Lisbon is vibrant, photogenic, and full of character. It’s also incredibly popular with visitors, and it’s easy to see why. Getting around Lisbon is easy, and while you can absolutely explore much of Lisbon on foot, be prepared: Lisbon’s hills are no joke.

Starting tomorrow, I’m heading to Portugal for 15 days, my first of what I hope will be two trips across the Atlantic to Europe this year. I don’t have any plans yet for the second trip, but I always try to travel at least twice a year, as time and budget allow. Planning this trip to Portugal involved more back-and-forth than I expected.

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.