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Hello there, folks. So my fiancee and I are officially tying the knot this year, July 5th to be exact. We've been agonizing over where to take our honeymoon for a while, but have finally settled. Originally we were thinking about doing the Maldives or Seychelles, but since I'm from Hawaii and my fiancee studied in Hawaii for more than a year we decided against it. Turkey seemed fun, but required too much transportation time between sights. So... Portugal seemed perfect. I have been doing some basic research and putting together a rough itinerary and am hoping that someone here can help me with their experiences and or ideas. First, why did we choose Portugal? Well, my fiancee is Korean and we live in South Korea. She really wanted to avoid the typical places, which pretty much ruled out most of Europe, the US, and Maldives/Seychelles. I'm American and I'm pretty chill about the whole thing, but I kind of wanted to experience something different, safe, and fun. Our main requirements when it comes to just about any travel are food, sights, and activities. We don't do too much of the guided tour thing, rather we prefer to kind of just stroll around and take pictures while eating everything in sight. Portugal seems pretty good for this, so the die was cast. I've drawn up a rough plan, which I'll post here; A rough plan for my honeymoon Time frame - July 6th to the 15th, 8 full days July 6th - 8th = Lisbon - planning on seeing Sintra and hanging out in the City. Maybe go to Belem district? July 8th - 10th = Faro - hang out on the southern coast. Do the beach thing, chill out, see some sights and eat. July 10th-12th = Seville, Spain - Hang out in Spain for 2 nights, see the sights and eat some food. July 12th-15th = Lisbon - Want to go to Obidos and, if possible, Berlenga island. We will be renting a car for all/most of our trip in order to be getting between towns or to off-the-beaten-path areas, so distance isn't really too much of a concern. We would like to keep things relatively close by car but are more than willing to hop in the car and drive if something is really worth it. Also, cost isn't too much of a concern. My fiancee and I both have relatively well paying jobs and aren't really planning on doing a "budget" trip. We want to have good food, maybe hit up a winery, and stay in relatively good places. We aren't looking to burn money, but a typical backpacker trip is out of the question. So, what do I want from you folks? Well, if anyone has been to Portugal (or better yet lives there) I'd love to hear about it. What did you like? What did you not like? Any must-see places? Am I making any huge mistakes in my planning? I'm mostly just looking for some feedback on my rough plan. I'll be more than happy to hear whatever people say, and I plan on keeping a pretty good log of what we actually decide on and would be more than willing to post my experiences back in this thread for others to see. I also plan on finalizing an itinerary and sharing it, so if other people in the future are looking for a trip to Portugal they can refer to what I've done. So.... help me out! Thanks for taking the time to read and post any kind of feedback in advance!
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Feb 24, 2014 01:42
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Saving this for my finalized itinerary, I'll update it later when things are set.
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Feb 24, 2014 01:42
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Absolutely must go to Ramiro's if you're into seafood. Absolutely amazing. Get a reservation. It's always packed. http://www.yelp.ca/biz/cervejaria-ramiro-lisboa
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Apr 14, 2014 21:04
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soj89 posted:Absolutely must go to Ramiro's if you're into seafood. Absolutely amazing. Get a reservation. It's always packed. Hey there and thanks for the tip, I'm always interested in food information. Would you happen to have any good tips about a good place to go for wine/beer/cocktails? Something a little casual would be fine. Also, we are looking for a decent winery that is convenient to Lisbon. Searches online direct me to Jose Maria Da Fonesca, which seems pretty good. Anyone have any experiences here or better alternatives?
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Apr 15, 2014 03:06
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Hey USMC_Karl, congrats on tying the knot! And on a great decision, Portugal is vastly underrated as a travel destination for people who like food, wine and wandering around. I'm Portuguese and have lived in Lisbon most of my life. Unfortunately I'll be in San Francisco in July, but let me know if I can help you with anything. I'd be happy to chat through Skype or email if it'd help, too. On money: you'll most fun things to do in Portugal are either cheap or free. We're all broke, so anything local-oriented is bound to be affordable... the most expensive wine tours, restaurants and hotels are stuffy, touristy, and not that enjoyable. If you're not set on Seville and Faro, I'd advise you to skip it and spend more time travelling the western Alentejo coast. It's much more beautiful and off the beaten path, you'll do less miles, and you'll eat some of the best seafood of your life.
