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Too often in life we are forced to make compromises, especially when choosing where to go on holidays or on city break. Too often when choosing a destination we have to prioritise between competing interests. Do I go on a relaxing beach holiday where I can sip cocktails and top up my tan? Or should I go for a city break in an old style European capital city with romance, history, charm and culture. In Lisbon you get it all in one exciting city. Lisbon’s old cobbled streets are home to their iconic vintage yellow trams which can bring you to a beautiful beach in just minutes. A short flight away, Lisbon is ideal for short city breaks from Ireland. When your plane touches down in Lisbon airport, there is no need to annoyingly fiddle with your watch or the clock on your phone to re-adjust the time as Lisbon is in the same time zone as Ireland. This is only the first convenient thing about this city break. The second is that Lisbon airport is only 15 minutes from the city centre by metro, ensuring you will spend your time being entranced and not in-transit on your city break to Lisbon. Lisbon has some of the most affordable luxury hotels in Europe making it a great option for a cheap city break from Ireland. Lisbon is the home of the great explorers Vasco de Gama and Ferdinand Magellan so follow in their footsteps and book your adventure now with Club Travel to get the best deal on cheap flights and hotels.
Hotels in Lisbon are exceptionally good value. Club Travel has over 200 hotels in Lisbon to choose from and we can offer outstanding combinations on cheap flights and accommodation in Lisbon. Here are two of Lisbon’s best hotels which cost a fraction of what you would normally pay for such luxury in any other major city in Europe.
Costa da Caparica: Situated on a beautiful beachfront location this four star hotel is available at budget prices. It also has a kids club, restaurants, outdoor pool, spa, library and each room comes with a balcony and an amazing view.
The Tivoli Lisbon: A luxurious 5-star hotel situated on one of the most famous avenues in Lisbon. This hotel has all the facilities that you would expect from a top class hotel but at a drastically more modest price than you would pay to enjoy such an experience.
Vintage trams: Ride the “Electricos” up and down Lisbon’s hilly terrain and enjoy the ride as they whisk you through the cities narrow streets.
Santa Justa elevator: You might expect to take an elevator when you are in a hotel or a department store, but when you’re walking down the street? In Lisbon you take this elevator to get from the lower part of the city to the more elevated part of the city. This elevator is almost one hundred years old still serves its purpose to link the two parts of the city but with great views of the city and a rooftop café, the “elevator” has become a major tourist attraction in its own right.
Oceanarium: A great family day out can be enjoyed at Lisbon’s Oceanarium, Europe’s largest Aquarium. There are four zones, one for each ocean on our planet.
Fantastic Beaches: Lisbon is one of few European capital cities to have great beaches just minutes from the city centre.
Commercial Square: Surrounded on three sides by decadent buildings and featuring the beautiful Arch da rua Augusta and the imposing monument of King Jose sitting proudly on his horse, this busy square faces out on to the Atlantic Ocean.
Christo Rei: This may at first glance remind people of the statue of Christ the redeemer in Rio de Janeiro as it similarly enjoys a lofty position high above the city to watch over the inhabitants of Lisbon.
The Castle of Saint George: Sitting high up on the top of a hill overlooking the city below is this 1,000 year old Moorish medieval castle. You can get some great photos from its battlements. Open to tourists 365 days a year
Belem: It was from this point which adventurers such as Ferdinand Magellan and Vasco de Gama departed on their voyages of discovery. Some magnificent monuments have been erected here and there is also a museum celebrating Portugal’s golden era of maritime exploration.
Expo-Park and the surrounding area is a busy hive of activity all throughout the day while at night the restaurants and bars are busy with locals and tourists. Barrio Alto is an area of the city which is home to countless bars with live music, the streets here will be crowded with people as it is a popular area at night. Try a glass of the local drink Gin-Jinha which is a sweetened alcoholic drink.
In Lisbon you can enjoy eating deliciously fresh, locally caught seafood which has been caught in the Atlantic Ocean earlier that same day. Bacalhau is a popular local dish made with cod fish which can be prepared and served in a variety of ways. Lisbon is a city obsessed with pastries. Pastel de Nata is another local delicacy which is a small custard pastry with vanilla, cinnamon and lemon flavours. You will find these mini treats everywhere in Lisbon however Pastéis de Belém has been in operation since 1837 so you can bet that they make a delicious Pastel de Nata.
Also called Lisbon Portela Airport. The airport is served by the metro which comes every 6-9minutes and takes only 15minutes to get you to the city centre. This central location is a real time saver making sure that no time is wasted on lengthy transfers to your hotel. Taxis are inexpensive and buses are also available outside the arrivals terminal.
The weather in Lisbon in summer is very agreeable and you can usually bank on warm, sunny weather. Temperatures usually stay in the mid-twenties and there is no danger of overheating as the city is provided with free air conditioning courtesy of the refreshing breeze coming in from the Atlantic. Winters are quite mild, even in January Lisbon’s coldest month, the average temperature is 10degrees. Rainy days are common from November-February.
220Volt two-pin round pronged plugs.
Portugal uses the Euro.
Lisbon is in the same time zone as Ireland.
Portugal is in the EU and Irish citizens are free to travel to Lisbon without a visa.