Lisbon and Porto DIY suggestions

[midwestchick]

I’m curious if we can DIY these two ports ourselves. I’ve been looking to see what we can do or if someone has a guide they can recommend. Sometimes we just love to wander around and I know both ports are great to experience 

 

[Host Jazzbeau]

Rick Steves Portugal will give you several walking tour itineraries plus detailed descriptions of all the major sites.

[midwestchick]

18 minutes ago, Host Jazzbeau said:

Rick Steves Portugal will give you several walking tour itineraries plus detailed descriptions of all the major sites.

Are those some where online?  I don’t want to purchase travel books. Have too many setting around as it is. Thanks.

[Host Jazzbeau]

28 minutes ago, midwestchick said:

Are those some where online?  I don’t want to purchase travel books. Have too many setting around as it is. Thanks.

Check your public library.

[mchell810]

I can't give you any info on Porto.  For Lisbon it is possible to DIY so you will ultimately have to decide; and I think where you are staying may be a factor.  The city is easy to get around via public transit and cabs were plentiful when we were too tired to keep walking.  I was there in 2019 for a couple days pre-cruise.  We explored mostly on our own.  We went up the the Castle Sao Jorge -- nice views -- and then walked our way back into the city.  We explored the main squares in the Restauradores area and up Avenida Libertade to our hotel.  Another day we took the subway to explore the main park and in the evening we walked from the hotel through various squares all the way to the sea.  The Belem area is of interest and can be reached via a tram.  We were joining a group so for our last morning we had a tour and then they took us to the port.  For that tour the guide took us to Belem to see the Explorers monument and the monastery.  Quite lovely if you are interested in history.  We also visited a lovely tile museum (near the port) -- lots  of history and beautiful images.

 

If you are interested in getting outside the city it's possible to DIY but a tour might be easier.  I wanted to get to Sinatra; I just didn't have time so left it to my next trip.  I hope this helps.

 

I suggest doing a little research so you know what things are of interest to you and then you can decide if you can manage on your own.

Edited July 15, 2021 by mchell810

[midwestchick]

3 minutes ago, mchell810 said:

I can't give you any info on Porto.  For Lisbon it is possible to DIY so you will ultimately have to decide; and I think where you are staying may be a factor.  The city is easy to get around via public transit and cabs were plentiful when we were too tired to keep walking.  I was there in 2019 for a couple days pre-cruise.  We explored mostly on our own.  We went up the the Castle Sao Jorge -- nice views -- and then walked our way back into the city.  We explored the main squares in the Restauradores area and up Avenida Libertade to our hotel.  Another day we took the subway to explore the main park and in the evening we walked from the hotel through various squares all the way to the sea.  The Belem area is of interest and can be reached via a tram.  We were joining a group so for our last morning we had a tour and then they took us to the port.  For that tour the guide took us to Belem to see the Explorers monument and the monastery.  Quite lovely if you are interested in history.

 

If you are interested in getting outside the city it's possible to DIY but a tour might be easier.  I wanted to get to Sinatra; I just didn't have time so left it to my next trip.  I hope this helps.

 

Thank you. Maybe I’ll ask about private guides or look on Tripadvisor.  Even a walking tour with a local would be good.

Edited July 15, 2021 by midwestchick

[Hlitner]

I would agree that the Rick Steves books are a great starting point.  Lisbon has several different cruise ship docking locations (all within the city) , but they all allow access to public transit (buses, metro, tram, etc).  Lisbon is fine for DIY as its surrounding region (which includes places like Estoril, Cascais and Sintra) which can be be accessed by trains, rental cars, etc.   For those who are not familiar with the city doing pre-cruise homework is very helpful.   When we are in Lisbon overnight we always manage to find our way to a dinner show featuring Fado.. (look it up).  One of our favorite spots for this is a restaurant called Senhor Vinho.

 

Porto is a little different because the two different cruise ship docking locations are well outside the town.  Depending on where a ship is docked they may have relatively easy access to the train/subway which once it gets into town does go underground.  Porto is arrayed on two sides of a Douro River.  The side closest to the ports has the downtown shopping area and business neighborhood.  But the other side of the river (my favorite) is where you can find the many Port houses (we are talking Port Wine) of which many are open to the public for tours and tastings.  Along the river bank (across the street from the river) are also some decent shops, cafes, etc.    The subway does connect both sides of the river as do a few bridges.  They have very good tourist brochures (which you will likely get from the local tourist office after your ship docks) which has a very helpful map showing all the tourist highlights (including all the Port Houses) along with basic information.

