Portugal

• Day 1 – Depart from HK to Lisbon at night via Istanbul, Turkey
• Day 2 – (Lisbon) Arrive in Lisbon around 11am, Parque das Nações district, Vasa da Gama bridge, MEO Arena, Vasa da Gama Mall
• Day 3 – (Lisbon & Almada) Cristo Rei, Almada district, Cachilas pier, Time Out Market, Pink Street, LX factory area, Praça do Comércio, Arco da Rus Augusta
• Day 4 – (Lisbon) Pasteis de Belem, Jerónimos monastery, Monument to the Discoveries (Padrão dos Descobrimentos), Belem Tower – Baixa, Marisqueira Uma (lunch), Livaria Bertrand (oldest bookstore), Santa Justa Elevator , Rossio train station
• Day 5 – (Cascais) Cabo de Roca, Boca de Inferno, Beachwalk, McDonald
• Day 6 – (Lisbon) 360 Panoramic View at Amoreiras Shopping, Mercado de Campo de Ourique, Tram 25 from Prazeres to Corpo Santo, Feira da Ladra (Flea Market) , The Monastery of São Vicente de Fora, Alfama, Solar 31 Da Calçada (seafood dinner)
• Day 7 – (Sintra) Quinta da Regaleira
• Day 8 – (Sintra) Pena Palace, Park and Palace of Monserrate, Casa Piriquita (Queijadas & Travesseiros)
• Day 9 – (Fatima) Basilica of the Most Holy Trinity, Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima, Candlelight procession
• Day 10 – (Porto) Livraria Lello, Riberia, Carmo Church, Clérigos Church, São Bento area, Praça da Liberdade, Avenida dos Aliados, Porto University
• Day 11 – (Aveiro) Canal, Benetton, Zara, flea market, Costa Nova, try Ovos Moles
• Day 12 – (Porto) Santa Catarina Shopping, Cafe Majestic,  Gazela snack bar (hot dog & francesinha), Dom Luis Bridge, São Bento area, Porto Cathedral, Nova Vila de Gaia
• Day 13 – (Porto & Nova Vila de Gaia) Calem tour @ Nova Vila de Gaia, São Bento train station, Most beautiful McDonald, bolhao market, bifanas @ Gonga, Time Out Market, watch Adolescence
• Day 14 – (Vigo) – old town, Castelo do Castro, Rias Baixas 2 (seafood dinner)
• Day 15 – (Santiago de Compostela) – Catedral de Santiago de Compostela, Praza do Obradoiro, Convento de San Francisco, Parque da Alameda, Viewpoint from Plaza de Belvís
• Day 16 – Vigo to Porto airport and fly back

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This 18-hour flight was similar to flying from Hong Kong to Toronto. It was a choice between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines as Emirates did not have direct flights between Porto and Dubai anymore. Both Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines have very tight transit on one of the flights. I picked Turkish airline as 1 h 40 mins seemed to be better than 1 h 10 mins. Nevertheless, our flight was then shortened to 1.5 hours only because of the airlines’ rescheduling. 1 h 30 mins was just barely enough to make it if you focused 100% on the transfers as we had to go through the security check. On the way back, two hours seemed to be more than enough as we needed not go through a security check. 

I was happy to make a decision to pay for an extra legroom for the 12-hour flight from HKG to IST, and we paid for an extra legroom when flying back as well.

Istanbul Airport is known for its expensive shopping and dining. Just as I had time to have a snack in a café on my way back, I simply spent 9 euros on a piece of banana bread. Should I have been smarter in my calculations on the currency conversion, I probably just skipped the bread. 

I wish the airlines served better meals on board. The airline staff were not that friendly at this airport.

I soon realised many passengers landing in Istanbul need to transit for another flight. The young man sitting next to me had a very short transit time. He was quite nervous when landing. I hope he made it to Tehran on time.

It took 30 – 45 minutes to downtown from Lisbon airport, depending on the mode of transport. I picked a commercial area close to the Sheraton in Picoas, perfect.

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Tax refund is very super-easy if all the purchases are made in Portugal. Get a shop assistant to help you arrange a tax refund form if a single purchase is 61.50 euros or above. Somehow the purchases either belong to Global Blue or Planet Tax administrators. 

The logic for claiming a tax refund is the same.  Go to a machine near customs at the airport for validation, then scan your passport at a Global Blue or Planet machine to collect the refund. Please note that 3 euros will be charged per purchase for administrative charges. I’m wearing the clothes I bought, and the customs officer does not check any goods at all.  

