Traveling around Portugal. How to organize a trip to Portugal on your own Independent travel to Portugal tips

I want to dedicate my second story to a beautiful sunny country - Portugal. I went there with my husband in August 2014. The country is very beautiful and colorful!

I don’t know when I would get ready to go there myself. Because for some reason this country was not on the list of desired trips in the next few years. But as fate would have it, my good friend was proposed to by her young man, a Portuguese man.

My husband and I were invited to a wedding, and then everything started to spin) We began to plan a new individual trip. The general plan was to fly to Lisbon on the eve of the wedding, hang out at the wedding, then go to Porto by train for five days, and then return and settle in Lisbon for the remaining days (6 days) and have a good look around it and the surrounding area.

We arrived in Lisbon around 10 pm. Since the suitcase was light and we were still full of strength and energy, we decided to save money and went to the hotel by metro. We got there easily by metro. But then the adventure began) we booked an apartment in the Alfama district - one of the most colorful areas of Lisbon. The area is really very interesting and beautiful. Of course, it’s inconvenient to walk there—it’s always up and down. This type of relief is characteristic, in principle, for the whole of Lisbon, but especially for this area. Therefore, it must be said separately that for a trip to Portugal it is especially important to choose the right shoes - no wedges, platforms, and especially heels. Only sports and very comfortable shoes! In another, you can not only get very tired, but also get injured, because all the roads in Lisbon are paved with tiles, which are not very smooth and quite large.

So) When we got to Alfama, it was already dark. The streets in Alfama are very small and confusing, and what is also important is so short that even local residents do not know many of the streets. Our apartment was located on a street that no one knows)) another difficulty was that few Portuguese speak English. But what helped us here was that even though they don’t know English, they are very positive and always ready to help. We accosted a young couple walking; they were local residents, as I understood, but did not know our street. And they decided to look for it with us, we wandered around Alfama together, and they periodically asked passers-by in Portuguese about our street. After wandering around for about 15 minutes with our Portuguese assistants, we finally found her) the couple continued their walk, and we began to solve a new quest - how to get into the apartment). While we were looking, I called the owner (we agreed by email), but there was no answer. I called several more times later, but no one answered. And here we are at night (it was already 12 o’clock) standing at the door of our apartment and thinking where we should spend the night. This was the first time this had happened to us, and we were at a loss. In Portugal, by the way, it’s cool at night, it’s better to take warm clothes with you, in the evening the weather changes dramatically - it’s all the ocean). We didn’t stand there for long, the owner called back soon, he forgot his phone somewhere according to his chaotic explanation and reassured us by saying that he was coming to see us. Soon he arrived, we moved in, and life got better)

Alfama is definitely worth a visit, where you can feel the real spirit of Portugal. Alfama is fado that can be heard from every cafe in the evening, extraordinary architecture, azulejos, trams that can hardly fit on the street...

From personal experience, I was convinced of what has always been obvious to me: if you want to see the real Portugal, you need to see the country not on your own on public transport and not as part of a tourist group, but individually and with a car. Below I will talk about our 20-day car trip around Portugal, as well as the features of a car holiday in this country.

Route: as much as possible in 20 days

Having decided to see Portugal by car, we immediately abandoned the idea of ​​spending a lot of time in large cities. The emphasis was placed on those places and attractions that are difficult to reach by public transport. However, if a large interesting city came across on the way, then we also stopped by it - for a quick acquaintance.

Part of the route was planned in advance, part was improvised on the fly. As a result, he turned out like this.

1 day. Early in the morning we arrive in Lisbon with TAP Portugal. Acquaintance with Lisbon, overnight at the Pensao Londres hotel.

Day 2. Walk around Lisbon, trip to Cascais, overnight in the same hotel.

