Weekend in Lisbon

I was lucky to win a prize with Lisbon tourism which included 2 nights accommodation on bed and breakfast, return flights flight with Air Portugal in economy class and 48 hour Lisbon passes for two people. I decided to take my wife as we both always wanted to go to Lisbon as it’s been on our bucket list. We decided the best time to take this trip would be August bank holiday weekend. We flew from London Heathrow to Lisbon flying time just over 2 hours. The flight was very busy. When we arrived at Lisbon it was straight forward with no covid vaccinations needed to be shown. Before we left the airport we went to information tourist desk to pick up our 48 hour Lisbon passes. They offer 24, 48 or 72 hour Lisbon passes which are good value for money as they include train, bus and tram as well other attractions including museums and discount on tours. We took the Lisbon metro to our hotel and found the metro system very easy to use. Getting to our hotel was very interesting, as we had to climb hills with our suitcases. Once we arrived at Olissippo Castelo hotel where we were staying for 2 nights we had great views of the city. We stayed in room 401 which was a very spacious room with a bathroom. We loved hearing the church bells chiming during the day. Our room was ready when we check in, before the usual check in time of 2pm, for which we were grateful as we had an early morning start getting to the airport. Being on a short city break we decided to put our cases in the room and head straight out to venture this amazing city. We took a bus number 15 to Belem monastery as my wife was intrigued by the monastery plus pasta de Belem (egg custard tart) as the originals were made here. The trip on the bus took around 45 minutes passing some wonderful sights on the way. When we finally arrived there was a queue for the monastery but we didn’t realise that our Lisbon passes were included as entrance. After walking around we decided to go the original place for try the delights of Pasta De Belem. There was a big queue but it was worth it! They cost 1.20 euro each tart. Belem town was lovely to venture around as there were many shops and restaurants in this town plus a marina and train station so it’s a great place to venture out for the day. On the way back we stopped off at Praça do Comércio in the city of Lisbon which is a beautiful square with lots of shops and restaurants plus great views of the river where we saw The Ponte 25 de Abril suspension bridge which reminded me of Golden Gate bridge in San Francisco. We would have loved to cross this bridge if we had more time, but we then walked back to our hotel where we went past plenty of pasta da nata shops. Lisbon is a hilly city with plenty of steps and therefore not suitable for wheelchair customers. The next day we had buffet breakfast, which is served between 7.30 and 11.00 it’s the latest breakfast I have stayed at any hotel. There is a choice of hot breakfast which consist of scrambled eggs, sausages and bacon or continental with cold meats, cheese, cereals, rolls, cakes, etc. We decided to take the famous tram 28 as seen on TV programmes. The queue for the tram was long and waiting time over 1 hour so you need to be prepared to wait a long while and get up early. Tram 28 route didn’t disappoint as the view and places on route was amazing, it takes in some historical sights plus steep and narrow hills. Journey time 1 hour so after the tram tour we decided to take a train to seaside town of Cascais. The train ticket was included in our Lisbon pass normal cost €3.00 each, journey time 40 minutes with some lovely views of the coastline. This train route was busy especially as it was a Sunday and the weather was nice. Once we arrived at Cascais it was lovely to see the shops and restaurants plus a lovely marina and beach. We had a lovely Indian lunch whilst in Cascais at reasonable price. During our time in Cascais we managed to see a religious parade, where the priest and other local people were parading with statues of Jesus and Mary along the street, it was joyful to watch. Cascais is lovely seaside town not far from Lisbon city and we headed back by train, which was packed with locals and visitors. There we walked on the river waterfront which was pretty to see the boats along the river. We then went to The Elevador de Santa Justa which is one of the city’s most famous sights. Designed by Mesnier du Ponsard, it was originally called the Ascensor Ouro-Carmo, it connects Rua do Ouro to Largo do Carmo via a neogothic-style structure completely unlike any of the other elevadores in the city. The lifts themselves, made of wood elegantly decorated with brass, evoke a journey in time as they ascend and descend towards the most exclusive areas of the city. The queues were long even at 6pm and the viewing tower wasn’t open. When we got to the top we did have some amazing views of the city which was worth it, the lift was free as part of the Lisbon passes. We then went back to the hotel walking and taking in the wonderful views of Lisbon, it’s a great city with so much history and culture plus great transport system. Sadly the next day we had to go back home. We both had an amazing time, and want to go back again to explore more. Two days is not enough to see this wonderful city. My suggestion would be 4 days, and get a Lisbon pass as it’s well worth the money, current prices for passes are 24 hours €19.95, 48 hours €33.25 and 72 hours €41.80 although these prices are subject to change . Lisbon is easy getting around by foot or by public transport. Lisbon airport is nice as it has plenty of shops, duty free shop and restaurants. A special thanks for arranging this amazing trip . Emma Cashmore Joana Brandão, and Helena Ribeiro at Turismo de Lisboa