leland

Planning a somewhat last minute trip to Portugal the end of next month. Will be working remotely (nights) most of the time so will not be too into the nightlife outside of weekends. Traveling for a bit with others then the last stretch on my own. Will start for four days in Lisbon then head up to Porto/Douro via car before returning back to Lisbon or elsewhere.

Questions:
1. Currently have four nights booked for Porto but was thinking to split that up so it's two nights in Porto and two nights in wine country. Good idea? Any recos for a good wine country location?

2. I was going to base myself in Lisbon for the final four days before heading out after dropping my travel companion at the airport. Should I head elsewhere instead? Lisbon seems easier as a work/travel base although by this point I may have seen most bits of the city. While working nights I don't think I want to hop around a lot or do a driving tour so looking for either a single base or at most two stops before a return to Lisbon prior to a very early departure flight home.

Thanks for the help and feedback.

pbiflyer

Have you done the sights around Lisbon? Thinking Belem and Sintra? Easy train trips from Lisbon. Even just a ferry across to Porto Brandao? Great views of Lisbon on the ride.

ijgordon

There's not a ton to do IN Lisbon (can hit most in 2 days), but Cascais probably takes a half-day and Sintra a full day.

The Duoro was the highlight of our trip, so I'd definitely go. Depending on how you time it you may not really need 2 nights, but if you want to take it slow it's not a bad idea.
Six Senses is the high-end luxury property in the area and looks beautiful, but that was $$$$$$$ for our dates.
We stayed at Quinto do Vallado which is a fairly well-known winery, and they have a great hotel. Winery tour and tasting is complimentary for guests, and I thought it was one of the better tours I've ever been on.
We arrived in the Duoro around 5pm, had time for a quick swim, then dinner at the hotel, which was very good and great value, with wine pairings. Breakfast the next morning, then we checked out ahead of the ~11am wine tour. Then ~1pm lunch at DOC Restaurant which was great, followed by a scenic drive up to Pinhao. Then back to Vallado as my husband left his passport there and then on to Porto (for 3 nights), where we arrived 15 minutes before the Hertz closed and dropped off the car. If we had an extra day I suppose we would have visited another winery or two (though honestly they're kind of all the same lol) and spent more time relaxing by the pool.

leland

Thanks for the tips! Never been to Portugal so it will be new to me. So from the perspective can't lose From the perspective that I'll be working while there that's a bit of a downer, though

If not Lisbon for four days while working what would be a good base? As I'm not sure I really want to be changing hotel or airbnb locations while working nights - ideally would have a central base before an early Friday am flight out of Lisbon.

For the Douro that sounds great ijgordon - checking out those places now to see if we can find a good hotel.

pbiflyer

I think there is plenty to do in theLisbon area. Belem is a very short train ride away and can easily spend a day there. Historic Belem Tower, Navigators monument, the monetary, the naval museum, the pasteis at the bakery at the Belem bakery they are named after. Dining along the waterfront there after a stroll.
Sintra is another easy day trip.
And Lisbon itself is worth a couple days at least. Plus just chilling with a drink along the river or one of the many hillside places with spectacular views.

leland

NIce shots @pbiflyer. Seems like a good base option Feel like I'm not maximizing time by driving around to a different place to stay each night, but always have to remember how tiring that is.

As an aside must be something happening in Lisbon for my dates (last week of Oct) as hotels seem jammed up. Good time to switch to airbnb. And figure out if there's something other than a Champions League match happening that week to go check out.

lamphs

FWIW, I just returned from Lisbon and Porto. 2.5 days in each place. Not enough time. Stayed at the HI Exp Liberdade in Lisbon and the Hilton Tapestry Art in Porto. Everything in walking distance (noting that I walked 6-9 miles a day). Great food. Great sites. I did an afternoon trip to Sintra via train. Also train between Lisbon and Porto.

Stgermainparis

So we’ve got 8 nights between Porto and Lisbon. With teens. How should we break that up? I was thinking 3 nights Porto, 1 night Douro Valley with a rental car, driving onwards to Lisbon, then 4 nights there? I’m assuming Douro is easier with a car, esp with four people? Or maybe just Douro for the day, ending in Lisbon with 5 nights there? Would rather not relocate nights 3x but not sure if we can do Douro in a day and get all the way to Lisbon for night.

beltway

I have not yet been to the Douro Valley, but am deep into research for an upcoming trip and this sounds … ambitious.