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Apr 15, 2014 15:26
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Drive By posted:
Hey there, thanks for the kind words. Awesome that you posted, thanks a lot for that too. I was hoping I could get in touch with a local person because, well, they always know the ins and outs of an area. I'd really appreciate any info you would mind sharing, either through email or through the forums. First off, good to hear about the money thing. We are on our honeymoon and aren't averse to spending money, but being able to save is always a nice thing. Also, about Seville and Faro, well we aren't really tied to that either. We reserved hotels, but we can cancel them with no penalty and still have lots of time before we really need to have something hammered out 100%. Are there any places in particular that you would recommend on the Alentejo coast? I really love seafood and the ocean in general, so it sounds like a pretty good idea to me. If you don't mind me picking your mind for a couple things; 1) My fiance is really interested in doing a wine tour and, like I posted above, we have seen a lot of good things posted about Jose Maria Da Fonesca on tripadvisor and just in general searching. It's price seems really good at 3 euros per person, but have you heard anything about it? 2) Wine isn't really my thing though, I love beer. Do you know of any cool beer places in Lisbon? I love hanging out in local brewpubs where I can have good food and good beer, it doesn't really matter on the place either. High class luxury, dive bar, or something in between, it's all good for me. Any recommendations? 3) In general, both my fiancee and I are really laid back people and don't really like being super busy. We are looking for a laid back atmosphere, and really the more local the better. With that in mind, are there any places that are absolute must-sees or absolute no-goes? Thanks a ton, if you prefer to carry this conversation through email I'm more than willing to, I'll PM you my email address. If you prefer to keep it on the forums, well just reply right here. I have this thread bookmarked and check the forums every day.
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Apr 16, 2014 05:40
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about Portugal
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USMC_Karl posted:Are there any places in particular that you would recommend on the Alentejo coast? I really love seafood and the ocean in general, so it sounds like a pretty good idea to me. http://www.rotavicentina.com/?lang=en http://casasbrancas.pt http://goo.gl/T8PNBG http://www.inntravel.co.uk/holidays/walking-holidays/portugal/along-the-costa-vicentina USMC_Karl posted:1) My fiance is really interested in doing a wine tour and, like I posted above, we have seen a lot of good things posted about Jose Maria Da Fonesca on tripadvisor and just in general searching. It's price seems really good at 3 euros per person, but have you heard anything about it? I've heard plenty of good things. They're nice people with good, honest wine. If you're a wine buff I can wring more places to visit out of my friends. Would that be helpful? You have a small wine region around Lisbon, and then a much larger one (with much better wine) under/to the right in Alentejo. It'll take a few hours more driving to get to the better wineries, and they're mostly off the beaten path. USMC_Karl posted:2) Wine isn't really my thing though, I love beer. Do you know of any cool beer places in Lisbon? I love hanging out in local brewpubs where I can have good food and good beer, it doesn't really matter on the place either. High class luxury, dive bar, or something in between, it's all good for me. Any recommendations? Oh. We drink a lot of beer, but it's mostly one variety. There are two mainstream beer brands, Sagres and Super Bock (and no one likes Sagres), and three craft brands that just got started two years ago. So, you won't find much variety, but you'll certainly find people to drink with. Let me ask around for this one. USMC_Karl posted:3) In general, both my fiancee and I are really laid back people and don't really like being super busy. We are looking for a laid back atmosphere, and really the more local the better. With that in mind, are there any places that are absolute must-sees or absolute no-goes? Nah. Portugal, and Lisbon in particular, is generally inviting and high-quality throughout. Just walk around the city center and you'll have fun. Would you like me to rattle off a few restaurant/touristy things recommendations?
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Apr 16, 2014 10:58
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I'd also be interested in a few restaurant recommendations in Lisbon that showcase traditional Portuguese food, that locals frequent. Ideally the equivalent of trattorias and osterias instead of fine-dining. Not having an english menu is fine.