Day 3. We take a car from Avis, we get a manual Volkswagen Golf 1.6, a diesel one - a car with special features, but it didn’t let us down, and by the end of the trip we really liked it. We go south: see Sesimbra, Palmela, Cromlechs (Cromeleque dos Almendres). By nightfall we arrive in Evora and spend the night at the Evora Inn Chiado Design hotel.

Day 4 We walk around Evora, then go to see the mountain fortresses of Moran (Mourao) and. We stop at Vila Vicosa. We arrive in Estremoz and spend the night at the Imperador Hotel.

Day 5 We spend half a day visiting Estremoz, then we go to the fortified towns of Portalegre, Marvao and Castelo de Vide. Next, the path goes through Castelo Branco to an overnight stay at the Orbitur Idanha-a-Nova campsite.

Day 6 We swim in the reservoir next to the campsite and go to see the towns of Idanha-a-Velha, Monsanto, Penamacor, Sortelha, Belmonte. We are trying to find a campsite in the Serra da Estrela National Park, but maps and GPS show different things, in the end we decide to go to Viseu, where, on the advice of random people we meet, we check into the Durao hotel.

Day 7 We spend half a day looking at Viseu, then we go towards Aveiro, by ferry we get to the spit north of the city and begin to move along the ocean. We stay for the night in a room with an excellent view of the bay at the O Veleiro restaurant in the village of Torreira.

Day 8 We go to Porto and check into the Residencial Triunfo hotel. We walk around the city in the rain.

Day 9 The morning begins with a port tasting in Vila Nova de Gaia, then we walk around Porto until dark. In the evening we leave for Braga, where we check into the Estacao hotel.

Day 10 We walk around Braga, then go to Guimaraes, Ponte de Lima, Valenca, and for show we stop in Tui in Spain. By nightfall we find ourselves at the Orbitur Caminha camp.

Day 11 We spend half a day relaxing on the ocean shore, then we walk around Caminha, and then we leave for Viana do Castelo, where we check into the Orbitur Viana do Castelo campsite. Relaxing on the beach.

Day 12 Until noon we are back on the beach, and then we go very south - to Coimbra. We walk around the city and spend the night at a municipal campsite near the city.

Day 13 We go to Tomar, where we walk for a long time and with ecstasy. Then for some reason we go to Fatima - if you are not a Catholic pilgrim, then do not repeat our mistake. Then we go to Batalha, but the monastery-museum is already closed. We stop in Leiria, but the city center is full of renovations and the castle is closed. We leave for the night in Nazare, where we settle in the private sector.

Day 14 We spend half a day watching Nazare, then we leave for Alcobaca, and then to Obidos. By nightfall we arrive in Peniche, where we spend the night at the PinhalMar hotel (perhaps the only one that I would not recommend - the hotel itself is normal, but the location is very stupid).

Day 15 An ocean trip to Berlenga Island was planned, but the weather did not allow it. After a walk along the shore of the Peniche peninsula and in the port of the city of the same name, we leave for the south. We arrive in Sintra in the evening and only make it to the Moorish castle before closing time. We leave to watch an unforgettable sunset on Cabo da Roca - the westernmost point of Europe. We spend a long time looking for the nearest campsites or rooms in the private sector, and in the end, closer to midnight, we check into Pensao Real in the resort of Praia dos Macas.

Day 16 In the morning we return to Sintra, see the Capuchin Monastery (Convento dos Capuchos) and the Pena Palace, after which we head very south towards the Algarve. We stop at Vila Nova de Milfontes and Aljezur. Before sunset we arrive in Sagrish and check into a private accommodation.

Day 17 We see Sagrish and Cape Sao Vicente, then go east. We look at Praia da Rocha, Silves and Ferraguda. We stay overnight in a private accommodation in the resort of Carvoeiro.

Day 18 We continue east, see Albufeira, Almancil, Olhao, Tavira, Castro Marim and Vila Real de Santo Antonio. . In the latter we check into the Residencial Baixa Mar hotel.

Day 19 We relax in Vila Real and at the nearby beach resort of Monte Gordo, overnight in the same hotel.

