How to Plan a Lisbon Stopover: Julie’s Tips & Picks [Stopover Series]

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If you’re flying to or from Germany and want to add a few days stopover in another country, Portugal might be exactly what you’re looking for!

I recently sat down with Julie Dawn Fox , a Portugal travel expert who has lived there for nearly two decades. In this episode, Julie shared her best advice for where to stay, what to eat, what to see, and what to skip on a short stopover in and around Lisbon, Portugal.

This article is also available as the Germany Travel Planning podcast episode 50. Use the player below to listen or continue reading the article below. See episode transcript on Apple podcasts.

About Julie Dawn Fox

Julie Dawn Fox is a Portugal-based trip planning expert who helps independent travelers plan confident, well-judged trips without overwhelm or costly mistakes. While she’s known for her deep knowledge of Lisbon, her guidance spans the whole of Portugal, combining local insight with practical planning advice.

Why a Portugal Stopover Pairs So Well with a Germany Trip

Germany and Portugal offer completely different travel experiences! That contrast is exactly what makes combining them so appealing.

TAP Airlines makes it especially easy to add a Portugal stopover if you’re flying through Lisbon on your way to or from Europe. Even just one to three days gives you a genuine taste of the country.

Lisbon: The Best Base for a Short Portugal Stopover

If you have 2-3 days for a stopover, Julie’s advice is clear: stay in Lisbon. Unless you really dislike cities, it’s the best base for a short stopover. And before you imagine London or Paris crowds, know that Lisbon doesn’t feel that big even though it’s the capital.

Most of what you’ll want to see is pretty central and much of it is walkable. You can easily fill 3 days in the city alone, and there are also excellent day trips available by tour or public transport.

Which Lisbon Neighborhoods to Stay In

Julie’s top recommendation is Principe Real. It’s slightly residential, sits on the edge of Bairro Alto (the nightlife neighborhood) without being in the thick of it, and has boutique shops, cafes, restaurants, and a cute little park. It’s on a hill without a metro stop directly in the neighborhood, but it’s a 7-minute walk to one, and the downhill stroll into the Chiado area is lovely.

Chiado is another solid option with beautiful buildings, good transport, and lots of shops and restaurants. For anyone with mobility concerns or heavy luggage, the Baixa neighborhood is ideal. It was rebuilt on a flat grid of streets after the 1755 earthquake and has excellent public transport access. It can feel a bit more touristy, but it’s very convenient.

Julie advises against staying in Alfama, the oldest part of the city. It’s charming to wander through, but the cobblestone streets, narrow lanes, steps, and older buildings can make it less practical as a base. Similarly, Bairro Alto can get noisy at night, so if you look in that area, read reviews carefully.

Hotel or Apartment?

For a short stay in the center, Julie leans toward hotels. There are so many great restaurants around that having a kitchen isn’t really necessary, and the hotel breakfast situation in Portugal is good. At 4 and 5-star hotels, expect a full spread including hot options, fresh fruit, yogurts, and healthier choices. Three-star breakfasts tend to be more basic.

One thing worth noting: air conditioning is pretty standard in Portuguese hotels, but in winter, the buildings can actually feel colder inside than out since they’re built more for heat. Most accommodations have units that do both heating and cooling, but it’s worth double-checking what you’ll find in your room.

Also, older buildings or even boutique hotels may not have elevators. If you’re traveling with heavy luggage or have mobility considerations, confirm this before booking.

A few hotels Julie personally recommends:

• Lisboa Pessoa Hotel: A boutique 4-star near Largo do Carmo square, themed after Portuguese poet Fernando Pessoa. It has a rooftop restaurant with great city views and is close to everything without being in the middle of the crowds.
• Torel Palace: On the quieter side of the city but still walking distance to the center, set in an old palace with excellent service and good views. It’s uphill, so factor that in after a long day of sightseeing.
• Casa Baltazar: A lovely option if you prefer apartment-style luxury, located in Bairro Alto but away from the noise.
• Dear Lisbon, Chiado Palace: Set on a side street in the great Chiado neighborhood, it has that beautiful old-world feel with tiled walls and a stunning red staircase.

Getting to the Beach from Lisbon

Yes, you can absolutely get to the beach even on a short stopover. Lisbon doesn’t have a beach right in the city center, but there are several really good options within easy reach.

