“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” — H. Jackson Brown, Jr.
Our first night in Lisbon, my friend Moe and I stumbled upon the little restaurant of Cantinho Lusitano. They were booked full the night we stopped by, but the waiter who greeted said to email them about reservations for the following night. So when we returned to our guesthouse, I sent him an email, which he promptly replied to. We made dinner reservations for 7:00 p.m. the next night.
Cantinho Lusitano is a Portuguese tapas restaurant that got rave reviews and just happens to be a 5-minute walk from Flores Guest House where we were staying.
It Starts to Get Interesting
So the following night, which happened to be a Saturday, we arrived at Cantinho Lusitano at about 10 minutes to 7:00. All the lights were off and the door was closed. However since it didn’t open until 7:00, we just stood outside and waited. While we waited, a man from the apartment above the restaurant sticks his head out and tells us that the restaurant is closed, that something came up and they won’t be opening. He also tosses down a business card to some taco restaurant up the street and tells us to go there.
This all seems really odd to my friend and I. So we start talking about it among ourselves. It seemed strange that they’d just close abruptly like that. But I suppose it’s possible for a family emergency to have come up (it is a very small family owned restaurant). However, there was no note on the door. Nothing at all to indicate that there was any change in plans.
The man and his story were peculiar. However, with the restaurant appearing completely closed at only 10 minutes to 7:00, it was also something that gave us pause.
Friendly Faces
So as we were waiting there and discussing what to do next, another couple came walking up. They were arriving for dinner there too. So I told them what the guy upstairs had said. They were very nice but didn’t seem to readily accept the upstairs man’s story. The woman decides to look inside to see if she can see anyone through the door.
She turns to me and says she sees movement inside the restaurant. Then a light came on and soon the door opened. They have not closed after all and were, in fact, open for business as usual. We laughed and joked about how “convenient” it was that the man upstairs had another restaurant’s business card to refer us to.
We were seated next to this nice couple and they told us that they see that type of thing happen often in Italy where they are living. Apparently, it is a common trick people will use. So they knew better than to just believe what the guy upstairs said. We were so happy they came along!
Dinner at Cantinho Lusitano
As our delicious food begins arriving at our table, we begin enjoying it. However, both of us wanted to chat more with our new friends. We had ordered a mixed plate of black smoked pork sausage that we couldn’t finish on our own.
Mixed Plate of Black Pork Smoked Sausages
We wanted to offer it to our “neighbors” but were worried as being “that table.” You know the people who don’t know proper boundaries. The ones that take an innocent hello as an invitation to butt in on your every conversation. Yeah, we didn’t want to be that.
Spicy Beef Meat Rolls with Mint and Greek Yogurt SauceBaked Goat Cheese with Honey and Rosemary
Table Neighbors
Thankfully, our table neighbors felt the same as us and soon we learned more about Bridget & Caleb. They are Americans living in Italy and traveling around Europe whenever they have a holiday or free weekend. Bridget is one of those warm and inviting people, that really takes an interest in what you have to say. She was so encouraging and warm. Both her and Caleb reminded me of my friends and family back home.
Our Table Neighbors Caleb & Bridget.
We spent over an hour after Moe and I had finished our meal just chatting and sharing travel stories. We learned more about their life in Italy and the differences in the culture there and in Europe.
One of which was the fact that we had been sitting at our table chatting for over an hour after we had finished our food. And we were never once asked to leave or made to feel like we should ask for our check. Our waiter was fantastic and was always present without hovering.
Garlic Shrimp
We had a wonderful night at Cantinho Lusitano and meeting Bridget and Caleb was really the icing on the cake. It’s also one of the things I love about traveling–meeting other people. There are so many amazing people in the world and whenever I get to meet some of them it always brightens my day and creates a lasting memory that’s far better than any store-bought souvenir.
Cantinho Lusitano – Update 2020 – Cantinho Lusitano is permanently closed Rua dos Prazeres, 52 1200-355 Lisboa, Portugal
Please note that they are closed on Sundays & Mondays. Also, reservations are highly recommended! The restaurant probably only seats about 20 and they fill up quick!
The sun is shining on us and we are headed to the Rossio Train Station to catch the train for a day trip from Lisbon to Sintra. On the way we walked down this really steep hill that has some colorful graffiti and tram also covered in bright graffiti. This tram’s only route is to go up and down this hill all day. (That could get old real quick.)
I’d definitely take this tram up, rather than walk it if I had to go up it every day.
At the Rossio Train Station
You go up a series of escalators before you get to the top where the ticketing booths are located. There were also some ticket machines, but the booths operated by people seemed to be faster. We got our tickets and then headed out to the train headed for Sintra, Portugal. It was already waiting on the platform. (They have regular departures, so no need to reserve in advance.) Also if you happen to have the Lisboa Card, I believe this train’s fare is included with that card.
Arriving in Sintra, Portugal
The train to Sintra takes about 40 minutes from Rossio station. When you arrive you will exit the train station and turn right. Pass all the tuk-tuks and walk over to the buses to find Bus 434. We spent 6.40€ to ride the bus 434 loop that will take you to the Palace of Pena, stopping at the Moorish castle and making a loop back down to let you off by the National Palace of Sintra before returning you to the train station. It was the best money we spent! Sintra is hilly! And the Palace of Pena is way too far to walk to from town for our day trip.
Originally I had planned on visiting the National Palace of Sintra first, but the bus took us straight up to the Moorish Castle and then to the Palace of Pena. However, it worked out as I learned that getting to the Palace of Pena earlier is really the way to go. There were a lot fewer crowds and the weather was better earlier in the day.
