Portugal Guidebook
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Perhaps because I am a Rick Steves’ fan, I found myself so disappointed with Snapshot Lisbon. Having read a copy of Portugal 2011 a few months ago, I thought I would buy the Snapshot Lisbon since I only plan to visit Lisbon during my upcoming trip. Little did I realize, however, the Snapshot Lisbon lacks several items the Portugal 2011 book contains, for example, mention of the Via Viagram card and a Baixa Stroll map. I, therefore, suggest that, if a person is planning to buy Snapshot Lisbon, instead they either spend the few extra bucks for the Portugal book or wait until an updated Snapshot Lisbon edition comes out.
Tim USA 01/06/2012
A more detailed map of the Alfama - no one has one, and locals do not know the names of these smaller squares. More info on Cascais and Estoril - these are rated high on TripAdvisor.com, and a small map and TI information would be nice. Some info on how to get from bus station in Fatima to church would be nice. I stayed at Hotel Turim Alameda, which only cost me CDN $70 a night including buffet breakfast - it is very professional, very clean, quiet and close to 2 subway stations.
Vince Bacani in Toronto, ON Canada 10/31/2011
Come back to some places you haven't reviewed for a while.
Peter D. Springberg, MD in Fort Collins, CO USA 09/16/2011
Come back to some places you haven't reviewed for a while.
Peter D. Springberg, MD in Fort Collins, CO USA 09/16/2011
We love Rick Steve's and have been using his books for years. Update times and more shopping tips, best souvenir spots, etc.
Catherine in Montreal, QC Canada 09/08/2011
Give some indication of how much time a museum or site will take to tour it. Keep prices up to date. In Porto, recommend more hotels. We almost didn't find a room for 3 nights!
Nancy Lloyd in Allentown, PA USA 06/12/2011
better maps, but these are difficult places to properly depict because of the different elevations, etc. We used several maps at once, to get the best of each, in order to find our way around.
Pat in Marlborough, MA USA 05/17/2011
I think Sintra deserves a full day. Right now I'm in Tavira and I did not find it worth spending the night here. I think it can be skipped.
Alvaro HIdalgo in Berkeley, CA USA 05/15/2011
Include more hotel options in Lisbon in the mid-range of price (around $80-$125 per night or so). Pensao Geres was too cheap and several of the others in the book are very expensive.
Ruth Baer in Lexington, KY USA 05/07/2011
Please write the exact address of the places to visit in the guidebook and the GPS coordinates would be helpful.
Caroline Hill in New York, NY USA 10/16/2010
Fix the map of Belem. It makes it look like the coach museum is not that far from Jeronimos. It's pretty far and we got confused because the map didn't show the presidents house between them.
Dolores Scott in Monson, MA USA 09/13/2010
Rick, in keeping with your travel light philosophy, I purchased an e-reader in anticipation of a trip to Portugal in September 2010, only to find to my disappointment that your guide to Portugal is not available as an e-book.
When can we expect all your books to be available in e-book format, and on your own website?
moleski in Toronto, ON Canada 08/03/2010
For the Spain and Portugal books, more 'very good' or fine dining suggestions would be very helpful.
Debra in Rumson, NJ USA 06/23/2010
More details on the directions.
Carmelita Stone in Plattsburg, MO USA 06/10/2010
One day plenty in South, Algarve and if time limited Porto and the Valley is IMHO much more important.(We made the best of it and recommend the nature walk at the Rio Formosa Natural Park and Anthony's church in Lagos is at least a + more than one star).Nazare second day only good if have car like we did and can make the Alcobaca-Fatima-Batalha loop,which we recommend.Mistake to not include Tomar and the Templar Palace,my wife's favorite stop.Easy to add as a stop on the way to Combria.We liked Nazzare and as you said the mix of old and new but need to be clear the ride up top and a walk around the old town and a meal there is a necessary part of the visit for those who go and cannot see past the beach.
Vincent F Biondo Jr in Del Mar, CA USA 05/14/2010
I am sure that restaurants change quickly but we were generally disappointed with the lack of budget options in parts of Spain and Portugal. We found many good restaurants that were modestly priced in Madrid, Toledo and Evora in particular that were not in the guide. We are big Rick Steves fans and have used his books since 1998. This was the first time that we had this reaction to the restaurant recommendations. In contrast, we couldn't find a bad restaurant in Salema or Nerja. All recommendations there were excellent and fairly priced.