The train line out toward Cascais (a charming coastal resort town) runs along the estuary with beaches along the way. It’s easy, affordable, and totally doable without a car.

South of Lisbon, the Arrabida Natural Park has the kind of beaches you daydream about: turquoise water, white sand, and green hills as a backdrop. Getting there is a bit more involved; a day tour is the easiest option, and some even combine beach time with kayaking or dolphin watching!

Insider insight: Skip renting a car if you’re just in Lisbon for a stopover. It’s not worth the hassle. Use public transport, Ubers, and tours instead.

What to Eat in Lisbon

The food alone is a reason to stop in Lisbon! I still remember what I ate when I visited Portugal 35 years ago! You’ll find plenty of upscale dining but the simple classics are what really shine.

Things you should absolutely try:

• Pastel de nata (or pastel de Belem): Portugal’s iconic custard tart. Flaky pastry, creamy custard, dusted with cinnamon. Do a little taste test across a few spots in the city.
• Azeitao cheese: This sheep’s milk cheese is served in a round with the top cut off like a lid, because the inside is so runny you need a spoon to scoop it onto bread.
• Polvo a lagareiro: Baked octopus served with potatoes that are cooked in their skins, broken open, and drenched in olive oil and garlic.
• Bacalhau: Salted cod is a cornerstone of Portuguese cuisine. There are famously hundreds of ways to prepare it.
• Freshly grilled fish: Whenever it’s on the menu, order it.

For a really fun and educational way to explore the food scene, Julie recommends the food tours with Culinary Backstreets. They dive into the cultural history of the dishes, take you into little local bars and taverns called tascas, and give you a chance to try a range of flavors with a knowledgeable guide leading the way.

Sights Worth Your Time in Lisbon

Lisbon is very much a city of neighborhoods and wandering is one of the best ways to experience it. But there are a few specific spots Julie highlighted as genuinely worth planning around.

Alfama

The oldest neighborhood in Lisbon, Alfama is made for wandering. Get lost in the lanes, and when you’re done, just keep heading downhill toward the river and you’ll find your way out. Julie recommends doing a tour here to really understand the history and layers of the place.

Lisbon Museum at Palacio Pimenta

This is one of the under-the-radar gems Julie mentioned. Set inside an old palace (beautiful tiles throughout), the museum covers Lisbon’s history from the Roman occupation onward, but it does it in a smart, engaging way.

Instead of just displaying broken artifacts, they’ve created little video reconstructions showing how objects were used in daily life. There’s also a scale model of the city as it looked before the 1755 earthquake, and interactive topics covering everything from slavery to trade. And there’s a garden with peacocks!

Palacio da Fronteira

Another palace – Julie admits she’s a little palace-obsessed (relatable…I love them, too). This one is away from the center, so plan for an Uber or taxi. The house can only be visited on a guided tour, and each room tells a different chapter of Portugal’s history through its tiles. The gardens are full of beautiful, sometimes playfully strange tile work.

Largo do Carmo

A beautiful square with jacaranda trees, a little fountain, and kiosks with outdoor seating. Next to it is the Carmo Church, which lost its roof in the 1755 earthquake and was left that way as a memorial. It’s now also an archaeological museum. The combination of the square and the roofless church makes for a really striking and atmospheric spot.

Casa do Alentejo

This one is the definition of don’t judge a building by its facade. It’s tucked on a busy restaurant street where waiters are out front waving menus at passersby, and you could easily walk right past the entrance. But if you step inside and head up the stairs, you enter a stunning neo-Islamic courtyard with columns, archways, and rooms branching off in every direction.

Upstairs there’s a belle epoque ballroom. It was originally a casino, then became a cultural center for people from the Alentejo region, and it still serves that purpose today. People come here to hang out, play cards, and connect. It’s one of those places that makes you feel like you’ve stumbled onto something special.

One Sight You Can Skip (or at Least Deprioritize)

The Jeronimos Monastery is UNESCO World Heritage and beautiful architecture. But Julie is pretty honest about the downside: the queues to get in can be absolutely brutal.

If you only have a few days in Lisbon, she wouldn’t spend two hours waiting in a line for it, especially since there are other places in Portugal with similar Manueline architecture that don’t come with that wait. Her suggestion: admire it from the outside, pop into the adjacent church if the line is short, and move on.