planning the Portugal tour
Talking about planning your travel in general terms may be confusing and distant. Here we will explain how we designed the travel to Portugal as an example of previous advice.
It was our last travel before the pandemic in the spring of 2019. It was carefully planned so that we saw a lot, yet it was not tiring. The expenses were reasonable and allowed us to see the most and enjoy our leisure time.
Portugal was on our bucket list for a long time. In December 2018. We decided that in the spring next year we would like to go to Portugal. That is when the first investigations took place.
First, we collected offers from different tourist agencies for a similar tour to determine how much it could cost and what we would see. Compared it in a table, made our own itinerary choice, and estimated the cost. Free template on page Tables, lists
choosing the transport
The important decision was to choose the dates for travel. In this case, they were determined with possible days of holiday. The transport we chose was a plane because we had a limited time and wanted to spend it travelling in Portugal. We have chosen dates in online search apps (Kiwi, Aviasales, Expedia) and tried to get the best option by changing filters. It took some time to find optimal flights, meaning the best price for the shortest flight. Finally, we chose a return flight to Lisbon. We were lucky to get the best use of the days, arriving at midday and departing on the last day in the afternoon.
Since we were sure about going, we bought tickets far in advance in January, which gave us a very fair price. Closer to the day of departure, the prices of flights get higher. Sometimes, a couple of days before departure, there are some last-chance tickets for a very low price. But it is more of a gambling attitude. Also, during pandemics, most air carriers allow you to cancel the flight for a refund or a ticket replacement.
finding accommodation
At the same time, we were searching for suitable accommodation. Once we decided to see more places in Portugal, it seemed reasonable to split the stay in two. Half-time in Lisbon and the other half in Porto.
The list of places to visit was made from travel agencies’ itineraries and online searches for what to see in Portugal. Sadly, we were not able to choose all of them to fit into our plan, or else we should make our trip at least 15 days long. That was not an option, so we chose places close to Lisbon and Porto and easy to reach with local transport.
List of places to visit
For both places, we chose accommodation in apartments. We prefer them to hotels because we find them more comfortable and like to make our meals. Besides the price, it is important to consider the location. It had to be close to public transport, easy to reach from the airport and within walking distance to the centre.
Also, always choose reservations with free cancellation and, if possible, with no payment in advance. When you start to search in advance, you can reserve the best deals. That allows you to keep searching, and if later on, you find a better deal, you can change reservations without extra cost.
While searching, we use the table to compare the accommodations we find. It helps us make final decisions. Free template on page Tables, lists.
From the start, we use the budget planning table and begin by putting round figures in sections. The figures come from investigating how much it costs compared with the amount we are willing to spend. Also, try splitting the cost into segments you expect to meet on the way. That is a rough version of the cost and it changes in the process.
Free Template on page Tables, lists
Between finding the best transport and accommodation, we collected the information about the places we are going to. Learn what to see and what to do. In big cities as well as in their surroundings. That is how we decided that we should visit Sintra, Cascais and Cabo da Roca near Lisbon. And Braga and Guimares near Porto. Many people mentioned that Coimbra is worth visiting, and we wanted to see Batalha, Alcobaca and Nazare.
Now the real investigation starts in searching for how to do that. We came across the remark that Portugal has an excellent train network with very affordable prices. That solved most of the excursions. The details about planning excursions are in our next post.