Purchasing Tickets:
The bus drops you off by the ticket offices which are located about a 10-minute walk below the Palace of Pena. We purchased a combo ticket that included both the Palace of Pena as well as the Palace of Sintra.
Alongside the ticket office, you can choose to pay a tuk-tuk, take a shuttle or walk the remaining way up to the Palace of Pena. We chose to walk and although it is uphill, it was a very scenic walk thru the trees. If you are in decent shape and the weather is good, I would recommend it. It took us about 10 minutes to walk up to the palace.
Palace of Pena
The Palace of Pena is unlike any other palace we had visited before. This one is so playfully designed and so colorful it is really something special!
For me, it was definitely worth the day trip to Sintra. However had the weather been really awful and rainy, I probably would not have gone. There is a considerable amount of outdoor walking and viewing involved in appreciating this castle. You also get to tour the inside, but the outside is really what most people come to see.
On the backside of the palace, you’ll find the below chapel.
This is the palace chapel found on the rear side of the Palace of Pena.
There is also a pathway that circles behind the chapel and leads you along the palace walls. You can walk all the way around the palace along the wall and catch wonderful views of the Moorish Castle as well as the town of Sintra.
Views of the Moorish Castle from the Palace of Pena walls
We walked back down the hill from the palace to the bus stop. We caught the next bus (keep your ticket handy to show the driver) and were off to see the Palace of Sintra.
Snack Break
We got off the bus and decided to take a snack break before heading to the National Palace of Sintra. So we stopped at Piriquita, a bakery that was recommended on the Netflix show Somebody Feed Phil. They have a local style pasteis that are a little different than the kind we ate in Lisbon (click here to read more on that). They were good, but honestly, they don’t hold a candle to Pasteis de Belem.
We tried both the version that was unique to Sintra as well as the regular Portuguese pasteis. They are served cold – which makes a difference, the one that is long and has a flaky sugar-coated crust was pretty good, it sort of reminded me of a strudel.
Sintra National Palace
The Palace of Sintra is unique in its own right. It has two cone-shaped chimneys and a big open square out front with views of the city below.
Notice the unique cone-shaped chimneys.
We timed our visit just right as we pretty much had the palace to ourselves. Which was very apparent when I would attempt to walk across the floors and my shoes would squeak, squeak, squeak with every step. It was really funny and annoying at the same time.
The Sintra National Palace has rooms with unique ceilings and wood furniture, walls with beautiful tiling, an enormous Murano glass chandelier, a garden, it’s own chapel and much more.
I know most people will probably come to Sintra to see the Palace of Pena, but I highly recommend also visiting the National Palace of Sintra.
Afterward, we left the palace and walked back down the street to where the bus had let us off before and got on the next bus (showing our receipt again) that soon dropped us off at the train station.
Back in Lisbon
We ended our last night in Lisbon doing laundry. Yeah I know, real glamorous, but you have to do it sometime! Also, a laundromat is a great place to meet people. We met a Brazilian man who was in Lisbon studying to get his Master’s degree. It was great learning about his perspective on living in both Lisbon and in Brazil.
For more on how we spent our first two days in Lisbon read about it here on Things to Do in Lisbon. And if you’re looking for a great place for dinner in Lisbon check out my experience at Cantinho Lusitano.
Useful Info:
Rossio Train Station & Oriente Tran Station are the two main train stations for getting to Sintra from Lisbon. Check out their timetables here.
Bus 434 in Sintra will take you on a loop starting at the train station going to the Moorish Castle, Palace of Pena, National Palace of Sintra and back to the train station.
Uber in Lisbon is very affordable, you can check out Uber fares.
What are some things to do in Lisbon, Portugal? How should you spend your time there? Well, however, you want of course! Travel is about the experience, so don’t get too hung up on seeing everything your first time. Enjoy all the new sights, food and culture of your new destination.
Here’s how I spent 2 days in Lisbon, Portugal to get you started with some ideas.
Where: Lisbon, Portugal How Long: 2 Days Weather: Mostly rainy and windy Traveling Companion: Moe (my childhood friend, read more about our friendship here) Day 1: The Jeronimos Monastery, Monument to the Discoveries, Pasteis de Belem Day 2: Riding Tram 28, Alfama Neighborhood, LX Factory Useful Info: Getting Around, Where We Stayed, Places to Eat
Day 1
We stayed at the Flores Guest House while in Lisbon and they had the cutest breakfast delivery ever! Each room had a little hook outside the door where they would deliver your breakfast basket by 8:00 a.m. every morning. Then whenever you were up and ready, you just opened your front door and retrieved your basket.
The baskets are filled with fruit, bread, meat and cheese, juice and a “surprise” item, that usually consisted of fresh baked good. You could put in requests to tailor the basket more to your preferences. For example, we asked instead of the meat and cheese if we could just have extra fruit for the rest of our stay.
This basket was made up of croissants, rolls, fruit, jam and orange juice.
So after enjoying our lovely breakfast, we went to catch the bus to visit the Jeronimos Monastery.
Jeronimos Monastery Lisbon, Portugal
TIPS:
Arrive early (preferably before noon) as the lines can get long.
The Jeronimos Monastery costs €10. You can pay an additional €2 for a combo ticket to also visit their National Archaeological Museum.
Additionally, you can also purchase this combo ticket at the National Archaeology Museum (in case the ticket line at the monastery is too long – purchase there and then skip the line at the monastery) OR you can also buy a combo ticket at Belem Tower should you choose to see that first.
Plan to visit Pasteis de Belem either before or after, it’s totally worth it!
For more information on hours and directions visit the official Jeronimos Monastery website.
