6 Things I Wished I Knew Before Visiting Lisbon

As all travel should, visiting a new place will bring some new knowledge. Here’s what I learned from visiting Lisbon:

Pasteis de Nata is not the original!

I know! It’s the knock off version of Pasteis de Belem. Pasteis de Nata itself is very good, but I personally like Pasteis de Belem better. The crust is crispier and flakier, and the filling is not as sickly sweet. Pasteis de Belem can only be obtained from a shop beside the Jeronimos Monastery. The queue can be long, but I found early morning or late evening, the queue will die down, which would be the perfect opportunity to snatch one of those yummy goodness!

Life. Changing.

Alcohol can be cheaper than juice

Best Sangria ever at Taberna Sal Grosso.

In the UK, it’s a given that alcoholic drinks are more expensive than non-alcoholic drinks due to the tax on alcoholic drinks. However, this is definitely not the case in Portugal! I saw some bottle of juice that can be 3 euros and then some beers can be cheaper than that. Definitely drink responsibly though. If you are a lightweight like me, Sangria can be a good option, as it’s lighter and quite fruity.

Santa Justa Lift is totally unnecessary

The lift …. with a long queue below

I mean, the view is definitely great, but what I meant was the waiting for 30 minutes and paying to go to the top of the elevator. During our free walking tour, the tour guide showed us how to see the view of Lisbon from the top for free, by crossing through the road and going up the stairs nearby. You can read how to do that here. The view is definitely great. If you have Lisboa Card, it’s free anyway, so it’s up to you!

View from above

Taxi can be cheaper than bus (especially in big groups)

There are places where it’s a given that a taxi will be more expensive, for example in England. However, in Portugal I find this to not be true, especially when you are travelling in group up to 4 or up to 6. Then it also eliminates the hassle of travelling in a big group and can be faster too. Worth checking in Uber, definitely.

The water and bread are not free

In England, tap water are free if you ask. This is not the case in Portugal, and in fact, sometimes water can be more expensive or as expensive as alcohol. So don’t order water thinking that it will definitely be the cheapest option! The bread that is offered on the table, also the same. The bread can be good though, and in many cases I do still enjoy the bread, but just take this in mind. Some places have monstrous portion, in which case you may want to forgo the bread so you can enjoy your delicious main course and finish them!

How hilly the city is!

It is known that Lisbon is a city of seven hills, so I knew it was going to be hilly. Thankfully I have my favourite pair of Sketchers shoes which I use everywhere to travel, so I survived all the hills quite well.

Stairs and hills…

Make sure you prepare a good shoes to conquer the hill! My favourite pair of Sketchers was the only one pair of shoes I wore the entire trip. Click below for 20% off Spring Sale!

Spring Weekend Sale 2024 – 20% off sitewide

Now, time to plan that trip to Lisbon! Here’s the Ultimate Lisbon Long Weekend Guide. Enjoy, and please share this article if you’ve enjoyed it!

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