It's a small boat operator in Lisbon with intimate boats carrying up to 7 people and very cheap. Lovely music on board and superb service by the skipper.

We tried a Old Lisbon tour and it was very nice. Then the guy suggested us to have dinner in the Atira-te ao Rio restaurant in the south side of Lisbon near the bridge and we went on the boat and had a great meal and came back on the boat to Alcantara. If you don't take the tour, you should try the restaurant and you can go by boat as well.

www.marlinboattours.com, +351 919275509. Departures from Alcantara Docs and Belem, but better to call first.

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Great location in the middle of the Bairro Alto. Nice staff, friendly ambiance and a gorgeous view from the window!

www.oasislisboa.com/en/default.html

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Take the ferry from Cais do Sodre for the ten-minute crossing to Cacilhas (€1.25), avoid the street traders at the exit and turn sharp right to walk along the quay. There are wonderful old industrial buildings and eventually, the maritime museum and an elevador or a steep series of steps up to the small town of Almada and the Cristo Rei statue, from where there is a great view back across the Tejo as far as Sintra.

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This can be confusing but the best value is a Viva Viagem card and the easiest place to buy one is from the ticket machines at any metro station. It's €4 for a one-day pass (valid 24 hours from time of purchase) and that covers metro, trams, buses and funiculars. When you want to renew it will cost €3.50 a day. You can also use it for ferries as all the ticket barriers are electronic.

If you arrive at the airport a ticket on the airport shuttle bus costs a flat fare of €3 and is valid for a day's travel on public transport. The Viva Viagem card is not accepted on the airport bus though.

As the shuttle is fairly infrequent and can get very crowded (though fun for the running commentary) if you haven't much luggage I would seriously consider, especially for your return trip, catching an ordinary bus to just outside the airport (check the route map) or take the metro to Olivais on the red route and it's a pleasant 20 minute walk to the terminal.

In fact I would also recommend taking a metro to a random station, getting out and exploring. The metro stations are invariably clean, modern, efficient and uniquely decorated with tiles and murals.

Any metro station is easiest.

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Magnificent 19th century botanical gardens on a dense and sloping site, a haven of peace away from the busy streets, full of character and an absolute bargain at the €1.50 fee. Interesting buildings, a pond, and information boards on the way round.

The entrance can be tricky to find as it isn't obvious - through wide entrance gates opposite Rua de Sao Marcal and 100m straight on.

Rua Escola Politecnica, www.jb.vi.pt

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Carris (main transport operator in Lisbon) offers city tours on open-top buses. €14 each hop on/hop off (every 40 min) tour valid for 24 hours so you can start any time of day/evening and valid for other forms of transport too on day of purchase. They do a circuit of a route marked by set stops and give a commentary of points of interest via headsets.
Other tours including trams are not on/off but 1-2 hours in duration. €17
Most city bus/tram tours including Aerobus (airport to city) for 48 hours costs 30€.
Save a lot of time and money and buy at the aairport (at the post office) as many passes are not on buses and only at metro stations.

Starts at Praca do Comercio at the bottom of town near Information centre.
www.carristur.pt

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Look out for pickpockets - one trick is to hop on the metro, stand in the doorway (look confused) whilst 2-3 conspirators close in behind and go through you stuff as you try to get by before the doors close (when they make a fast exit and you're minus your valuables). Similarly crowded trams can be a problem and notices warn the unwary.

metro tram buses

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Four-star accommodation but booked as part of a package, it's affordable and comfortable. Very modern, clean and staff make you feel welcome.
Close to Oriente Metro/station and Parque dos Nacoes.

Av Joao II Lte 1.18
1998-028 Lisbon
(351) 210020400
www.viphotels.com

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I am one of the old-fashioned music lovers, who loves to hang around in record stores. V-records stocks vinyl, from Sixties funk to modern electronica. Find out here what's on in Lisbon - by carefully examining flyers and quizzing discerning staff. Shop is run by a local DJ. Monday to Saturday 1pm-midnight.

Rua do Diario de Noticias 69

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I visited the biggest oceanarium in the world. You don't need to love fishing or a nature-freak to enjoy this. It is a great experience. There are four biotypes, each recreating one of the world’s coastal habitats. They're located in the four corner towers which encircle the central aquarium.

Together they constitute a representative set of ocean environments. And I will never forget how cute a baby sea otter can be.

Esplanada D.Carlos I
Lisbon
www.oceanario.pt/

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I travel a lot and I like to stay in hostels, because you usually get better quality in a nice hostel than in a cheap hotel. Truly one of the best hostels in Europe is the Lisbon Lounge Hostel.
Stunning, stylish. Everything is brand new and you’ll enjoy your stay the most. Check the pictures and you'll see I'm not overstating!

www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/portugal/lisbon/4765/
www.hostelbookers.com/hostels/portugal/lisbon/

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You've had fun on the buses, trams, metro etc. on you day of arrival using the ticket you bought for three euros (Feb 08) on the air shuttle bus, but what about day two?

Get a card Viva for three euros fifty and have more fun, but don't throw the card away, as you can top it up for more days/journeys the following day.
I don't know if you can have two or more days added when you buy it, as I didn't know you could top it up at the time of original purchase!

