Castelo Brano (Portugal)

Advantages: Quieter less popular holiday venue for Brits
Disadvantages: Weather doesn't stand comparison with the Algarve

..., with the exception of port (obviously), Mateus Rosé (ugh!), Aveleda Vinho Verde, and the red Dão, we never seem to hear of them. GETTING AROUND Most public transport in these climes heads north-south along the coast, there being a railway line of the national Caminhos de Ferro de Portugal (CP) emanating from Vigo in Spain and continuing onto Porto via Caminha and Viana do Castelo. Other train services tend to radiate outwards from Porto in the south of the region, terminating in such spots as Barcelos, Braga and Guimarães (didn’t they play some Euro 2004 matches there?). The Caminha service is not very frequent, say a few in each direction every day but the nearer you get to Porto, the better it gets. We went to Porto via the town of Lousado, using its new station’s carpark, and jumping a train there having only had to wait about 15 minutes on spec... Read review

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Advantages: I'm a bit in love with it, so I can't be objective...
Disadvantages: The same; well, maybe the transports outside of Lisbon

..., and, if you have the time be sure to visit it at least for one day. The town centre is a small jewel that can be visited on foot and to relax and restore yourself you can try some of the typical sweets, “travesseiro” (flaky pastry filled with pumpkin jam) and “queijadas de Sintra” (tartlets with a cheese and cinnamon filling). If you ventured as far as Sintra, you cannot miss Palácio da Pena, real triumph of kitsch, but fascinating in a strange kind of way! And the Castelo dos Mouros, the very impressive ruins of a Moorish castle; from the top tower the view stretches out to the Vasco da Gama Bridge on the Tagus river in Lisbon and on to Cabo da Roca (the westernmost point of mainland Europe). I can assure that it is really impressive, you have no doubt why they built the castle there! Well, of course, Portugal is not only Lisbon. My... Read review

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Advantages: Plenty to see, good food, the trams, nice people
Disadvantages: Can't think of any, unless you count having a really odd-sounding language!

...I’ve been to Portugal before, both the more popular Algarve in the south and some quieter regions in the far north on the border with Galicia in Spain. I’ve even been to Oporto, its other major city, but somehow, the capital, Lisbon, had always eluded me. Up until the weekend of the ‘Glasgow Airport Security Alert’ that is – can I pick a great time to be dependant on planes or what? If there’s one thing more uncertain than how it will affect getting there, it’s wondering how it will affect getting home! Courtesy of some creative accounting at my wife’s school they ended up with a four day break, Friday being a ‘SATS marking day’ (my wife had done hers), and Monday being a bona fide ‘occasional day’, which is not to be sniffed at since it’s an opportunity for those tied to school holidays by marriage, (i.e. me) to take a break when... Read review

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