Best airports to fly into from U.S. to do Portuguese route

[Marla in CA]

WHen I did the Camino Frances 3 years ago, I flew into Madrid from Los Angeles. Then I made my way to St. Jean PIed de Port.

In March or April 2022, I will do the Camino Portugues, most likely starting in Lisbon.

I know I can fly into Madrid again, but I wouldn't mind trying a different airport/city/country.

I know I can fly directly to Lisbon. Besides the fact that airfares to Lisbon are double than they are to Madrid, or Paris, I really would like to go to a different city/country to see more than just the Camino.

Thoughts?

 

[dick bird]

I did a quick google search and discovered that there are dozens of daily flights from the States to Lisbon from a number of different airports in the US every day. Prices start around $600 one way but you could probably get even cheaper if you were flexible about times.

 

[trecile]

One of the biggest advantages to walking the Portuguese routes is that you can fairly easily fly directly to your starting point instead of having to spend an extra day traveling to your starting point via train or bus.

 

[jungleboy]

I know I can fly directly to Lisbon. Besides the fact that airfares to Lisbon are double than they are to Madrid, or Paris, I really would like to go to a different city/country to see more than just the Camino.

Thoughts?

Portugal has only one neighbour, and it’s the same country you’ve already been to and the same one in which you will finish your camino anyway, so you’re not going to see a new country without flying again. I mean, you can fly to Rome/Paris/wherever and afterwards fly to Lisbon (using one of the European budget airlines if you like). Is that what you mean?

For a new city within the Iberian peninsula, you could fly into Seville (my favourite city in Spain) and spend some time there and/or elsewhere in Andalucía, but I’d be surprised if that was cheaper than flying to Lisbon. From Seville it’s about 7 hours by bus to Lisbon. You could also try Barcelona, which will have cheaper flights but it’s longer to get to Lisbon (about 18.5 hours by bus or quicker, but more expensive, by going on the fast train to Madrid and making your way to Lisbon from there).

 

[Vacajoe]

Not sure where in California you are, but we have flown TAP from California to Porto and Lisbon multiple times specifically because they were cheap destinations! We’ve also flown to Barcelona and then a cheap flight to Portugal, but that takes a lot of additional time and is only worth it if you plan to see that wonderful city, too.

 

[WEnotUSorTHEM]

Porto is a worldclass city with a modern airport. I flew British Airways Portland>>>Heathrow>>>Porto a few weeks ago and Porto was a super easy airport to fly thru...I think I was on public transport 20-25 minutes after touchdown. If plans are to start in Lisbon, that is also a great airport, although I do not recollect it was 25 minutes through border control and baggage pickup. If you on are planning on starting the Camino Portuguese somewhere in between Porto and Lisbon (like Coimbra for example) I would hands down choose Porto as the airport then take the train 1:15 south to Coimbra. Good Luck!

 

[trecile]

Porto was a super easy airport to fly thru...I think I was on public transport 20-25 minutes after touchdown. If plans are to start in Lisbon, that is also a great airport, although I do not recollect it was 25 minutes through border control and baggage pickup.

Lisbon can definitely be a more challenging airport.
I was lucky when I flew there in May, but I had been reading accounts of multi hour waits going through immigration & customs on the Travel Portugal FB group.
It just really depends on how many international flights are arriving around the same time.

Flying into Porto was a breeze for me in 2019.

 

[BigT]

We researched flying various cities in the US to Portugal and found reasonable fares on TAP, non-stop from Boston and Chicago. For the better fares, we would book two separate tickets and have to collect luggage and reenter through security.
So the usual, you save money, but spend time and have to weigh the inconvenience and risk factors.
You could also fly to Paris and take the train and enjoy the scenery.

 

[andycohn]

WHen I did the Camino Frances 3 years ago, I flew into Madrid from Los Angeles. Then I made my way to St. Jean PIed de Port.

In March or April 2022, I will do the Camino Portugues, most likely starting in Lisbon.

I know I can fly into Madrid again, but I wouldn't mind trying a different airport/city/country.

I know I can fly directly to Lisbon. Besides the fact that airfares to Lisbon are double than they are to Madrid, or Paris, I really would like to go to a different city/country to see more than just the Camino.

Thoughts?

I don't know where you're looking, but I plugged in a late'ish March departure and a mid-April return into Google Flights, and got multiple one-stop itineraries from either LA or SF to Lisbon in the $600-800 range. Total price round trip. Same thing flying into Porto.

 

[henrythedog]

Lisbon can definitely be a more challenging airport.
I was lucky when I flew there in May, but I had been reading accounts of multi hour waits going through immigration & customs on the Travel Portugal FB group.
It just really depends on how many international flights are arriving around the same time.

Flying into Porto was a breeze for me in 2019.

The last time I flew into Lisbon was the last time I will fly into Lisbon. Flights other than intra-Schengen and national flag-carrier arrive into a clearly secondary terminal. (I have a better-constructed and equipped barn) and thence by bus to the main terminal whenever someone can be bothered.

I’ve not been into Porto for many years, but that’s my option for the CP next year.

