Hi we are getting married in Carvoeiro Portugal in June.When everyone has left we have nine days to get from Carvoeiro to Lisbon to fly home.I heard Lisbon is really nice so would like a night or twomhere .Any suggestions where to go for the other seven nights.We usually do backpacking type holidays and we would be happy to do something similar are we are not really resort type people .Should we look into hiring a car or will be be able to travel easily enough on buses.Also we will need to book accommodation in advance.Neither of us have been to Portugal before and we are keen to see as much as possible especially after having a relaxing week before hand.Any tips advice greatly appreciated.
1
lovept
A very nice accommodation with a lot of privacy ;) is Quinta No Campo .
It is not a resort, but just one private cottage. And ….no, this is not Algarve. No bingo nights with bored fellow tourists. No traffic jams, no parking problems, the local restaurants serve only Portuguese food. If you can handle this culture-shock go to Santa Margarida da Serra.
This is situated near the coast of the Atlantic Oceaan - the Costa Azul - with its tranquil seaside places. And you will be back in Lisbon within one hour, to get your flight on time.
2
mredman
Public transport in PT feasible only between and in cities, so if your itinerary is Faro - Lisboa - Coimbra - Porto you're OK, the moment you want to get off that, its much better to have your own wheels.
If you want to drive around Portugal, I recommend you go to Tavira, then north through Mertola, Serpa, Mourao, Monsaraz, Elvas, Marvao, the last three are especially interesting. Maybe do a trip into Spain to Merida / Caceres, then east to Tomar, Fatima, Batalha, Alcobaca, south to Obidos. If you want some mountains, from Marvao or Caceres drive north to Serra da Estrela to N338 through Zezere valley and some local small towns (like Piodao).
Around Lisbon, definitely go to Sintra, IMO there's more to do than Lisbon itself. From Sintra also drive to Cabo da Roca.
Do go listen to Fado in Alfama. If you want to go twice, try a place in Bairo Alto, more touristy and you get things like cover charges, but quality of singers can be higher.
4
bruce2012
Hi Emma,
This may give you some ideas for accommodation between the Algarve and Lisbon, including charming historic apartments, small privately-run B&Bs and cottages.
Also, read up on the region sections to get an idea of the areas.
www.hideawayportugal.com
www.facebook.com/hideawayportugal
Best regards and have fun!
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