Portugal - Lisbon, Algarve and Porto - Chapter 1 - Lisbon and Cascais

Getting There - Tips

We've learned - at some personal expense - a few tricks to making that transatlantic, against-the-clock hop. 

• NON-STOP is key - Our friends chose a stopover in London. Shockingly, fog grounded many flights and caused them to miss their connection. It cost them a day. 
• Business Class Lie Flat is key - We searched for reasonable business class fares and found that TAP, Portugal's airline (also a Star Alliance Member) had the best fares, but non-stops to Lisbon were cheapest from Boston. That's what we chose. We neglected to factor that this would also mean a much shorter overnight flight. (6.5 hours - so TIP #1, drug yourself to go to sleep and bypass the fun food and drinks in business class, or pay the price in jetlag)
• New Tip - Book your hotel for the day before if you're arriving very early. Most hotels, during high travel season, won't have your room available until after 4:00 pm. That shower, quick nap, or change of clothes won't be available until bedtime. Given the overall cost of the trip, an extra night isn't going to break the bank   

Portugal is fascinating—much antiquity is buried under the sands of time, and it's serendipity when you come across construction sites in Lisbon whose work is interrupted to preserve ancient Phoenician or Roman ruins. Like Sicily, this place was an interstate for all successive empires. 

Read Before You Go!

Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire 

Trekking the City!

Downtown Lisbon has 4 major walking areas

1. Chiado - Lisbon's shopping and theater hub, Chiado is home to the Rua Garrett shopping avenue and its high-end boutiques, restaurants, and the 1700s Bertrand Bookstore. Locals gather at bustling Praça Luís de Camões (#2) near the statue of the 16th-century poet, and there are always local musicians playing to a big crowd. (#3) Don't miss the Bohemian restaurant area and nightlife in the tiny alleyways that skirt the northern areas. Walk up from Chiado to the Lisbon overlook, then down through the district.  Great fresh and healthy food at (#3) Honest Greens, a busy but fast healthy break from codfish, ham, and croquettes. 

2.