf

Hi

I was wondering if anyone has any tips/recommendations/ideas about the above topic.

We have been to most of the major cities in europe and never Portugal.

anyone recommend one over the other or either?

thanks

Eoin

PonyP

Never been to Porto but I did go to Lisbon in May last year. Good shopping, plenty to see and good nightlife. I would recommend Lisbon anyway but can't compare it to Porto, sorry! Just be careful using the metro because a lot of people had their bags/wallets stolen!

Unshelved

I've been to both and would definitely recommend Lisbon above Porto. There's much more to do and it's within easy reach of major sights such as Belem, Sintra and the beach at Caiscais. Lisbon is very cheap for a European capital and extremely scenic.

Porto is a much smaller city and the centre - the Ribero - while a Unesco site is quite run-down. On the plus side you can take a day cruise on the Douro river from there which is well worth doing. You can also visit the port warehouses.

Both cities have more than their fair share of beggars and hangers-on. My bag was stolen in Lisbon and we lost track of the amount of times we were approached by people begging or trying to sell us drugs. Keep your wits about you and you'll be fine. The Bairro Alto area in Lisbon is second to none for bar-hopping and nightlife - really great fun.

Enjoy and eat lots of seafood.

JackieO

would definately recommend Lisbon. Got a great deal in the Marriott there last summer. We did a fantastic night time cruise on the river with dinner - It was fab.

BC

I was in Lisbon recently and didn't like it at all. Thought it was very run down and there were some very dodgy characters around. I've never been offered so many drugs.

Maybe its just because it was off-season though.

Also - didn't find it cheap. Its cheaper than Dublin but much more expensive than the major cities in Spain for food & drink.

P. Breathnach

Again, I can't comment on Porto, but loved Lisbon. My trip report: http://www.iol.ie/~draoi/html/lisbon1.htm

I think BC must have been unlucky!

Sir Oxman

Heading off for four days on me todd to Lisbon next week (can't wait!), have read PB's report, great info and tips - any other worthwhile sites to read up on this city and any other boardsies opinions who've been there?
Thanks.

Irish_Nomad

Caveat : I lived in Lisbon for a couple of years but that was 8 years ago so some or all of this info might no longer be correct.

For sightseeing I would include the Gulbenkien museum. For one man's collection it's huge and there are some fine pieces.

For nightlife Docas de Santo Amaro is a converted docks area with lots of restaurants, bars, and discos side by side. It's a bit more expensive than average but there's a good buzz to the place. For something a little different just across the road is a salsa club (Salsa Latina). Some of the people I saw dancing there were so good they were mesmerising.

Restaurants often change so I won't try and give a list of my favourites but there is one I'll mention since it's somewhat unusual. There was a place called 'A Picanha' and it only serves one dish (Picanha - a cut of beef, it's never served more than medium rare but almost melts in your mouth). They bring the meat around the tables and cut off slices for anyone that is ready for some more. There's no limit to how much you have. They make great caipirinhas to wash it down. If you decide to go there you should definitely book in advance.

I should mention also that Bairro Alto doesn't really start getting lively until 11pm or later. I got caught out when I arrived first by going thre at 8/9pm and couldn't understand why it was being recommended.

As far as Lisbon vs. Porto is concerned I thought the locals in Porto were much friendlier but there is more to see in Lisbon so if you're just going for a short visit Lisbon is probably the better option.

Sir Oxman

Thanks for that Irish Nomad.