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Apr 16, 2014 11:29
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Re; information about the Alentejo coast, I'll do some research into that and see what my fiancee thinks. She has veto power over everything on the honeymoon, so any ideas need to pass her muster first. Thanks for the info, sounds really cool. Since we're not really wine buffs you don't really need to deal with digging up information on REAL WINE. As long as that place is a reasonable winery we will be more than happy there. Through research I found that the other regions in Portugal are much more famous for their wines, but we figured one near Lisbon would be a good starter. If we like it, we can always rearrange our schedule a bit and stop by a more serious winery. If we don't, well then we are really only out about an hour of driving time and a couple hours for the tour itself. Beer info, good! I'd be really interested in hearing about those craft beers, I'm starting to get into that scene a bunch myself over here, so having the opportunity to try out some Portuguese craft beers would be something I'd be very interested in. I actually read up on some really old Brewery in Lisbon, I believe it was Cervejaria Trindade, and read that it is an ok place to stop by and have a beer but that the meals are overpriced and so/so. Heard of it? That might not be the name, it's just a name I have underlined in my research book, chances are it is the name though cause I only underline stuff that I'm really interested in haha. If you have recommendations I would absolutely love to hear them. The more local the better, really. I don't speak a lick of Portuguese, unfortunately, but having lived in a non-English speaking country for the past 6 years I'm generally ok with fumbling around with dictionaries/body language/etc. I plan on trying to pick up some of the survival phrases as time draws closer, but knowing my lazy self that will mostly be me scrawling said phrases in my research book. Again Drive By, thanks a ton. Your information and time is very much appreciated.
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Apr 16, 2014 22:45
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Listen to that guy recommending the coast of Alentejo, it's great. I was there last year, just south of the town he mentioned, very beautiful. If you come near Aljezur/Arrifana beach, do check out the restaurant 'O Paulo', it sits on top of a cliff with a beautiful view on Arrifana beach and has really good seafood. A nice destination for a daytrip from Lisbon is Obidos. You already mentioned Sintra, that is very cool too.
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Apr 17, 2014 13:23
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elbkaida posted:Listen to that guy recommending the coast of Alentejo, it's great. I was there last year, just south of the town he mentioned, very beautiful. If you come near Aljezur/Arrifana beach, do check out the restaurant 'O Paulo', it sits on top of a cliff with a beautiful view on Arrifana beach and has really good seafood. We were actually planning on spending a day in Obidos since it's so close to Lisbon and there will be some kind of fair going on at the time.
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Apr 17, 2014 22:33
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Ah, another small question for anyone who's been in Portugal or lives in Portugal. What would be a good thing to do for a rental car? Any dos/don'ts I should be aware of? Stick shift is something that I can do cause I learned how to drive on a stick..... just about 15 years ago. However, aside from some sure-to-be embarrassing antics in the beginning, I can do it. Auto would be preferable, but I've heard that most rentals aren't so...
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Apr 21, 2014 05:10
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USMC_Karl posted:Ah, another small question for anyone who's been in Portugal or lives in Portugal. What would be a good thing to do for a rental car? Any dos/don'ts I should be aware of? Stick shift is something that I can do cause I learned how to drive on a stick..... just about 15 years ago. However, aside from some sure-to-be embarrassing antics in the beginning, I can do it. Auto would be preferable, but I've heard that most rentals aren't so... When I was in Portugal June 2012, all the taxis/cars that I saw were manual, I know this may not directly translate to rental cars, but it's likely you'll pay out the rear end for an automatic as its not the norm. Also, when I was in Lisbon, I got offered hash 3 times. One was literally right outside a police station. Good times.