If your goods are bought in an EU country other than Portugal, get help from the customs officer for validation. I don’t see he will bother checking .

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As the four of us were travelling together, we mainly used Bolt and Uber. Arriving in Lisbon, there is a designated P2 parking lot for those who want to call Bolt or Uber.

Remember to call a Bolt van or Uber XL if you need more luggage space like us. If two of you are travelling, a regular car should be fitted. Leaving Lisbon airport to Picoas was only 7 euros by Bolt, much cheaper than taking a metro.

You don’t need a local phone number to call Bolt. If you are in a busy tourist area, find a spot where it’s easier for the driver to pick you up and always check the address as the GPS may not be that accurate.

Bolt is usually cheaper than Uber in Lisbon, but it is not the case in other cities in Portugal. We found it hard to find an XL in Fatima. A driver driving a super-small Fiat Panda picked up our orders via Uber and Bolt at the same time. Well, it is not the end of the world. He picked us 2 by 2 to the bus terminal with one of the luggages lying on the back seat.

We paid more in Sintra, probably due to the great demand to go to the sightseeing spots. The charges in Porto were inexpensive as many tourists just visit places on foot. It’s a 20-minutes’ walk from downtown to 24 de Agosto metro station. 

We did get a navegante card at a subway station in Lisbon. The staff came out to help us purchase when we were figuring out how to use the vending machine. We usually add $3 or 5 euros to the card if we need to top up for a train ride or ferry ride. 

We mainly took a coach travelling from a city to another city.  Try booking it at least a week earlier as prices change as per demand. I spent quite some time filling in the personal details of each passenger when booking the coach. Coaches of different companies seem to share the coach terminal as well. The seats are quite tight but the Alsa bus departing from Porto to Vigo was spacious though old.

Always ask the staff for the right platform to board as information boards are rare.

We experienced a cultural shock when arriving in Spain. No Uber or Bolt. Not easy to call a taxi or find a taxi on the street. I trusted my foot for walking for an hour and finding a place to sit down for rest if I needed. Some of my friends were desperate to find a taxi to come back to hotel.  

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We aim to find a quiet, affordable apartment with at least two rooms, three beds in Lisbon and Porto, ideally close to a metro station. Two bathrooms are important for four people. Ground floor or access with a lift is a must.  We need a washing machine for a long journey. Provision of heating is preferred. 

It turned out that there are not many good options as lifts are uncommon. The majority of apartments only have 1 or 1.5 baths. So make a booking early!

There was a lot of construction in Porto and Lisbon, so construction sound might not be avoidable, but we didn’t find the sound that annoying as the apartment has double glazing windows. Compared to renovation noises in Hong Kong, the sound was very minimal. 

We stayed in a duplex apartment near Bomfin in Porto, so there were still a few more steps after we took a lift to our doorstep. Access to the flat in Lisbon is easy, just a minute from Picoas Station, away from the tourist crowd.

The proximity to supermarkets make the trip easier if your group opts to have some meals at the apartment. I’ve found it easier for four of us to sit down to discuss the itinerary for the next day.

For hotel groups like accor and Barcelo, registering as a member and booking direct on the hotel website usually gives you a better rate. 

I found the room rate of these hotel groups affordable in small cities like Fatima and Vigo. Breakfast may be a bit pricy at around 16 euros but it gives you a convenient spot to boost your energy at the start of the day.

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I had spent weeks and even months to plan for the itinerary. However, as I travelled with friends and the weather was so unpredictable. Eventually, I decided to take it easy and change as the latest weather update. Though the weather forecast says cloudy and rainy, it does not mean it will rain all days most of the time. Sunglasses are still essential as the rain usually didn’t last for long.

We were lucky in Portugal but weather got worse when we were in Spain.

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I had to make a pilgrimage to Parque das Nações as Eurovision was once held at the MEO arena in 2018. It was a small venue, but the turquoise carpet should have a wonderful backdrop to the seafront. It’s easy to spend hours there taking the cable car, meeting friends at restaurants or checking out the huge shopping mall and Vasco da Gama Bridge.

