best hostel to stay in Lisbon before the Camino

[Gemini123]

Hi Everyone,
I will be arriving from Seattle, USA on Monday and am looking for advice as to the best hostels to stay at for couple of days before I head to Porto. Thanks in advance!

 

[Via Lusitana]

Hello Gemini123,

We can recommend the following hostels in Lisbon:

Home Lisbon Hostel (218 885 312) R. de S. Nicolau, 13 – 2º Esq. – http://www.mylisbonhome.com

Yes Hostel (213 427 171) R. de S. Julião, 148 – http://www.yeshostels.com

Goodnight Hostel (213 430 139) R. dos Correeiros, 113, 2º – http://www.goodnighthostel.com

Enjoy your stay and we wish you a BOM CAMINHO!!

Helena

 

[Anniesantiago]

Hi there!

I have stayed in both International Youth Hostels in Lisbon.

The one at Rua Andrade is nice but EXTREMELY noisy because of the way it is built in a big "O" with a shaft up the center. Even if you are on a top floor, when the barachos come in in the wee hours, their voices will carry and wake you up. Every time someone walks in the door you'll hear it, even 4 stories up. That said, it's clean and convenient.

The one at the shore was better for me. However, it's a bit of a walk from town, depending on what you plan on seeing.

And speaking of sightseeing, if you're going to be in Lisbon there are places you should not miss! I always plan an extra few days there.

The subway is easy to ride, but watch out for gypsy kids ganging up on you. They'll want to help you buy your ticket in the machines and will pick your pocket while you protest. Otherwise, it was safe, just annoying.

Museum of the Coaches is incredible! You will see the actual coaches, gold encrusted, driven by Kings and Queens.

The Military Museum is quite interesting, as is the Archeology Museum and Jeronimos Monastery.

The Tile Museum is fascinating.

I would not miss Sintra for a million dollars. There is a wonderful tiny hostal there and you can take a local train - about a 45 minute ride and inexpensive. Quinta Regaleria is a place most people miss - interesting if you like the mystical, magical, masonic stuff.

The last time I was in Lisbon, I walked up around the Fort and found a habitaccion for $30, ensuite with breakfast. I just knocked on a door with a sign. It was on the hill with a terraced breakfast spot - fantastic!

 

[Gemini123]

Thank you for the wonderful suggestions. I am doing my trip to Portugal in two stages-walk first then touring the country. Annie-I have written down your suggestions . Thank you for the lovely suggestions!

 

[Anniesantiago]

No problem. Since nobody else has responded, I'll tell you a few more things.

There are tour buses always parked near the park and if you shop around you can get a great deal. I paid 80 euro (sounds like a lot but was worth it) to tour Obidos (a walled village), Fatima, Batalha, and Acobasa, and several other really great spots. I'm not sure where you'll begin walking, so you may walk through some of these places anyway. You could probably bus to all of these places a lot cheaper, but the tour is nice because they take you to lunch also and have tour guides, which you'd pay extra for on your own.

Sintra is worth a 2 day stay. There are a couple of awesome palaces to see, a wonderful hike up to an old fort where you can see all the way to the sea, and great food! One time I booked a room at the International Hosteling youth hostel there. Another time I found a room online.

Nazare is a wonderful beach town where the little ladies meet you at the bus station with placards advertising rooms. We leased a flat with kitchen and bathroom/shower for $200 for a week right on the beach.

Fatima (if you're Catholic) is really a sweet place to visit, hopefully on a day with no crowds. There is a great statuary close by where you can get beautiful Fatima statues shipped home.

Don't eat in fancy places... find the "mom and pop" shops and ask for their bacalau. They fix it hundreds of different ways and it's AWESOME!

Also, when you get to Porto, down by the river is a lady who sells Sardinhas off the charcoal grill. These are not your tiny salty sardines you find in cans.. these are SO GOOD! Be sure to try them...

What else?
Oh heck, just have a great time.
I love Portugal because I'm Portuguese! lol Can you tell?

Oh yeah, and the downside is you'll have a hell of a time finding a place to wash clothes, so you may want to take an elastic clothesline you can hang up in your room.

Have fun!

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Gemini, i stayed in lisbon for 5 nights around my birthday in march, and i adore the city and the whole feel you get there. One suggestion is that if you do go to Sintra, then also go to Caba de Roca as well, it is the most westerly point of mainland Europe. We got the train to Cascais, then the bus to Caba de Roca and afterwards hitched to Sintra, there is a bus service, we just didnt want to wait an hour. You can get down to the 'beach' there, but the descent may take you out of your comfort zone, it did me..

On the credencials we get in Spain they have Sintra as one of the alternative routes out of Lisbon before it rejoins it at Coimbra, this is more historical than actual. But i did notice a hiking route going past Caba de Roca, so who knows in the future if it will open up.

I stayed at the Pensao given in Brierleys guide 'Pensaso S. Joao da Praca' it was clean and not too expensive, the man on the evening service(5pm to 11pm) Jose Carrera speaks perfect English - learnt from American Sailors after the 2nd world war, after hanging out with them as kid and selling goods on the blackmarket for them, he is one of lifes amazing people.
Tel; 21 8862591/ 218860415 E-Mail; 218862591@sapo.pt or jose.carrera@kanguru.pt

The hotel is right next to the Cathedral and is on the camino in the Alfama district. I would love standing on the balcony and smelling the fragrance of orange blossoms wafting down from some trees up the road.

You are also in the heart of the Fado district and it was my Polish companion who got me into this, but to me now it is very special music and the longing in it touches a chord. Just be aware that if you do see some music, and there are plenty of Fado clubs, it can be a very expensive night.

Mike

 

[Gemini123]

Wow! Amazing suggestions. I am going to start the Camino from Porto and then once that is done-meander my way to the other parts of Portugal. Fatima is definitely on my list and now I have Caba de Roca on as well. Fantastic-my only wish is that you guys were there as companions...I can see that we would have fun...If you have any other suggestions-let me know. Love the pictures Mike and yes-Fado is on my mind...listened to it on but now want to experience it in person. Let me know if you have a favorite place or two that you would recommend! I am on my way to Portugal today via Seattle. Bom Caminho!

 

[mikevasey]

Hi Gemini, we went to 4 places with Fado, you have the Club de Fado down the road from the hotel, it is expensive, dont let the waiters guide you to the wine you drink, and there is a cover charge, but the music is excellent. The three other places i cant tell you the names, we just went wandering, but they are nearby from the hotel going down the road, 2 were quite close, one of which was on the camino. Both slightly expensive, but that is Fado, and the other one was a bit further on from these two, this one was recommended to us and is my favourite. It was a local fado club for local people. Locals just got up and sang a couple of songs and then allowed the next person to come up, you had the whole range of singers from OK to brilliant, drinks were at normal bar prices and they didnt seem to do food, just snacks, you had to push your way in through the door and people were crammed in, but it was a good atmosphere. And i think this was on the camino as well, if not nearby(about 10-15 minutes from the Cathedral).

Mike