Day 20 We move towards Lisbon, on the way we stop at Alcacer do Sal and the fishing village of Carrasqueira. In the afternoon we walk around the Parque das Nacoes area in Lisbon - closest to the airport. We drop off the car at the Avis airport office and fly to Moscow on a convenient evening TAP Portugal flight.

Saturated? Very! But we accomplished our goal of seeing Portugal to the maximum.

A few subjective conclusions from our trip:

• I would like to look at the small mountain towns a little more calmly;
• several cities turned out to be a real waste of time (for example, Fatima, Vila Nova de Milfontes and Aljezur);
• you could drive around Portugal and look, look, look endlessly and want more and more, until you suddenly accidentally find yourself on the ocean - you’re immediately hooked and don’t want to go anywhere else;
• if you want to see the sights, then there is nothing to do in the Algarve (those attractions that are there are entirely designed for the beach tourist vacationing in this region and for some reason leaving his beautiful beach to get acquainted with the historical heritage of the surrounding lands - that is, roads and however, they are not of particular interest). If you are going to Portugal to swim, then the Algarve is what you need;
• without a car we wouldn’t have seen even half of it;
• Lisbon and Porto are worth returning to without a car and seeing them for at least three or four days each, and considering the nearby attractions, you can budget for a week.

Comfortable driving

Foreign guidebooks always warn that the Portuguese drive like crazy. One of them colorfully describes the Portuguese driving style: “the locals drive as if they have just stolen a car and are rushing away from the scene of a crime.” I don’t know what other foreigners really think, but for a Russian person, the Portuguese drive quite sanely. At least we never had a single unpleasant situation on the road. We also didn’t see anyone else’s accidents.

Perhaps the only thing that cannot be taken away and that could confuse the authors of European and American guidebooks is that few people follow the speed limit in Portugal. Having merged with the crowd, we didn’t follow it either :)

The main thing that is unusual and almost shocking for us is the narrow, uneven streets of old cities. Often - with blind turns and intersections. Often such a width that from the side mirrors to the walls of houses is no more than a meter. Often with strong slopes, since most cities are located on hills or mountains. It’s good that the vast majority of narrow streets are one-way. Driving through historical towns can only be mastered by people with good driving experience and nerves of steel. In general, before traveling to Portugal, remember how to drive off with the handbrake and all that.

The ability to masterfully park in narrow places will also be useful to you. But this is easier: if you can’t park in the place you like, you’ll find another one. Once, in an underground garage of several square meters with three cars and two columns inside, a local resident helped us to sort things out - without his advice we would not have left, and for him the solution to the problem was completely obvious. In general, experience and more experience!

Toll and free roads

The roads in Portugal are excellent. Every time we moved from one mountain village to another, we never tired of being amazed at how high-quality roads were built where only a couple of dozen cars actually pass a day - and this is at the height of the tourist season! Or - we are driving along another ideal road somewhere in the Algarve, suddenly concrete-colored roughness appears against the background of beautiful, smooth asphalt. Precisely roughness. But the exclamation mark warned that these rough spots existed on the road! The quality of the surface on highways and highways is also not discussed.

In general, if you want to travel around villages, then drive calmly. But if you need to get from one remote point to another, then spare no expense and take the highway. I have no experience driving in other countries, but the prices on toll roads in Portugal seemed ridiculous. Usually we paid something like 4-5 euros for an hour and a half of travel. At most we paid about 13 euros, driving through about a third of Portugal. Considering that everyone is traveling at speeds exceeding 150 km/h, the toll road guarantees you a fast and comfortable ride.

Please note that some motorways in Portugal use the Via Verde system. Payment for travel on such roads is not made directly when leaving the highway, but after a couple of days - when the security cameras process the information received on the highway.

If your car is equipped with a special device, which you can rent if you wish, then on roads with barriers you drive past the barrier under the letter V, and on roads without barriers you drive as you please.

