Quick Answer
The Portugal Itinerary That Taught Us to Stop Timing the Metro Wrong
We landed at Humberto Delgado expecting an Aerobus shuttle into town, because that’s what every old blog post still says. There isn’t one anymore - it was discontinued a few years back - so we stood at the arrivals hall map for ten minutes before finding the Metro Red Line station tucked under Terminal 1. Once we found it, it was almost embarrassingly easy: one line, one change at Alameda, twenty-five minutes to Baixa-Chiado for under two euros. The lesson wasn’t really about the metro. It was that Portugal rewards checking the current facts before you assume the guidebook version still holds - trains, fares, and shuttle routes here have all shifted in the last couple of years.
Portugal isn’t one trip, it’s three: a hilly, tiled capital that runs on trams and miradouro views, a riverside second city up north with its own unhurried rhythm, and a sun-soaked southern coast that’s a different country by feel. What ties them together is a fast, genuinely good train line and a footprint small enough that you don’t lose days to transfers. Below are three itineraries that hold up at 7, 10, and 14 days, plus exactly where to add or cut when the calendar doesn’t cooperate.
How to Structure Any Portugal Itinerary
Three rules that would have saved us that ten minutes staring at the arrivals map:
- Let the Alfa Pendular do the work. CP’s flagship train covers Lisbon-Porto in around 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes, with roughly 37 departures a day. A car adds nothing on this route and costs you tolls, fuel, and a parking hunt in two hilly old towns.
- Cap it at two or three bases. Every hotel change eats half a day here more than most countries, thanks to the hills and the trams. Two bases in a week, three in two weeks, is about the ceiling before you’re spending more time on a platform than on a miradouro.
- Save the rental car for the Algarve coast. The cove-hopping drive between Lagos, Sagres, and Tavira genuinely rewards a car; the historic centres of Lisbon and Porto genuinely don’t.
The 7-Day Portugal Itinerary (Lisbon + Sintra)
A week is enough for the capital and its best day trip if you resist adding a second base. Lisbon alone has enough miradouros, museums, and neighbourhoods to fill five or six full days without repeating yourself.
| Day | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon | Land via Metro Red Line into Baixa-Chiado, settle in, evening at a miradouro over the rooftops |
| 2 | Lisbon | Alfama and São Jorge Castle, a ride on Tram 28 |
| 3 | Lisbon | Belém: Jerónimos Monastery and the Belém Tower, a pastel de nata from the neighbourhood’s original bakery |
| 4 | Lisbon → Sintra (day trip) | Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle walls, back to Lisbon by evening |
| 5 | Lisbon | Baixa and Chiado on foot, Mercado da Ribeira food hall |
| 6 | Lisbon | Príncipe Real and Bairro Alto by day, an evening Fado performance |
| 7 | Lisbon → home | Last morning in Alfama, then Metro Red Line back to the airport |
The one cut if you’re tight on time: trim Belém to the Tower or the Monastery, not both, and add that half-day to Sintra instead - the palace grounds reward slow wandering, and rushing them is the most common regret first-timers report.
See the full Lisbon travel guide and Sintra travel guide for what each day trip actually covers.
The 10-Day Portugal Itinerary (the sweet spot)
This is the one worth booking. It keeps the Sintra day trip, adds real time in Porto, and still holds to two bases.
| Day | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Lisbon | Arrive via Metro Red Line, settle into Baixa or Alfama, evening miradouro |
| 2 | Lisbon | Alfama, São Jorge Castle, Tram 28 |
| 3 | Lisbon | Belém: Jerónimos Monastery and Belém Tower |
| 4 | Lisbon → Sintra (day trip) | Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira, back to Lisbon |
| 5 | Lisbon | Baixa/Chiado, Mercado da Ribeira, an evening Fado show |
| 6 | Lisbon → Porto | Morning free; Alfa Pendular north (around 2h35-2h50) |
| 7 | Porto | Ribeira riverside, the Dom Luís I Bridge, a walk across to Vila Nova de Gaia for the view back at the old town |
| 8 | Porto | Livraria Lello, São Bento station’s tiled hall, Mercado do Bolhão |
| 9 | Porto | A slower day: the Crystal Palace gardens, a riverside café, Foz do Douro at sunset |
| 10 | Porto → home | Last morning in Ribeira, then Metro Line E to Francisco Sá Carneiro airport |
Where to cut to 8-9 days: drop one Porto day and treat it as a shorter add-on. Where to add: an extra Porto day for the Crystal Palace gardens and Foz do Douro at a slower pace is never wasted.