This view is across the street from the beautiful Jeronimos Monastery.
The Monastery is 500 years old and is beautiful inside and out. It is architecturally stunning! The intricate carvings all throughout it will keep you gasping in awe as you walk around each corner and discover something new. It is no wonder that it has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The cloister inside the monastery.
Jeronimos Monastery is constructed out of limestone and took 100 years to build. I can just imagine them chiseling out the beautiful carvings by hand. That’s some dedication to detail!
There are faces, creatures and designs carved everywhere.Beautiful limestone archways that overlook the cloister.
Pasteis de Belem Lisbon, Portugal
After visiting the Monastery we walked a few blocks up the street to try pastel de nata at Pasteis de Belem. Pastel de nata (or pasteis de nata for plural) is a Portuguese custard tart and is a must try when in Lisbon. Pasteis de Belem was the top rated place to have pasteis de nata in all of Lisbon. They use the same recipe that the monks at Jeronimos Monastery created in 1837.
Now that’s a recipe with some history!
Navigating Pasteis de Belem
It can be a little confusing when you first arrive at Pasteis de Belem. Outside at the furthest entrance, we found a HUGE line of people waiting to buy pasteis to go. However, we wanted to sit inside and take a break from the rain.
The first entrance you reach when walking from the monastery is the entrance for those wanting to sit inside. You’ll see the entrance and the cashier line for those purchasing to-go orders to your right as you walk inside.
When you enter you will want to follow the blue signs (straight and to the right) for “Table Service: Service de Mesa 400 Seats” until you reach another sign that says “Queue for Seating.” Don’t panic if it seems really long, with 400 seats the line moves very quickly!
What a beautiful sight! These are enough to make me want to return to Lisbon, Portugal.
We both decided to get 6 of the pasteis, some hot chocolate (if a cup of thick, molten chocolate is your thing you’ll want to try it too) and a pot of tea. Hey, this was going to be our lunch and not just a snack, so don’t judge us.
Now to add that nice coating of cinnamon & sugar!
Our plate of pasteis arrived, we each took one and added the obligatory cinnamon and powdered sugar on top. DON’T SKIP THIS PART. Sorry, don’t mean to yell, but the cinnamon really adds that extra
something special.
Then we bit into the pastry, it had a crispy flaky outer shell with a warm custard filling that made you smile and go mmmm. For something that appears to be so simple, it was really very delicious. I ate all 6 of mine and drank my whole pot of tea! Oh yeah, that’s how I roll. Moe was the runner up with 4 pasteis, pretty good for her first time. And you can see below that she thoroughly enjoyed them.
Moe is having her “mmmm good moment” eating her first pasteis de nata.
After we slowly waddled, I mean walked out of the cafe, we decided since the rain had stopped for the moment that we’d walk over to the Monument to the Discoveries or as it’s also known: Monument to Henry the Navigator.
The Monument to the Discoveries Lisbon, Portugal
The monument is really impressive! It is huge and rises up alongside the water. I loved the beautiful map they had built into the ground using stones and pictures. From the monument, you can also get nice views (at least when the weather is good) of the April 24th Bridge as well as the large Christo Rei or Christ the King statue (it looks similar to Brazil’s Christ the Redeemer statue).
Moe walking along the water.
There’s a great boardwalk where you can watch sailboats pass by or wander over to the marina. If the weather is nice you can also take the sidewalk along the road to walk down to the Tower of Belem. Due to the weather, we chose to skip this. But the tower is beautiful and would have lovely views on a sunny day. There is also a viewing area from inside the Monument of Discoveries as well as historical information regarding the monument.
If you look you can just make out the small silhouette of the Christ the King statue in the background by the bridge.
National Archaeological Museum
It began to rain again, so we made our way to the National Archaeological Museum. Its entrance is just to the left (when facing it) of the Monastery. Since it had only been an extra €2 we had purchased the combo ticket at the Jeronimos Monastery.
The archaeological museum is very small, but it has some nice exhibits on Egyptian and Roman artifacts as well as a small area for archaeological items specific to Portugal. If you have extra time and are interested in archaeology and ancient artifacts, then the €2 will probably be worth it. If you’re pressed for time or just don’t have any interest, it is definitely not a “must-see.”
This was an ancient “doll” that had movable arms and legs.
We caught the next bus back to our guest house and along the way we enjoyed views of the beautifully tiled buildings and the ancient aqueduct that was built in the 1700s. It is one of the few structures to survive the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755.
Day 2
Tram 28
It is raining even harder today. We were thoroughly soaked on our way to the historical Tram 28 stop. Our hope is to get a nice tour of the city as we ride it up to Saint George’s Castle.
We get on the tram and it is very full and the windows are fogged over. We laugh about our “scenic ride.” Eventually, someone opens up some windows and that does help with the fogging. However, the tram continues to pick up more and more passengers and at one point there was a ticket officer squeezing through the crowd to check that we all had valid tickets.
That, by the way, is a fairly common procedure that we’ve seen throughout our travels in Europe. They will pass through on the subways, buses, and trains checking to make sure everyone has paid. Usually, this seems to happen on the weekend vs the weekdays. So it’s always good to make sure you have a valid ticket or pass. You can be hit with hefty fines or as we saw on one train, the police might even be called in.
Although not Tram 28, we saw this one when hopping off in Alfama.
Due to the fogging of the windows, I would recommend taking Tram 28 on a sunny day if you’re hoping for a scenic ride. For us, it was mainly a mode of transportation.
