PORTO AIRPORT GOOD CITY TRANSFER

Advantages: Modern Airport friendly and close to city.
Disadvantages: None.

...We flew into Porto from Birmingham so it was just getting dusk as we were on our final approach, but even so we were treated to a lovely view of Porto, the river and bridges. My brother and sister in law flew in from Stansted so arrived in the early afternoon sun light and said it looked brilliant. The landing was smooth . taxied up to the terminal building, always a bonus rather than a bus transfer. First impressions are of a modern building, and this was to be confirmed in all aspects. First Passport control, plenty of booths manned so was quick and friendly, the friendly aspect to be repeated by all we met, Hotel Staff, Restaurants, shops etc etc. We had only hand luggage, so can not comment on speed of luggage arrival on carrousels. Thru to the main arrival hall, toilets to the right, used by my better half...

poshtroika 12.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Porto Airport, Portugal

  Vintage Character

Advantages: Full of interest, pleasantly unpretentious, reasonably priced
Disadvantages: Perhaps a little downbeat, even dour

...?bigger? clubs from bigger cities, Porto has the capacity to exceed the visitor?s expectations. In many ways it is an ideal short-break destination, and it deserves to be better known. * Location and history * Characteristically, Porto is what it says on the label ? a port ? and has been one since Roman times. It sits on the northern bank of the mouth of the Douro River, where the hills behind the waterfront make it defensible on the landward side. In the fourteenth century, the hilltop perimeter was fortified by three and a half kilometres of walls, of which unfortunately only vestiges remain. Porto was the base from which the nation of Portugal was created (and its name derived) as the Moorish occupation was driven back during the course of the Middle Ages, although the Lisbon eventually emerged as the political capital...

torr 15.05.2009 (22.05.2009) · Read review
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Review of Porto (Portugal)

PALMEIRA RESTAURANT PORTO Where Size matters

Advantages: Good service, Large Portions, and tables.
Disadvantages: Closed on Sundays.

...On our short stay to Porto we like to try local Restaurants rather than Hotel Restaurants, although the Grande Hotel Do Porto, Hotel's Menu looked very tempting. We had noticed a Restaurante sign in the little street that runs behind the Hotel, sorry I did not get the street's name, but if you find the Grande Hotel do Porto on Rua Santa Catarina, stand facing then look for alley to the right, goes down ,turn left about 40 yards the Resaurante Palmeira, dont be put off by the Snack Bar sign, enter by the door on the right down stairs then into the restaurant. We had called in about 17:00 and asked for a table for 4 at 20:00, no problem, they did not even take a name. This concerned us a bit, after all its Saturday are they that slack they just say turn up, did not seem a good sign. Need not have worried, when we entered our...

poshtroika 10.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Restaurante Palmeira Porto, Portugal

"Calem" Port the taste of Porto

Advantages: Port lovers paradise
Disadvantages: Too many to try for one visit.

...We spent a wonderful long weekend in Porto. One of our places to visit if we get round to it. Whilst we where there we visited the Port Wharfs, due to the name and my love of Port. We set off on the Sunday morning, and had a varied trip to get there by the tram, vehicular and the old trolley bus. We travelled over the bridge designed by Eifel who designed the Eifel Tower, in fact he designed two bridges that span the Rio Douro, both well worth walking over if you have a head for heaths go on the top level if not use the lower level, your choice. As you are on the higher level looking over the Douro River you have a vista of all of the Port houses, all the names that you have heard of at Christmas on the TV, and seen in the adverts in the papers and magazines. We opted for ?Calem? as it was open on the Sunday...

bostonianbeer 11.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Calem Port Wharf, Porto, Portugal

Grande Hotel Do Porto, good location.

Advantages: Those Public Rooms
Disadvantages: Standard Rooms small, but hay that was our choice and your all the same at breakfast

...We have just returned from a Week-end in Porto. We were looking for a Hotel that had good location and some olde world charm, so this one seemed to tick the boxes. We booked it thru Octopustravel.com for £165 that being for a Double Room with Buffet Breakfast for three nights (About £27 per person per night B&B). Getting to the Hotel from the Airport can not be easier. You get the Metro from the Airport, you can not get on the wrong one as that is the start of the line, no changes necessary just stay on unti the BOLHAO stop (approx 25 mins) cost 1 Euro 85 Cents (purchase ticket from Tourist Info Booth in arrival hall, or if braver from the Ticket Machines in the Metro (Do have an English Button) for instructions. At the Bolhao stop come up into the Street Opposite a large Church With Blue Tiles, turn corner about 90 yards...

poshtroika 03.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Grande Hotel Do Porto, Porto