 

Hank

[midwestchick]

9 minutes ago, Hlitner said:

I would agree that the Rick Steves books are a great starting point.  Lisbon has several different cruise ship docking locations (all within the city) , but they all allow access to public transit (buses, metro, tram, etc).  Lisbon is fine for DIY as its surrounding region (which includes places like Estoril, Cascais and Sintra) which can be be accessed by trains, rental cars, etc.   For those who are not familiar with the city doing pre-cruise homework is very helpful.   When we are in Lisbon overnight we always manage to find our way to a dinner show featuring Fado.. (look it up).  One of our favorite spots for this is a restaurant called Senhor Vinho.

 

Porto is a little different because the two different cruise ship docking locations are well outside the town.  Depending on where a ship is docked they may have relatively easy access to the train/subway which once it gets into town does go underground.  Porto is arrayed on two sides of a Douro River.  The side closest to the ports has the downtown shopping area and business neighborhood.  But the other side of the river (my favorite) is where you can find the many Port houses (we are talking Port Wine) of which many are open to the public for tours and tastings.  Along the river bank (across the street from the river) are also some decent shops, cafes, etc.    The subway does connect both sides of the river as do a few bridges.  They have very good tourist brochures (which you will likely get from the local tourist office after your ship docks) which has a very helpful map showing all the tourist highlights (including all the Port Houses) along with basic information.

 

Hank

Do you know if they have HOHO buses?  May just do a ship tour (not our favorite) in Porto but one doesn’t look too bad.  Besides, I have OBC to get rid of. Thanks for the info. 

[Hlitner]

25 minutes ago, midwestchick said:

Do you know if they have HOHO buses?  May just do a ship tour (not our favorite) in Porto but one doesn’t look too bad.  Besides, I have OBC to get rid of. Thanks for the info. 

Sorry, but we don't do HoHo buses (some of my friends disagree) as we are long time DIYers and find that HoHos are costly and one can spend too much time just waiting for buses.  In Porto, we took the metro (subway) to the far side of the river and spent the day simply walking everywhere.    Since DW is a big fan of Port wines, on our two visits we spent a good part of the day just visiting and tasting at multiple Port Houses (this term refers to the actual winery) which were all located within a radius we could cover on foot in less then an hour.  We broke up the day with a nice long lunch (near the river) and also some shopping.    If and when we return to Porto we would likely do something similar although we would try to get to some of Port Houses we did not visit on our last trip.

 

Just a suggestion about HoHos.  If you want to use those buses you need to make sure they have a stop near your ship.  And it is also wise to check on the frequency of those HoHOs.  We have been in places where they would only run about once every 30 - 45 min which complicates planning.   I will admit that we have used some HoHos (the last time was in Reykjavik) but for us in Porto the subway got us from point A to point B very quickly (and cheaply) while I assume folks were still waiting for their bus.

 

Hank

[midwestchick]

3 hours ago, Hlitner said:

Sorry, but we don't do HoHo buses (some of my friends disagree) as we are long time DIYers and find that HoHos are costly and one can spend too much time just waiting for buses.  In Porto, we took the metro (subway) to the far side of the river and spent the day simply walking everywhere.    Since DW is a big fan of Port wines, on our two visits we spent a good part of the day just visiting and tasting at multiple Port Houses (this term refers to the actual winery) which were all located within a radius we could cover on foot in less then an hour.  We broke up the day with a nice long lunch (near the river) and also some shopping.    If and when we return to Porto we would likely do something similar although we would try to get to some of Port Houses we did not visit on our last trip.

 

Just a suggestion about HoHos.  If you want to use those buses you need to make sure they have a stop near your ship.  And it is also wise to check on the frequency of those HoHOs.  We have been in places where they would only run about once every 30 - 45 min which complicates planning.   I will admit that we have used some HoHos (the last time was in Reykjavik) but for us in Porto the subway got us from point A to point B very quickly (and cheaply) while I assume folks were still waiting for their bus.

