All about Lisbon, Portugal - plusses and minusus? (place, airport, live)

[Tiger Beer]

I could certainly live in Lisbon

Nice photos!

[Goodnight]

If you only have a week to spend in Portugal what other areas would you recommend visiting besides Libon. Also if you wanted to vist the Algarve region is there any otehr reasonable way of gettingthere other than flying?

[scottfreez]

If you don't need to work, you might consider Porto instead of Lisbon. Porto is a magical city, much slower-paced yet every bit as beautiful as Lisbon. The city is covered with multilayered tiles in vivid colors and patterns, fading into one another and old weathered surfaces, it's like walking through a living abstract painting.

Lisbon is gorgeous too, though it was quite crowded with tourists when I was there. Would like to go back in the offseason.

The Portuguese are so kind. In comparison to Spain, the Portuguese really go all-out to help you, they're more humble, and the food is better there, too. The Portuguese language is beautiful. It has czech undertones, a certain rhythm, and sounds that you'll never hear in Spanish.

I've spent the last 4 years in Berlin; if I can find a way to make some money in Portugal, I would consider living there, at least for the winters!! But the Portuguese economy is indeed quite poor.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by Goodnight

If you only have a week to spend in Portugal what other areas would you recommend visiting besides Libon. Also if you wanted to vist the Algarve region is there any otehr reasonable way of gettingthere other than flying?

Trains leave from Gare do Oriente station for the Algarve. It's about three hours. Look here.

High-speed train Alfa Pendular from Lisbon Oriente station to Faro, vice versa & online passenger reservation in Portugal

[Goodnight]

Thanks for the information, no not working just visiting. Also I don't speak any Portugese but nterested in visiting the world heritigae sites at Alcobacca and Batala would you recommend driving from Lisbon?

[teachertype]

For an English speaking person making a first visit to Portugal, would it be easy to get by in Lisbon or are other cities generally more amenable to English?

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by Goodnight

Thanks for the information, no not working just visiting. Also I don't speak any Portugese but nterested in visiting the world heritigae sites at Alcobacca and Batala would you recommend driving from Lisbon?

I am a spineless coward, if I were given the alternatives of eating ground glass or driving in Lisbon, I would say, "Give me time to think about it."

Outside of Lisbon driving is usually fine.

[kevxu]

Originally Posted by teachertype

For an English speaking person making a first visit to Portugal, would it be easy to get by in Lisbon or are other cities generally more amenable to English?

Presuming that you have some tourist information in English so that you know what you want to do, and have some rough idea of what the city is like I don't think you'd have any major problems. The Eyewitness Travel guide to Lisbon is superb.

Many people speak some English, but then again - many don't. Older people often don't; so, if you wander into a local restaurant in a non-touristy neighborhood an older waiter is quite likely not to.

I come across non-Portuguese speaking Americans in Lisbon and they don't seem to have run into problems.

[chielgirl]

Absolutely wonderful thread!

I see a trip in the near future!!!

[Goodnight]

Originally Posted by kevxu

I am a spineless coward, if I were given the alternatives of eating ground glass or driving in Lisbon, I would say, "Give me time to think about it."

Outside of Lisbon driving is usually fine.

I would just use it to drive towards Porto, if I could make it out of the city alive?

Thanks for all the great information!