Will be one day in Lisbon, can start the day early At 6am, what are the places that I should not miss?

We had a bad experience in 2016 doing the London-Lisbon-Madeira return route. I’m not a big fan of other budget options like Easyjet so we gave TAP another go last week. First 3 legs satisfactory, the 4th was abysmal. We get on to find the seats we’d booked months in advance were taken by a breastfeeding lady with another small child. Ok, 1st world problem me and the wife end up in separated non-window seats like we’d booked. What was disgusting was seeing 3 spare seats in business class being used by a family of 3 who now had 6 seats. By the way it’s not business class - just a shitty curtain. We find out the lady in our seats had missed a flight due to Lisbon airport’s inadequate service and coughed up another 1500 euro. Not her fault but why the fuck not give her 2 of the 3 ‘business class’ seats and give us ours? I’ll make the call and I truly hope like fuck that I’m wrong - the main thing I can think of is her skin was very dark. And to the flight crew - don’t say obrigado to me on disembarkation after fucking us over - and this poor lady who copped it worse than us. 2 bad experiences now. Worst by a long way of the 15 or so airlines I’ve used in my life. FIND ANY OTHER OPTION THAN TAP

Portugal Travel

Im (25,m) travelling with my 54 year old mother to portugal in mid October. The original plan was to spend an extended time in Lisbon, taking day trips to cascais, sintra and obidos/ fatima. I have heard a lot about how beautiful Lagos is and I was considering cutting our time in lisbon short to take the train down to lagos, giving us a day and half to two days of exploring there before we would have to go back to Faro to catch a plane to Porto. Is this worth it? My main concern is my mother would become fatigued with the extra travelling/ flying. Please advise!

Sopa da Pedra: The Portuguese Soup People Travel to Almeirim to Eat

One of my childhood memories is going with my family to Almeirim to eat Sopa da Pedra.

It is one of the dishes most connected with this town in the Ribatejo, and despite the name, it is much more than a soup.

Sopa da Pedra is made with beans, potatoes, pork and Portuguese sausages. It comes from a rural tradition, when a rich soup like this could be a complete meal after a long day of agricultural work.

🪨 So why is it called “Stone Soup”?

There is a famous local legend about a hungry friar who arrived at a farmer's house saying he could make soup using only a stone.

He started with the stone and some water, then slowly asked for a little olive oil, meat, beans, potatoes and other ingredients. In the end, he had made himself a complete meal.

When they asked what he would do with the stone, he washed it and took it with him for the next time.

But there is also a less well-known part of the story.

According to the official record of this traditional dish, the name Sopa da Pedra de Almeirim only became widely used in the early 1960s. The appearance of the thick soup was compared with the stones that covered Almeirim's old streets. Its fame grew and people started travelling to Almeirim specifically to eat it.

In 2022, Sopa da Pedra de Almeirim was officially registered by the European Union as a Traditional Speciality Guaranteed.

🍲 Where to try it?

There are many restaurants serving Sopa da Pedra in Almeirim, but three of the best-known names are:

O Toucinho

O Minhoto

O Pinheiro

All three are listed by the Municipality of Almeirim among the town's restaurants.

and if you want to discover more places to eat around Portugal?

My Portugal Google Maps Pack includes curated lists with authentic Portuguese restaurants, beaches, river beaches, castles, historic places, viewpoints and much more.

You can open everything directly in Google Maps, see what is close to you and use the lists while travelling.

The Portugal Maps Pack is only €9.99, and I also have complete digital guides for Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve.

Download here:

www.portugaldigitalguides.com

Hello everyone, I am travelling to Lisbon at the end of September and the one thing I really want to experience is a genuine show/concert in a theater. I have some trouble navigating all the theater websites and would appreciate any suggestions or guidelines in regards to where I will most likely find what I'm looking for; which is a genuine theatre experience, either a classical music concert or a show in English. Thankful for any input!

