✈ PORTUGAL · DEC 2018
Seven days across Portugal, flying in and out of different cities so the trip never doubled back on itself.
Month
December — sunny and cloudy, bring an umbrella
Route
London → Lisbon → Porto → London
Getting there
Flew London–Lisbon and Porto–London separately, generally the cheaper combination; trains between Lisbon and Porto are comfortable if you'd rather connect overland. A bus from East London got us to Stansted, booked any time up to a month ahead. On Ryanair, weigh and measure cabin bags against their site first to dodge excess-luggage penalties — one cabin bag plus one small backpack, and check the liquids rules before security.
Bread arrives as a default starter at restaurants — if you don't want it, don't touch it, since it's charged.
Getting around
Buy a Viva Viagem card and top it up at any subway station — some entry fees can be paid with it too. Uber runs cheap in Portugal. For breakfast basics — eggs, bread, bananas, milk — Mini Preço supermarkets cover it.
Where to stay
- Lisbon — Piedade apartment (Airbnb): one of the best-run stays we've had — a fully stocked kitchen down to the spices, magazines and books left out, walkable to supermarkets.
- Porto — The Porto Concierge (Airbnb): cosy, with a balcony (no view to speak of).
Lisbon itinerary
Day 1 — Airport metro (red line) → change at Alameda to the green line → Rossio, then walk to the Praça da Figueira tram stop. Catch the 15E tram to Largo da Princesca, then walk about 4 minutes to Belém Tower. Belém holds two UNESCO sites — the Torre de Belém, Padrão dos Descobrimentos, and Jerónimos Monastery. Most of the walking here is uphill.
Days 2–3 — A free walking tour is worth booking — look for ones covering Central Lisbon, Alfama, and Sintra separately, since each has its own character. Alfama is grandmothers hanging laundry between narrow graffiti lanes and tiled facades — São Jorge Castle, Santa Luzia Viewpoint, and Baixa are the stops. In Sintra, the Palácio Nacional da Pena is the highlight — a private taxi up to the entrance helps if the uphill walk is an issue.
Porto itinerary
Days 4–5 — Start your own walking tour from São Bento Railway Station, then take in the Church of St Francis, Clérigos Church, and the Ponte Dom Luís I bridge. Taylor's port wine tasting tour (~€15pp, full audio guide, 2 hours) is worth it even if you've never done a vineyard tour before. Evenings: Via Catarina shopping centre, or Livraria Lello, the world's oldest bookstore — a neo-Gothic building with a stained-glass ceiling (J.K. Rowling lived and taught English in Porto from 1991–93, for what it's worth).
Food to try
- Lisbon: Santa Rita Restaurant for authentic Portuguese meals, including a well-regarded octopus dish. Espresso paired with Ginjinha (cherry liqueur in a chocolate cup) from a kiosk at Praça do Comércio, then Bairro Alto for Fado.
- Sintra: Piriquita for pastries — pick up mini queijadas from the supermarket too.
- Porto: Café Santiago for a Francesinha (share one between two, it's a lot). Bolhão bakery for sweets. Churrasqueira Lameiras for chicken barbecue with fries.
Skip driving in Lisbon — narrow roads and very little parking. Walk, or use the funicular. Favourite souvenirs: a fridge magnet and a Portuguese tile.
