mama_mia

Planning a trip to Portugal in late October/early November. Will fly direct RT to Lisbon from Philadelphia and then train to our first stop. We are interested in architecture, old churches, wine, good local food and local culture (maybe some music). We are avid walkers so are prepared for lots of steps .

We are considering train to Coimbra with a 2 night stay, then train to Porto. We would then do 4 nights in Porto with a day trip to Duoro valley and a Culinary Food tour of Porto as two of our main activities while there. We would then train to Lisbon for 4 nights. There, we would do another Culinary Backstreets tour and a day trip to Sintra.

Had considered 4 nights Porto-2 nights Duoro Valley-4 nights Lisbon but we do not want to drive and we were not sure if devoting 2 days to Duoro at that time of year made sense.

Any thoughts on these itineraries?

Also, anty thoughts on Pousada Alfama vs Hotel da Baixa for Lisbon? I am intrigued by the Medieval but was not sure if those winding streets would complicate getting around too much. In Porto, thinking of Pousada do Porto, Porto Bay Teatro or Grande Hotel do Porto.

Appreciate any feedback.

Michael

Coimbra is a good intermediary choice.


I think that one day on the Douro is sufficient, but a small tour group (reservations are a must) is probably better than the large boats. A boat like this one is what you would want:


We were on a large boat and the tour, while scenic, was disappointing.

mjs

We were in Portugal last year and just have a few comments. Expect some rain maybe 1/3 days and sun will be setting around 1730 or so. Lots of fairly steep hills with cobblestones which can get slippery in the rain. Bring appropriate shoes preferably Gortex that handle slippery well. It is not flat like Philadelphia. I would think your itinerary is reasonable except for the possibility of rain. I would not got to Sintra or the Douro valley if the weather is bad. You will have to be flexible. Did not stay at any of your possible hotels so have no opinion. Should be among the cheapest times to visit Portugal. Hope you like seafood. Lastly Uber or Bolt is cheap and quite useful.

mama_mia

Thank you both for the replies. I have heard about the slippery pavements and am trying to prepare for them and rain. I will stick to Coimbra as a planned stop and hope for nice weather to allow for day trips.

aulop

Alfama and Baixa while relatively close are very different.
Baixa is the flat downtown area of Lisbon, it was rebuilt in a military grid pattern ( after an earthquake 1775) .
Alfama in on one of the seven hills of Lisbon and is a mishmash of streets, alleyways, stairs and deadends.

Pousadas are historic buildings converted to hotels, usually convents or monasteries.
Pousada Alfama is located on relatively busy street but it is by a scenic lookout , within walking distance of the castle and churches ( ie: Pateāo Nacional, Santo Estevão, São Mamede).
This area retains its originality and some roughness but expect to see lots of tourist as well.
I've walked this area many times, expect to get lost and have a Stairmaster workout.

The Baixa would be my choice, to save my legs, less chance of getting lost.
The Baixa hotel faces a road in the front and a pedestrian only street in the back.

These locations are busy with tourists and the pickpockets that follow them, take precautions.

Lisbon has a good public transit system, the Metro is the best , fastest way to get around, learn it so you can use it.

Mouraria is the neighborhood that abuts the north side of the Castle opposite Alfama ,while smaller is also gritty with hills and alleyways just in case you walk there.
It is the birthplace of the Portuguese national music - Fado.

Madam397

We stayed in the Baixa area and found it to be a good location, as easy walk to the Praca as well as to Rossio Square. We stayed at a boutique hotel, the beHotel Lisboa which was clean and comfortable and the front desk staff extremely helpful.

We only spent an afternoon in Coimbra on our way to Porto from Lisbon. It was extremely hilly as well as extremely hot as it was mid-June, making it a bit uncomfortable to walk around. Personally I enjoyed our initial stay in Evora which is historic as well as a foodie kind of place. You can take a train to Evora but if it is further afield from where you want to go, you might think of staying in Sintra rather than doing a day tour there or Cascais. We did a day trip to Guimares from Porto and we enjoyed it quite a lot. I do have friends who stayed overnight there prior to driving through the Douro Valley. We had planned a boat ride through the Douro region and we hadn't booked in advance which worked out well as the weather in Porto was cool, foggy and windy. Not sure if that was unusual or not.

mama_mia

Thank you for the additional recommendations. I am leaning now towards the Baixa area--if it rains it might be nice to have some more level ground to walk on.

I will have to think about substituting overnight in Sintra for Coimbra. I had wanted to hear the Fado in Coimbra and it seemed like a logical stop on the way to Porto. But Sintra is also of great interest.

Wish we had more time and were going at a drier time of year. This is an "escape the craziness of the US elections triip" and Portugal has been on our radar for awhile.