A lifestyle expat travel blog about culture, history, Brexit, the Royal Family, travels around the world, Europe, and being British in Berlin!
Posted on May 23, 2016 by thebritishberliner
I’m back!
My brother wrote a book and it’s exciting!
OMG!
This summer is going to be so awesome!
I can’t give you any details right now but I’ll tell you all about it in June! Promise!
But first, Pooooortugal!
A few weeks ago, I told you about how we had such a lovely time in the Algarve and all the unique things that we did!
However, we did more than just go to the Algarve.
Yep!
We also went to Lisbon. And Porto!
But today, I’m going to tell you why Lisbon is the next place that you should visit!
Lisbon, also known locally as Lisboa, is the capital of Portugal. It lies on the north bank of the Tagus Estuary, on the European Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city in continental Europe! It’s also slap-bang in the centre of Portugal, and is approximately 300 km from the Algarve in the south, and 400 km from the northern border with Spain!
Lisbon offers a wide variety of options to the visitor, including beaches, countryside, mountains, and areas of historical interest, only a few kilometres away from the city centre, and boy did we take advantage!
This wasn’t my first time to visit Lisbon. In fact, my first and previous visit was back in 2007. The very same year that I went to Vietnam!
However, The Music Producer and “The Tall Young Gentleman” had never been before, so I wanted to ensure that they saw everything that needed to be seen, and that they had a good time!
So let’s get down to the nitty-gritty.
TAKE ME THERE?
Getting from the Algarve to Lisbon was easy-peasy.
It was possible to take either the train here, or here, or the by bus-coach here!
The bus-coach was cheaper for the three (3) of us and took almost the same time, so we decided to take the coach-bus instead! Oh, and even though I can no longer remember the exact details, the company was called EVA and the cost was something like €15.00 for adults and €10.00 for children, so a no-brainer as far as we were concerned.
The coach was comfortable and had WiFi which sometimes worked, and sometimes didn’t. It also had a toilet on board and you could eat your snacks (as long as you wer discreet) unlike in Germany and Eastern Europe, where beer is sold on the coach-bus for everyone (over 16) to partake in!
The journey from the Algarve to Lisbon was roughly 3.5 hours.
IS IT GOING TO BE CROWDED?
Not in my opinion!
Well, a little, but only because Lisbon is tiny. It was a little after Easter and of course, Lisbon is a university town and a working city. By 20:00, the place was booming and the trams were packed!
WHAT IS LISBON LIKE?
We were only there for three (3) days but Lisbon definitely made an impact on me back in 2007, and it made an impression on me once again!
I DON’T SPEAK PORTUGUESE
Unlike Madrid, English is widely spoken however, if you speak Spanish or German, you won’t be out-of-place. Having said that, there’s nothing wrong with learning a few basic words of Portuguese as a measure of respect!
AM I GOING TO LIVE IN A HUT?
Not at all. Portugal isn’t Germany, and even though we saw an awful number of abandoned or derelict buildings, Lisbon is certainly a high-income advanced economy, with a very high standard of living.
You’re definitely not going to be living in a cave!
We stayed at a rather lovely boutique hostel located a few minutes walk from many historic and tourist attractions, right in the heart of Lisbon’s Bohemia nightlife!
Located in the Bairro Alto Quarter, the hostel is just two (2) minutes walk away from all the action in the Chiado Quarter, and a few minutes from tiny bars, restaurants in one direction, and about a ten (10) minute walk from fancier bars and up-market restaurants, in the other direction!
Which ever way you go, you’re not far from the delights of a thriving nightlife!
I first saw mention of this hostel as part of the Luxury Hostels of Europe project on the website of one of our top world-known bloggers – Kash of the Budget Traveller – who is a great guy and a mate of mine, and also some inspiration from the blog of another top blogger – Agness of eTramping – a sweet girl and another good friend of mine.
So I just had to check it out for myself!
And omigosh!
StayInn Lisbon Hostel wasn’t your ordinary hostel.
It was akin to a fancy hotel!
We were lucky to be on a part-sponsorship with the StayInn Lisbon Hostel and as a result, they very kindly gave us a heavily discounted suite, and a double room!
Thank you so much!
Wow!
The hostel is on the first floor and as you enter, there’s someone to help you with your bags, a warm welcome smile waiting for you, and a very wide, clean, colourful, artistic space!
StayInn Lisbon Hostel features a modern décor, bright airy rooms, parquet floors, comfy squashy bean-bags, colourful soft sofas, floor-to-ceiling windows, and a common lounge and living room area with patch-work cushions, a mini-library, and a large flat-screen TV!
This boutique hostel was designed to embrace the sophisticated charm and historical delight of Lisbon and has a cosy space of just nine (9) rooms – two suites with private bathrooms, two double rooms, two twin rooms, one eight (8)-person mixed dorm, one six (6)-person mixed dorm, one six (6)-person female dorm, and a feng shui botanical smoking area.
