Portugal Diary: Day 1 - Lisbon 🇵🇹
Lisbon is the coastal capital city of Portugal, it is one of my favourite cities and I honestly don't know why I love it so much. I visited Lisbon once before with my family but then decided to visit it again by myself. This time I decided to visit other cities in Portugal besides Lisbon, and one of the places I wanted to go to was Sintra which is a resort town near Lisbon.
Check 10 Top Things to Know Before Traveling to Portugal + Cultural Do’s & Don’ts
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How to Get Your Visa for Portugal
You can get the visa by going to the embassy, or visiting the official website, or getting it with an agency like iVisa. iVisa provides 100% online travel documents such as: Visas, health declaration forms, embassy registrations, passport photos, passport renewals, tourist cards, and other travel documents. It is the simplest solution to process your travel visa.
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I arrived to Lisbon from Madrid at around 9:00 am and since I had to wait until 14:00 to check into my Airbnb; I decided to wander around the city a bit first. I was traveling in August but for some reason the weather was gloomy and it rained a few times as well. I tried to book online bus or train tickets to Sintra but couldn't find any available, but I managed to find a bus company that sells tickets physically, so I left the airport and went there, the ticket booth was near Marquês de Pombal Square so I went there. Sadly there was no tickets available for the days I wanted, I was staying in Lisbon for 3 days and couldn't find tickets for these days.
I always plan what places I want to visit or go see whenever I am traveling, but near Marquês de Pombal Square there was a hop-on hop-off bus and so I went to ask what lines are available around Lisbon, and I'm glad I asked because I found out that they do day trips to Sintra. I booked my day trip there for the next day and while at it I also booked tickets for the bus tours around Lisbon cause I found it easier with the current weather to have a transportation and a map where I found all the locations that I wanted to visit and I can simply hop off the bus and then hop back on.
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I booked a ticket for two bus lines and the ticket last for 48 hours which was suitable for the amount of time I was staying in Lisbon for. I hoped on the bus and took a tour around Lisbon until 12:30; and then I found a cafe near the bus stop to have lunch. After that I took a bus to go to the Airbnb to check in at 14:00. I did struggle a bit trying to find the bus stop cause there was a lot of lines and a lot of stops and I was confused a bit but after asking someone I managed to find the right bus stop and arrived at the Airbnb.
Check Why You Should Visit Portugal: 10 Reasons Why You Should Visit Portugal
I checked into the Airbnb and left my backpack there and then went back to Marquês de Pombal Square to continue the tour on the hop-on hop-off bus. Whenever I'm traveling alone, I prefer going back to wherever I'm sleeping before night time, even though Lisbon is a safe city but this is just my preference. I went back to the Airbnb and found a supermarket near the place and went there to get food for dinner as well as for breakfast for the next couple of days and snacks as well. I always love to stay in Airbnbs to cook my own meals instead of eating out 3 times a days.
Check Portugal Travel Guide: The Ultimate 1-Week Travel Itinerary
I cooked dinner and chilled for a bit and then I went to bed because I had to be early at Marquês de Pombal Square for my day trip to Sintra. After my day trip I planned to continue my trip around Lisbon and then the day after I would go on a day trip to another city before leaving Lisbon and going to Porto.
Check 5 Top Places to Visit in Portugal
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How to Get to Lisbon
Direct flights to Lisbon are available from all over Europe, Lisbon’s International Airport is easy to reach from all over the world, so you won’t struggle to find flights.
If you are looking for an easy, quick, and reliable way to reach Lisbon by plane, train, or bus, then Omio is your best option! Omio are my favourite app/website to move around Europe, and they have been changing the world of travel by empowering customers to go on journeys that move them. Their pioneering and practical platform helps travellers worldwide explore Europe, the United States and Canada via train, bus, flight and ferry. Choosing them means saving time and money while loving the journey you’re on.
Omio is a unique platform on which users can book travel tickets by comparing trains, buses, and flights in Europe on one search. Compare and book tickets for trains, buses, and flights in Europe, the US, and Canada with multiple search filters and time estimates.
All your travel options in one place, with more than 1,000 trusted travel partners across trains, buses, flights, ferries, and airport transfers, so that you can focus on the journey.
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If you are looking for an easy, quick and reliable way to get from the airport to your accommodation, then Welcome Pickups are the best way to arrive in Lisbon! Welcome Pickups are the safest way to travel as they provide airport and port transfer, sightseeing rides, and in-city rides. Welcome Pickups are one of the best, most trustworthy and convenient 5-star airport taxi companies for your airport transfer based on user reviews across various platforms such as Google, Tripadvisor and Trustpilot.
Welcome Pickups offers a great experience and safety to its travellers such as:
Local english-speaking drivers
Flat, pre-paid fee
Flight monitoring for delays
24/7 customer support
Here’s why you should choose Welcome Pickups:
20 minute gap between transfers - After each ride, their drivers have 20 minutes to clean the car and ventilate the cabin.
Contactless ride - You can request to have zero contact with the driver during the transfer with just one click.
Regular Car Sanitisation - They provide hand sanitisers and hand wipes for all their travellers and drivers.
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How to Move Around Lisbon
When it comes to getting around Lisbon, public transportation such as the bus, the metro, and the train are available all over Lisbon, you can get a reusable paper VivaViagem card at a station and then top it up for every trip and it can be used through the entire city. It is also better to get a transportation when going uphill and then walk downhill to enjoy the city. Uber and Taxify are also a great option and not expensive, but public transportation is cheaper. Scooters are also available through apps such as Lime, Tier, or Wind and they are a quick way to get around the city, but you have to be 18 or older to use them.