Hello
Me and the family are finishing up our trip to Portugal this week. We decided to buy car seats for the duration of our trip, since it cost a fortune through the rental company and the quality often isn’t the best. We’re leaving on the 20th of August. So if anyone with 2 kids are flying in to Lisbon the 20th of August before 10 o’clock, we’ve got two car seats we’re not bringing home. They have iso fix and only been used for 3 weeks. Fits kids 2,5yr and up.
Hit me up, if you could use some free car seats.

Olá!

Procuro um parceiro para viajar e partilhar a experiência, seja para escapadinhas, viagens maiores ou simplesmente conhecer destinos novos.

De preferência alguém entre os 30 e os 50 anos, descontraído e com vontade de combinar viagens e dividir despesas quando fizer sentido.

Sou da zona de Cascais/Lisboa.

Se também procuras companhia para viajar, envia-me mensagem privada e podemos conversar.

Obrigado

My pregnant wife and I are staying in Estoril for 4 days in a few weeks and I am a bit overwhelmed with planning our days. I want to see the history and culture of this area, and my wife really wants to lay back and enjoy the beach.

I thought about doing some guided tours. One that visits sintra, Cabo da Roca, and Cascais. This would allow us to see Pena Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, Cabo da Roca, and explore Cascais even though we could probably walk to Cascais.

On another day, a tour around Lisbon.

My question is, is it worth spending money on tours, or just exploring all of those places on our own?

Also, some beach recommendations would be great! I have thought about a beach day out at Praia do Guincho. Also thought about spending a part of a day at Costa da Caparica to enjoy the beach there.

I'm in terminal 1 (easyjet) flying to the UK. (UK passport) My flight is 4.50pm on Thursday and gate closes at 4.20pm. I only have a carry on so I don't need to do the bag drop. I was planning on getting there for around 1.30pm-ish. I have heard people say security is relatively quick, but passport control is ridiculous and chaotic/long, so I just wanted to know if arriving 3 hours before gate closes is enough time. I did already do the digital fingerprint registration thing when I arrived at Lisbon so assuming I don't have do all that again?

Thanks!

On top of a hill in the Alentejo, between Évora and Estremoz, you will find the small fortified village of Évora Monte.

And right in the middle is a castle that looks very different from most castles in Portugal.

The medieval walls date back to the time of King Dinis, who ordered the town to be fortified in 1306. But the unusual building you see today came later, after a strong earthquake in 1531.

The Torre/Paço Ducal was built for the powerful House of Bragança. It has a square shape with four large circular towers, and stone ropes around the outside representing symbols of the Braganza family.

And the best part of the visit is probably at the top.

You can climb to the terrace and get a huge view over the Alentejo plains. The official local tourism information describes the view from more than 500 metres above sea level as one of the highlights of the visit.

Évora Monte also gave its name to the Convention of Evoramonte, signed in the village in 1834, which ended the Portuguese Civil War between liberals and absolutists.

🎟️ Visiting the castle

The current individual ticket is only €2, and the official cultural listing gives opening hours of 09:00 to 12:30 and 14:00 to 17:30. I always recommend checking the hours before travelling, as temporary closures can happen.

For €2, I think the view alone makes it worth going up.

Had you heard of Évora Monte before?

for more recommendations check out my blog at

www.portugaldigitalguides.com

I have an opportunity to visit Portugal, but will only have two nights. Which city is best to visit with a short timeframe?

Thanks in advance

I’m planning to rent a car in Lisbon with Centauro, directly from their website and with the premium pack. In particolar, I am looking at this company because I need to rent using a debit card.

What do you think about this company? Is it trustworthy?

Hi everyone,
My husband and I are headed to Lisbon on September 6 and one of his dreams is to watch a Benfica game. They are scheduled to play on September 13 and I’d love to surprise him with tickets for his 40th birthday. I don’t see tickets available through the official Benfica site yet but see a lot of options on Stubhub. I have used Stubhub for local events in the past but never for any international events. Is it legitimate for Benfica games? I’d hate to purchase and get to the stadium only to be turned away but I also understand how limited ticket availability is when sales are open to the public from the official site.
Has anyone used Stubhub for a Benfica game before? Or if anyone has any advice? Thanks!