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Apr 25, 2014 02:42
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IMO you're moving too much for 8 days. If I were you I'd cut that down to something like 3 days in Lisbon, 4 on the coast and 1 back in Lisbon before going home. I would recommend skipping the Lisbon castle (the part you pay for). The outside and the neighborhood around it is neat but there's literally nothing inside, past the gate. Belem and Sintra are both swarming with tourists but definitely worth visiting. The Sintra palace and the gardens around it are really great and actually worth the kind of excessive ticket price, but if you're on a budget you should consider bringing your own food when you go there. Belem has some neat sights worth visiting too, especially the monastery. It's a tourist cliche but it actually is worth going out there just for the pastéis de nata from the huge old bakery there. Also Lisbon has unusually good free walking tours, any of the hostels can direct you to them. Anarkii posted:I'd also be interested in a few restaurant recommendations in Lisbon that showcase traditional Portuguese food, that locals frequent. Ideally the equivalent of trattorias and osterias instead of fine-dining. Not having an english menu is fine. My favorite restaurant in the world is the Bica Estrella, right next to the Bica funicular in Lisbon. It's set up like a casual trattoria and it's all student priced, but they could serve any of their food in a five-star and I'm certain the chef has high-end experience. They change the menu every day but it's always Portuguese and sometimes Brazilian food. Most of the staff doesn't speak English and the menu's usually not translated, but there's usually someone around who can tell you what's up and it doesn't really matter what you order anyway (it's literally all incredible). Especially dessert. I seriously can't say enough good things about that place.
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May 1, 2014 03:31
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Guni posted:When I was in Portugal June 2012, all the taxis/cars that I saw were manual, I know this may not directly translate to rental cars, but it's likely you'll pay out the rear end for an automatic as its not the norm. The cheapest rental cars will all be manual, but you can specifically request automatics too. I don't drive manual and almost always rent cars when I travel. It just means I have to pay more, and sometimes a LOT more (--> Morocco). Possession of all recreational drugs is decriminalized in Portugal, though AFAIK purchasing and selling are still illegal.
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May 1, 2014 09:13
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If you only have time to see one of the things in Sintra, I would highly recommend making it the Pena Palace. The place is romantic and fairytale as gently caress, my partner and I were truly awed by it when we went. It's worth the few euros to get a bus up there and you can wander round the palace and its gardens for a few hours easily. The Moorish castle was also pretty cool but the palace pipped it in terms of a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us. In Lisbon, make sure to go up to the Bairro Alto for some drinks. You can get a lovely caipirinha for very little money. If you fancy a night out, head up for some food at around 8pm and bar hop until you find somewhere you like. As the night progresses you will find the entire place turns into a pretty fun nigh-on street party. It's got a good atmosphere. My partner and I ended up finding a bar with a musician playing (this is pretty common and enjoyable) and then went out onto the street when it got too hot and busy in there, and it was a really fun evening. You will be offered hash and cocaine, and (I am led to believe, anyway) it will all be fake or a ploy to rob you in an alley. Despite this, we found Lisbon to feel very safe even when it was pretty late and as newcomers. If you have more time, the aquarium is also something I would very highly recommend. It's loving huge, and all of the exhibits are brilliant. The highlight had to be a giant manta ray and a big sunfish hanging out in the main tank. My partner and I spent pretty much the whole day at the aquarium and it was great, and there's a really nice garden bit out near the entrance. Pena Palace, Bairro Alto drinking and the aquarium were definitely the highlights of my trip to Lisbon and were enough to make us tempted to go back very soon. It's a great holiday, not too expensive, and the city and its surroundings are beautiful.
