Lisbon Fátima porto

[Nan]

Hi, Planning to fly into Lisbon, bus to Fátima and bus,train? to Porto to start our coastal walk in April/May next year. My daughter is leaving all the organisation up to me as I did for the Frances in 2017. (Only booked hotel in Barcelona and Orisson then). However I am getting stressed out....age has caught up to me! Am thinking of accommodation in Lisbon and Porto as well as Fátima. Is there any need to book hostel or hotel and in what areas please. Also thought of the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of Lisbon. Is this necessary or do we just wing it. Any suggestions and advice will be gratefully received.

 

[mg55za]

Hope this entry takes off as we are looking at the Porto to SDC for our next walk after doing the North trip

 

[jungleboy]

I hope you have a great experience! I live in Lisbon so I might be able to help on that front.

Am thinking of accommodation in Lisbon and Porto as well as Fátima. Is there any need to book hostel or hotel and in what areas please.

It doesn't hurt to book for Lisbon because if you start there, you'll know the dates, especially if you book a place with free cancellation in case you change your mind. In Lisbon, it's best to stay in one of the central historical neighbourhoods. If you want to be really central, look for Baixa, Alfama and Chiado (my personal choice). If you want to be in a historical neighbourhood that's still central but a little away from the main tourist centres, try Graça, Mouraria or São Bento (where I live).

Also thought of the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of Lisbon. Is this necessary or do we just wing it. Any suggestions and advice will be gratefully received.

I'm not a hop on, hop off fan in general. In Lisbon, much of the charm is in the narrow alleys of the historical neighbourhoods, where the bus won't go. On the other hand, Lisbon is very hilly, which is either annoying or good camino training, depending on your point of view. Another option could be to hire a tuk-tuk (which are ubiquitous in Lisbon these days) for an hour or so as a way to see some of the hilly places.

If I get around to it this winter, I'd like to make a resource thread for Lisbon. In the meantime, @peregrina2000 has posted a Lisbon walking tour but I am having trouble finding it at the moment.

Boa sorte!

 

[Dennis52]

Hi, Planning to fly into Lisbon, bus to Fátima and bus,train? to Porto to start our coastal walk in April/May next year. My daughter is leaving all the organisation up to me as I did for the Frances in 2017. (Only booked hotel in Barcelona and Orisson then). However I am getting stressed out....age has caught up to me! Am thinking of accommodation in Lisbon and Porto as well as Fátima. Is there any need to book hostel or hotel and in what areas please. Also thought of the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of Lisbon. Is this necessary or do we just wing it. Any suggestions and advice will be gratefully received.

There is a hostel down by the water in Lisbon.
I stayed there for four days and found it quite nice .
They have laundry service, 7€ a roof top patio with an above ground pool and bar.
It is also just a short walk to the main centre.
I would book ahead.

 

[gloria lowe]

I stayed at Traveller’s House in Lisbon that is in the old part, two blocks from the water and 1 block from the trolley which is a great way to see Lisbon. Rick Steves has an audio app you download that is great for yours. Once you download what you want it is in your phone do no service or WiFi needed.

 

[Nan]

Thank you all so much for your replies. Have taken all notes and will certainly be following advice. No hop on hop off bus for one! Have ordered a map of Lisbon from local bookshop and have received the Brierely’s guide from Ivar. Not sure why I am so concerned about this trip.

 

[Charlotte Helbig]

When you are in Lisbon make sure to visit Castelo Sao Jorge. It's not too far up the hill from the Cathedral. We enjoyed not only the castle but the surrounding historical areas. BTW...we stayed at the Pensao Central near Rossio Plaza. The location was good...near a train station (sorry can't remember which one), the metro, and is not too far from the water down the Rua Augustus, w/plenty of restaurants and shopping along the way. Boa Viagem!

 

[Vacajoe]

After our 2018 Camino, we bussed from SdC to Porto, then onto to Fatima, and finally Lisbon. We bought the tickets the day of each journey and there were plenty of seats on a May midweek day. Use Rome2Rio to see your options.

Fatima has plenty of hotel choices since it routinely handles mobs of catholic pilgrims during holy days and special events. I’d book ahead since it sounds like you’ll know when you will be there. Stay at least two nights so you can spend one entire day NOT on a bus. Be sure to walk to the original village of the children as well as to the actual village of Fatima - both accessible by foot from the sanctuary area.

Both Porto and Lisbon are fabulous and deserve multi-day visits. If you don’t do the tour bus, consider take a regular public transit bus to see parts of the city that are too far to reach by walking (the beach area in Porto, for example). Sintra outside of Lisbon is also worth a day or two visit.

