What does /trv/ think of Portugal as a travel destination? Do

Just visited the place on your pic a few weeks ago. Portugal is relatively inexpensive, has lots to see, and most people speak good English. In general, very nice. I recommend Porto and Aveiro as cozy towns.

>>1183949
Like the other guy said, nice people and fairly inexpensive. For a "travel back in time"-experience go to northern portugal. Up in the mountains people live a whole different life compared to the rest of the country. Very scenic, albeit a tad cold and yes, their english proficiency might be way below average.

For the more typical tourist visit, go to Porto for football and a more "rough" regional feel. Lisbon on the other hand is more "classy" and definitely feels like a capital. Both cities have great food culture with many internationally recognized restaurants. If you're staying for longer than 3-4 days I'd recommend Lisbon, and taking a day trip to the (world-heritage) city of Sintra.

good thing about Portugal is climate
can still enjoy a trip to the beach in October, after the busy tourist season

>>1184000
>>1184046
Sounds very nice. My image of Portugal is that it's a very calm and quiet country. Are there any places where there's a lot of energy and action? I'm guessing it's Lisbon if any.

>>1184052
Where do you go for a beach vacation in October? Assuming Algarve, are there any other places you'd recommend for a late year sunshower?

I am planning on going on the Azores next June, place looks fucking amazing

Saw the well in your pic and the surrounding area (fancy castles and vilas and awesome nature) and it was great. I had a somewhat short stay in Lisabon and it was very nice, the food there is amazing
Didn't do too much socializing, but people seemed ok

I loved my trip to Portugal, definitely recommend Sintra and Lisabon (since that's most of what I've seen myself). But I hear there's loads more to see like Porto and othet stuff up north

But srsly go to Sintra and walk on the "mountain's" crest between castles, it's very pretty
And make sure you try stuff with tuna in it, because they'll put _a lot_ of tuna

Oh and I thought it's funny how casually they put up posters with the hammer and sickle for the various (leftist assuming) political parties. I think it was election time when I went

As someone who comes from central Portugal, has lived in Porto for 2 years and is now living in Lisbon for 2 years, I can tell you Lisbon is without a doubt my favourite city in the country (and in all of Europe too, probably) in terms of beauty and things to do. Foreigners tend to love Porto but I don't really like it, to be honest. It's a very grey, old and depressing city, I think, but I guess that's what it's charm is all about. That being said, the surrounding cities and the north in general is great and better than Lisbon's surroundings, in my opinion.

>>1184191
This year we had 30° in October all over the country, it wasn't until 2 or 3 weeks ago that the temperatures dropped. Lisbon, Coimbra, Braga and Porto typically have good night life although it's been getting worse over time (lot less people outside than last year, and the year before, and so on). In other cities that has been happening a lot too, due to smaller purchasing power and emigration, but you can still have a fun night out on Fridays and Saturdays in any city. Lisbon is definitely the cultural centre of the country, though.

Overall it is a very calm, safe and fun country, with one big advantage in relation to other countries nearby: it's really cheap. Oh, and something people rarely take into consideration: Lisbon doesn't really sleep and thankfully there are plenty of Indian Deli's open overnight as well as McDonalds and other fast food joints. Shops also close late, shopping malls as well. It's not uncommon for the streets to be flooded with people shopping at midnight, especially in November and December due to Christmas. We have different timetables from people in the north of Europe. Dinner is usually at around 9~10pm.

>>1184292
>And make sure you try stuff with tuna in it, because they'll put _a lot_ of tuna
what? Aren't you thinking of cod?
Also don't understand why you think seeing communist imagery is funny or even unusual, guessing you're American?

>>1184302
Not OP but thanks for the post. Could you recommend some things to do in libson in terms of nightlife?

>>1184310
Lisbon**

>>1184310
Basically you have three main bar areas in downtown Lisbon: Bairro Alto, Cais do Sodré and Santos. They're all within walking distance from each other, Santos is usually filled with high school kids but it has some nice bars, Cais do Sodré has the Irish pubs, the strip clubs, etc and Bairro Alto is the 'home base' of nightlife and sort of a trademark of the city. Then you have the clubs, Main, Lux, Urban, Place, etc. There are nice bars everywhere downtown though, this is more of a guideline than anything else.

Oh, one thing you should know is that you WILL definitely be approached by someone trying to sell you weed and coke. Just say no or ignore them if you're not interested.

If you use Zomato you can check there for places to go and have a drink.