Walk thru the Alfama neighborhood to St. George’s Castle (Castelo de Sao Jorge)
We hopped off Tram 28 and took time to soak in the views around us. We were now in Alfama, the medieval neighborhood in Lisbon that survived the great earthquake, tsunami, and fire of 1755 (talk about the ultimate trifecta of destruction!). It is a charming neighborhood with smaller streets, shops, and cafes. It has a different feel than the “newer” neighborhoods that were rebuilt after 1755.
Alfama Neighborhood with St George’s Castle on the hill.
We walked up to the Castle but decided due to the rainy weather to not pay to go inside, the castle is mostly outdoors and one of its highlights is walking the old walls and taking in the views — views which we didn’t have on this stormy day. So I’ll save that for another visit.
The walk to the castle though was an interesting one. We passed through an area with old ruins that had been turned into an outdoor studio for graffiti artists.
Having fun with the graffiti
There was also an outdoor urinal, which as an American, was quite a novelty and the first we’d seen on our travels. So we couldn’t miss that photo opp!
Moe is peeking over the urinal door.
Next up was the LX Factory, so we hopped a bus and headed that way.
LX Factory Lisbon, Portugal
This must bee the place. (Oh yeah I said that!)
The LX Factory is an old warehouse district turned artsy. There are art studios, cafes, bookstores and outdoor art sculptures all inside this old factory area. Once inside the LX Factory gates, you’ve got warehouses on each side of a small street. We made our way to the bookstore, Ler Devagar, and stepped inside not a moment too soon. We heard the rain just thunder down on the metal roof and I said to Moe “boy we made it here just in time!”
Ler Devagar
Looking down on this creative bookstore.
The bookstore is so cute! It has multiple levels of books, both used and new to search through. There is also a fairly large selection of English books. Additionally, they have a cafe so you can grab a comfy seat and have a cup of coffee while reading a book – or in our case – listening to the rain.
I loved all the hanging art pieces.
We spent time looking upstairs where they have their used books selection as well as a small local artist exhibit. Then we wandered back downstairs by the cafe and found a comfy seat by the window to watch the rain and look through some books. We even had fun finding Waldo in the “Where’s Waldo Book” we found in the children’s section. Hey, we’re still kids at heart!
We eventually decided that although it is still raining cats and dogs outside that we would quickly dash out and into the adjoining cafe next door. We go inside WISH Slow Coffee House and put our name on the list. It’s about a 20-minute wait as they are quite busy with all of us trying to escape the rain.
WISH Slow Coffee House
Soon we are seated at a window seat that gives us a view of the main street in front of the shops. We are warm and comfy as we leisurely sit here and watch the people pass by with their umbrellas or those not-so-fortunate without umbrellas dashing as fast as they can. Then there’s the guy not looking where he’s going and sploosh he steps right into a puddle. Ahh man!
People watching from a dry seat.
It was so relaxing and fun to just be sitting there in this refurbished warehouse eating lunch while watching the rain and the people passing by. I sat there and thought to myself, I am in Lisbon, in a cafe. It didn’t matter that I wasn’t out sightseeing, I was experiencing the city right where I sat. Moe soon turned to me and said, “I’m having a really great time.” It was nice that we both felt the same about this very simple, yet enjoyable moment.
A delicious grilled pear with goat cheese bagel sandwich.
We stayed there for over 2 hours just watching people and enjoying the ambiance and good food.
We tried the carrot cake for dessert and it was some of the best carrot cake I have ever eaten! Not to mention the Jasmine tea they served us was top notch! I also tried their slow-roasted coffee as they slow roast their beans in house. They have a variety of good coffee choices to try.
Uber & Making Our Own Adventure at the Mall
The rain had no intentions of letting up, so we decided we’d go watch a movie at a nearby mall (they show them in their original language throughout Portugal). We requested an Uber, which met us at the door so we could avoid getting wet. It was great! Oh and Uber in Lisbon is VERY affordable! I highly recommend using it here, there were a couple of times where it was cheaper for us to split the fare for Uber than take the bus.
At the Mall
The movie we planned to see was sold out, so we went shopping instead! Soon what was just casual browsing turned into a friendly competition of who could try on the ugliest outfit. Now that was fun! Although not as much fun when we actually saw ourselves in the silly outfits…
We grabbed dinner in the mall and hailed another Uber ride back to the guest house.
Although Day 2 wasn’t our typical “see it all” style of sightseeing, it was a lot of fun and memorable. And that’s how it should be, don’t hold to tightly to your “to-do” list while traveling, leave room for change and spontaneity. You never know what memories you might create.
To learn about our visit to the Palace of Pena on our final day in Lisbon, read about it here: Day Trip to Sintra, Portugal.
Final Thoughts on Visiting Lisbon
Everyone here has been so friendly! Really, we’ve met nothing but helpful people, friendly people and they have a great sense of humor here too. And the food! Not to mention the beautifully tiled buildings!
To say I enjoyed my time here in Lisbon would be putting it mildly. I hope to return and explore the entire country of Portugal in greater depth in the future. We just touched the tip of the iceberg on things to do in Lisbon, there was so much more to see!
There are amazing, friendly people everywhere and traveling never fails to reveal this to me.
USEFUL INFO:
Getting Around Lisbon, Portugal:
Purchase 24-hour transit passes or single-use passes from any metro station (including at the Lisbon airport). There are also some local stores that sell it as we purchased ours from the newspaper store by our hotel.
We used the Viva Viagem 24 hour carris/metro card. This allowed us unlimited travel on the metro, bus, trams & funicular for a 24 hour period. Check out this article from Lisbon Guru for more information regarding their metro cards.