If your car is not equipped with a special device, it’s okay. On roads with booths and barriers, you act in the standard way: when entering the highway, take a ticket, when leaving the highway, pay (to a person or a machine, in cash or by card). But if you find yourself on the Via Verde highway, then a couple of days after the trip (but no later than 5 days), you need to find any post office and ask there to make payment for Via Verde, dictating the number of your car. The operator will print out your trips and accept payment.

Paid and free parking

We also did not experience any problems with parking. We were often able to find official free parking or park somewhere on the side of the road (we focused on locals). However, in large cities we used paid parking (both on the streets and in specially designated areas), and they did not seem expensive to us. The most we paid was 4 euros.

For overnight stays, of course, it is more convenient to select hotels with parking in advance. But even if the hotel does not have parking, the reception will definitely tell you where to park the car for the night.

If you park your car in a private paid parking lot, then the system is the same as with toll roads: at the entrance you take a ticket, at the exit you pay (to a person or a machine).

If you park your car in paid street parking, try to understand its rules. Many indicate the period during which parking must be paid. For example, if it says 9.00-19.00, then this means that if your car is parked here from 9 am to 7 pm, then there is a simple fee. And if you arrived at this place late in the evening and are going to leave early in the morning, then parking will be free for you. Usually such parking is free on weekends. The times of the paid and free periods are indicated for each parking lot and may differ from each other.

Street parking must be paid in advance. Having parked the car, you need to find a booth, decide how long you are going to walk without a car (the cost of the period - usually from 15 minutes to 4 hours - is indicated in the price list). You throw in coins for the required amount, press the green button - and the machine issues a ticket on which is written the time until which you have paid for the parking space. Place the ticket under the windshield and go about your business.

Important: for paid parking you need to have a lot of different coins with you, since the machines do not accept banktons and bank cards.

Car rental from Avis

We rented a car from Avis because it was our first experience of traveling abroad by car and we wanted to entrust this part of the program to an experienced company, which would be guaranteed (we wanted to think so) to come to the rescue in case of problems. Fortunately, we didn’t have any problems - neither with the car nor on the roads. So we were unable to assess the quality of Avis’s anti-crisis behavior.

All required procedures were completed comfortably. When we arrived at the rental center, the car was already waiting for us. We were immediately given all the documents. For peace of mind, we examined the car for existing damage, but then it turned out that they were all schematically marked in advance on the documents that were given to us.

The standard scheme for a car of our class is as follows. The payment includes a car with a full tank, the possibility of unlimited mileage, and insurance against theft and damage. Franchise - 1500 euros. If we damaged the car, then if the amount of assessed damage was up to 1,500 euros, we would pay for the breakdown. If the amount is higher or if the car were suddenly stolen, then 1,500 euros are written off from us, and the rest is paid by the insurance company. If you wish, you can take out more expensive insurance, which lowers the amount of the deductible and even reduces it to zero, but for our 20 days, paying for super-insurance significantly exceeded the amount of the deductible, so we refused additional insurance.

Remembering the need to return the car with a full tank all the way, at the very last moment we still forgot to refuel. A fine of 30 euros, as well as the cost of a full tank (about 50 euros, which is approximately true) were charged to us on the spot.

Upon return, an Avis employee inspected the car, filled out all the paperwork and immediately gave us a receipt, which indicated the cost of the rental, a fine for an unfilled tank, the cost of gasoline and VAT. All that remains is to sign on the check - and you are free, if you want the payment to be debited from the card that you presented when registering the car. If you want to pay with another card or cash, you need to go to the cashier’s office and pay in the way that is convenient for you.

If you drop off your car at Lisbon Airport, there are carts right in the garage where you can load your luggage. A few meters down the corridor and you find yourself in the airport building.

In principle, there is nothing complicated, you need a strong desire to see this beautiful country, which is supported by some technical details and knowledge and forward, towards the fresh wind of the Atlantic, sardines, wine and natural beauty.

