Lisbon city break: how to spend a perfect weekend in Portugal

Earlier this summer, I decided to do something totally unoriginal—I joined the hordes of Americans working remotely from Lisbon. I had a wedding in Tuscany to attend, and my flight home on TAP offered me a free stopover for up to 10 nights. I decided I'd stay a week and get a taste of life in Portugal. How could I resist?

Travel has gotten weird. First, nobody did it for a couple of years. Then everybody did it at once and airports fell apart. “Revenge travel,” became a thing. Airports mostly figured out how to keep track of luggage, and people kept going places—too often the same ones. Major cities across Europe have enacted anti-tourism policies.

Planning a trip to Europe or beyond? If you’re looking to tack on an extra destination to your itinerary, it’s easier than you might think. Portuguese carrier TAP is adding flight stopovers in Lisbon and Porto to all of its transatlantic routes, with added freebies like hotel discounts and free wine from their partners if you do choose to stop in either locale.

Our new series features under-the-radar holiday destinations that are often overlooked by visitors but cherished by locals. Here, we ask four experts on Portugal for their top picks. 

Central Portugal is the authentic heart of the country.Olivia Rawes escapes the Algarve and discovers Centro. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your travel guide for Portugal.

Undiscovered Portugal is remarkably easy to find. Head east instead of west from Lisbon Airport. Drive over the Vasco da Gama bridge. And in no time you're in a landscape of cork trees, vineyards and nesting storks. Matthew Hancock, co-author of The Rough Guide to Portugal reveals his favourite places to get off the tourist trail and into undiscovered Portugal. All information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your travel guide for Portugal.

Porto versus Lisbon? Both Portugal's main cities have a lot in common. And they both make great city breaks. But which city should you visit first? Here’s the lowdown. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your essential guide for visiting Portugal.

The Algarve Portugal has 300 days of sunshine each year. And it attracts millions of visitors. But sticking to beaches and golf means missing out. With 200km of coastline there's lots to discover. Five ­centuries of Moorish left a rich legacy. And secrets can still be found in the Algarve.

Portugal is less than three hours’ flight time from the UK, and you can get great deals on flights from the US. Moreover, once you get there, it is still a great and cheap destination in Europe. But if those reasons are not enough to persuade you, here are six more why Portugal is a must-try destination.

Looking for free things to do in Lisbon? The city is now a top-league destination. It's still an affordable European capital. But prices have risen in recent years. Get more for your money with our top 10 free things to do in Lisbon. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your essential guide for visiting Portugal.

Anyone planning to travel to Portugal can use these Portugal travel tips. This is one of Europe’s oldest extant nations. It's an ancient kingdom defended by hilltop castles and dramatic walled towns. The coast covers 1793 kilometres. And the choice of beaches alone is vast. So take a look at our 20 top travel tips for Portugal. Avoid the crowds and get more for your euros. The information in this article is taken from The Rough Guide to Portugal, your travel guide for Portugal.