There is also a Lisboa Card which is a sightseeing pass, we didn’t use these on our trip, however, you can check it out and see whether or not it makes sense for your visit.
They have the cutest breakfast delivery I’ve ever had. They leave a breakfast basket outside your door each morning by 8:00 a.m. for you to retrieve when you’re ready.
I would definitely stay at Flores Guest House again, it is located near excellent restaurants all within minutes of walking and the staff that runs it could not have been more helpful and kind. We really enjoyed our stay there.
Restaurants we enjoyed:
Cantinho Lusitano – 2020 Update – Cantinho Lusitano is permanently closed Rua dos Prazeres 52, 1200-355 Lisboa, Portugal Overall Thoughts: Love the small dining atmosphere, the service was impeccable, food was delicious, I highly recommend it! To read more about our adventures at dinner, please check out this article “Dinner at Cantinho Lusitano.”
So you’ve decided you’re going to go travel somewhere. Now what? Time to book your flight!
I have friends and family who shared with me that they aren’t sure how to find the best flight deals or even how to go about booking their flights. So I’m sharing my method and I hope it helps you in booking your next adventure.
I like to start with booking my flight. It gets me locked in and committed and gives me something to look forward to. It’s exciting when you book your flight, there is a sense of anticipation. You feel like “hey I’m really doing this!” It’s a good feeling.
Usually, you want to book your flight about one to two months in advance. However, this depends on where you are going. I recently booked a trip to Europe and learned that it was better to book my flights well over 90 days in advance. In fact, I booked our flights about 5 months in advance and found that the prices only continued to go up from there.
Another example is during my research on Thailand, according to my online research I discovered that if you go during peak season you should book up to 1 year in advance!
It really does vary, but usually, you want 1-2 months minimum for most destinations, more is going to give you greater flexibility and pricing options. So if you are able to plan ahead, I’d start your airfare search earlier rather than later.
Easy Steps to Book Your Flight and Get the Best Deal!
Go to Skyscanner.com to find cheapest dates to fly
Check Expedia.com to see if bundling will save you even more money
Book your flight!
STEP ONE: Finding the Best Dates to fly using Skyscanner.com
Skyscanner.com is a great source for finding the cheapest flight. You can search to see which destinations are cheapest to fly into. You can search by month to see what dates are the cheapest to travel on. Additionally, you can set up a saved search for your trip that will alert you of any change in the price of your flight.
Searching for cheap flights to “Everywhere!”
This tool is great if you don’t know where you want to go, but since we are at the “book your flight” step, I’m going to assume you do know where you want to go. Even so, this tool can still be useful for you at this step in the process.
For example, I just recently booked tickets for a trip to Europe. I knew I wanted to go to Europe, but it didn’t matter to me which country I started out in, my goal was just to get the cheapest flight possible. So I used this search “Everywhere” tool to find out which country was the cheapest for me to fly to. I discovered that I could get the best deal by flying into London. This saved me almost $200 one-way on flights to any other country within Europe.
Searching by Month
Probably a more useful tool might be the ability to search for the cheapest tickets to your destination by month. You may know that you want your trip to be in October, but this allows you to now search and find out the cheapest days in October to travel for your trip.
Skyscanner Saved Searches
You can create a saved search for where and when you want to travel and then you will be alerted if/when the price drops. This allows you to start planning in advance and if you’re like me you want to check every day to try to find the best deal on airfare, this tool saves you so much time! You no longer have to worry that you’re going to miss the best deal, because when the price changes you will get an email, thus saving yourself hours of time searching.
To do this, you just enter in your starting/ending destinations and dates and click search. On the following screen, you will see a link to click for “Get Price Alerts.”
STEP TWO: Bundling with Expedia
So now that you’ve used Skyscanner to help you find the cheapest airfare and dates to travel, I recommend that you go to Expedia.com and see whether or not bundling your airfare with your hotel (and car if renting one) will save you money vs just purchasing the airfare by itself.
I found if you are flying in and out of the same destination that you can often save a good amount with bundling. Even if you only stay at the initial hotel for part of your trip.
For example, on a trip to Japan, I saved money by bundling our flight with our first hotel in Tokyo and then I booked the rest of our hotels throughout Japan separately. It was cheaper to do this than it was to book my flight and Tokyo hotel individually.
Final Tips:
It is important to have a budget in mind prior to booking any part of your trip and a price point you’re willing to pay for your airfare. That way when you find the price you want, just book it and be done with it. Don’t keep looking to see if you could have gotten a better deal. That will drive you mad! (I happen to know something about this.)
As long as you found the price you were willing to pay, your time is better spent elsewhere rather than spending hours upon hours trying to save a few more dollars on your airfare.
STEP THREE: Book Your Flight Let’s recap: Use Skyscanner to find the cheapest dates to travel, then see if bundling thru Expedia can give you further savings & finally, book your flight!
If you’re looking for a fun and easy sightseeing activity, look no further than Snoqualmie Falls! It is a great way to spend the day with family and friends whether you’re a local or an out of town visitor. Perhaps you don’t have time in your schedule for a long hike, but want to see some of the natural wonders this area has to offer. Then this is the hike you’ve been looking for!
In the past, your only option was to park above the falls next to the Salish Lodge & Spa and then hike down and back out. But thanks to the recent Puget Sound Energy restoration project you can now access the falls from the new lower parking lot.
From the lower parking lot, it is just a short 10 min walk to the falls viewpoint along a wooden boardwalk. If you have extra time and want to hike down from the upper observation deck, you still have that option. However, it is nice if you’re pressed for time or aren’t feeling up to the steeper and longer hike, to be able to park and quickly walk to the viewpoint.
