Portugal trip planning guide

When to go, region by region

Portugal is small enough that the season matters more than the distance. Lisbon and Porto are easiest in spring and early autumn, when their steep streets are pleasant on foot and the summer crowds have either not arrived or thinned out. July and August are the Algarve's beach months and its busiest; the same coast is quiet and mild in winter, which suits walkers more than swimmers.

The north is green because it is wet. Porto, the Minho and the Douro Valley get much more rain than the south, mostly between autumn and spring, and the Douro is at its most interesting around the grape harvest in late summer and early autumn. Madeira and the Azores are a separate decision: Atlantic islands with milder winters than the mainland, though Azores weather can change several times a day.

The main regions

Lisbon and Sintra. The capital's viewpoints, trams and riverside Belém, with Sintra's palaces a short train ride west. Our Lisbon travel guide covers neighbourhoods and day trips.

Porto and the Douro Valley. Port lodges across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia, then terraced vineyards upriver in the UNESCO-listed Alto Douro wine region.

The Algarve. Cliffs, coves and resort towns along the south coast, from Lagos in the west to the lagoons around Faro.

The Alentejo. Cork oaks, open plains and whitewashed towns, with Évora's walled centre as the usual base. This is the region where a hire car pays for itself.

Central Portugal. Coimbra's old university town and the canals of Aveiro sit between Lisbon and Porto, so they work as a stop on the way north.

For individual sights, see our top places to visit in Portugal.

Getting around

The rail line runs north to south. CP, the national operator, runs its fastest service, the Alfa Pendular, from Braga through Porto and Lisbon to Faro, so the classic Lisbon-and-Porto trip needs no car at all. Book long-distance seats on cp.pt early: CP sells a limited number of discounted promo seats on Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains, with the biggest discounts for tickets bought eight or more days ahead.

Hire a car only for the places the trains skip: the Alentejo's small towns, the Douro's wine estates and the western Algarve. Madeira and the Azores are reached by air.

Most visitors pair Portugal with Spain. Our Spain trip planning guide covers the rest of the peninsula, the 10-day Portugal and northern Spain trip follows the coast from Lisbon to San Sebastián, and our guide to the best time to visit Portugal and northern Spain explains why September often beats August on that route.

Entry and money

Portugal is in the Schengen area, so visitors who do not need a visa can stay up to 90 days in any 180-day period, counted across every Schengen country on the trip rather than per country. The EU's Entry/Exit System (EES) has been fully operational since 10 April 2026: non-EU travellers have their fingerprints and a facial image recorded at the border, which replaces the passport stamp. ETIAS, the separate pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors, is not running yet. The EU says it will announce the start date several months before launch, so check the official page before paying any site that claims to sell one.

Portugal uses the euro. Card payment is normal in the cities, but carry some cash for small cafés, markets and rural stops.