As usual, this article is a simple algorithm or step-by-step instruction, which is easy to organize travel to Portugal for yourself and friends without turning to intermediaries and without leaving the page of this site. I don’t deny the need for travel agencies; often they do a significant part of the organization work for us - for this we pay extra money. But believe me, Portugal that country, to which it is better to organize a trip on your own and be alone with the most beautiful places in the far west of south-west Europe.

Getting a Schengen visa

We start with the Schengen visa and only then deal with the remaining details. If you still don’t have a visa, you can find out how to get one without additional costs in the article Schengen visa. Instructions for receiving. And don't forget about insurance. You can fly to Portugal with a Schengen visa from any country. For example, we traveled with a Spanish visa, and the first entry was in Portugal. There won't be any questions. From June 11, 2017 Ukrainian citizens do NOT need a Schengen visa to visit EU countries with a biometric passport.

Planning a route around Portugal

Portugal, despite its apparent miniature size, has something to offer even the most experienced tourist traveler. I've been traveling around Vintage hilly Lisbon with a centuries-old history, which seems to be specially inverted right on the narrow streets, is well complemented by the magical landscapes of the coast and Algarve beaches.

No matter what you choose - Algarve, the center of the country with river valleyDouro(Duero, Douro), Porto and surrounding area, it is definitely worth including Lisbon and devote at least two full days to it, and preferably three or four.

For example, independent travel for 10-14 days in Portugal may be like this. 2-3 days in Lisbon. Then we spend one day on a tourist trip, but with a stop at the westernmost point of Europe - Cape Roca. Moving south Portugal- V Algarve province and week beach holiday in Lagos with excursions to Cape Sao Vincente - the extreme southwestern point of Europe and the surrounding area beaches, then move for the remaining time to Albufeiro and travel along the surrounding most beautiful beaches in the south of the country.

It's worth remembering that Portugal- This is a country where you need to travel by car, although there are train + bus options. You shouldn’t linger in one place, as there are a lot of beautiful locations - then you will regret that you didn’t see a lot. Portugal is NOT a classic beach holiday country - there are an infinite number of beaches here, but they are all so different and beautiful that it is simply impossible to sit still.

Our details route around Portugal can be found in the Routes section:

Weather in Portugal: Lisbon and Algarve coast

Winter in Lisbon rainy with temperatures around +12 Celsius, south Algarve– comfortable +20 Celsius, of course you can’t swim in January, but walking along the coast is very comfortable. Peak season coincides with the vacation period for Europeans and the most comfortable weather for swimming and sunbathing is mid-July-August. July-August has the highest prices and the largest number of people - it is better to book accommodation for this time in advance; good options are sold out three months before the start of the vacation. The water temperature in July-August is 18-22 depending on the beach. The warmest beach in the Algarve was found by us in the city Lagos, wrote in detail about holidays in this place in his report.

September is also suitable for swimming, relaxing and traveling; in winter, spring and mid-autumn it is very cool to travel around the country - low prices, comfortable weather in the south, it can rain in Lisbon and to the north, but not more often than in our latitudes.

Buying a flight to Portugal

We were flying to Portugal from Kyiv. The most convenient way to get there is with these airlines: Lufthansa, Air France or KLM with a transfer; since 2018, WizzAir has been flying to Lisbon without a transfer. In my case it was a flight Kyiv-Paris-Lisbon (Air France) on the way there and Lisbon-Amsterdam-Kyiv (KLM) on the way home. In both cases, I deliberately planned a long layover - 12 hours so that I could walk around and Amsterdam respectively. It is also convenient to get to Porto or Lisbon from cities in Poland, Germany or the Baltics using Ryanair or easyJet. In this case, the flight will cost no more than 100 euros round trip.

