Portugal trip: full budget by city

Lodging decides everything, and the amplitude is unusual. A hostel at €8, a three-star at €118, a four-star at €186: Lisbon offers both one of Western Europe's cheapest budget ends and hotel rates aligned with neighbouring capitals. Over seven nights, that single choice swings the trip from €56 to over €800.

The flight does not count. At €22 return, it costs less than two hostel nights. No reason to shift your dates for airfare.

Food stays very accessible. A prato do dia at lunch, the daily dish often served with soup and a drink, runs €8 to €12 at a neighbourhood tasca. A pastel de nata costs under a euro fifty. Central tourist areas charge noticeably more for cooking rarely any better.

The underestimated line is transport within the city. Lisbon is built on hills, and walks that look easy on a map turn out punishing. Funiculars and the Santa Justa lift charge fares, which pushes many visitors towards a day travel card.

May-June and September form the best window, at 17 to 21°C in Lisbon with very low rainfall. These are bright months, without summer's crowds or winter's showers.

Summer is warm and remarkably dry, around 21 to 22°C on average in July and August with only 2 to 4mm of rain. It is pleasant, the Atlantic tempering the extremes, but it is also high season, especially in the Algarve where rates double.

Autumn and winter are the real rainy season, at 78 to 84mm a month from October to December. Temperatures stay mild, around 11 to 14°C, and it is the cheapest period. Lisbon in the rain remains workable, but the slippery hills need care.

The flight starts at €22 and stays low most of the year: it is lodging, and above all the comfort level chosen, that drives the budget.

Eating. The prato do dia, the lunchtime daily dish at neighbourhood tascas, is the budget tool to know: €8 to €12 for a full meal, often with soup and a drink. Grilled fish and salt cod are the best-value specialities. A pastel de nata costs under a euro fifty and should not be refused. Terraces on central tourist squares charge double for ordinary cooking.

Getting around. Lisbon is a city of hills, and that is what visitors most underestimate. Distances look short on a map but the gradients are real. A day travel card covering metro, trams and funiculars pays off from three rides. Tram 28, heavily touristed, is packed at peak hours: taking it early in the morning changes the experience. Between cities, trains are comfortable and cheap.

Sightseeing. Prices stay moderate. Belém Tower and the Jerónimos Monastery charge admission, with queues lengthening in season, but most of Lisbon is discovered free: the neighbourhoods, the viewpoints, the squares and the churches. Some national museums open free windows, generally on Sunday mornings.

Currency. The euro, so no exchange fee for a eurozone traveler. Contactless cards work everywhere.

Language. Portuguese. English is very widely spoken in Lisbon and Porto, including at small establishments, which makes the country easy to travel. French is also understood by part of the population.

Terrain. This is Lisbon's practical particularity: the city is built on seven hills and the gradients are significant. Comfortable shoes and a travel card genuinely improve the trip.

Crowds. Lisbon has become a heavily visited destination, and the Belém sites as well as tram 28 saturate around midday. Shifting visits to early morning or late afternoon avoids most of the queues.