Christmas vacation in Portugal.?

Question

My wife and I are planning a Christmas vacation to Portugal. We found a good hotel in the city of Sintra (13 miles from Lisbon). Can anyone give us any tips? Is this a good time of the year to visit? What should we expect? What to see during our stay?
We are also thinking about renting a car. Are we going to be able to do that, even though neither of us have european driver's license? Thanks.

Answer 1

Sintra is a beautiful old town in the hills, my grandmother lived out her retirement there, and I lived 13 years in Portugal many years ago.
Algarve is revolting by now, so you have chosen the right area, you could even drive up the west coast to Porto and stay in a different hotel there for a few days.
Visit the old port families for a tour and port tasting. They're mostly English families in joint ventures with Portuguese.
When in Lisbon, my favourite capital out of 65 I've visited, go up the Christo Rei monument across the Tagus River for a great view of Lisbon.
Have a meal at the best restaurant in Lisbon at Gambrinus Restaurant, all hotels know this. The Tivoli is a great hotel.
Visit the Castelo do Sao Jorge.
Walk around the old Alfama district.
Outside town, drive past Estoril and Cascais and go to the westernmost point of Europe at Cabo da Roca, bracing winds and wild seas, wonderful!
Have fun, I loved Portugal.
Rent a car with a licence from any country, not a problem, but if you're worried then go to your country's national driving association like AA in UK or AAA in us and pay a few bucks for an international permit, valid everywhere for one year.
Go out into the countryside and try the local restaurants for frango piri piri and great chorizo. Drink cheap wine out of 5 ltr containers or fantastic wine from the Douro, or Spanish Rioja.
Rural Portugal is probably still wonderful, and a car is a must!

Answer 2

Lisbon is Europe's second-oldest capital and when home to the world's best explorers like Vasco da Gama, Magellan and Prince Henry the Navigator, getting the first correct earth city, the capital of an empire distributing over all continents, from South America (Brazil) to Asia (Macao, China; Goa, India) and know you are able to spend a few day to understand that old town, with hotelbye is where you should start. Probably the most acknowledged of Lisbon's key attractions could be the St. George's Castle. This castle directions a glorious position near Alfama on the top of a mountain overlooking the Portuguese capital. This really is certainly one of Lisbon's most widely used tourist destinations. Its amazing battlements, participating museum, and interesting archaeological site mix to make the fort a rewarding knowledge for all the family, and children especially will love clambering over the stable surfaces and towers that encircle the grounds.

Answer 3

hi im portuguese and live in northern ireland all i can tell you is that sintra is a lovely place to stay but spring is the best time to visit although it is beutiffull in winter too. im going to portugal in christmas too and my mother lives very close to sintra .nice choice dont misse the " trouxas de sintra"" its a tasty bakery made in that place. car hire you can do it online like i done on ARGUS CAR RENTALS i also rented a car for that time and from 23 to 6 january cost me 196.00 £ and is from the airport. if you have any questions feel free to contact me on my email. hope you enjoy your stay.

Answer 4

Hawaii is suitable that factor of twelve months. stay in a smaller inn off the overwhelmed direction and it wont cost you a fortune. Temps that factor of twelve months around between 70-eighty (Temp in Hawaii by no skill varies greater effective than around 13 tiers, EVER). The breeze coming in from the sea makes it suited.