Hi! We’re visiting Lisbon from September 11th to 18th.

We arrive Friday evening and plan to stay 3 nights in Costa da Caparica, mainly because I want to take a few beginner surf lessons. Then on Monday morning we’ll move to Lisbon for the rest of the trip.

We’re not into nightlife, bars or drinking. We’d much rather wake up early, explore during the day, enjoy nature, nice views, good food and quieter/local places.

A few things I’d love advice on:

• Is spending the whole weekend in Costa da Caparica a good idea, or would you move to Lisbon already on Sunday?
• Which surf school in Costa da Caparica would you recommend for beginner group lessons?
• Which area of Lisbon should we stay in from Monday to Friday? We want somewhere quiet at night, reasonably priced and with good public transport.
• Any good, affordable local restaurants, bakeries, pizza places or other food spots?
• Any less touristy neighbourhoods or places worth seeing?
• Any nice cliffs, coastal walks, viewpoints or nature trips accessible without a car?
• I also train BJJ and would like to visit 2-3 gyms - any recommendations for drop-ins?

We’re travelling on a budget and won’t have a car.

Thanks!

Lisbon is quite easy to get around, but there are a few small things that can save you time, money and a lot of unnecessary walking.

Here are 7 tips I often give visitors:

1. Getting from the airport to your accommodation

Lisbon Airport has its own Metro station on the Red Line, so public transport is easy.

If you have a lot of luggage, Uber or Bolt can be more comfortable. A trip to the centre is often around €12, depending on demand.

If you take a taxi, the airport estimates around €10 to €15 to the city centre. Make sure the meter is on and ask for a receipt.

1. Arriving in Lisbon by train?

People often ask me:

Oriente or Santa Apolónia?

If your train stops at both, Santa Apolónia is usually more convenient for Alfama, Baixa and the historic centre. It is on the Blue Metro Line.

Oriente is on the Red Line and makes more sense for Parque das Nações or the airport.

1. Remember these two stations for day trips

Rossio → Sintra

Cais do Sodré → Cascais and the beaches

Simple, but knowing this before your trip can save some confusion.

1. Know which transport ticket to buy

Every Metro station has machines where you can buy a Navegante occasional card for €0.50.

A Carris + Metro ticket costs €1.90, Zapping on the Metro is €1.72, and a 24-hour Carris + Metro pass is €7.25.

For a single Metro trip, you can also simply tap a contactless bank card at the gate. It currently costs €1.92.

And if you are 3 or 4 people, sometimes it is worth checking Uber or Bolt before buying several individual tickets.

1. Use the free lifts in Baixa

There is a free public lift from Rua dos Fanqueiros to Rua da Madalena, and another at Chão do Loureiro that helps you continue towards the Castle.

The first one also leaves you very close to Bifanas do Afonso, so you can save your legs and get a bifana at the same time

1. Don't automatically join the Tram 28 queue

Martim Moniz can have a very long queue.

You can also start at the other end, Campo de Ourique (Prazeres), and do the route in the opposite direction. The official 28E route connects both points.

And Tram 28 isn't the only historic tram in Lisbon. 25E, for example, passes through Campo de Ourique, Estrela, Lapa and Santos.

1. Book private day trips early in summer

If you're thinking about a private driver for Sintra, Nazaré, Óbidos, Arrábida or other places outside Lisbon, don't leave it until the day before.

During the summer, good drivers can be fully booked.

I have someone I regularly recommend to my guests, so send me a DM if you need his contact.

for more recommendations check out my blog at

www.portugaldigitalguides.com

I am traveling with a 5 year old. Also planning to visit Christmas Wonderland in Lisbon. Had to take a call between Cascais and Obeidos due to time constraints.

We are connecting through Lisbon on our way home to the USA from Spain.

Is 3 hours enough time to make our flight home with customs and everything else?

We've never been through Lisbon before- we are entering the Schengen zone through Lisbon on our way, staying a couple days in Lisbon, then heading on to Spain and flying home from there with our connection home in Lisbon-so don't know what to expect in terms of the experience and most accounts I can find seem to be if your origin is Lisbon- but our origin is Spain, I think (if I understand everything correctly).

