From Lisbon to Porto, and the Stops Along the Way

I’ve been wanting to plan my next adventure for a while. Over the winter, especially, the idea of warmer destinations and better travel timing was hard to ignore. I started jotting down ideas: cities I wanted to visit, then ways to connect them and make the most of my time across the Atlantic.

While it’s relatively easy to travel between European cities thanks to well-connected airports, flight times quickly became a challenge once I looked more closely. I decided that if I were flying within Europe, it had to be direct. I didn’t want to lose valuable time dealing with connections.

With that in mind, my first step was booking a direct flight from Halifax, and Lisbon became the obvious choice. I narrowed it down to Lisbon, Madrid, or Paris. Since I planned to travel onward from my arrival city, I wanted that first destination to be part of the itinerary rather than just a stopover. I had visited Paris last year, and while Madrid was new to me, Lisbon ultimately won out. I had been there in 2022 and had been wanting to return ever since. As a result, I’ll spend my first few days exploring Lisbon, and I’ll be back there again before flying home.

This trip will include a mix of familiar places and new destinations. Since I’m starting in Portugal, I decided to keep things within the country for ease of travel. There will be no additional flights, only trains and buses.

There are plenty of places in Portugal and Spain I want to explore, so heading as far as Croatia or Italy, for example, where I was considering, didn’t make much sense this time. I’ll save those for a future trip focused further east in Europe.

Lisbon

There’s not much left to say about Lisbon that hasn’t already been said. It’s a popular location for street photographers and travellers overall. It’s very convenient to the west, making it a convenient destination. And it’s one of those cities that manages to live up to the hype. Built across a series of steep hills overlooking the Tagus River, Lisbon feels layered with its distinct neighbourhoods. It’s no surprise the city has become such a draw.

That popularity, though, has shifted the experience in noticeable ways. Prices have climbed, especially in central areas. When I visited in 2022, we stayed in an Airbnb, which felt like the default choice given the cost of accommodations. This time around, I debated doing the same, but ended up booking a hotel instead, something I haven’t done in a while. Surprisingly, the cost was about the same as a decent Airbnb, especially once you factor in location. There’s also something appealing about returning to a hotel with its obvious advantages and conveniences over an Airbnb, even if just for a few nights,

With five nights in Lisbon, I’m hoping to strike a balance between revisiting familiar spots and discovering new ones, taking advantage of how walkable (and photogenic) the city is. After that, I’ll catch a train to travel north to my next destination.

Coimbra

In 2022, we took the train straight from Lisbon to Porto. Ending in Porto before heading south again, Coimbra kept coming up as I looked into places worth stopping for along the way. So this year, it was an easy addition to the route, and it made sense to build it into the trip. Porto is still the destination, but I have a little more time, so I’m planning to break up the journey with a few stops instead of heading there directly. The train from Lisbon to Coimbra is direct and takes just over two hours, making it easy to slot into the itinerary.

I’m expecting Coimbra to feel a bit more low-key than Lisbon, which is part of what appeals to me. I’m staying the longest in Lisbon, so a little slower pace should be welcome. It’s much smaller but still has a population of well over 140,000, and that size feels like a good balance between lively but not overwhelming. The city also has a strong student presence, thanks to the University of Coimbra, one of the oldest universities in Europe.

It also looks like a very walkable city, so I’m looking forward to exploring the city for a few days. Coimbra was also a bit more affordable than Lisbon, so I ended up booking an Airbnb there for two nights to experience the city before moving on to the next.

Aveiro

After Coimbra, Aveiro feels like a natural next stop. Sitting almost halfway between Coimbra and Porto, it made sense to break up the journey here. It’s close enough to keep travel easy, yet distinct enough to offer a change of pace before reaching Porto.

Aveiro is a popular place to visit in Portugal, but since it’s quite compact, my stay will be brief, just one night before heading to Porto the next day. Often called the Venice of Portugal, the city is known for its canals and colourful boats. I’m also looking forward to seeing a few highlights, including the Farol da Barra, Portugal's tallest lighthouse, and the striped houses of Costa Nova, just a few kilometres from the city center, with their beautiful seaside views.

Porto

Alongside Lisbon, Porto is one of the most recognizable and popular destinations in Portugal. Located in the north, it will be my final stop before heading to Valencia. I’ll briefly return to Lisbon afterward, but only for an overnight stay before flying back to Halifax.

We first visited Porto in 2022 and nearly changed our plans at the last minute because a storm arrived at the same time. Lisa and I considered rerouting, but ultimately decided to stick with it despite the weather.

It ended up raining for most of our stay, and I don’t think we saw the sun at all. Even so, we still had a great experience. If anything, the trip left me wanting to return and see the city in a different light. This time, with a few extra days, I’m hoping for better weather and more opportunities to explore beyond the areas we previously covered.

Nazare

Nazaré will be my last stop before heading back to Lisbon for my flight home. By then, I’ll have wrapped up my time in Porto with three days still left. I briefly considered flying from Portugal to Valencia and then returning to Lisbon, but after weighing the costs and logistics, I decided to stay in Portugal. That made me think about flying from Porto to Faro, yet I didn’t want to deal with the hassle of getting to the airport and onto another plane. Since I had to make my way back to Lisbon anyway, I chose to take the train from Porto to Nazaré and spend my final few days there. After that, I’ll travel back to Lisbon for one night, then on to the airport for my flight home to Halifax.

Conclusion

All of these stops came together into a trip that feels practical, built around places I already know and want to return to, as well as a few I’ve long wanted to see. The route feels like a good balance between keeping things moving and still having room to enjoy each place.

Since most days are spent in Lisbon, I do have the option to take day trips. Sintra is on the table, as it’s easy to get to from Lisbon. Cascais is another one. These are both easy trains from Lisbon with frequent departures. With no plan other than to arrive in all of these destinations, by day, they are quite open. A balance of planning and openness is preferred, as checking off sites and to-dos on a list can be stressful and detract from the overall enjoyment and experience of a given location.