 

Hank

Good to know.  We actually only did these on a New England cruise and a California Coastal. They were actually called something Trolley.  They seem to be a chain in the states.  We loved those but our experience was a good one. They were actually quite fun. We have never done a HOHO in Europe.  I was just inquiring. I just booked a ship tour with Porto. It will give us some time to experience the city 

[mskaufman]

On 7/15/2021 at 6:37 PM, midwestchick said:

Do you know if they have HOHO buses?  May just do a ship tour (not our favorite) in Porto but one doesn’t look too bad.  Besides, I have OBC to get rid of. Thanks for the info. 

We did the Lisbon HOHO bus in 2019 and had a great experience.  It even went as far as Belem. We got off and on and there was more than enough to do in a day.  The only thing I would do different is to get off the bus and take the tourist trolley that follows the number 28 route.  

[midwestchick]

5 hours ago, mskaufman said:

We did the Lisbon HOHO bus in 2019 and had a great experience.  It even went as far as Belem. We got off and on and there was more than enough to do in a day.  The only thing I would do different is to get off the bus and take the tourist trolley that follows the number 28 route.  

Interesting.  I did watch  a Rick Steves video that showed him on the cable car and then he took the funicular.  Looked like a fun way to spend the day. Any advice on how to find where you get on the tourist trolley and then back to port when you’re finished? 

[dogs4fun]

7 hours ago, midwestchick said:

Interesting.  I did watch  a Rick Steves video that showed him on the cable car and then he took the funicular.  Looked like a fun way to spend the day. Any advice on how to find where you get on the tourist trolley and then back to port when you’re finished? 

First question – where will your ship dock? You can find docking information on the port of Lisbon's website (note: no ships are scheduled at this time – you can check back a few months prior to your cruise). https://www.lisboncruiseport.pt/

I haven’t seen the Rick Steves video but I believe the tourist trolley that you describe is Tram #28 – information can be found here: https://www.tram28lisboa.com/

We docked at Alcantara by the 25th of April Bridge and, as my friends wanted to visit Belem (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos,  the famous Pasteis de Nata, Museu de Marinha - Maritime Museum, Torre de Belém, Padrão dos Descobrimentos - Monument to the Discoveries, Museu Nacional dos Coches - Coach Museum)

We took tram #15 (just a 5 minute walk from the cruise port to the tram stop). You can also take tram #15 in the opposite direction to the city center (interchange at Praça do Comércio). We had some time left before returning to the ship & took the tram to Praça do Comércio as the crew wanted to ride the Santa Justa Lift. Busy day.

[Gourmet Gal]

On 7/15/2021 at 1:17 PM, midwestchick said:

Thank you. Maybe I’ll ask about private guides or look on Tripadvisor.  Even a walking tour with a local would be good.

You may want to consider Culinary Backstreets for a walking tour.  They have several in Lisbon…not sure about Porto.They do food tours in multiple major cities worldwide.  I try to do food tours when traveling and have discovered a deeper appreciation for the culture, history in addition to the food ways.  Culinary Backstreets has excellent guides and they have a digital newsletter and very informative website.  Check out their website if nothing else!

[HRPro]

Trams in Lisbon are very easy to use and a good guidebook (I use Rick Steves) gives you great walking tours and maps of the public transit system.  We also docked near the 25th of April bridge, which is very close to the Belem area for touring several monuments with great views and the not  to be missed custard tarts.  Trams are fun, cheap and go everywhere in Lisbon.  If you have more time and want to get out of town, Sintra is easy to do on you own via train, which takes about an hour from Lisbon.  Don’t miss the Pena Palace at the top of the hill with beautiful views and a fantasyland interior and exterior.  There is a shuttle bus that you can take from the train station to the Palace to avoid a steep climb.  You can take the shuttle back to the town after touring the palace or walk down.  The tour has another palace to tour and lots of cute shops and restaurants.  Highly recommend Sintra. 
 

Porto is also easy to DIY but if you’ve already booked a ship’s tour that will be fine too.  There is not nearly as much to see as Lisbon unless you are into Port wines, in which case you can spend all your time along the river touring the port wineries and warehouses as well as the cute river district.  A few blocks up from the river is the magnificent City Hall building, which you can only access via guided tour but well worth seeing.  We loved Porto and Lisbon—enjoy!