Word of warning: when we went in to the shop selling Carris travel cards on Praca da Figueira on Day two of our stay in Lisbon they wanted to sell us each a plastic card (four euros apiece, not returnable, unlike the London Oyster card) and then top those up with a day pass each for three euros fifty.

Being mean (and green) and not planning to be back in Lisbon in the foreseeable future, I decided to walk to the Cais do Sodre metro station where we were sold the paper Viva card for three euros fifty each.
We found out about the top up when we showed the cards the next morning at the metro cashier to explain what we wanted (my Portuguese is limited to ordering drinks!) and the cashier took them and topped them up.

Enjoy this fab city and use your card to max on the ascensores, elevadore and the ferries as well as the trams, buses and metro.

Metro stations and (possibly) Carris ticket booths - not open in Feb.

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This is the best place to go for cocktails at night in Lisbon. Since it is not in the centre of all of the night time action in the Bairro Alto neighbourhood, it's easy to be overlooked. But it is within walking distance from Bairro Alto and worth finding it. It has a variety of excellent cocktails and the overall atmosphere is cool and relaxed.

See the www.golisbon.com for more details about it.

It is located at Rua Ruben A. Leitão, 17-A

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I recommend the Sol Mar seafood restaurant in Rua das Portas de Santo Antão. Choose your own lobster or look lost and tell the waiter to bring you whatever. Best feature? The cash machine outside that you can run to when the bill arrives!

Rua das Portas de Santo Antão 108, Baixa (tel 21 342 3371).

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First of all, their friendly English and Portuguese speaking staff make your trip seamless through the country if you take one of their well-planned guided tours (and Portuguese is not an easy language).

They also make it so easy for someone to go on their own down the coast. It's really a joy when you can roll through the countryside with just a map and bike knowing your hotel and restaurant staff are literally waiting for you! Bluecoastbikes' staff also took care of our dinner and hotel reservations too.

Their staff took care of everything for us, even calling midweek to see how we were enjoying everything!

Bluecoastbikes is the way to go for biking in Portugal if you want to enjoy your trip and worry about nothing but the ride and the wines to choose!

They are licensed and insured. They have daily rentals and dropoffs, week-long guided and self-guided tours, and jeep rides/tours as well.

Highly recommended.

Bluecoastbikes, Lda
www.bluecoastbikes.com
Tel: +351 96 272 8469.
info@bluecoastbikes.com
Setúbal, Portugal, near the Troia ferry station and seafood restaurants

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Great company for hiring bikes in Spain or Portugal. They are located in Lisbon, but will ship bikes anywhere in Spain or Portugal to your hotel, and will collect from there or elsewhere.

All bikes are of a good standard, and relatively new. And Didier, the owner, is as helpful as you can imagine! They also organise tours.

www.bikeiberia.com
Largo Corpo Santo, 5
Baixa
1200-129 Lisbon, Portugal
Cell Phone: +351-96-242 3455
Phone/Fax: +351-21-347 0347
e-mail to: rentals@bikeiberia.com

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I've just got back from a week at Rapture Surf Camp in Portugal. The beach in Ericeira is excellent with great waves. The surf camp is based in a chilled out villa 3 minutes walk from the sea.

You get friendly and knowledgeable surf guides who will tell you where to surf and give you pointers, decent hearty meals and a communal living room with comfy sofas, widescreen tv and dvds where you can hang out with other travellers and relax after a hard days surfing.

The town itself has plenty of bars and some good restaurants. You can get a great Brazilian steak for 10 Euros

I paid just over 200 Euros for 6 nights, surf lessons, wetsuit & board hire, breakfast and dinner and a ride to the airport. Bargain.

It is a 40 min drive from Lisbon airport, they will pick you up for 15 Euros, or there is a bus for around 5 Euros, which takes a little longer.

www.rapturecamps.com/

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Restaurant Nilo, located in the charmer Baixa of Lisbon (downtown), near the beautiful Rossio and Praça da Figueira, in a street with more than 20 restaurants, differs from the others for having delicious Portuguese typical food, with fresh and quality products with an honest and effective service.

Our favourite dishes included the delicious rice with seafood and the codfish or one of the typical dishes of the day like cozido à Portuguesa or feijoada à transmontana. And last, but not least, to drink the delicious Portuguese beer, Sagres.

Adress:
Rua dos correeiros 217-219 1100-Lisboa-Portugal

Phone:
213427810

Site: www.geocities.com/nilo217219/restaurantebar

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Public terrace and suntrap with a spectacular view across the River Tejo to the 25 de Abril bridge and the Rio imitation Cristo-Rei.

The little kiosk does good, cheap bica's of coffee and imperial glasses of beer. If you take exception with young bohemian types playing percussion stay away. Otherwise, take a book, people watch and easily while away a few hours.

Rua de Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina/Bairro Alto; Metro: Baixa-Chiado

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Restaurant in Bairro Alto that gets it right in a pop art, azulejo tiles adorning the walls and mightily tasty arroz de polvo (octopus rice) way.

Should you like your fish, dust off your Portuguese and brave the lusophone only menu.

Rua Marechal Saldanha 23/25; Tel 21 346 47 91

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