My husband and I were in one of the suites with a huge private en-suite bathroom, whilst “The Tall Young Gentleman” was a very happy Larry, as he had a double room all to himself!
Blissssss!
As “The Tall Young Gentleman” has become older and almost as tall as his father, it has come to our realisation, that in order for all of us to get a good nights sleep and reduce teenage drama, separate bedrooms are necessary.
And that was what we got!
It was marvellous to have the luxury of separate bedrooms especially when you’re travelling, you’ve got a tween who’s “on holiday,” and knick-knack is just thrown everywhere!
It was lovely just to have the space LOL!
Whenever we go on a family holiday, I like to mix things up a little in order to experience a wide variety of accommodation possibilities, to meet the locals, and to stretch our budget in a more comfortable way.
In Madrid, I decided to book a triple room Spanish-style hostal! In Seville, we stayed with friends in a lovely traditional Spanish suburban villa. complete with pool! In the Algarve, we booked a really nice studio-villa apartment in the coastal town of Lagos. This time around, it was time for a little more comfort.
Our stay at StayInn Lisbon Hostel was an absolute pleasure.
When you book a room on-line, you can never be entirely sure what you’re going to get, and can only hold your breath, and cross your fingers.
I didn’t know what to expect in Lisbon and was delighted at what we received.
Our suite consisted of a hallway, and a large private bathroom. Our bedroom had a double bed, one (1) rather nice fancy armchair, a writing-table / make-up table with mirror and stool, a large enclosed wardrobe, a huge open window, lots of wall adapters and a relaxing window-sill that you could imagine yourself sprawling on, whilst drinking a glass of wine..!
The second (2nd) bedroom had a large double bed, a bed-side table, a huge mirror, a large wardrobe, and very spacious, open windows. “The Tall Young Gentleman” was delighted moreover, he even had an electric card-key which only he had access to!
Our private bathroom was very clean and had two separate shower cubicles, a separate WC cubicle, two Mr & Mrs sinks (which I loved), a hairdryer, a huge mirror, and was fitted out with hair and body wash items, and plenty of fluffy towels.
The hostel also had two chill-out areas, a dining room, a fully-equipped kitchen which guests were free to use, free WiFi, and a more than generous free buffet breakfast!
For breakfast, you could help yourself to a large basket of bread, rolls of butter, a platter of ham and cheese, as well as a variety of cereal, fruit, slices of home-made cake, juice, and as much tea and coffee as you wanted!
All this from €60 – €80.00 per night in the suite, from €45.00 in the double room, and from €16 – €21.00 in the dorms.
Awesome!
WHAT ABOUT TRANSPORT POSSIBILITIES?
Lisbon is pretty small so that everywhere is walkable. You can travel around the city by bus, train, funicular or tram. The best parts are the historical trams that looked as if they couldn’t get up the steep hills, but did.
Each and every time!
ANYTHING ELSE?
Ditch the heels and expensive leather brogues, and take comfortable walking shoes.
There be steep and cobbled stones!
MY VERDICT:
I have a fondness for Lisbon.
It’s quaint. It’s appealing. It’s got history, art and culture, and looks utterly charming.
If you’re looking for the next best European city of 2016 that’s safe, lively, and ready to be discovered. You’ve found it!
WOULD I COME AGAIN?
Utterly!
Go visit Lisbon!
This article is part-sponsored by the lovely boutique StayInn Lisbon Hostel, but all opinions and the fascinating historical trams that we huddled over, are my very own!
Next week, I’ll be focusing on Porto!
From June 2nd – June 3rd, I’ll be at the Berlin Fashion Film Festival.
From June 28th – July 2nd, I’ll be at Berlin Fashion Week.
Save the Date!
May & June are going to be fantastic!
I’ll be there. Will you?
As usual, you can also follow me via daily tweets and pictures on Twitter & Facebook!
If you’re not in Berlin in May, you’re insane!
Watch this space!
See you in Berlin.
Category: Lisbon, motivation, Portugal, Portuguese, the travel industry, THOUGHTS & IDEAS, TOURISM, TOURS, TRAVEL, Travel and Tourism, Urban, Visit, women in travelTags: Lisbon, Lisbon is the next top European place to be, motivation, place to be, Portugal, Portuguese, Portuguese culture, seventeen, seventeen reasons, tips, top, top European place to be, tourism, tram, travel, Travel and Tourism
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I'm a British girl from Manchester living in Berlin with my German husband and my half British – half German son. My blog is a lifestyle expat travel blog and puts a focus on my promotion of culture, history, travels around the world, Europe, Brexit, the Royal Family, British-German life and being British in Berlin - I am The British Berliner!
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Lisbon has always been on my To-Go list, but I’ve never actually heard that much about it. Now I know! Thanks!
Lisbon has always been on my To-Go list, but I’ve never heard that much about it. Thanks for enlightening me!
Thanks so much Cate! Lisbonis a lovely destination to visit. You won’t regret it. 🙂
I’ve seen advertisement on Portugal..such a gorgeous destination..! I have it on my to-go-to list!
