A couple of weeks ago we took a plane from Montréal headed to Lisbon, Portugal and 6 and half hours later we landed on this breath-taking European scenery. This must be what being on top of the world feels like. Honestly I should be a full time travel blogger. I just love sharing travel content here on Pardon the french girl.
First thing first, while we were planning our trip we had in mind to rent a car. So, we booked a hotel about 25 minutes away from the airport thinking we would have a car to get there. However, after doing bit of research, we realized that driving a car in the city was not exactly the best idea, because of the number of tolls, gas and the lack of parking in a lot of places we planned to visit. Also, we don't drive manual and 75% of the cars in Portugal are manual. Finally, we ended up going with the Lisboa card instead, which Included unlimited use of public transport for either 24, 48 or 72 hours. This includes the Metro (subway for some), city buses, trams, cable cars and train rides. It even gave us free admission to more than 25 touristic attractions and museums, plus discounts on many of beautiful sights and sightseeing tours! This is the best touristic option in order to really enjoy the city.
Our hotel was in a town called Estoril on the Cascais coast, which is a a lovely neighborhood (The Suburbs of Lisbon). Just 10 minutes away from the hotel, on foot, you will find the gorgeous Tamariz Praia (Tamariz Beach). The water was a bit too cold to for swimming in June, but the view is spectacular. The beach is inhabited by a castle and many restaurants and bars. So, it's the perfect place to grab a cocktail and enjoy the remarkable view while the cool breeze of the water combined with warmth of the sun blissfully takes your mind away from reality.
There is so much to see in Lisbon, which is one of the oldest cities in the world, and we obviously only got to see a fraction of it in our short time there. Lisbon is known to be built on seven hills: Castelo, Graca, Monte, Penha de Franca, S.Pedro de Alcantara, Santa Catarina and Estrela. With that being said, please don’t try to be cute because you will definitely need a good, no a great walking shoes!
One of the things that the Portugal Capital is known for are the trams and funiculars that will help you a lot to get around the city. These ascending and descending cable cars are a life saver on a hot summers’ day. Oh, by the way even if it's super cliché, taking a picture (or two) in front of a funicular or a tram is a must.
If you want to enjoy one of the best views in Lisbon, you should really get on top of the Santa Justa Ascensor which is an elevator. This connects two parts of the city by taking passengers from Baixa to the Chiado district which is 45 meters (147 feet) higher. This is an absolute must-do when in Lisbon. It cost 5 and half euros to take the elevator and an additional 1 and a half euros to go up to the Belvedere. Just keep in mind that if you have the Lisboa card this site is included.
Also, another must see in Lisbon is The Pink street which is an adorable street in Lisbon with pink floors.
Also, we visited the Castelo do Jorge, which is definitely one of the greatest landmarks of Lisbon and will also give you an amazing view over the city. The entrance fee is 10 euros per person. It is located on the highest hill in Lisbon and enjoys a clear view of the river. Castelo do Sao Jorge covers an area about 6000 square meters (about 19,600 feet) wide with a number of towers.
There's also a lot of great museums to visit in the city like the beautiful MAAT museum located in Belem and if you are in Belem you might as well stop for one of the delicious Pastel de Nata which are delicious.
If you are visiting Lisbon you might also want to visit Sintra and the beautiful castles there. We did not have a chance to go this time, but it is definitely in our “Things to do and see” list for our next trip in Portugal.
I really hope you enjoyed reading this article as much as I enjoyed writing it. Pardon the french girl is my little baby and seriously I really enjoy writing. Please make sure to follow me on Instagram to follow my future travel adventures.
I also, created a map on TripAdvisor and pinned all the places I’ve visited so if you prefer to see it on a map click here.
On that note
Aurevoir bisous bisous
Sophia Tim
Amazing post! Your Lisbon travel experiences have nudged me to apply for a Portugal Visa Appointment. I did take some help from a reliable consultancy so I should be able to get my visa soon. Meanwhile, I will be taking some tips from your blog to prepare an interesting travel itinerary. This will make sure that I enjoy my trip, visit some nice places and create memories for life.
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