 

[peregrina2000]

@peregrina2000 has posted a Lisbon walking tour but I am having trouble finding it at the moment.

Boa sorte!

Here it is. I see it’s a decade old. Yikes. Maybe I’ll have to update next year. Fingers crossed I’ll be back !

And I agree with the thumbs down for hop-on and off. Metro is great, cabs are cheap, and Uber is on the scene (for good or for bad).

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-walking-tour-of-lisbon.7257/

 

[Michael Mattalo]

Hi, Planning to fly into Lisbon, bus to Fátima and bus,train? to Porto to start our coastal walk in April/May next year. My daughter is leaving all the organisation up to me as I did for the Frances in 2017. (Only booked hotel in Barcelona and Orisson then). However I am getting stressed out....age has caught up to me! Am thinking of accommodation in Lisbon and Porto as well as Fátima. Is there any need to book hostel or hotel and in what areas please. Also thought of the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of Lisbon. Is this necessary or do we just wing it. Any suggestions and advice will be gratefully received.

Your plan sounds excellent. My wife and I walked from Lisbon to Santiago a few months back, renting a vehicle for a day trip to Fatima during a rest day in Tomar. We encountered intense forest fires at Coimbra and ended up taking the train to Porto, then walked partly coastal and partly not to Santiago. We also had the challenge of +40c temps for about two weeks.

Personally, we would not recommend starting in Lisbon. The first days were spent walking through an industrial wasteland and on the pavement's edge of busy highways. Also, given how few the number of pilgrims there are on this stretch, the availability of resources is limited - they are simply not set up for pilgrims the way they are in Spain.

We may walk this way again, but will begin in Porto, walk to Santiago, then continue our walk to Muxia and then to Finisterre. Buen Camino. Michael

 

[Nan]

Your plan sounds excellent. My wife and I walked from Lisbon to Santiago a few months back, renting a vehicle for a day trip to Fatima during a rest day in Tomar. We encountered intense forest fires at Coimbra and ended up taking the train to Port, then walked partly coastal and partly not to Santiago. We also had the challenge of +40c temps for about two weeks.

Personally, we would not recommend starting in Lisbon. The first days were spent walking through an industrial wasteland and on the pavement's edge of busy highways. Also, given how few the number of pilgrims there are on this stretch, the availability of resources is limited - they are simply not set up for pilgrims the way they are in Spain.

We may walk this way again, but will begin in Porto, walk to Santiago, then continue our walk to Muxia and the to Finisterre. Buen Camino. Michael

Thank you Michael. So you suggest we fly into Porto and go to Fátima from there, back to Porto and start our walk? Nan.

 

[Nan]

There is a hostel down by the water in Lisbon.
I stayed there for four days and found it quite nice .
They have laundry service, 7€ a roof top patio with an above ground pool and bar.
It is also just a short walk to the main centre.
I would book ahead.

Thanks Dennis. Sounds like a convenient place to stay.

 

[Michael Mattalo]

Thank you Michael. So you suggest we fly into Porto and go to Fátima from there, back to Porto and start our walk? Nan.

No, your plan is perfect! Bom Caminho / Buen Camino just sharing our experience for context.

 

[Nan]

Here it is. I see it’s a decade old. Yikes. Maybe I’ll have to update next year. Fingers crossed I’ll be back !

And I agree with the thumbs down for hop-on and off. Metro is great, cabs are cheap, and Uber is on the scene (for good or for bad).

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-walking-tour-of-lisbon.7257/

 

[Nan]

Here it is. I see it’s a decade old. Yikes. Maybe I’ll have to update next year. Fingers crossed I’ll be back !

And I agree with the thumbs down for hop-on and off. Metro is great, cabs are cheap, and Uber is on the scene (for good or for bad).

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-walking-tour-of-lisbon.7257/

 

[Nan]

shock, horror!!!! Couldn’t use Uber, we own a taxi !!!

 

[Owensr23]

Hi, Planning to fly into Lisbon, bus to Fátima and bus,train? to Porto to start our coastal walk in April/May next year. My daughter is leaving all the organisation up to me as I did for the Frances in 2017. (Only booked hotel in Barcelona and Orisson then). However I am getting stressed out....age has caught up to me! Am thinking of accommodation in Lisbon and Porto as well as Fátima. Is there any need to book hostel or hotel and in what areas please. Also thought of the hop on, hop off bus for a tour of Lisbon. Is this necessary or do we just wing it. Any suggestions and advice will be gratefully received.

2018 Camino Portuguese from Porto

2018jaxcamino.blogspot.com