Lisbon

[Palaces and Pathways of Sintra was] Our second holiday with Inntravel and again we thoroughly enjoyed it. Great hotels, lovely varied walks and excellent descriptions. May was a great time to see this area as there was an abundance of wild flowers and butterflies. The Lisbon City add on was well worthwhile and we also enjoyed an extra night in Cascais. There was a daily walking tour of Cascais from the railway station at 10.30 and plenty of shops/seafront/harbour to fill the rest of a day. Thanks again to all the staff at Inntravel for putting together such a memorable holiday. 

The Rota Vicentina was absolutely stunning. Dramatic cliffs, seastacks, sandy beaches, rocky coves, wildflowers and nesting storks - it had it all! At times it was like walking through a huge rock garden, there were so many flowers. We had a few days rain, (including some very heavy rain one day) but the walk was still beautiful on the rainy days. The walk accommodation was excellent - they were all very different, but each was characterful, comfortable and welcoming.

I would highly recommend the Hotel Solar do Castelo in Lisbon - a beautiful hotel in a perfect location with lovely staff and an excellent breakfast (also tea, coffee and cake available all day free of charge!) We had an amazing dinner at Chapito - exceptional food, service and beautful views. We also appreciated the tip about booking dinner in the castle restaurant and being able to explore the castle first, without entry charge - food here was good but not exceptional, but the view across the city was lovely. We also enjoyed the hop on/off boat trip between the city centre, MAAT and Belem - good value and a lovely way to see the city from the water.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined our walk Along the Costa Vicentina with our Lisbon city add-on

We had a good few days across New Year. The Britania Hotel is a history story in itself. Lisbon was busy, but using a mixture of Metro, trams, ferries and walking, the city gives itself up to you. Fine weather helped. So many restaurants of all shapes and sizes, easy to get dinner out at very reasonable costs, without booking. Metro to Baixa-Chiado, and somewhere is bound to take your fancy in 10 minutes or less. Met helpful and friendly people. Fresh hot chestnuts from street sellers are great. Simple to use multiple use transport tickets. Highly recommended vibrant European city destination. Lots of history, sights and sounds. 

This was a memorable holiday, full of highlights. We would thoroughly recommend it, including the Lisbon add,on to anyone.

Another excellent Inntravel holiday. This was our first trip to Portugal and we would definitely return. Highlights were definitely the Hotel Britannia in Lisbon (beautiful hotel and great service) and Colina Flora in Pe De Serra. James and Aasta were amazing hosts and their guesthouse is a haven of peace and calm. James was excellent at recommending restaurants in the area and will drop you off and pick you up.  We would particularly recommend Sisudo in Almocageme. We enjoyed our time in Sintra and the evenings were particularly nice when the crowds were gone. We would recommend the restaurant Incomum which is not far from the station.  

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers added on a 2-night stay in Lisbon at the Hotel Britania, before doing the Palaces & Pathways of Sintra walking holiday.

We especially loved the walking along the coastline (once we got past Guincho Beach) and in the amazing forests. The palaces were spectacular, and while a couple were a bit crowded, it wasn't oppressive. Lots of steep walking, but worth every step! We loved our holiday and can't wait the chance to do another Inntravel walking holiday. We recommend your company frequently. Thank you!

We were a group of six friends in our 60s and we all thoroughly enjoyed the walk and all the accommodation provided.  The scenery is absolutely stunning and the walking paths and information are all easy to follow.  We were enchanted by the Portuguese who were all, without exception, very hospitable, kind and helpful.  Most of the staff spoke very good English. All the hotels were of a good standard but the Casa do Visconde de Chanceleiros is a gem. In every hotel the breakfasts were excellent, with a good choice and a hot option cooked to order. We would definitely recommend the 'Valley of Gold' to anyone interested in seeing this area of Portugal. We also really enjoyed Porto, which is a fascinating city and we should probably have had an extra day there.  We also added a three-night stay in Lisbon on to our trip and again that was a wonderful city, full of history and a great soul. 

This was our first experience of arranging travel through Inntravel and our first organised walking holiday.  Inntravel's arrangements, the documentation provided and accommodation options all exceeded our expectations. We were able to see more and do more than we could possibly have arranged by ourselves while the 'insider' tips on things to see and do and places to eat (partly provided by other Inntravel clients) were an added bonus.  An unexpected pleasure was criss-crossing paths (at overnight accommodation) with other Inntravel clients and sharing stories with them. We are already thinking about 'where next with Inntravel?'  Our number one tip for other guests is to follow the "side-bar" recommendations from other Inntravel travellers around extra nights or add-ons; these are always very good advice.

We enjoyed traveling in and learning about a culture that is very different from our own. The people we met were all very welcoming and interesting and patiently answered our many questions. They seemed happy to tell us about their country, culture and religion. I think it is helpful to remember that traveling in Morocco is different from traveling in Europe and there are some challenges but that is what makes travel interesting. 

The hiking is not in wilderness as you pass through many small villages and there are farm animals rather than wild animals but it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about people who have lived in and off of this land for thousands of years. We learned as much about the people and their culture and history as about natural history. We did enjoy seeing some owls, which our eagle-eyed guide pointed out to us and we saw three snakes and a fox. It was also fun to be around farm animals all the time - donkeys, mules, goats, sheep, chickens, and an occasional cow.