Thanks so much africanagirl! Portugal is the next place to be and Lisbon is going to be on everybody’s radar. Go now before the hordes arrive! 🙂
i feel like i keep ignoring lisbon even though the signs are there that i need to travel there. every year i look at going there, but it competes with somewhere else and i end up choosing somewhere else. i really just need to book that ticket 🙂
Thanks so much Megan! Honestly, we all go through these types of periods which is the reason why I have never even been to Greece or South America! Asia just keeps luring me forward you see.
I know!!
I loooove Lisbon. I was just in Paris at a conference, and there was a team from Portugal there, and I have started missing that country all over again.
Nooooo! Pareeeeeeeeee! I want to go to that conference that you went to. Nice one! p.s. I miss Portugal tooooooo! 🙂
I have visited Lisbon, but only for few hours. I was with my husband and kidson a cruise with the Royal Caribbean on the Mediterranean. We did have a lovely time and we did eat the delicious pasteis de nata. The Stayinn Hostel looks super cool and comfortable. I would love to go back to Lisbon and explore it more extensively. Note my change of email, my blog has also changed to self hosting. It has been a learning curve, since I am not a very technical person.
Thanks so much Gilda! The Stayinn Hotel was lovely. As was Lisbon and if you do get a chance to visit again, you’ll have a great time lol!
p.s. Don’t worry about being technically minded or not, neither am I. We’re all learning as we go along lol! 🙂
I absolutely LOVED Lisbon when I was there a year ago. In fact, it ranks among my top five favorite cities in Europe! I’m so glad to read your post and see you liked it for many of the same reasons – the unique light and the beautiful architecture were what convinced me. 🙂
Thanks so much Danny! I really loved Lisbon too! In fact, I’m thinking our time in Portugal might just reasonably, overtake our time in Spain! The people, the architecture, the waters, the food. What not to like?!
I’ve never been to Lisbon, but my husband was there a couple of months ago, and he liked it a lot. Your suite looks beautiful.
Thanks so much Mitzie Mee! Isn’t Lisbon just the best? Such a lovely place.
p.s. Our suite was awesome and such a nice surprise! 🙂
AH WOW Lisbon, added to my list! I’m back in Europe tomorrow and cannot wait. And though I’ll be in Croatia and Greece for the summer, maybe Portugal can happen after. I just love the look and feel of it all. And that photo of the musician, STELLAR!
Thanks so much Ryan! Lisbon is so cool. ‘Hope you make it there one day but then again, you are going to have just the best summer in Croatia and Greece. Yay!
You have no idea how much I want to go to Lisbon. I actually planned on spending this summer there but my plans have changed 🙁 I hope to get there soon though. It’s so high on my list!!!
Thanks so much Justine! Yes! Yes! Yes! Choose Lisbon. 🙂
p.s. Do share. Where are you going for the summer instead?
Again, this has made me kinda sad that we didn’t get to Portugal in the end! I’m sure we will one day though. Lisbon looks amazing and that hotel suite – I would love to stay there 🙂
Thanks so much Amy! I’m sure you’ll make it to Potugal and Lisbon one day, ‘cos it’ll be waiting for you!
p.s. You won’t believe it Amy, but our suite was that of a hostel! Yes, a hostel! With the rise of luxury boutique hostels, city hotels had better watch out! 🙂
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The Food! The Wine! The sights! The Weather! The replica Golden Gate Bridge! The fantasticly kind people we met during our two months in Lisbon. All of these things and more make me want to go back. Lisbon is by far my most favorite city that we visited. If Thailand doesn’t work out there is a definitely possibility that we will live in Lisbon. 🙂
Thanks so much Jenny! Yes! Yes!! Yes!!! I think Lisbon is turning out to be one of my fave places too. Shhh. Don’t tell anyone! 🙂 🙂
I am still dropping hints to Chad about wanting to live there. 🙂
Chad. Come on over to Lisbooooooooooon! You’ll loooooooove it. Or Beeeeeeeeeerlin. You’ll love it tooooooo! 🙂
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Super story – we love to rad about what makes this city so fantastic with the endless list of tourist sights.
Coming from Copenhagen – Berlin was our second city for 25 years. 2 years ago we moved to Lisbon where we live in Lisbon – because of its similarity with Berlin… BUT in a completely different part of town.
The ‘Berlin’ part is from Martim Moniz up Almirante Reis until you reach Alameda – and then the whole neighborhood to you right. Here you find Kreuzkölln, PrinzlBerg, Friedrichshain .. the new restaurants, galleries, cocktail bars, street-art, clubs… and more important the creative crowd with fellow X-Berliners….. let us show you around next time you are in Lisbon… Cheers, T
Thanks so much Thomas! I totally agree. In fact, Lisbon, Copenhagen & Berlin all have something similar about them – A sense of tolerance, another type of beauty, great people, long history, excellent nightlife, and a sort of gritty Oomph!!
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