Multiple sources caution that the valley’s twisty roads do not lend themselves to speedy car travel. Google says it’s a 2h45m drive from Porto to Pinhão, which means you’d have—estimating generously—two half-days in the area, and that second day will involve a good 6 hours of travel no matter how you get from Pinhão to Lisbon (drive directly; take trains to Porto & onward to Lisbon; or drive back to Porto to ditch the car & take a train south).

Lisbon is well worth four nights, but if your heart is set on visiting the Douro Valley, I think you’ll be happier staying two nights instead of just one. That will give you & the restless teens a full day to ride a boat, take a train up to Pocinho (& see the neolithic carvings), go hiking, visit an estate, or just stuff your faces with local food and wine.

In the alternative, spend four nights each in the two cities. It’ll give you a good reason to return. On our first trip, we did exactly this and then continued to Spain; for the upcoming vacation, we’re doing more side/day trips outside Portugal’s main cities, filling in the blanks we left from before.

Caveat: one solid bias I’ve developed after years of travel is that except for airport hotels before an early flight departure, one-night stays should be avoided to the greatest extent possible. IMO it’s better to settle in, have a day with no (or only local) travel, and not spend most of your time going to & from and unpacking/packing.

Stgermainparis

I have that same bias re one night stays should be avoided. I hate one nights bc they are rarely worth the effort. Thank you for reminding me of that. I’ve settled on 3 nights in Porto with a bonafide day trip tour to Douro (which I’m a little sad about but will whet the appetite to return without the kids), then train to Lisbon for 5 nights with DIY day trip to Sintra and possibly another to Cascais. One kid is leaving on their own after 5 nights total so I realized we needed to make sure he got more than 12 hours in Lisbon. I’ve got some restaurants on my list, a bike tour, Fado show, and Sintra. For Lisbon. Just Douro tour and maybe a wine cellar visit for Porto. So far. Leaving in a month. Any particular recommendations from your visit?

beltway

For Porto, it really depends:

• Into architecture? The shopping district north of Santo Ildefonso is chock full of beautiful 19th-c. buildings. Over on the other side of the center city and just north of the Ribeira, the Bolsa Palace is worth a visit. In between the two is the São Bento train station, the lobby of which deserves a separate visit before you make a mad dash for your train to Lisbon.
• Food on your mind? Sorry to say the restaurant we enjoyed the most has closed since 2019, but if you want to try a francesinha—Porto’s (superior) answer to the croque-monsieur—you can’t go wrong at Café Santiago, a block or so east of Santo Ildefonso.
• History buff? The Cathedral (Sé) and adjacent Episcopal Palace scratch that itch. Same for the city museum (Casa do Infante), which is close to the Bolsa Palace and Ribeira.
• Harry Potter enthusiasts in the traveling party? Then you probably already know about Livraria Lello over by the university.
• Memorable/Instagrammable views? Walk across the upper level of the famous Luis I bridge, especially just before sunset.

As for Lisbon, we really enjoyed just wandering around Chiado and Bairro Alto. The Rossio train station is architecturally interesting. And connecting the two is the charming “street”—really a looooong stairway—known as Calçada do Duque. A number of bars and restaurants sit here, including Lisbon’s first brewpub (Duque Brewpub; try the white stout) and the wonderful Little Wine Bar, which I fully intend to visit again for dinner.

The Belém district is worth at least half a day. The National Coach Museum was a pleasant surprise to us, with well curated displays taking you right up to the transition from carriages to motor vehicles. (If you have to choose, skip the northern annex and focus instead on the main museum building.) The Jeronimos Monastery will likewise reward anyone interested in the Catholic Church, history, or architecture. And a piece of advice: whatever you choose to see in Belém, avoid the tram at rush hour. It can be uncomfortably crowded, as we learned upon returning to Cais do Sodré around 5pm.

The biggest and best tip I can offer about Lisbon, though is this: for easy and free travel between Chiado/Bairro Alto (up on a big hill) and Baixa (as the name indicates, down low), you needn’t rely on the quaint but expensive Santa Justa elevator and Ascensor da Gloria tram, both of which often have long lines. Do those if you like as amusement, but for quick, functional travel up or down the hill, use the escalator in the Baixa/Chiado metro station (outside the fare gates & thus free) or the elevators in the Armazens shopping mall.