The Snoqualmie Falls Hydroelectric Power Plant sits alongside the beautiful river. Power generated from the falls has supplied electricity for over 100 years.
Follow the boardwalk as it winds its way along the river.
You are rewarded with gorgeous scenery all along the short journey to see the falls.
The boardwalk ends here and provides a magnificent view of Snoqualmie falls.
Snoqualmie Falls is located about 30 minutes outside Seattle.
These cascading falls attract over a million visitors a year!
I just love playing tourist at home! It gives me a fresh appreciation for where I live and reminds me of all the wonderful things there are to do so close to home. If you’re a local you know how fortunate we are to live in this gorgeous natural setting. We need to make time to appreciate it whenever we can.
If you’re just visiting here, perhaps this will inspire you to discover some local sights near home. I suggest doing a Google search for things to do in your own area and then carve out some time to go exploring. You will be glad you did!
I think most people have a bucket list of places they’d like to visit and this is usually the starting point when planning their next vacation. Budget is also a deciding factor when choosing where to go. And the last factor is time. The amount of time you have for your vacation and the time of year that you plan to travel. So let’s review these three factors when choosing your travel destination.
Bucket List Destinations:
For some people, this is Hawaii, Disneyland or even Alaska — the last frontier! For me, I want to go everywhere! But I do have specific places that I want to visit that I have prioritized over other destinations.
My husband also has places that he is more interested in seeing than others, and so we usually start going over these destinations together when trying to decide where we will go on vacation next. We try to come up with our top 5 destinations that each of us would choose to go to next. So for example maybe it would be Thailand, Tahiti, Iceland, Alaska, Norway. Then we start looking at the other factors of budget and time.
Budget:
As much as we’d all love to have bottomless budgets for which to plan our vacations, most of us do not, and I find that budget is one of the most significant factors for deciding where to go.
I plan for years where I go on smaller trips locally or in the U.S. and save up to go on “bigger” trips every few years. There are places like Tahiti, which are on my bucket list that has been pushed down the list as I know that it will be one of the most expensive destinations on my list, so it is a destination that gets saved for a later time, perhaps for a special anniversary or milestone celebration.
Timing:
My husband and I have wanted to visit Thailand for years, and from my research, I read that the best time to visit is November thru March, as the rest of the time is during their rainy and hot season.
So if we planned to take two weeks off in August, we probably choose to travel somewhere other than Thailand. As it’s unlikely we’d want to visit Thailand in the absolute hottest, rainiest and most humid time of the year. Now if for some reason that was our only time to travel and that was “the” place we absolutely wanted to go, then we would go, and we would make the most of it.
So do your research and plan accordingly, and if you feel you “must” go to a place and you don’t want to wait for a better time of year, or maybe it’s just not possible for you to go any other time, I say go! Just know what you’re going to be dealing with, pack accordingly and don’t forget to bring your adventurous attitude.
There are benefits to off-season travel, fewer crowds, and lower costs being the two biggest benefits. So it’s always worth considering that option.
Length of Vacation:
If you only have seven days for your vacation, then you will probably not want to spend 40 hrs round trip flying to say, Thailand. You will most likely want to spend less than 10 hours total in flight time, 20 hours would probably be the max most people would spend with that short period of time.
The traveling portion of a journey takes up usually two days of the trip, one day getting to your destination and one day returning home. So if you had seven days total and you are flying somewhere, then you only have 5 full days in that destination.
Typically if I will have 20+ hours round trip of flight time I prefer to have at least ten days at my destination.
Consider all the things you want to see and do and whether or not you will have enough time to really make it worth the trip.
A couple of other things to consider:
You will want to factor in whether or not you’ll need a visa or passport to travel to your intended destination, and if so, determine how long it will take you to get the necessary documents. If you are making last minute travel plans, this may play a big role when choosing your travel destination.
The more time you have to plan, the better you will be able to research what to do and the best deals. Some destinations require more research and planning than others.
Some Final Thoughts on Choosing Your Travel Destination
It is essential to know who you are.
If you know you’re the type of person who hates the heat and only wants to go outside when it’s fair weather, then be honest with yourself and your traveling partner(s) and plan to avoid traveling in conditions where you are likely to only huddle inside your hotel room.
You can never plan for “everything.”
You can plan and prepare extensively, but life has a way of throwing us curve balls and sometimes things don’t go as we want them to, so you have to roll with the punches when this happens and choose to have a good time no matter what. Remind yourself: “I could be sitting in a cubicle right now.” “I could be cleaning my bathroom” “I could be ____” You fill in the blank, but rarely are things so bad on a trip that you can’t find the positive and still enjoy your adventure.
Always keeping in mind that things can change unexpedtedly and happiness is a choice no matter where we are.
Hopefully, this helps you think through your options when choosing a travel destination. For more on how to start planning a trip, check out Trip Planning 101.
We got up early to get some breakfast before catching our train from Tokyo to Nikko. And although our “there’s always something open in Tokyo” concept may have worked the night before when we were getting ramen at 10:00 at night, we discovered, that not even Starbucks was open at 8:00 in the morning in Tokyo! Coming from Seattle we were not expecting that!
Thankfully I pack a backup breakfast option, my own personal French press and also some instant oatmeal packets. These are great when you don’t have time to go out or if you just want to save some money.
So we returned to our hotel to eat in our room.
Eating our instant oatmeal with chopsticks. Note to self: bring plastic silverware next time.
Then we were off to Nikko. We discovered that our trip coincided with their annual Spring Festival or the Shunki Reitaisai. So we were excited to be able to join in the festivities. The festival celebrates the funeral procession for one of their great leaders Tokugawa leyasu and is a memorial to how his remains were transported to Nikko in the early 1600’s.