[LucasLounger1]

The audio Rick Steves Lisbon City Walk is available by downloading the Rick Steves Audio Europe App (free). We've followed many of his tours this way.  A few years ago we did the Lisbon one, but that one we did by following the print version.  The audio version is easier. 

[midwestchick]

On 7/17/2021 at 9:24 AM, dogs4fun said:

First question – where will your ship dock? You can find docking information on the port of Lisbon's website (note: no ships are scheduled at this time – you can check back a few months prior to your cruise). https://www.lisboncruiseport.pt/

I haven’t seen the Rick Steves video but I believe the tourist trolley that you describe is Tram #28 – information can be found here: https://www.tram28lisboa.com/

We docked at Alcantara by the 25th of April Bridge and, as my friends wanted to visit Belem (Mosteiro dos Jerónimos,  the famous Pasteis de Nata, Museu de Marinha - Maritime Museum, Torre de Belém, Padrão dos Descobrimentos - Monument to the Discoveries, Museu Nacional dos Coches - Coach Museum)

We took tram #15 (just a 5 minute walk from the cruise port to the tram stop). You can also take tram #15 in the opposite direction to the city center (interchange at Praça do Comércio). We had some time left before returning to the ship & took the tram to Praça do Comércio as the crew wanted to ride the Santa Justa Lift. Busy day.

Thank you for the information. We are there on October 26, 2021.  I don’t know why it isn’t showing up 

[dogs4fun]

10 minutes ago, midwestchick said:

Thank you for the information. We are there on October 26, 2021.  I don’t know why it isn’t showing up 

Nor do I. I just went to the Lisbon port & could find nothing listed for Oct 26

https://www.portodelisboa.pt/en/navios-em-porto

There are ships in port today, but I can't find any future cruises.

[dogs4fun]

Ah, I found this on the website here: https://www.portodelisboa.pt/en/planeamento-de-cruzeiros1

Cruises planning

 

 Information

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic situation, cruise planning is available only for the next two weeks.

[midwestchick]

27 minutes ago, dogs4fun said:

Ah, I found this on the website here: https://www.portodelisboa.pt/en/planeamento-de-cruzeiros1

Cruises planning

 

 Information

Due to the COVID 19 pandemic situation, cruise planning is available only for the next two weeks.

So that explains it.  Thanks for looking for it. I just booked a ship tour.  I can always cancel it later once I figure out some things.  

[BarbaraM]

We took a walking food tour  a couple of years ago on a pre-cruise 3 day trip to Lisbon-- nice history of Alfama, and tastes of the local food/drink.  We tried to DIY recreate it the next time we were there, but that place is a maze and we forgot to take photos/names of the places we stopped!  

 

I think it's very easy to DIY Lisbon -- maybe taking an Uber to the top of hill above the dock and wandering down, or just walking near the port -- our ship docked close to Alfama.  The food tour is the only organized tour we have taken there on our stops.  

[iancal]

Our experience is that both are very easy to do on your own.  We have spent a fair amount of time on land trips in both locations.  Lots of options.  

 

As others have said, spend some time with tour books, on line guides to decide what you want to do. 

 

One of our days in Lisbon was spent training to Sintra.  Then bussing to Cascais.  Then train back to Lisbon.  Another day was spent wandering about on our own, riding the streetcars, etc.

 

If you do not want to visit the Port firms in Porto you could very easily rent a car and spend the day driving in the Douro Valley.

[midwestchick]

9 hours ago, iancal said:

Our experience is that both are very easy to do on your own.  We have spent a fair amount of time on land trips in both locations.  Lots of options.  

 

As others have said, spend some time with tour books, on line guides to decide what you want to do. 

 

One of our days in Lisbon was spent training to Sintra.  Then bussing to Cascais.  Then train back to Lisbon.  Another day was spent wandering about on our own, riding the streetcars, etc.

 

If you do not want to visit the Port firms in Porto you could very easily rent a car and spend the day driving in the Douro Valley.

We are only there for a day on a cruise.

[iancal]

1 hour ago, midwestchick said:

We are only there for a day on a cruise.

You can do all of these things in part on a cruise stop.