If you can't go to Italy, try Portugal!

[Conndog]

The Italy travel thread is making me salivate- traveling in Europe is the best!

Recently, my wife and I spent two weeks in Portugal and absolutely loved it! The scenery is beautiful, there is great food everywhere, the wine is fantastic, the architecture in cities and villages is amazing, and the churches are gloriously beautiful too. People from US retire there and I can see why- prices are affordable, people are friendly, and the cities seem keenly alive with people actually living in them and not just driving through them. Can't wait to go back!

 

[Rocktheworld]

It’s definitely now the trendy, cheaper spot for Americans as I’ve heard

 

[8893]

The Man?

 

[HCCForever]

The Italy travel thread is making me salivate- traveling in Europe is the best!

Recently, my wife and I spent two weeks in Portugal and absolutely loved it! The scenery is beautiful, there is great food everywhere, the wine is fantastic, the architecture in cities and villages is amazing, and the churches are gloriously beautiful too. People from US retire there and I can see why- prices are affordable, people are friendly, and the cities seem keenly alive with people actually living in them and not just driving through them. Can't wait to go back!

I have seen pictures of Algarve which looks beautiful. I heard that the seafood is unbelievable as well. I saw pictures of huge tiger prawns which looked fantastic.

 

[NowInStorrs]

I've only been to Lisbon but it was great. Would recommend. Tip: Travel a bit off the beaten path if you want to eat a restaurant somewhere. Usually much better and sometimes cheaper than the tourist trap area.

 

[8893]

I've only been to Lisbon but it was great. Would recommend. Tip: Travel a bit off the beaten path if you want to eat a restaurant somewhere. Usually much better and sometimes cheaper than the tourist trap area.

Lisbon is the only place I've ever visited where I ate at the same restaurant twice during the same visit. Somehow we got hipped to it from some locals, but it was a place where they grilled chickens over grills fashioned from oil drums that were cut in half lengthwise, and they squirted some kind of oil on it while it cooked. Incredibly cheap and incredibly tasty. It looked sketchy as hell and everything was outside, but the people were friendly and the food was great. Definitely not a tourist spot.

 

[nomar]

The Man?

Mark?

 

[HuskyHawk]

Highly recommend Portugal. It's a lovely country with lovely people. I'm not much for the Algarve, which is just Florida for Brits. But Lisbon is terrific, Oporto is really cool with lots of history and some of the smaller towns are great. The most unique and unusual place we went was Monsanto. Town built into the rocks of a mountain near the Spanish border. Castle on top with uninterrupted views into Spain (so they could see an invading force). We noted small white crosses on a lot of the doors, leading my wife to conclude that it was likely loaded with vampires.

https://edh9qmimf4g.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/House-under-a-rock-Monsanto.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&w=2560&ssl=1

 

[Conndog]

Highly recommend Portugal. It's a lovely country with lovely people. I'm not much for the Algarve, which is just Florida for Brits. But Lisbon is terrific, Oporto is really cool with lots of history and some of the smaller towns are great. The most unique and unusual place we went was Monsanto. Town built into the rocks of a mountain near the Spanish border. Castle on top with uninterrupted views into Spain (so they could see an invading force). We noted small white crosses on a lot of the doors, leading my wife to conclude that it was likely loaded with vampires.

https://edh9qmimf4g.exactdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/House-under-a-rock-Monsanto.jpg?strip=all&lossy=1&w=2560&ssl=1

That sounds like Marvao which we visited. The road to the top kept switchbacking back and forth, and the views seemed to go forever. It was fun and scary descending, not sure if what we were driving down (part paved, a lot of dirt) was indeed road or bike path or goat lane!

 

[husky429]

I enjoyed Lisbon and Porto, but didn't get anywhere else in Porto. If anyone can get to Porto for the Sao Joa festival on June 23rd any year--do so! Way cheaper than the rest of western Europe too.

 

[NJHusky]

The Italy travel thread is making me salivate- traveling in Europe is the best!

Recently, my wife and I spent two weeks in Portugal and absolutely loved it! The scenery is beautiful, there is great food everywhere, the wine is fantastic, the architecture in cities and villages is amazing, and the churches are gloriously beautiful too. People from US retire there and I can see why- prices are affordable, people are friendly, and the cities seem keenly alive with people actually living in them and not just driving through them. Can't wait to go back!

Porto Lisbon or elsewhere?

 

[Peacefrog]

I've somehow managed to miss this country despite spending a lot of time in Europe and I hear nothing but good things. Definitely on the list of places to go. I've had some good wine from Portugal and the food is supposed to be wonderful and the entire country relatively affordable.

 

[Palatine]

The people of Portugal love Americans. Everywhere we went we were received very warmly. Oddly, the one question they would ask us is "Why did you come to Portugal?" They were happy to have us.

The place is loaded with Brits. We heard Portugal referred to as the California of England. And Lisbon does feel a little like San Fran with the huge bay and the orange suspension bridge. If you go south to Algarve, the sand cliffs resemble San Diego. But the vibe and architecture is not California. It's definitely European.

The sidewalks are amazing. Not joking. Virtually the entire country has sidewalks made up of two inch square stones arranged in a variety of dazzling patterns.

We loved it.

 

[Conndog]

CC B

Porto Lisbon or elsewhere?

After flying into Lisbon, immediately got rental car and drove to Evora for two night. Next up to Lamego in Douro wine valley but stopped for one night enroute in Tomar. Was going to spend one night in Lamego but it we wanted an extra day so took a day out of Porto. Then, getting to Porto, it was so nice we wished we had that planned 3rd night but only had two nights. Then we drove for overnight stop in Coimbra, and we spent our last few nights in Lisbon.
We liked Porto and Lisbon best but Lamego and Coimbra and Evora were nice too.
Next trip there, possibly we’ll stop at Azores for few nights, then continue to Lisbon for longer stay. Don’t think we’d get a rental car again, there are trams and trains to take you to nearby cities etc. Then, we’d take train to Porto and enjoy the area for longer. I’d like to get to towns on Atlantic too which we missed this trip.

 

[fatlucy]

Turkey has everything Italians Portugal have; food, nice people, history everywhere, culture, food. And the exchange rate allows you travel like a king!

 

[gwhuskyfan]

How is driving in Portugal... going to be there in a few weeks. Flying into Lisbon -- was just going to have a ride take us out to a destination wedding we're going to in Quinta de Santa Ana, but not sure if driving ourselves would be easier. Never driven a foreign country before?