>>1184302
It was tuna desu

Dunno, thought the hammer and sickle were a bit too...radical? to include in street posters. Maybe it's weird to me because I'm from Eastern Europe or something

>>1184354
well, it's the logo of the communist party...

no idea about the tuna, it's not a really popular fish unless it's canned and it's only used as a quick way to fix a dish when you're in a hurry or something but I think that happens everywhere

I have literally just (2 days ago) returned from Portugal, so if anyone is interested I'll share my thoughts:

>Lisbon
A pretty city, but nothing special. Taking the number 28 tram is a unique and quaint way to see the city. The monastery in Belem is fairly impressive, but still pales in comparison to others around Europe. My favourite sightseeing was actually a little way out of Lisbon and in a small town called Sintra - the Palacio do Pena and its grounds are really beautiful. The nightlife looked pretty standard for a city that size, but I didn't actually experience it myself.

My time there was slightly ruined by drug dealers though. As an obvious tourist (pale, blonde hair and beard), I got approached by these guys all the time - literally about 20-30 times per hour if I was walking along the main street. Apparently what they sell is just herbs/flour, which is why the police can't actually arrest them. They're not aggressive and won't pursue you if you just say "No" or "Not interested", but it gives the city a seedy feel that it probably doesn't deserve.

>Coimbra
Aside from the university, which is definitely very interesting, there's not actually that much to do in Coimbra. Unless I missed something big, I can't see why anyone would spend more than a day there. The buildings are nice, but covered in graffiti from the students, which is typical lefty anti-cap nonsense.

>Porto
Preferred it very slightly to Lisbon, but not by much. Again, there's some sightseeing to be done, but you won't be blown away by anything if you've already seen the churches/cathedrals of Italy, Austria etc. The nicest area is probably right down by the riverfront, where there is an abundance of cafes, bars, and restaurants. It's definitely worth heading across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia and doing a tour of one of the port cellars. Also, make sure you try the francesinha sandwich, very nice.

This thread is pretty great desu

>>1183949
Portugal sounds pretty awesome. I've ignored it for years but every time a cool scene, pic, or interesting historical tidbit pops up I see that it was in Portugal. Typically I wrote off Europe as being too expensive after my visit to France but If I could do two weeks in Portugal for a couple thousand (including airfare) I would.

I hear it's a good place to surf too, true?

>>1184710
Best surfing in Europe.
I lived in Lisbon for 3 years and had to leave under unfortunate circumstances.. It sucks, it became my home and I miss it so much.

>>1184947
What did you like about Lisboa so much?

I'll be in Portugal for New Year's Eve, best place to spend it? Lisbon, or somewhere smaller? Any super nice and comfy towns that celebrate out in the open? I'll be with a girl, btw

Where's a cool place to go from Portugal that is kind of similar?

I was thinking I'd be able to take a train to Morocco but apparently there is an ocean there.

>>1185499
not that far away actually. Faro to Seville is under 3 hrs, Seville to Algeciras (right next to Gibraltar) is another 3 hrs, from Algeciras you have ferries taking you to Tangier or Ceuta in 1 hr.

>>1185348
Any city should have celebrations, lights, fireworks and streets full of people. Best place? I'd say Lisbon anyway despite Madeira (the island) being known for their New Year's celebrations. I've never been there though.

Viseu or Covilhã are really cosy cities at that time of the year if you can bear the cold, for example. Same goes for most cities in the north.

>>1185499
Your best bet to go to Morocco if you're in Portugal is catching a flight from Lisbon, but they're not similar countries at all. Nice geographical knowledge btw

>>1183949
I honeymooned there. I really love it. I find Lisbon aggressively charming--hills, trams, kiosks with good coffee and often full bars adjacent to even the smallest parklets, some history, friendly. I also really liked the university city of Coimbra and the very old walled town of Evora, parts of which are clearly Moorish in design, and where I visited Vasco da Gama's house. Just a great place for low-key café-sitting, book-reading, people-watching visits, which are right up my alley.

I didn't visit Porto, but I've been told it is great; many people prefer it to Lisbon. I also haven't been to the Algarve, the beachy Southern region favored by British pensioners, among others, but had a pretty good time in Cascais, a funny beachy suburb about 30 minutes by train from central Lisbon.

File: alcantara1-1.jpg (343KB, 1280x853px) Image search: [Google]

343KB, 1280x853px

>>1185255
Sorry for the late reply, I hope you still see this.
I loved the city and the lifestyle in general. Lisbon has the sun, the ocean, it is a beautiful city full of things to do. Food and drink are excellent and generally very cheap, for a northerner anyway. People speak good English and are very friendly.
My most precious memories are of sitting with friends at one of the many vantage points over the city, catching the sunset while drinking wine and having a doob.
Pic related, probably the most famous Miradouro, imo not the best tho.