 

[trecile]

If you are walking from Lisbon you can get a "multi city" ticket and fly into Lisbon and home from Porto. That's what I did this year.

 

[Marla in CA]

I don't know where you're looking, but I plugged in a late'ish March departure and a mid-April return into Google Flights, and got multiple one-stop itineraries from either LA or SF to Lisbon in the $600-800 range. Total price round trip. Same thing flying into Porto.

I should have added that I want non-stop. That is far more important to me than price. . If I am going to stop in Europe, , I would prefer to fly directly to Madrid or Paris, spend a day or two, then make my way to Portugal.

 

[Marla in CA]

Not sure where in California you are, but we have flown TAP from California to Porto and Lisbon multiple times specifically because they were cheap destinations! We’ve also flown to Barcelona and then a cheap flight to Portugal, but that takes a lot of additional time and is only worth it if you plan to see that wonderful city, too.

Thank you. Yes, I am considering Barcelona, and yes, that is exactly what I would like to do - spend a day or two in a foreign city that is NOT part of the Camino.

 

[peregrina2000]

Flights other than intra-Schengen and national flag-carrier arrive into a clearly secondary terminal. (I have a better-constructed and equipped barn) and thence by bus to the main terminal whenever someone can be bothered.

I agree that Terminal 2 is a poor substitute for an airport terminal, but I think the discrimination is not based on origin of the airline but on a decision to put all the low cost flights out there. I guess they figure that those passengers are the easiest ones to victimize.

Terminal 2 | Lisbon Airport

Discover Terminal 2. The starting point for Easyjet, Transavia, Norwegian, Ryanair and Wizz Air.

www.aeroportolisboa.pt

The authorities can’t seem to make up their mind whether to continue to expand and modernize the Lisbon airport (you should have seen it before the opening of Terminal 2), or to build a new airport on the other side of the river at a much greater distance from the city.

For a huge international airport, Lisbon‘s is EXTREMELY close to the city. I once flew in seated next to a woman who showed me her parking spot at the university as we landed.

 

[Marbe2]

KISS is my motto! Suggest you fly direct to Lisbon! City worth exploration as you recover from Jet lag. If you have extra time on the trip, PORTO, on your way to SdC is a small city to really enjoy! I don’t know from the west coast, but UA has similar airfares Non-stop to Porto from the East Coast as flying to Madrid. Be mindful that Easter falls on April 9th so airfares a week before and after are likely to be reflecting inflated holiday prices.

 

[Kanga]

I walked out of the airport at Lisbon and after a walk to and a few hours sleep in an airport hotel (less than 1/2 kilometre away) made my way directly onto the Camino.

 

[Marla in CA]

I walked out of the airport at Lisbon and after a walk to and a few hours sleep in an airport hotel (less than 1/2 kilometre away) made my way directly onto the Camino.

Do you remember the name of the hotel? Decent? I am arriving at 11;00 at night ,so an airport hotel sounds like a good idea.

 

[peregrina2000]

Do you remember the name of the hotel? Decent? I am arriving at 11;00 at night ,so an airport hotel sounds like a good idea.

The hotel that is closest to the airport, actually kind of on the grounds of the airport, is the Melia. It has recently changed ownership (used to be Trypp?) so even if that’s the one Kanga stayed in, it might have had a different name.

There will be plenty of taxis at the airport at 11, and going upstairs to the Uber area will also be pretty hassle-free. Depending on what you are going to do the next day, and if you want to start the caminho from the downtown central historic area (cathedral or church of Santiago), I would get myself down to a hotel near the Rossio/Baixa area. It’d be about a 15 minute ride at that hour. You can’t spit in that area without hitting a hotel.

I walked out of the airport at Lisbon and after a walk to and a few hours sleep in an airport hotel (less than 1/2 kilometre away) made my way directly onto the Camino.

Kanga, did you start walking from the airport and go directly to Parque das Naçoes? That would save the kms from the historic center to the park, but would miss the cathedral, alfama, etc.

 

[Kanga]

Kanga, did you start walking from the airport and go directly to Parque das Naçoes? That would save the kms from the historic center to the park, but would miss the cathedral, alfama, etc.

Yes, that’s what I did. I had been in Lisbon the year before and spent some time and this time I just wanted to walk!
Certainly not recommended for first time visitors.
Lisbon has to be one of my favourite world cities.

 

[Davian]

WHen I did the Camino Frances 3 years ago, I flew into Madrid from Los Angeles. Then I made my way to St. Jean PIed de Port.

In March or April 2022, I will do the Camino Portugues, most likely starting in Lisbon.

I know I can fly into Madrid again, but I wouldn't mind trying a different airport/city/country.

I know I can fly directly to Lisbon. Besides the fact that airfares to Lisbon are double than they are to Madrid, or Paris, I really would like to go to a different city/country to see more than just the Camino.

Thoughts?

Delta flies directly from JFK to Lisbon.
We plan to take this flight to Lisbon, then a train ride to Porto.

 

[trecile]

Delta flies directly from JFK to Lisbon.
We plan to take this flight to Lisbon, then a train ride to Porto.

You should also be able to fly non stop to Porto and skip the train ride from Lisbon. Unless you also want to see Lisbon.