Portugal Holiday Reviews

Penedo is a tiny typical Portuguese village set high upon the mountain of Sintra 40 minutes from Lisbon airport... it is a completely different Portugal to Algarve!!!

Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage site historical monuments wonderful Atlantic beaches surfing 6 top Golf Courses and

Sintra just 30 minute drive from Lisbon airport starts its Summer Music Festival in June...each event held in one of Sintras magnificent Palaces...

Everybody has to go to Ericeira Beaches and Estoril.(40Km from Lisbon)

We will definitely fly Monarch when we next visit Lisbon. Lisbon itself was wonderful so much to see and do.

We flew to Lisbon on a Monarch flight. Everything went smoothly flight attendants were most helpful and we thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We will definitely fly Monarch when we next visit Lisbon. Lisbon itself was wonderful so much to see and do. We actually stayed in Estoril a short train journey into Cascais and Lisbon. Belem is an absolute must especially for the pastries. Also dont miss the Oceanaria - I could have spent all day watching the sea otters.

Thanks for an economic well organised and wonderfully smooth flight.

Lisbon is the nicest city I have visited in Europe by far - great people food music and culture. Brushed by Atlantic breezes the city is always fresh and cool!

Venture in land to the lush interiors of Sintra. Magical palaces ruins and views. Close by beaches include Pria Grande and Guincho - for the serious surfer - by far the best beach is Pria Adraga - hidden down a steep hidden road through Almocagem - golden sands blue ocean and the best seafood restaurant on the beach - try the clams - you will never forget them!!

Close by is the white washed hill side village of Penedo - a simple village with stunning views. There are a couple of nice cafes/bars to mix with the locals but the best place hidden behing the Cafe is a typical Portuguese restaurant - simple Portuguese food from the BBQ and jugged wine - for only 5 euros per person!!! avoid lunch time as 100s of local workers arrive to lunch - a reccomendation in itself!!

There is so much to do in the area travel further up the coast to Mafra and its enormous palace and the picturesque seaside village of Ericera with its numerous fish restaurants. Lisbon is a great place to visit for a weekend break or a long family holiday...enjoy

I have been living in Lisbon about two years and I find the city very friendly and calm. It's a lot to visit here, museums, old castles, good restaurants.

Dear Sirs! A dinner with wine cost you 10£, of course it's depending where one go, but I'm using it and a good baccalao Portuguese style it's delicious. A good bottle of wine one can buy at the supermarket. Taxi it's cheap here too, but the trolley bus beat them all and I can recommend it very much and it takes one everywhere. Number 28 it's the most populare of them all. One can stop it almost everywhere near the Praca De Comercio. The trip takes twenty minutes up to 30 minutes, Depending of the traffic. Lisbon it's more for grown up people. It doesn't have that nightlife same as Ibizia etc.. like the young ones looking for. But, I know many english tourist wich coming back to Lisbon each year. It's very calm here with almost nothing crimes, but some pickpockers one most be in alert. I never seen anyone and heard about it, but on the buses and subway I can see the warning on the walls. But, I don't one can find a more calm city in Europe. See for yourself, please come to Lisbon, you never will regret it. Thank you.

The area around Tomar in central Portugal is a rural retreat and a treat for all the family.

There are magnificent castles lakes and water sports dinosaur footprints wine tour and hay rides to see a local vineyard cork oaks and olive groves plus handicrafts festivals and all very Portuguese.

Tourism hasn't taken the character from the area and good value food and good natured people compliment the unspoilt nature of the landscape.

Maybe Portugal is not very good at marketing, so fewer people come to Lisbon than other European Capitals. Lisbon is a wonderful city, relatively a bargain, has lovely weather beautiful sunshine good and reasonable price food and fantastic people.

Our hotels are great and so are prices. For less than 100 euros you can get a wonderful four star hotel in the city center with breakfast included. Our shopping is fabulous. We are a modern city but filled with history. Cobbled stones street with great restaurants are almost everywhere. Great monuments just a stone throw away and most of us speak wonderful English.

Prices for flights are very cheap also. Come visit us and try something different. You will not regret it. And our soccer is really top rated so are our international players. - Lúcia Marques

We have recently moved to Herdade do Zambujeiro near to Santo Estevao in the Ribatejo area of Portugal some 48 kilometres from Lisbon airport.

This area is known as the bread-basket of Portugal and characterised by its undulating plains and fertile marshlands. It is largely unspoilt and the well drained sandy soil provides us with the best natural conditions for riding and all equestrian sports.

The Portuguese are exceptionally well mannered and charming and it is a delight to drive into Lisbon which is a beautiful city.

Our family relatives live in London and near Horsham which makes your Lisbon Gatwick service an ideal choice for us.

Most of our polo players and golfers are based in and around London and I will have no hesitation in recommending your excellent services to them. - Bernard Hornung

The Estoril coast has mild winters and an ideal summer temperature which never gets too hot. Calm waters and fine sands greeted us. Enormous palm tree lined avenues surrounded the hotel.

Just returned from our week in Portugal. We flew out on a Monarch Airlines schedule flight from Gatwick. Far superior than Easyjet, the crew smiled a lot and seemed to enjoy their work onboard. Our flight was slightly delayed due to operational reasons. In the end they changed the aircraft from an A320 to a 757. This meant we had plenty of room to spread out.

According to the websites a bus from the airport would take us to Estoril on the coast. However we found that the bus hadn’t operated since January. This meant searching around for a taxi. The Tourist Association were greatly helpful and organised one for us. Within half an hour we were in the resort of Estoril.

The town was dominated by the Casino, Europe’s biggest was a huge complex offering gambling as well as classical concerts and shows.

The Alvorada Hotel a typical 3 star was perfect. Only 51 rooms which were recently renovated in 2005. A large bedroom complete with 40 plus TV channels air conditioning hairdryer along with miniscule bars of soap. The beach was only 300 metres away and a railway station with direct services to Lisbon and Cascais hugging the contours of the Tejo often very close to the sea. Lots of restaurants and bars near by made it almost perfect.

A gentle walk along the promenade and we were in Cascais. Cascais is a small town with charming surroundings beautiful villas wedding cake architecture modern marina and a traditional fishing port. Portuguese kings and many exiled kings have lived in Cascais for many years. A large Citadel located high on a hill was under renovation and looks to be coming a hotel exhibition and cultural centre. A seventeenth century fortress now guarding the entrance to the Marina. The delightful Parque Municipal de Gandarinha was filled with exotic plants a small lake mini zoo and screeching peacocks.

We spent many hours in Lisbon a short train journey from Estoril. The yellow trams were enchanting. Wizzing past shops and houses often close enough to touch them. Only 5 routes remain and are still used by the locals as well as tourists. We saw the Mosterio dos Jeronimous. A monastry built to commemorate Vasco da Gama’s discovery of a sea route to India. The Torre de Belem an imposing ornate tower in the Manueline style. It is now the Tourist Board’s icon for Lisbon. Belem means ‘Bethlehem’ and there is an amazing concrete monument dedicated to the journeys to the New World during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. Belem was a huge contrast to the Moorish Lisbon of Alfama. As Lisbon expanded the Christian Nobility moved out leaving it to the local fishing community. Lisbon was enchanting amazing sights around every corner.

On a day trip to Sintra we found ourselves enveloped in misty fog high up in the hills. Sintra was the centre for cult worshipping for centuries. The hills are scattered with alleged ley lines and mysterious tombs. Green wooded ravines with moss and ferns growing in abundance. Incredible views really spectacular.

We enjoyed our trip to Portugal and are now looking forward to Athens and Rhodes next month. - WILL TATTERS