Lisbon and Vigo

AF1 · #1 (**permalink**) February 21st, 2009, 04:16 PM

Hi everyone. I will be cruising in Europe and the med in May. Can anyone tell me about Vigo Spain, and Lisbon, My wife and I are thinking of grabbing a taxi and going downtown in both cities; verses taking the ships excursions. If you have any info on these cities and what would be the best way to see them; I appreciate it.

katlady · #2 (**permalink**) February 22nd, 2009, 03:40 PM

How late will you be in Lisbon? If you can go and see the Fado. Hear is a site that gives a good explanation of the Fado. http://www.golisbon.com/night-life/fado/ You may not have a late enough stay to see a fado. Here is a link to an article about Lisbon Museums. http://www.golisbon.com/museums/ I hope this helps.

Here also is a link to the Lisbon tourism website. This is a link to different routes for walking tours of the city. http://www.atl-turismolisboa.pt/Cont...spx?lang=en-GB

katlady · #3 (**permalink**) February 22nd, 2009, 03:45 PM

Oops I forgot the food. http://www.golisbon.com/food/food.html If you like fish then try some bacalhau. Please note bread placed on the table is not free. If you don't want the bread have it removed right away. If you take one piece out you will be charged for the entire basket of bread.

AF1 · #4 (**permalink**) February 22nd, 2009, 05:51 PM

thanks for the tips

kandajones · #5 (**permalink**) February 24th, 2009, 07:45 AM

The port of Vigo has little to offer the visitor, consisting mainly of a long pedestrian shopping area, a couple of gardens, and a Corte Ingles department store.

The ship moors close to the town centre, and now that the new shopping centre has opened, you can use their lifts to get to the town level rather than hiking up the short but steep hill. So if you are planning on staying local, there is no real need to book a taxi.

Above the town is an old fort and gardens which gives you some nice views back over the river, but your ship will be hiding behind the port building, so although there is plenty to photograph from there, the ship will not be one of them.

It is a good port of call if you have had a few days at sea, and want to stretch your legs, of just to stroll through the shops. But if you want a full day, then I would seriously suggest checking the tours out again.

Hope you have a great cruise,

Alan

jeana · #6 (**permalink**) February 28th, 2009, 09:50 PM

I had a great independent day in Vigo a few years back. I took a ferry across to the quaint town of Cangas. The island has lots of Celtic influence and you can have a nice relaxing and colorful day here with a great lunch. You can buy the ferry ticket at the marina. Look for the line that goes to Cangas. It's a small marina and should not be too hard to find.

Parrot Mom · #7 (**permalink**) February 28th, 2009, 10:20 PM

We had an overnight cruise in Lisbon and it was the highlight of our trip.. People had hired a private guide and we had a bus to take us to Sintra.. the next day we did a tour of Lisbon and it's not only beautiful, but clean.. We went to Belem and had the famous tarts at the little bakery there.. Vigo I don't know much about.. not a thing, but ahh Lisbon.. so beautiful. so so beautiful

kandajones · #8 (**permalink**) March 1st, 2009, 05:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jeana

I had a great independent day in Vigo a few years back. I took a ferry across to the quaint town of Cangas. The island has lots of Celtic influence and you can have a nice relaxing and colorful day here with a great lunch. You can buy the ferry ticket at the marina. Look for the line that goes to Cangas. It's a small marina and should not be too hard to find.

Thanks Jeana, we are always looking for something new to do when the ships visit Vigo, but hadn't looked into the local ferries. Your comments have certainly given us food for thought.

Alan & Katrina

AF1 · #9 (**permalink**) March 10th, 2009, 07:03 PM

Thank you all for your comments. I am looking forward to visiting Lisbon. We have decided to do a ship sponsored tour of about 2 hours. Then we will be on our own to shop; and make our way back to port. I believe we have 8 hours in this port.
cheers

shoreguy · #10 (**permalink**) March 10th, 2009, 08:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AF1

Thank you all for your comments. I am looking forward to visiting Lisbon. We have decided to do a ship sponsored tour of about 2 hours. Then we will be on our own to shop; and make our way back to port. I believe we have 8 hours in this port.
cheers

I loved Lisbon, The light train stops right across from the pier and will take you to the center of town. A tip you can get a transportation pass for the day at the post office. We spent an hour trying to figure out where to buy one.

One word of caution the pick pockets were worse in Lisbon then Barcelona or Rome. Secure everything. I was lucky and got my wallet back when my son grabbed the pckpocket on the trolley. When we got back to the ship there were at least a dozen passengers waiting to have their identity confirmed by the ship to get through security with no remaining ID.

Vigo we did a ships tour - wine tasting - some great views - some of the worst wine I ever tasted.

Pictures from the two days

http://travel.webshots.com/album/561...ITRGvp?start=0

katlady · #11 (**permalink**) March 10th, 2009, 11:51 PM

I had a money belt hidden under my clothes so I had no problem with pick pockets. I kept a few dollars in my bra to quick access.