Please Help with Current Recommendations for Lisbon Hotels and Private Guides

[GJH123]

In researching Lisbon hotels and private guides on CC and TA, i have found some dated information, not sure if it is still applicable. Would appreciate any recommendations from Oceania cruisers as we will be there on the Riviera later this year. Specifically looking at the Lapa Palace, Sheraton, and Britania for hotels and Carla Carlita and Jorge Bras for private guides. Open to any suggestions, though.

[wripro]

Jorge Bras is absolutely the best. He lived in the U.S. for years and speaks perfect English. He's extremely knowledgeable and couldn't be nicer.

 

As for hotels check out the Four Seasons and the Bairro Alto as well.

[Jancruz]

Jorge Bras is absolutely the best. He lived in the U.S. for years and speaks perfect English. He's extremely knowledgeable and couldn't be nicer.

 

As for hotels check out the Four Seasons and the Bairro Alto as well.

 

Can you post his email address??

Thanks,

Jancruz1

[ksps cruise fan]

Can you post his email address??

Thanks,

Jancruz1

 

A search of CC brought up this information from a 2010 thread:

Jorge's email is jmvbtours@gmail.com

[Jancruz]

A search of CC brought up this information from a 2010 thread:

Jorge's email is jmvbtours@gmail.com

 

Thank you,

Jancruz1

[GJH123]

Wripro:

I really appreciate your helpful response. I have e-mailed Jorge. Since this is our first experience with Lisbon, I'm learning much about the area in my research. It would seem that areas in the city center are relatively safe except for the usual petty crime, especially on the trams; has that been your experience? Just trying to be sure that all the hotels are in a safe area.

Once again, thanks so much!

[jpalbny]

It would seem that areas in the city center are relatively safe except for the usual petty crime, especially on the trams; has that been your experience?

 

We've gone all over Lisbon on every sort of public transportation without incident. Trams, Metro, Buses, and Train (including all the way to Sintra and back). We found their public transport system to be efficient, convenient, and relatively cheap even by European standards. Never experienced or saw a problem, though pickpockets must exist everywhere, I suppose...

 

3 years ago, we stayed in the Vincci Baixa Lisboa, just off Praca do Comercio. We loved it at that time - if things haven't changed, we'd highly recommend it. The location was hard to beat - walking distance to many attractions, and next to a major public transport hub for those further away. It's not luxurious, but don't know if that's what you're looking for. Recent Trip Advisor reviews look promising.

 

We found that Lisbon was easily manageable on our own without a guide or an organized tour. We covered Belem and a few other attractions out in that direction one day, and the rest of the city in another day. When we visited again 2 years later, there was nothing really left in the city that we needed to visit, so we took the train out to Sintra for a very enjoyable day. Whatever you do, enjoy it - Lisbon is a very nice place!

[wripro]

jancruz,

 

The email address posted for Jorge is indeed correct.

 

GJH23,

 

Lisbon is a very safe city imo. Of course, no matter where you are common sense is always necessary. The hotels I recommended as well as the ones you mentioned are all in excellent areas. No need to worry.

[aohkay]

Last year we stayed at the Hotel Mundial for 3 nights pre cruise. Very clean, English speaking employees and a very hearty breakfast buffet included in the price.

 

http://www.hotel-mundial.pt/

 

Very close to everything and the yellow tram #28 is just 50 paces from the hotel.

 

We felt relatively safe (2 women) during day and night...although my GF almost had her bag stolen. This was completey our fault for not paying more attention to our suroundings.

 

We did Lisbon on our own, so I cannot help with tour guides.

[GJH123]

Wripro, JP and Chris, and Aohkay:

Thanks so much for taking the time to reply to my request. Your comments are very reassuring I will also check out your recommended hotels. Because one of us is still working, we will need the guide as our time is limited. So looking forward to a new adventure!

[Mura]

As some others have posted, we've been to Lisbon a number of times and have never used a guide. We always found the city very easy to get around. On a couple of trips we had a car (which we mostly just PARKED) but on other visits we relied on cabs and public transportation.

 

Now, if the time you will have in Lisbon is only one day while a ship is in port, then you probably would be well advised to use a guide just in terms of time savings. We tend to have an unfailing instinct for walking in the wrong direction ... a guide would prevent that instinct from being fulfilled!

 

Mura

[wripro]

It's very true that one can walk around Lisbon on ones own. However, if time is limited and you want to visit Estoril, Cascais and Sintra (which one definitely should) a car and guide are invaluable.

