Portugal
When to go: for the best values travel during the shoulder seasons which are mid-May–June and September–mid-October. We did go in January which is off season and hotels are cheaper. The 50-60 degree weather was fine for touring.
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Where to stay: In Lisbon we stayed at Hotel Santa Justa. It is centrally located and a great location for touring the city. In Porto, we stayed at the Se Catedral Hotel Porto, Tapestry Collection by Hilton. As it's name says, it is across the street from the Cathedral and also a great location for touring Porto.
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What to do: For our full itinerary, click here.
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(Day 1) JFK to Lisbon to Porto.
Our flight from JFK arrived in the morning. After landing we took the train from the airport to the Orient train station in Lisbon. We then boarded a train for a three hour ride to Porto. We arrived at the Campanha train station and got an Uber to our hotel which was very easy to do. We booked our train tickets online using Rail.Ninja but we don't recommend it because it is difficult to make changes. Also know that you'll get cheaper prices if you book in advance, much like airline tickets in the U.S. It was evening by the time we reached our hotel so we took a walk across the Louis I bridge and then down to the Duoro riverfron for dinner. Portugal is famous for their cod which is prepared in a few ways: Bacalhau à Brás (cod cakes), Bacalhau com Natas (cod with cream), Bacalhau à Gomes de Sá (baked cod). We tried them all!
Train Routes
Bacalhau a' Bras
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Louis I Bridge
(Day 2) Porto
We visited all sites on foot as Porto is a fairly small city. We stopped at the Bento train station on our way to see the Livraria Lello (Harry Potter-eske bookstore) You need ticket to get a timeslot which can be booked online. The lines can be quite long so best not to wait to purchase them at the door. Another favorite of ours was the Palacio da Bolsa which is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Majestic Cafe is a great historic spot to stop for lunch or a drink. It was a perfect place for us to get out of the rain and enjoy a hot cup of tea. The Douro Valley Wine Tours are also popular.
Palacio da Bolsa
Majestic Cafe
Livraria Lello
(Day 3) Lisbon
We traveled by train again from Porto to Lisbon and then took a taxi from the train station. We headed out on a free walking tour suggested by the front desk at Hotel Santa Justa. It was three hours long and well worth it. We stopped along the way to taste some of the local flavors such as Pastel De Nata, Ginjinha (cherry liquor in chocolate cups) and Pastéis de Bacalhau (cod cakes). The Time Out Market became a favorite place to grab a lunch or dinner.
Ginjinha
Time Out Market
Pastries
(Day 4) Lisbon
We took the train along the Tagus River to see some of the monuments and smaller neighborhoods of Lisbon. We signed up for a cooking class recommended by Trip Advisor by Cooking Lisbon-so fun!
Monument to the Discoveries
Cooking Lisbon
Basílica da Estrela
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(Day 5) Sintra
We traveled outside of Lisbon to the town of Sintra to tour Pena Palace and Moorish Castle. The easiest, yet most expensive way is to book a tour via Trip Advisor. If you want to venture out on your own, the travel logistics are a little tricky. Here you go: take the train from Rossio station to Sintra. Make sure that you double check the schedules so that you take the direct train to Sintra. Once in Sintra, look for bus number 434 when you disembark the train. It will be right outside the station on the street. You can buy a round trip bus ticket right there. In advance, book your tickets to get inside the palace online and include the transfers. You will find that the transfer fee (where the Sintra bus drops you off at the base of the Palace grounds) is well worth it because the walk is long and steep. We recommend walking the park grounds outside the palace to get to the Moorish Castle. The forest is beautiful!
Pena Palace
Pena architecture
Moorish Castle