We book accommodation in Portugal according to our capabilities

For the first trip, we book hotels or apartments for 3-5 days in Booking.com - Lisbon and from 4 to 6 days Algarve coast . I lived near the city of Lagoa - the place is in the middle Algarve coast. Lagoa ideal for radial excursions around the surrounding area. Many people like more party Lagos or Albufeira.

About the hotel we lived in town of Lagoa I wrote a separate one review with photo– we really liked it, ideal price-quality ratio-location-friendliness of the owner. I recommend it to active travelers who like to return to comfortable conditions. I will definitely go back there again.

How to save on housing in Portugal

An economical option for families or groups traveling is to rent an apartment. On Booking approx. 2000 apartment offers in Lisbon .

Book a rental car

Many people do without a car, it’s a matter of taste, but in my opinion, in Portugal, having a car greatly simplifies the task of exploring the local beauties. If your goal is to lie on the beach and go on a couple of excursions from Lisbon, then you can do without a car.

A car is your transfer from the airport to your vacation spot and a place for storing and transporting luggage. Parking on Algarve coast almost everywhere is free, in Lisbon will cost no more than 10 euros per day. You should not choose expensive underground parking; it is better to ask the hotel about where the inexpensive private parking is located - prepare a phrase in English and ask for the parking address. You can easily find it further using the navigator on your smartphone or a paper map.

A long and inefficient way to rent a car is to go to the airport website in Lisbon, see what rental offices are there and choose one of them using the selection method. Short and effective - use a car booking service. It's as easy as renting an apartment or hotel and can be done on the website Rentalcars.com- just select the country and city in which you need a car. Then choose a machine and easily and naturally just like we did.

You can read more about renting a car abroad in the article: Renting a car abroad

Prices, budget for travel to Portugal

This point traditionally does not concern those who have more money than time. I advise everyone else to read it.

The travel budget consists of the cost of flights, the cost of accommodation, the cost of renting a car and food costs. We count together and remember about statistical errors, so we add 10%-20% to the amount in case of unexpected expenses or purchase of souvenirs.

Prices for flights to Lisbon– it’s good if the flight costs no more than 150-200 Euros there and back. You can always look at the low prices calendar for aviasales.

Budget accommodation costs 30-50 euros per day for a double room, more expensive housing with a swimming pool – 70-100 Euro per day for two.

Car rent– 30 euros per day, car insurance – another 10 euros per day and depends on the type of insurance, fuel – European prices, we spent about 70 euros in 10 days, driving about 700 km. To book a car we used the website rentalcars.com- reliable plus a good price, but they don’t look for good from good, you know.

Total it turns out to be approximately 800-1000 euros, including flights, per person per season, cheaper in winter and spring. We remember that Portugal is good at any time, including the winter months. Nutrition. Breakfast is usually included in the hotel price, and lunch can cost from 7 euros to 20 euros per person, including local wine, depending on the choice of location.

The money you save is worth spending on port or light Portuguese rosé. If you don't like wine, give it to your friends!

Agree, it is unlikely that an organized and not the most intense 10-day tour will cost less. Freedom is often also quite economical.

Useful links when planning your travels

Aviasales- low-cost air tickets around the world

Hotels Combined (RoomGuru)– allows you to save up to 20% when booking hotels and apartments as it searches all popular booking sites, including Agoda, Booking.com and others, offering the best price options

Booking.com– a familiar and convenient site for searching and booking accommodation around the world

Airbnb– the world leader in searching for apartments and apartments for travel, register using the link and get a cash bonus for your first booking

Rentalcars– a site for searching and renting cars all over the world with the possibility of free cancellation

You will be transferred from the airport to the hotel and vice versa. The driver will meet you with a sign with your name and take you to your destination. There is no need to clarify the route - everything is done online in advance. This is often cheaper than ordering a taxi on the spot and is very convenient. Knowledge of English is not required.