The Pestana Porto - my pick of Porto

Advantages: friendly efficient staff, good location
Disadvantages: poorly promoted restaurant

...In September we had a great holiday in North Portugal and I wanted to tell you about my favourite hotel. We booked into the Pestana Porto for 4 nights and it was a very enjoyable stay. My Aunt had recommended Oporto so after a search on Tripadvisor for hotels there, we booked a room with a river view. Location The Pestana Porto is ideally situated for tourists. It looks out onto the river Douro and the riverside cafes. Nearby are old, narrow quaint streets with bars and restaurants. River cruises regularly set off from just below our bedroom window. A walk across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia takes you straight into the old part of the town and you can easily walk to many of the famous port houses. The fabulous Palacio da Bolsa is located a short walk away. We walked into town although this is not recommended for all. Parts...

kazbo 27.11.2006 · Read review
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Review of Pestana Porto Hotel, Porto

How majestic can Majestic be?

Advantages: Old, refined, ornate art deco building with very freindly staff.
Disadvantages: Small toilets, but very clean.

...Pick up any city guide, or travel book to Porto or Portugal and one of the places to visit in Porto is The Majectic Café, on Rua de Santa Catarina. We were very lucky as our hotel was also on Rua de Catarina, so when we had put our cases in our rooms we went to look the place out. The buzz of this old 1920?s Café is just wonderful. It is full of Ladies that lunch, tourist stopping off for a picture moment and refreshment, the world and his wife are there. The outside has small round tables with delicate metal chairs two to a table, nestling under the large white sun shades. These tables are in constant perusal of the uniformed waiters who will attend your need at a moment hence. Look behind those and you see the Majestic for all it?s glory. The shinning glass with gold lettering stating ?The Majestic? ornate cherubs...

bostonianbeer 12.03.2009 · Read review
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Review of Majestic Cafe, Porto, Portugal

Oporto - Capital of Culture 2001

Advantages: A perfect City break
Disadvantages: Few

...Portugal for English cloth. British merchants gained control over wine exports, British products and culture came to Oporto and the city flourished. As an aside, you’ll notice that a lot of Port is still shipped by companies with English names …… well, I remember sitting in a restaurant on the Ribeira when a lanky, red-haired, pale-skinned young man in a tweed jacket came in with several girlfriends. Typical public-schoolboy he looked ….. but he spoke fluent Portuguese with a very ‘posh’ accent. Weird. Back to Oporto – and a further explanation of my father-in-laws remark. A Portuguese saying goes ‘Lisbon plays, Braga prays and Porto works’, so the northerners look down on the ‘soft southerners’ from the capital – it cuts both ways. Oporto is at the hub of Portugal...

Andy_W 30.03.2001 (03.04.2001) · Read review
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Review of Porto (Portugal)

There is more to Portugal than the Algarve - visit Lisbon

Advantages: Easy to get around and different quirky places to visit, everyone speaks English
Disadvantages: The City seems a bit 'faded glory'- places uncared for and tired

...what we would see on the way going across the Serra do Caldeirao and which regions we would pass through and then as it was early she said she would be quiet until nearer Lisbon. As we approached Lisbon she told us about the toll on the A22 and the various industries approaching Lisbon and the fact that we would go into Lisbon over the April 25th Bridge and see the huge statue of Christo Rei which is a bit like the Corcovado in Rio and overlooks the city of Lisbon from a great height. This bridge was the first to cross the Tejo and was originally called Saladar Bridge until the coup overthrew the Fascist dictator Saladar in 1974 and Portugal became a democratic Republic. The Portuguese are justifiably proud of this bridge and liken it to the Golden Gate bridge of San Francisco which is does resemble to be fair. We drove over the bridge...

catsholiday 21.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lisbon (Portugal)

  Portugal's Costa do Sol

Advantages: A Stretch of Coastline with Villas and Architecture from a Ggolden Era
Disadvantages: None

...Estoril and its coastline has always been a favourite getaway for me especially when I worked in Lisbon and still to this day is somewhere I love to visit even though the area has changed a great deal with time. When I first visited Portugal's Cost do Sol over 20 years ago the area had what I can only describe as a 'Miss Faversham look.' It was run down and jaded around the edges. Beautiful villas had been left to decay when their owners fled during the Revolution. I remember walking through private lanes looking at these beautiful ornate buildings with windows broken, overgrown gardens and gates falling off their hinges. Gypsies had taken refuge in many a property, children playing in the streets while scrawny cats jumped into turned over bins. Even though there was a sadness to the area part of the resort had enormous charm and made...

Praski 06.05.2009 · Read review
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Review of Cascais-Estoril (Portugal)