[jpalbny]

Agree with wripro; Cascais and Sintra in the same day with public transportation would not work. The only connection between the two is the world's slowest bus! (At least the last time we looked!) ;)

[Mura]

There is no question that if you want to go outside of Lisbon and only have one day, a guide and car are essential. We've gone to Sintra twice -- the first time we stayed there (and had a car). The second time we took the train, but we were staying in Lisbon for several days. By the time we got to the train and traveled to/from Sintra, it was a whole day trip.

[GJH123]

Wripro and All:

That's exactly our itinerary for one day, for the other long 1/2 day Lisbon and possibly Obidos. We like to take the opportunity to explore the countryside to experience the culture outside of the large cities and that usually involves a car. Since we are standard transmission incompetent and risk adverse, that usually means a guide and/or driver outside of the U.S. Driving in Lisbon would seem to be a hybrid of San Francisco where I have driven and Rome where I wouldn't even consider it.

Thanks for reinforcing our decision on an itinerary. Looking forward to sipping the port and eating the pastries while listening to Fado!

[Mura]

We didn't have problems driving in Lisbon on our two occasions, but then again this was a very long time ago. Our more recent visits have been sans automobile. We did drive through northern Portugal on two trips (again, very many years ago) and while the drivers can be suicidal, we had no problems.

 

One reason we didn't drive much in Lisbon itself was the difficulty of parking once you get where you are going! We have a friend who was driving in Lisbon perhaps 10 years ago and he got so desperately lost that he hired a cab driver to lead him to his destination.

 

Driving in Rome is a whole different calculation than Lisbon, but there ARE those hills!

 

P.S. You can rent cars with an automatic transmission in Europe ... it just will cost you! There are more available now than they have been in the best. When we rent a car in Europe we usually end up with an upgrade because there are relatively few automatics available. A couple of times we rented small compacts and ended up in Mercedes sedans. Not that you can count on that happening! And it isn't always fun driving through a centuries old village with a huge modern car.

[wripro]

Mura,

 

You have lighted upon my big trick. Whenever I rent a car in Europe I always book the cheapest automatic they have. When I get there invariably the only automatics they have are Mercedes or BMWs and I get them for a much lower price.

[Mura]

Wripro,

 

It backfired on us a few years ago on a trip to Tuscany. We'd used a booking agent to book a room at a lovely B&B just outside of Pienza, pleading poverty. And then we drove up in a deluxe Mercedes ...

 

Ooops.

 

Mura

[wripro]

Mura,

 

You could have told them you were the driver and your passengers were staying in the five star hotel up the road.

[Mura]

That might have worked but I doubt it! She only had three rooms and there was NO five star up the road! We were in the country ...

[GJH123]

Wripro and Mura:

Love your creative suggestions for car rental--still giggling!

Sometimes we need to rely on serendipity when traveling. Last year, when we went to rent a car in Bornholm, the agent wasn't there; needed to be summoned. We wound up with a taxi driver who just happened to be at the terminal for a little over 1/2 the cost of a car-no need for navigating and the stress of wondering if were where we were supposed to be. It was a delightful day!

[robi1]

The Britannia got great reviews by trip advisor. I have an opening for a Malaga excursion if you are intersted from Motril bgrobi4@gmail.com

[robi1]

In researching Lisbon hotels and private guides on CC and TA, i have found some dated information, not sure if it is still applicable. Would appreciate any recommendations from Oceania cruisers as we will be there on the Riviera later this year. Specifically looking at the Lapa Palace, Sheraton, and Britania for hotels and Carla Carlita and Jorge Bras for private guides. Open to any suggestions, though.

 

 

The Britania gets great reviews from Trip Advisor. IF you need a trip from Motril to Malaga, please let me know bgrobi4@gmail.com

[shedridt]

If you do use a guide to get to Sintra, etc., do not allow him to take you to your ship. We had a wonderful touring day, & the guide smoothly insisted on taking us to the ship, even calling the hotel to make the path clear. His price for that was 2.5X the price of a taxi as estimated by the hotel.

[First Time 2008]

I had not noticed this Lisbon thread until today. I live near Lisbon, and will be a first time Oceania cruiser this summer, so I am motivated to help fellow O cruisers.

 

I feel that I may be the first Portuguese cruiser on Oceania ever, judging by the total cluelessness of Portuguese TAs regarding Oceania. Their attitude when asked about Oceania cruises ranges from "there is no such cruise line, may I interest you this nice Costa cruise instead?" to "what a d*mb*ss you are; Oceania is not a cruise line, it's a continent". They're hopeless. Anyway, I digress.

 

I don't know that there is anything O-specific about Lisbon, so I would advise all of you to check out the various Lisbon threads in the Other Mediterranean Ports forum. Still, if any of you have any specific requests of questions about Lisbon, feel free to ask, and I'll do my best to help.