We chose to walk from the train station all the way up to the top of the town where the procession would start. There was the option to take the bus, however, the lines were very long for that. The walk turned out to be a scenic one and with the crowds only took about 30 minutes.
River running through part of the town.Shinkyo Bridge in Nikko
It was wonderful timing for us to be able to experience this celebration and local custom firsthand. They even had English translations during the procession to explain what was happening and what each of the men in the procession represented.
We stopped to eat some dango on our way back down to the train station. These yummy treats are sort of like mochi, they boil them and then grill them. You can see in the picture he is grilling one over charcoal. You can choose from different sauces and styles. I highly recommend them!
A mid afternoon snack, grilled Mochi anyone?
We also passed by a restaurant with these displayed in its window outside. You will find this to be very typical of restaurants in Japan to have rubber replicas of the food so you can see what each thing will look like before deciding whether to go in or not.
They sure can make rubber food look appetizing!One very big bowl of rice!
Nikko is a very beautiful and charming town with little shops and places to eat. It is only a two and a half hour train ride from Tokyo, making it a wonderful day trip option. I highly recommend it on any trip to Japan!
Getting to Nikko from Tokyo:
We chose to purchase a 14 day Japan Rail Pass prior to our trip and we absolutely loved having this. It saved us so much money and was so easy and convenient to use. You can just hop on and hop off trains as needed. For more information about the pass and how to use it to visit Nikko check out the website Japan Rail Pass website.
This post is the beginning of a series of articles that I will write tailored towards the beginner traveler. I have friends and family who are new to trip planning. Many have never planned a trip that involved booking a flight or planning an international trip. In the beginning, this may seem scary and a little overwhelming. But rest assured, it is not as hard as it might seem.
Here are the 5 questions to ask yourself as you begin your trip planning.
Why are you going?
Where do you want to go?
When do you want to go?
How long will you be gone?
What do you want to see?
Why are you going?
Ok, so you should never need a “why” to travel. You travel because in the words of Hans Christian Andersen: “To Travel is to Live.”
For many people, they are traveling to fulfill a dream, to take their family to Disney World or to celebrate a milestone. Traveling creates those lifelong memories, the moments we look fondly back on, the ones that inspire us to do more and also give us the satisfaction of a dream fulfilled. So take the time to figure out what you want to get out of it so that you can make the most of your adventure.
Where do you want to go?
With any trip, you must first decide where you want to go. If you’ve got a bucket list, I’d say choose based on where you want to go most first. Or if you’re restricted to a specific time of the year, I’d choose based on which destination has the best weather or best deals during that time. Or you could toss a bunch of places written down into a hat, and randomly pick one out and go with that! Most people don’t choose this option, but it doesn’t mean you can’t!
I am currently planning a two month trip through Europe where I will be traveling to different countries. I will plan each one as a trip in and of itself. So for my “where” in this example, I will choose France.
When do you want to go?
My friend Moe and I decided to leave in September. That was when we went on our very first trip together as teenagers, and so it is fitting for us to leave again at the same time. Plus, it works out best for our schedules and our budget. Leaving in September will be a little cheaper, and as we move into the shoulder season, our costs should go down significantly from what it would be to travel during the summer or peak season.
You will need to decide “when” based on your own needs. Traveling in the shoulder season or off season can be much more cost effective, but you may need to contend with colder or rainier weather and certain attractions not being open. If you are okay with that, then I recommend you look at that as an option for deciding your “when.”
For example, I traveled to Italy in February, and there were a lot fewer crowds, and yet once you get down to Rome and further South, I didn’t even need a coat most days to go out, just a sweater or light jacket.
How long will you be gone?
This is often decided based on your work schedule and how much vacation time you have to take. Just know that whatever amount of time you have, you can always plan another trip. So soak in everything you can on this one, but don’t despair if you don’t have the amount of time you would wish to spend. You can’t see it all in one visit.
What do you want to see?
Okay, so we’ve got the when, where, how long and now onto the fun part, what to see, and do!
This is where you’ll want to start your must-see list. For example, I’m planning a trip to France, and I know that my must-see list includes: Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley & Lyon. I know that in Paris I want to see the Eiffel Tower, Notre Dame, The Louvre and so on.
There’s a good chance you already have a bucket list of places you want to see for your intended destination. However, if you don’t, the next step will help create your list of must-sees.
Research your destination.
Do a search online and also pick out some books thru your library (and yes books are still useful), our library system has a vast assortment of Ebooks as well as printed. I like to use both internet resources as well as printed books.
I will generally start by doing an online search of “France Itinerary.” Then I will begin combing through the results to see what inspires me and sounds like a place I’d like to visit.
You want places that make you smile just thinking about them. Those should be on your must-see list.
So for my trip, I know the following:
Why: To fulfill a bucket list dream and celebrate a lifelong friendship
Where: France
When: October
How long: 10 days
What to see: Paris, Normandy, Loire Valley & Lyon
It is just as easy as deciding where you want to go, when and for how long, then you make your list of what to see and you edit to fit your trip length.
Trip Editing
If you’ve only got three days in France, then plan on staying in Paris and maybe a day trip just outside the city. But you’re not going to have time to travel to the Loire Valley or Normandy and give Paris any reasonable amount of time in only three days. This would be true of any major metropolitan area.
The same principle applies whether it’s one week, two weeks, or two months. You will always need to edit and make some hard decisions on what is important to you for this trip and what you will need to wait to see until your next trip.