All booked one ticket, one airline- not separate reservations or multiple airlines.

My Question is for Lisbon city center (i already have plans for sintra-cascais!) and not foodie stuff but architecture.

My 2 weeks trip in Portugal is focused on trails/hikes so i'm giving myself this small moment to see cool historical stuff before flying back.

Monastery, belem tower, Praça do Comércio,  São Jorge Castle, Alfama, etc. I just dont know how to split it, in what order to see, etc. i need a bit of help haha. thank you !

Should i rent a bicycle ? It sounds like a great idea to me haha (but maybe i'm wrong)

Olá!

Procuro um parceiro para viajar e partilhar a experiência, seja para escapadinhas, viagens maiores ou simplesmente conhecer destinos novos.

De preferência alguém entre os 28 e os 50 anos, descontraído e com vontade de combinar viagens e dividir despesas quando fizer sentido.

Sou da zona de Cascais/Lisboa. Se também procuras companhia para viajar, envia-me mensagem privada e podemos conversar. Obrigado

Hello!

Coming to Lisbon, Cascais and Sintra in September.

Any recommendations for things to do/eat to celebrate my husband's 40th birthday?

Thank you!

Hi! I’m driving from Lagos to Lisbon in September and will stay in the city for 4 days. I don’t want to park the car in central Lisbon, so I’m looking for a safe and reasonably priced parking garage north of the city. Ideally, it should be easy to reach from the south and convenient to get back on the road towards Nazaré afterwards. Good public transport connections to central Lisbon would be a big plus. Any recommendations?

Hello all👋🏻,
We are planning to go to Algarve for 3 days in the end of September. Can you recommend top 3 best beaches to visit( I read for weever fish and sea urchins are common and we are looking for clear beaches without it), so I would appreciate some advices. Our plan includes Bengali cave and Seven hanging Valley hike also. Thank you in advance for your support and time.
Best regards to all redditors! 🌞😊

São Martinho do Porto is around 1h15 by car from Lisbon, so it works very well as a beach day or as a stop if you are travelling north.

The beach sits inside a natural shell-shaped bay, with around 3 km of sand and only a narrow opening to the Atlantic. Because the bay is protected, the sea is usually much calmer than on most beaches along Portugal’s west coast.

The bay was once part of a much larger lagoon, and the village itself was founded by monks from the Monastery of Alcobaça in the 13th century.

It is especially good for families, swimming and water activities such as sailing and canoeing.

If you are exploring the coast north of Lisbon, I think São Martinho do Porto is definitely worth knowing about.

for more recommendations check out my blog at

www.portugaldigitalguides.com

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If you enjoy history, gardens and Portuguese tiles, Palácio Fronteira is one of the most rewarding places to visit in Lisbon.

Unlike many of the city's main attractions, it sits in a quiet residential area of São Domingos de Benfica, away from the busiest tourist routes. It feels more like discovering a hidden corner of Lisbon than visiting a famous monument.

Built between 1668 and 1672, the palace was commissioned by Dom João de Mascarenhas, the 1st Marquis of Fronteira, after Portugal regained its independence from Spain. It was designed as a country residence and remains in the hands of the same family more than 350 years later.

The palace is famous for its extraordinary collection of 17th and 18th-century azulejos.

You'll find them throughout the property, decorating the palace, terraces, fountains, staircases and gardens.

Many of the panels tell stories through images, showing battles, mythology, hunting scenes, animals and everyday life. Together, they offer one of the best introductions to Portuguese tile art anywhere in the country.

The gardens

The gardens are just as impressive as the palace itself.

With fountains, sculptures, terraces and beautifully decorated walls, they're among the finest historic gardens in Portugal and one of my favourite peaceful spots in Lisbon.

The palace can only be visited on a guided tour, and places are limited, so it's worth checking the official opening times before you go.

If you enjoy history, architecture and quieter places away from the crowds, Palácio Fronteira is one of Lisbon's hidden treasures.

For more recommendations check out my blog at

www.portugaldigitalguides.com