The 14-Day Portugal Itinerary (add the Algarve)
Two weeks lets Portugal breathe. Take the 10-day route and add the Algarve coast before looping back to fly home.
| Days | Base | Plan |
|---|---|---|
| 1–5 | Lisbon | As above: Alfama, Belém, Sintra day trip, Fado evening |
| 6–9 | Porto | Alfa Pendular north (around 2h35-2h50); Ribeira, Dom Luís Bridge, food markets, Foz do Douro |
| 10 | Porto → Algarve | Train or a short flight south to Faro or Lagos |
| 11–13 | Algarve | Cove beaches, clifftop trails, a slower pace - rent a car here to reach Lagos, Sagres, and Tavira |
| 14 | Algarve → home | Fly out of Faro, or back up to Lisbon for the return flight |
The alternative fortnight: swap the Algarve leg for the Douro Valley from Porto instead - the terraced river hills make an easy train or river-cruise day trip if you’d rather stay inland than add a beach week. See our Algarve travel guide and Madeira travel guide if an island detour appeals more than the mainland coast.
Getting Around Your Portugal Itinerary
The transport question first-timers overthink most: which train to book, and whether the airport shuttle they read about still exists.
Budget for This Route
Mid-range travelers should plan for around 100-150 euros a day per person outside flights - hotel, CP trains, and a prato do dia lunch (a fixed soup-plus-main set menu that runs around 8-13 euros at cafés and tascas) - more if you extend into the 14-day route with the Algarve added. Porto runs a little cheaper than Lisbon for equivalent hotel quality, while the Algarve swings either way depending on how close to the coast you stay.
For where to sleep in Lisbon: budget 3-star rooms around Avenidas/Marquês run about 90-108 euros a night (Ibis Styles Marquês, Fénix Garden, HI Express Príncipe Real), mid-range 3-4 star rooms in Baixa/Avenidas around 117-140 euros (Lisbon Downtown Inn, Fénix Lisboa, Ouro Rossio), and upscale 4-5 star options around 158-215 euros (Olympia Lis Baixa, Pestana Palace in Alcântara) - all bands from an August 2026 search, peak summer season, so book early and expect softer prices in the shoulder months. See our Lisbon where-to-stay guide for the full neighbourhood breakdown, and remember Lisbon’s tourist tax runs around 4 euros per person per night (capped at 28 euros for 7+ nights); Porto’s is lighter, around 3 euros per night with the same cap.
Shorter or Longer?
Cutting to 4-5 days: stay in Lisbon only and treat Sintra as the single day trip - skip Porto entirely rather than rushing it into an overnight that’s mostly a train ride. Stretching past 14 days: Madeira works as a self-contained week added onto either end, since it’s reached by flight rather than train and doesn’t fit the CP rail spine; treat it as its own island trip bolted onto the mainland itinerary rather than squeezing it into the same train-based flow.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is 7 days enough for Portugal?
Seven days is enough for Lisbon and a Sintra day trip at a comfortable pace: 5-6 nights in Lisbon, with one full day given to Sintra’s palaces and gardens. It’s not enough to add Porto or the Algarve properly - 10-14 days is where those fit.
How do I get from Lisbon airport into the city?
Take the Metro Red Line from the Aeroporto station under Terminal 1 - around 1.90 euros for the single fare (plus a one-time 0.50-euro reusable Navegante card), 20-35 minutes to the centre, running roughly 6:30am to 1am. The old Aerobus airport shuttle was discontinued around 2022-2023 and no longer runs, so the metro is the standard route now.
Should I take the train or fly between Lisbon and Porto?
Take the train. CP’s Alfa Pendular covers the roughly 2 hours 35 minutes to 2 hours 50 minutes between Lisbon and Porto with around 37 daily departures, and a one-way second-class fare runs around 35.70 euros at standard price - book online 5, 8, or 10-plus days ahead for discounts of up to 56-80% off. Flying adds an airport transfer on both ends for a route the train already covers comfortably.
Is ETIAS required to visit Portugal in 2026?
No. ETIAS is not live in 2026 - the EU has pushed its target and a 2027 start is now considered realistic. Visa-free visitors from the US, UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand still just need a passport valid for the stay, under the standard Schengen 90-days-within-180-days rule.
Should I add Porto or the Algarve on a 14-day Portugal itinerary?
Both fit in 14 days if you keep bases tight: Porto by CP train from Lisbon (around 2h35-2h50), then the Algarve by train or a short flight from either end. Porto rewards slow riverside days and food markets; the Algarve is the better add if beach downtime matters more than another historic city.
Do I need a rental car for a Portugal itinerary?
Not for Lisbon, Porto, or getting between them - the CP train beats driving on time and cost, and historic centres have scarce, expensive parking. A car earns its keep in the Algarve, where the coast road between coves and towns like Lagos and Tavira genuinely rewards having your own wheels.
Start Planning Your Portugal Trip
Pick your length, book the Alfa Pendular a week or more ahead, leave the rental car for the Algarve coast only, and let the CP rail spine carry you from Lisbon to Porto - or Lisbon plus the Sintra day trip if a week is all you have. We learned the mildly annoying way that Portugal rewards checking the current transit facts before you land, not the version a five-year-old blog post still repeats.
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