The best online service for selling insurance services from leading insurance companies

– Misto-travel is the only online operator selling online tours that has proven itself well

Portugal is the least affected European country by mass tourism development and its consequences. Here you will feel the national flavor, not yet greatly affected by globalization, you can enjoy a holiday in hotels in ancient buildings, take a car and drive along the Atlantic coast, exploring protected bays.
Holidays in Portugal can be safely recommended to those who like to travel to Europe, who have been to many places and are looking forward to new discoveries. There is architecture, seascapes, and a gastronomic feast every day. Portugal is ideal for those who do not like large resort hotels, all inclusive and other elements of communism; Portugal is a country for free travelers. And if you prefer to start your travels with a visit to car rental- this country is literally waiting for you. Our articles were written by Russian-speaking authors living in Portugal and will help you plan a trip to this country, based on competent opinion, and not on “tourist reviews.”

Compare prices for tickets to Lisbon and hotels on different sites - save up to 50%

5 reasons to go on holiday to Portugal

Scenes from everyday life and the bustling activity of Portugal's cities are attractions in themselves. Add to this the many historical and cultural monuments and you get a real tourist paradise.
For a relaxing holiday the best beaches of the Algarve coast in the south of the country are considered one of the best in Europe and are extremely popular. Dotted with picturesque fishing villages and quaint towns such as Estói, Faro and Monte Gordo, this region is the backbone of Portugal's tourism industry. The east coast of Estoril is home to many casinos and luxury hotels - it is an exotic and expensive place
Lisbon is the capital and most modern city in Portugal, the perfect mixture of antiquity and cosmopolitan atmosphere. Since Lisbon was named European Capital of Culture in 1994, the city has attracted increased attention. The former Expo site and surrounding plazas are home to many waterfront restaurants, concert halls, outdoor cafes, and the Lisbon Aquarium. In the central part of the city there is a Roman triumphal arch. The city's boundaries smoothly merge with the coastline and its wooden buildings, which only adds to the city's attractiveness.
Narrow, cobbled streets of Porto– the second largest city in Portugal – leading to the famous vineyards where grapes for port wine are grown, are also worth your attention.
University city of Coimbra in northern Portugal is very popular with young people and its charming outdoor cafes are a great place to hang out in the evening.

How to get to Portugal

There are so few direct flights from Moscow to Lisbon that we will assume that they do not exist. Enter different dates into the search form, if you suddenly find direct tickets, great. However, it is better to immediately book a ticket with a transfer in some European city. Choose a short connection, for example in Zurich, if you are limited in time and want to quickly get to Lisbon. A long parking lot, on the contrary, gives you a chance to visit a city that you miss, but there is no time to go there specifically. For example, there are 12-hour connections in Amsterdam. Those who travel around Portugal by car sometimes fly to Malaga and take there automobile and they are already driving it to Portugal.

Lisbon

Lisbon is the starting point for a trip to Portugal. Stop there for a couple of days on your way there and back. Although, there are fans who come to Lisbon for the entire duration of the trip, and from there they travel around the country.

When is the best time to go to Portugal? Swimming season

In most parts of the country the tourist season continues from March to October, this is perhaps the best time to visit Portugal in terms of weather conditions. Hotel prices in Lisbon are quite high all year round, so no matter when you come here the prices will be about the same. In other cities of the country, hotels offer discounts from November to February. If you want to visit the beaches of the Algarve when there are no crowds of holidaymakers, come in winter. In this region, the sun shines for at least 3,000 hours a year, so it never gets very cold, even during the so-called winter, from November to February.
Officially The swimming season starts on June 15 and ends on September 15. However, our people are already swimming with all their might during the May holidays. Here you need to understand one subtlety: the beaches of Portugal are not located on the sea, but on the ocean itself, with all that it implies. So if a warm and calm sea is critical for your vacation, it is better to choose another country, for example. Portugal is ideal for those who love the sea, but are not obsessed with swimming.