Houses are pretty old in Lisbon. I could bear with it as a tourist. If I live there for a month, I prefer an apartment with an elevator. The lovely variety of food and the friendliness of Portuguese give me the exact comfort I have longed for when travelling. The country is not without its own problems. There was a protest when we took pictures near Pink Street. The price level is way higher than what the locals can afford. A cup of coffee can be over 4 euros in the tourist area. We paid 1,100 euros for the flat for 5 nights in total. Inflation was obvious in the past few years. The convenience of Airbnb translates into skyrocketing rental prices. 

I have to admit that the area of Martim Moniz made us feel a bit nervous and unsafe, especially when it’s getting dark. Nevertheless, a four-star hotel sits right there. The supermarket is rather small, compared to the one in Picoas. I trust that it should not be a huge problem staying in the area, only that I always love to stay at the edge of the city for convenience and peace.

Cais do Sodre is convenient with easy connections to the city with trains, trams and ferries, and close to Time Out Market and some sightseeing spots. That’s a bit of Tsim Sha Tsui to me, rather like home.

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The train station is quite small. The beach is lovely and the sand is clean, but is not good enough to convince me to stay overnight. To our surprise, souvenirs are not that expensive in Cascais. Stock your souvenirs here if you only plan to visit Lisbon and nearby.

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Sintra

I love the tranquillity of Sintra after dark.

Do remember to purchase tickets for Quinta da Regaleira and Pena Palace at least one day before admission online. If you would like to visit Pena Palace at the earliest spot like us, book it at least 2 weeks earlier. 

We visited Quinta at 2:30pm after dropping off luggage and having lunch. We arrived 15 minutes earlier and the queue was fine. By the time at 2:20pm, more tourists had joined the queue. It’s just a short wait to get in.

On the next day, it took us almost half an hour from downtown to the Pena Palace entrance, then a 15–20-minute walk to the line-up spot. Spare 15–30 minutes for the shuttle as it’s not that frequent. We took an Uber from downtown to get up around 8:50am, it’s quite pricey, but that’s the best option. 

Travelling on a weekday and shoulder season enables you to get on the bus without any problems, though the bus schedule is not frequent. 

The town is quite quiet after 6pm with many shops and attractions closing down.

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Fatima

Consider to visit this small city if you’re a religious person.

The best part of Fatima is not the Basilica. It’s the candlelight procession held every night. It’s quite touching to see so many Catholics get together and pray with strong faith. 

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Aveiro

It is Venice in Portugal but without the huge crowds of Venice. I love the moliceiro boat tour and the wonderful houses painted in traditional stripes. 

When getting off the train, we followed people walking to the canal. There were many shops that distracted our attention. Love the shopping in Aveiro as the shops tend to be bigger with fewer shoppers. 

A small shop near the canal sells many delicatessens that are good for bringing souvenirs home.  

As it’s the weekend, most shops and restaurants were closed in Costa Nova, where the stripe-painted houses are.  We happened to get in the same car when going to Costa Nova and returning, so we had a good chat about learning a story of how immigrants are trying to strive for a better living for families who live miles apart. 

Don’t miss the Festival dos Canais if you travelled in summer. The festival pictures just look fantastic.

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Porto

There are direct buses departing from Fatima to Porto. We underestimated the likeness of calling a Bolt or Uber, though we spared 20 minutes for the 5-minute ride. Eventually, we paid extra and paid for two trips for the world’s narrowest Fiat Panda to bring 4 passengers from the hotel to the train station. Even the driver apologized for the size of his car. We could wait for a bigger car, but it would take over 30 minutes, sadly. 

The apartment we were staying in was just a 3-minute walk to Campo 24 de Agosto. Construction was ongoing next to the apartment, but we felt totally easy. 

It took 17–20 minutes to walk from the apartment to downtown. Bolt made our lives easier when going to the wine cellars in Vila Nova de Gaia. 

The riverside is fantastic. The streets have chill vibes with a backdrop of beautiful scenery, full of restaurants, street vendors and a supply of good wines.

We spent 4 days in Porto and there are still quite some places we have yet to cover. Love the food, and the ease of exploring different tourist attractions.

About an hour away from Guimarães, Braga and Aveiro, and 2 hours from Vigo, Porto is a good base for enjoying a week-long holiday without breaking the bank.  

We experienced adventure at the apartment in Porto, including electricity fuse “jumps”. Nevertheless, the location is safe and perfect. The apartment is spacious with a washing machine, two rooms and two bathrooms. I still found it a good choice.  

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Vigo

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Santiago de Compostela

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