A couple of the hikes were challenging due to the elevation gain and warmer weather than we are used to so it is important to take plenty water. I was also very glad that I had my hiking poles.

The visit to the desert and riding the camels was a highlight. We also enjoyed visiting the various historic sites and I especially enjoyed the potters in Tamegroute. The guide was excellent and I was glad to visit a store where I could browse and buy what I wanted without the hassle of negotiating. 

We also enjoyed our first trip to Portugal and wish we had more time there. Porto and Lisbon were very walkable if you are able to walk up and down steep sidewalks. The history was interesting and we enjoyed learning about and drinking a variety of ports. Chanceleiros would be a lovely place to just relax and enjoy the beautiful grounds and countryside.

This was our second walking holiday with Inntravel and we enjoyed it even more than our first one in Provence. We liked the variety of walks. Our favourite ones were through forest where there was ample chance to have some shade. All accommodation was good. The Convent was the most beautiful and peaceful. Our hosts at Colina Flora were amazing and their breakfast and picnic were unequaled, especially for people on a gluten free diet. Tips and lifts to restaurants here were very much appreciated  by us. We booked an extra night in Sintra so that we could visit the palaces at a more leisurely pace. When visiting Monserrate Palace please note there is a cafe but it only serves pastries (nothing GF!). Pena Palace and Capuchos convent are definitely worth a visit as is the Moorish Castle. We had a 3rd night in Sintra and 2 nights in Lisbon which made it a very nice holiday of 2 halves, walking and sightseeing. We highly recommend this holiday.

Highlights: Park and Palace of Monserrate - the fern garden is fabulous; Sintra when the crowds have left; walking up to the Moorish Castle; Incomum restaurant in Sintra - need to book; Lisbon - Gulbenkian museum and grounds; Museum Do Aljube - small museum near the Cathedral that 'housed' political prisoners during Salazar's dictatorship - well worth a visit.

INNTRAVEL NOTE: These customers combined Palaces & Pathways of Sintra (Upgrade Option with Palácio de Seteais) with our Lisbon city add-on at Hotel Solar Do Castelo

Inntravel was fantastic. The website is very easy to negotiate and our whole dealings with them were easy and stress free. The holidays were very well organised and all accommodation was wonderful. The very comprehensive notes were very thorough and we used them mainly with sometimes a referral to the maps. The ring binder was a good idea as it allowed the removal of the specific notes for that day rather than having to carry around the whole binder. We can't really fault Inntravel on anything! Well done, and we will definitely be recommending them to our friends (have done already), and using them again for another walking holiday in the future (perhaps somewhere less remote next time!). 

Our highlight was probably Sintra and The Palacio de Seteais which was a perfect way to finish. 

Pomar Velho is a wonderful place for a restful holiday. From the initial, very warm welcome from Carole and Ken (and of course Graham the dog) we felt like we were being welcomed into the home of friends rather than staying in a paid-for hotel or guesthouse. 

The convivial nature of the evening meals shared with our hosts (and their generosity with the wine!) just added to the feeling of welcome and they were also full of exceptional advice about where to go and what to do - nothing was too much trouble.

The walks that we did were lovely but we would also recommend just spending time exploring the beautiful villages. We happily spent many hours one day just enjoying Marvao (has to be the most perfect hilltop village) and another day similarly in fascinating Castelo de Vide. Personally we would not have felt that we had enough time to explore them properly if we had tried to combine them with walks on the same day. Perhaps we should just get going earlier - but then it is supposed to be a holiday!

Antonio's passion for restoring the local olive mill was delightful and we thoroughly appreciated the interesting tour there. We were also privileged one evening to be able to join the villagers of Galegos in a Mass held in their pretty church followed by a candlelit 'Procession of the Penitents' around the village.

We also enjoyed the driving tour of historic sites and felt that Ammaia was more worthy of a visit than your notes would suggest. In particular the small museum has some interesting artefacts, including a remarkable number of samples of intact Roman glassware! They also display the smaller items extremely well with a computer screen inside each case cycling through close-up pictures of jewellery so that you can really appreciate the intricacy of the carving.

The Hotel Britania was the perfect place to stay in Lisbon. A wonderful blend of style (gorgeous Art Deco with delightful touches everywhere) and warm friendliness. Reasonably close to the centre and yet surprisingly quiet at night. The staff could not have been more helpful. There is so much to see and do in Lisbon that it can be daunting to decide where to go. Don't worry - just throw yourself on the mercy of the staff at this hotel and they will sort you out! They are also very knowledgeable about nearby restaurants - including ones that are fairly newly opened. And they know how to make tea properly! Teapots at breakfast and complimentary tea served in the library in the afternoons made this guest extremely happy!

Lisbon's noise and bustle can be a shock after the peace of the Alentejo and the queues (seemingly everywhere) make things take longer. I would recommend staying at least 3 nights to give you more time. Belem is a 'must' for one day and the Mosteiro dos Jeronimos there is simply astounding. I would also recommend sitting at a bar on the Praca do Comercio in the late afternoon / early evening with your cocktail of choice while soaking up the atmosphere!