This makes it especially troublesome when you only have one vacation per year, or you’re only able to do one major trip every five years and so on. So I understand the need to make the most of every trip. I also know that trying to cram in too much can leave you exhausted and frustrated.
This is an adventure, a dream come true, and it should be enjoyed and always remembered fondly. So accept the limitations of each trip and then make the most of the time you have.
For more on how to choose where to travel next check out Choosing Your Travel Destination. Or if you already know where you want to go next, check out the post: Booking Your Flight. Feel free to ask any questions in the comments below or send me an email. I’d love to hear from you!
“A friend is one what knows you as you are, understands where you have been, accepts what you have become, and still, gently allows you to grow.” —William Shakespeare
That is the type of friendship I have with Moe. We’ve known each other since grade school and grew up together in the same small town, and even as adults, we have remained close friends. That kind of friendship is rare and is a blessing. It is a friendship birthed from the desire to travel and to discover.
Our love of travel and our desire to learn and grow as individuals has been a constant theme throughout our friendship. Just after graduating high school, we went on a two-month road trip around the U.S. We had spent months beforehand pouring over books and mapping out our route through the states (Google was a thing of the future).
The trip was an adventure we’ll never forget, just two young girls driving across the country in their Chevy Lumina. We were two free spirits, going wherever the wind was blowing us. Initially, we planned to sleep at campgrounds along the way, but soon this turned into driving all night adventures and sleeping in the car wherever we happened to stop. The tent was used once.
See, here’s our proof!
It was so much fun, and to our friends and family in the small town where we were raised, we were considered “world travelers.” Thankfully over the years, both she and I have genuinely become “world travelers” and have been fortunate to go on multiple trips together as well as with our husbands.
The Great Wall, ChinaTerracotta Soldiers, Xian ChinaEnjoying a break in Maui with our hubbies.
We are currently planning a two month trip through Europe. Over a year ago, we discussed how to celebrate the 20th anniversary of our first trip together. And a backpacking trip around Europe quickly became the decided upon adventure. A homage of sorts to our road trip as young girls.
We are still very much those two young girls with adventure in their hearts. Since that first road trip, we have both married, moved to different cities & changed as individuals. Yet, we still have the young dreams in our hearts that have never left us.
I look forward to learning more about ourselves on this journey and once again reminding each other that no matter how much time passes, our passion for travel, our love of all things new, and our friendship are constants. Travel brings people together. Whether it’s loved ones or strangers, it is one of its many benefits.
So without further ado, let’s get to planning! Oh wait, but first…coffee! A cup of hazelnut coffee, to be exact, it’s one of my favorites. Then on to planning!
It was my husband’s childhood dream to travel to Japan and he was finally getting to accomplish it. His interest in video games, computers and all things technology started as a very young child. So this trip was a bucket list trip for him. I was also excited to be traveling to Japan, but I think on this trip his anticipation beat mine.
Here’s a picture of him at the airport waiting for our flight to Tokyo. He’s just a wee bit excited!
Waiting for our flight to Tokyo
Side Note:
I happen to like airplane food. Okay, not really the food I guess, but the experience of the food they give you. Depending on where you travel you are typically served food that is consistent with that area. Since we were traveling to Japan we were given options like miso soup, udon noodles and green tea. When I’m flying I look forward to seeing what mystery meal I will get. I know I’m weird and easily amused, but there you have it!
The chicken option.And the beef option.
First Night in Tokyo:
We arrived at our hotel in the Ikebukuro neighborhood of Tokyo at around 8:00 p.m. and after checking in and freshening up, (and learning how to use the toilet) it was nearly 9:00 p.m. by the time we headed out for dinner.
Fancy controls on our toilet
We don’t normally eat that late, however with our internal clocks still set for Pacific time back home, we decided: Hey, it’s Tokyo, there’s always something open!
So we did a quick Google search to find the nearest restaurants and decided to go to Mutekiya, a ramen shop that was just a short walk from our hotel in Ikebukuro. Mutekiya got great reviews and this would be our first experience eating authentic Japanese ramen vs those $0.20 packets of dried noodles we were fed for lunch as kids.
A staple food for both kids and college students.
It took us a little bit to actually find the place, as Google maps was having difficulty getting a lock on our GPS, we weren’t sure if it was due to all the tall buildings, or some other interference.
This is a common issue you might have when traveling, it can also depend on the SIM card or local cell phone service you get when you arrive, we chose to use a data only SIM by DoCoMo, which we purchased at an airport vending machine. (Another cool thing about Japan, you can buy almost anything from a vending machine!)
Shortly after crossing the street we found the restaurant and also a line that wrapped around the building and up the street! I couldn’t believe that we were waiting in line at 10:00 at night to eat ramen!
Painted sign outside restaurant detailing the ramen we would soon eat.
45 minutes later we were seated on two bar stools discovering a new love for ramen. This is not your store bought ramen! Wow! The ramen was delicious! The broth was full of flavor, the soft boiled eggs were cooked just right and mine had delicious crispy garlic toppings. It was a great experience and the perfect way to begin our time in Tokyo.
The most delicious bowl of ramen we had ever eaten.
I recommend that you jump right in when you first arrive at your destination. It forces your body to get adjusted to the local time zone. Even if it’s only for a couple of hours before you go back to your hotel and crash. It sets your trip out on the right foot and the excitement you get from exploring your new surroundings will usually overcome your jet lag – at least for a few hours.
Traveling to Japan opened our eyes up to the country’s varied and delicious cuisines. And although eating a bowl of ramen at almost 11:00 at night was never on my list of to-dos, it turned out to be a great first experience in Tokyo!
Budget:
When do you want to go?