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May 6, 2014 18:12
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Bollock Monkey posted:If you only have time to see one of the things in Sintra, I would highly recommend making it the Pena Palace. The place is romantic and fairytale as gently caress, my partner and I were truly awed by it when we went. It's worth the few euros to get a bus up there and you can wander round the palace and its gardens for a few hours easily. The Moorish castle was also pretty cool but the palace pipped it in terms of a once-in-a-lifetime thing for us. Thank you very much for all of this, hearing this kind of thing is great. Coming from Seoul, the safe feeling is really important. Say what you will about South Korea, but it is probably one of the safest places I've ever been. Going anywhere is almost always a step down in terms of safety, so hearing that Lisbon is pretty safe is a good thing. Those... what... drug pushers? (that sounds so, so much like I'm a grandma) are they really aggressive or could I just safely ignore them? Neither my fiancee nor I have any interest in anything harder than a nice cocktail, so that's not in the cards for us. I'll definitely consider the aquarium, I love fish and raise some myself. My fiancee isn't too keen on them, but if the webpage does a good enough sell we might be able to stop by for a couple hours if it is too hot for us to be out and about during the day. Sintra is, in all honesty, a place that we are planning on spending a solid day in. We are planning on hopping the train up there relatively early in the morning, hanging out, having lunch, and maybe coming back down to Lisbon in the late afternoon or early evening. Hopefully that's enough to see most of what it has to offer, what do you think? As the date of our wedding gets closer we get more and more excited about heading to Portugal. Every bit of research I've done makes it sound like an amazing place, and I'm really looking forward to trying any and all food I can get my hands on. I have a question here for anyone that might know about it. Through my research on the Algarve I found some information about a unique form of brandy made in the region called Medronho. Anyone taste it before? I've recently become very interested in brewing my own beer, and have been having a lot of fun exploring the world of spirits and this piqued my interest.
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May 8, 2014 03:18
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USMC_Karl posted:Those... what... drug pushers? (that sounds so, so much like I'm a grandma) are they really aggressive or could I just safely ignore them? "Drug dealer" is the word you're looking for, and make sure not to inhale the dope grass too hard if you're ever use a bong pipe. Never been to Lisbon but everywhere else I've ever been the drug dealers aren't pushy and can be easily ignored, since they are selling illegal drugs and don't particularly want lots of attention, so I imagine it's only on the 'minor annoyance' scale of things.
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May 8, 2014 09:07
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USMC_Karl posted:I have a question here for anyone that might know about it. Through my research on the Algarve I found some information about a unique form of brandy made in the region called Medronho. Anyone taste it before? I've recently become very interested in brewing my own beer, and have been having a lot of fun exploring the world of spirits and this piqued my interest. Medronho was somewhat illegal for some time since most destillaries that produce it are quite small and had no license. The situation is better now but it is not something that is usually sold as openly as other spirits. Most restaurants that serve it are very traditional places usually unknown to foureign tourists and even then some owners will deny having it when asked for it unless they personally know the client. Don't expect to find any in supermarkets.
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May 12, 2014 15:14
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USMC_Karl posted:Thank you very much for all of this, hearing this kind of thing is great. quote:I'll definitely consider the aquarium, I love fish and raise some myself. My fiancee isn't too keen on them, but if the webpage does a good enough sell we might be able to stop by for a couple hours if it is too hot for us to be out and about during the day. quote:Sintra is, in all honesty, a place that we are planning on spending a solid day in. We are planning on hopping the train up there relatively early in the morning, hanging out, having lunch, and maybe coming back down to Lisbon in the late afternoon or early evening. Hopefully that's enough to see most of what it has to offer, what do you think?
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May 15, 2014 17:07
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My girlfriend and I are thinking of spending a few days in Lisbon in October, how cool is the weather, typically, at that time of the year? We'd also like to do some cycling, how bike-friendly is Lisbon and Portugal in General?
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Jul 1, 2014 23:04
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October usually still has nice weather. I was still wearing sandals till November last year. But it is hard to say for this year. We are already in July and haven't even gone above 30ºC yet. As for cycling, Lisbon is quite hilly but if you stay by the river you will be fine though there are cycling lanes in other parts of the city. You can check this map (in portuguese) for more detailed info.
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Jul 3, 2014 21:21
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jet sanchEz posted:My girlfriend and I are thinking of spending a few days in Lisbon in October, how cool is the weather, typically, at that time of the year? We'd also like to do some cycling, how bike-friendly is Lisbon and Portugal in General? The weather will usually be around 20C in October. Not too windy, and fairly dry by that time. I definitely recommend a day trip or two along the coast to the west to Cascais. It's a small coastal town with great shopping, food, and views. Take the train from Cais do Sodre (that's the name of the train station in Lisbon) all the way to the end of the line in Cascais. If gambling is your thing, you can get off at the Estoril station and see the beautiful Estoril Casino. If you have any more questions, post or PM me and I can help to the best of my ability.
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Jul 9, 2014 06:51
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