Portugal - Lisbon

conf101

So myself any my SO are going to a wedding in Lisbon in July and we're staying on for an extra few days for a nice wee holiday for ourselves.

She's keen to stay in Lisbon but I'd prefer to find somewhere nice along the coast. We'll be renting a car so travel isn't a problem but we want to go somewhere reasonably near Lisbon, no more than a few hours drive away. Any suggestions for nice resorts we could go to along the coast down near Lisbon?

We're not doing this on an absolute budget but don't have buckets of cash o throw at it either.

Cheers for any advice.

Esto Fidelis

Hi,

We stayed in Lisbon 2 years ago and really enjoyed it, the city is lovely. You can get around it on the trams quite easy but you can walk quite a bit and as i said it is really nice. We also went to Cascais and Sintra, Cascais is a nice little place and Estroil is very close. You could stay in Cascais and visit Sintra castle (google it it lovely). As you have a car you could do this and more quite easy in a few days but don't cut short Lisbon as it has loads to see.

Another thing is, people will say Lisbon is terrible for pick pockets and it probably has some problems but dont worry about this as it is like this in every city. the only issue we had was guys trying to sell us weed and this was not a major problem.

ardmacha

It depends what you want. If you want to see things then you can stay in Lisbon and you won't need a car. If you want to chill out then go to a resort.

Unshelved

If you stay in Lisbon then the beach town of Cascais is a very easy train ride from the city centre. You could either base yourselves in Cascais and then do all the Lisbon sightseeing that you want - trains are every 30 minutes or so and run, I think, until, about 2am. Alternatively you could base yourselves in Lisbon and then do the beach thing in Cascais.

There are pickpockets in Lisbon but if you're on your guard as much as you would be in Dublin then you'll be fine. Also the guys offering you hash are usually selling stock cubes apparently.

You'll find your euro goes a long way in Portugal - eating and drinking are excellent value. Don't miss a visit to Belem, to Sintra and a night on the tiles in the Bairro Alto.

Don't recommend hiring a car unless you're travelling further afield - public transport is excellent.

conf101

Thanks for the help guys. Looking like we might head to Cascais at the moment. Will check out Lisbon from there. Might reconsider renting a car then if public transport is so handy

conf101

conf101 wrote: »

Thanks for the help guys. Looking like we might head to Cascais at the moment. Will check out Lisbon from there. Might reconsider renting a car then if public transport is so handy

I've holidayed in Cascais/Estoril loads of times in the last 10 years, and never rented a car. Once you're close to the railway line, or if you're staying in Lisbon city centre, you really don't need a car - and in any case the drivers and the traffic around Lisbon would drive you insane.

Cascais is about 35-40 minutes from Cais do Sodre on the train (I think the fare is about €1.80), and from Cais do Sodre you can get all over the city on the Metro (for about a euro a ticket). Trains run from 5:30 am until about 1:30 am. There's also a bus service from Cascais to Sintra.

Belém is on the line between Cascais and Lisbon, and is worth a visit even if only to see the Jerónimos Monastery and the Tower of Belém. You should also take yourself on the Metro over to Oriente. Visit the Oceanarium, have a quick spin in the cable cars, check out the shopping mall and get something to eat in one of the countless restaurants around the place.

The castle (Castelo de Sao Jorge) can be reached by tram (the number 28, IIRC, an experience in itself), or by walking up the hill (not for the faint-hearted).

There are plenty of restaurants and bars in Cascais and Estoril. If you find yourself in Estoril for dinner, take a walk up as far as the FIARTIL crafts fair, which runs every evening until midnight. You probably won't buy anything, but it's got a nice atmosphere and it's a nice place for a coffee and cake after dinner. It's just behind the Estoril Casino, which is a very easy to find landmark.

Finally, two favourites of mine (though they might not be what you're into). I like Lisbon Zoo - no idea why, I just do. Aside from the usual animals to see, it has a cable car (no extra charge) on which you can take a spin around and see the enclosures from about 25-30 feet in the air. Take the blue metro line to Jardim Zoologico. Also on the blue metro line (at Colegio Militar/Luz) is one of Europe's biggest shopping malls, the Colombo. It's just across the road from Benfica's stadium, though unfortunately they're unlikely to be playing when you're there.

And here's a link with some more ideas.

http://www.lisbonlux.com/lisbon/itinerary.html

Unshelved

If you stay in Cascais there's an ice-cream parlour called Santini's which has the best ice-cream ever! You'll recognise it by the queue outside. Don't miss it. Also there's a great restaurant called Jardim dos Frangos which does nothing except roast chicken and chips - and chocolate mousse for dessert. Gorgeous!

Finally - if you go to Belem (and you really should) - don't forget to sample the amazing custard tarts in the famous Pasteis de Belem. Don't let the queue put you off - the place is huge and the cakes are amazing.

(I like my food - can you tell?)

conf101

Again, thanks for all the tips. Building up a busy itinerary for the trip.

So renting a car in Cascais is a waste of money then, yeah?

LusciousLou

Hi, delighted to come across this thread. Planning a trip to Lisbon city & coast for late July. Some great sightseeing tips here.
Any reviews or recommedations for places to stay in either Lisbon city or Cascais?
Thanks

bamboozle

you cant not visit Sintra if you're in Lisbon, beautiful town.

BoardsMember

Any suggestions for nice hotel accommodation in Cascais very welcome! Thanks

Giblet

Hotel Farol is very nice. Nice sushi bar there too!

BoardsMember

That looks nice alright. Ended up going for a deal on LastMinute.com, will keep the fingers crossed as it was a secret hotel, though I had narrowed it down to one of two possibilities and was right. Got a 5 star for 90euro per night so cant go too far wrong really (he says with fingers crossed!!)

sebphoto

I'm wondering how safe is Lisbon for a photographers? Especially during night time?