Steve in Westcliffe, CO USA 04/27/2010
I might alter the suggested Vila Nova de Gaia tasting venues. Based on visiting 10 cavas over 4 days, I would recommend in rank order: Ferreira, best tour/explanation of making; Croft, superior, with great variety of ports to try, and has a pleasant patio on which to drink; keep Kopke, for personal attention and overall experience, which was excellent (I had the best tastings there of vintage and colheitas, hands down). Might add that Kopke is best known for colheitas (single years, but not vintage, when bottled--and this should go in the Port-Wine Crash Course section to make the difference clear between colheitas and vintage. Likewise that port wine makers are now marketing something called "pink" which is a white where they leave the skins in longer, to be served chilled. Croft and several others are in on this trend, clearly aiming at the female market IMHO). Taylor ok, best view (better at night for dinner, I would definitely agree), *but* a major hike and the port was seriously ordinary, not exceptional; tour was no different from what I saw at Offley, Ferreira, Sandeman. Add Ramos Pinto, and ditch Sandeman, for the following reasons: Sandeman only serves 2 tastes at the end of a standard tour, as you noted, but when I asked if I could pay to try an additional sample of something else, I was recommended to go next-door to the cafe if I wanted to try a 10-year-old tawny (which I did, Theophilu cafe, and for 6 euro, enjoyed the sunshine and the people along the riverside). Sandemans is the biggest tourist trap there, more interested in showing a video that totally duplicates the information given on the tour, and in marketing port they won't serve you at its shop; I would skip it entirely and cut down the length devoted to it in the book. Ferreira's tour is better. Ramos Pinto had a better range of ports to try than either Sandeman or Calem, nicer surroundings (not wooden benches, but sofas and individualized talking areas, like the Solar do Vinho), and has different levels of port flights geared to novices or more experienced port enthusiasts. I tried their 'intermediate' flight for 10 euros and got 5 tastes of very good port. Ramos Pinto is on 380 Av. Ramos Pinto where all the others are, between Sandeman and Ferreira. Drawbacks to these suggestions: Ramos Pinto only open M-F, seasonally, but I think they are worth it (as Taylor and others are). You might consider simply listing web addresses for all the makers so that someone working ahead could try to figure out the hours of opening--but even that won't be perfect, as Kopke, Ferreira, Offley and others all took 90 minutes for lunch and shut completely on the days I was there (3/25-29/2010). The IVDP has opened a shop/visitors info/tasting room next-door to the Palacio da Bolsa, on the city-center side of the river--it's not even in their own literature yet, but I saw it as I went to tour the Stock Exchange. Find out about this, as it could be a very good place to begin the whole port experience. Or not.
Sally H in Kalamazoo, MI USA 03/29/2010
Include places like Templar Convent in TOMAR, Conimbriga Roman ruins, Ericeira (with several isolated beaches and a cute village), Queluz Palace, Beach and village of Porto Covo (on the way to Algarve), the castle and village of Castelo de Vide, near the Spanish border of Alentejo...
maria in Lewiston , N. USA 03/13/2010
Book was fine, definitely enhanced and made possible our five star trip.
George in Pittsburgh, PA USA 10/10/2009
Can't think of a thing. My husband and I have been 'traveling with Rick' since we graduated U of W in '86 - we wouldn't think of leaving Seattle without a copy of whatever Rick's written. (And we LOVE Travel as a Political Act too!)
Hillary Slawson in Seattle, WA USA 08/15/2009
To give include medical information. I was ill and visited the urgent care at da Luz Hosptial you could pay cash-visa, helpful and spoke english.
Carmen in Los Angeles, CA USA 07/15/2009
Consider putting in the GPS cooridinates for some of your hotels/towns. Some of them are hard to find!
Carol in Atlanta, GA USA 05/28/2009
Don't cram so much into a day in Lisbon or Sintra. Given the time it takes to get from one place to another, you can't do everything recommended unless you stay on the go for 12-14 hoursa day.
Brenda VanAmburgh in Fort Worth, TX USA 05/17/2009