Where to stay. The best hotels in Portugal

One of the main tourist attractions of traveling in Portugal is staying in historical buildings converted into hotels. For example, this one, which opened in Cascais in 2012, is a prominent representative of historical design pousadas. Pousada is located in a fortress that served in the 16th century as an outpost to defend the entrance to the mouth of the Tagus and protect Lisbon from attack from the sea. Below is an overview of the most interesting places in Portugal, use it when planning your route:

If your goal is to plan an economical vacation in Portugal, when choosing a hotel, use our search across all booking sites: this is the maximum choice plus savings, since your favorite hotel booking site does not always give the best price:

Routes around Portugal

The main route of the first trip to Portugal is to get to the westernmost point of Europe, to Cabo Da Roca. In order to get there, it is not at all necessary to rent a car; you can simply buy a ticket from any tour office in Lisbon. This route is detailed here:

However, even for this rather simple route it is more comfortable to rent a car. Traffic in Portugal is on the right, the intensity is low, only those on two wheels should be wary. The traffic police in Portugal are lenient towards tourists, but it is better to try not to abuse this kindness. Take advantage of our comparison of car rental prices from different providers:

Once the car has been booked, you can plan your route. We have two good ready-made itineraries for traveling around Portugal by rental car, which are used by hundreds of SmartTrip readers every season:

Madeira

Somehow it happened that this island with a unique nature, located in the Atlantic Ocean, is for some reason considered a “resort for wealthy retirees.” Firstly, if you combine a trip to mainland Portugal with a beach holiday in Madeira (which is a great idea in itself), then the budget for the trip will not be astronomical at all: Lisbon-Funchal tickets cost standard money. And you don’t have to be a pensioner: there are enough bars and nightlife in Lisbon, and in Madeira you need to enjoy the silence and unique flora; visiting Madeira is like being in a large botanical garden.

Carcavelos

As a rule, independent travel should be planned in advance.

I started doing this six months before the upcoming trip. First of all, oddly enough, I started looking for housing. The location was important to me. I wanted the ocean to be almost within walking distance) Therefore, the choice fell on the city of Carcavelos. By the way, there is a large selection of housing here to suit every taste and budget. You can stay in a 5-star hotel, or you can choose a budget hostel. Since my plans did not include overpaying for star rating, and I just needed somewhere to spend the night, I chose a hostel. Regarding the choice of housing, I have several criteria: location, availability of balconies/terraces, and people, of course. The housing issue was resolved in 1 day.

cost of accommodation for 12 nights (breakfast included) 8,500 rubles (nice price, right?)

The hostel area where I stayed

Tickets. the route was - . I monitored tickets every day, and in the end I caught a cool promotion in this direction.

Ticket price 10.180 roundtrip

The next stage in this preparation was obtaining a visa.

I applied immediately for a Portuguese visa. By the way, this was my first visa to the Schengen country. I collected all the necessary documents and went to the visa center. I received my visa 2 weeks later.

Visa cost 4.500

Through some simple calculations, we get an excellent amount of 23,180 rubles. (flight+accommodation+visa).

To be honest, I’ve heard a lot of reviews that European countries are terribly expensive.

But, as it turned out, this is not about Portugal.

I’ll tell you a little about prices for food and travel.

In Lisbon and in the Lisbon Riviera (although they may be throughout Portugal) there is a chain of Pingo Doce supermarkets, this is something like our “Lenta” or “Okay”, they often have promotions on some goods.

Prices for food in this supermarket: Dor Blue cheese -2.5 euros, Portuguese Jamon 3 euros per 300 grams, Fresh mussels, only picked in the morning 5 euros per 500 grams, a bottle of Vinho Verde 1.27 euros. (translating this into native Russian rubles, I wanted to cry)

Transport. The cost of one metro trip is 1.30 euros (using the Zapping system)

Ground transport (trams/buses/cable cars) 1.30 euros

I practically didn’t use public transport, because I find walking more interesting and productive.

I wish you to fall in love with Portugal, as it happened to me!

If you have any questions, I will be happy to answer them)