Portugal: Lisbon, Porto & the Algarve

Arrival hub and the heart of the route: tram 28 through Alfama, the Belém monuments, viewpoints (miradouros) at dusk, and the best custard tarts on earth. Three nights is the minimum to not feel rushed.

Skip / overrated: The hop-on hop-off bus skips the best parts - walk or take the actual tram instead. The Oceanarium is excellent but better saved for a family trip; solo and couple travellers can skip it for more neighbourhood wandering.

The Pena Palace perched on a wooded hilltop above cork forests is one of Europe's great surprises - genuinely magical, not just 'castle-shaped'. Worth an overnight to hit Pena at opening before the day-trip crowds arrive from Lisbon.

Skip / overrated: The Quinta da Regaleira is beautiful but gets extremely busy mid-morning; if you only have time for one palace, Pena wins. Skip the overpriced tourist restaurants on the main square - better food a few streets back.

A perfectly preserved medieval walled town the size of a village - whitewashed houses, bougainvillea, and the famous ginjinha (cherry liqueur) served in chocolate cups. A single night is ideal; it's compact enough to walk end-to-end in an hour.

Skip / overrated: Óbidos is genuinely charming but the souvenir shops are relentless. Spend your time on the wall walk and in the back lanes, not on the main tourist drag.

Portugal's great university city, with one of Europe's most beautiful Baroque libraries (the Joanina Library - book timed entry in advance). The medieval upper town, the fado here (a darker, more academic tradition than Lisbon's), and the old aqueduct make it a worthwhile stop between Óbidos and Porto.

Skip / overrated: The Joanina Library timed-entry sells out; book online before you arrive. On a very short trip, Coimbra can be done as a 3-hour train stop rather than an overnight - the city rewards an evening but doesn't need two.

The route's second major city: a stacked, crumbling, gorgeous riverfront, the Ribeira district, azulejo-clad church facades, the iconic Dom Luís bridge, and the port-wine lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia just across the river. Three nights gives you time to slow down and actually enjoy it.

Skip / overrated: The bookshop Livraria Lello is genuinely beautiful but the queues and €8 entry fee have made it more Instagram stop than bookshop. See it early morning or skip if you're crowd-averse. The cable car in Gaia is scenic but overpriced for the 600m it covers.

The steeply terraced wine country east of Porto along the Douro River - dramatic UNESCO-listed scenery, quintas (wine estates) open for tastings, and the slow train from Porto along the valley is one of Europe's most scenic rail journeys.

Skip / overrated: A Douro day-trip from Porto is possible but thin - an overnight at a quinta means you can taste wine at dusk, wake to mist over the terraces, and catch the scenery at golden hour both ways. If time is tight, the train journey itself (Porto - Pinhão return, no accommodation) is still worthwhile.

The best base for the western Algarve: dramatic ochre sea cliffs, accessible cove beaches (Meia Praia, Praia Dona Ana), and a historic town that hasn't yet been entirely homogenised by tourism. Good seafood, good nightlife, and a relaxed pace to end the trip.

Skip / overrated: Albufeira is the most visited Algarve resort but also the most package-holiday-heavy - Lagos or the Sagres peninsula offer a better sense of the real Algarve coast.