Portugal IS a budget vacation!

Highlight has to be the trip to Evora to see the "Capela dos Ossos", which is a room filled with over 5,000 bones as decor. I took a train/boat ride there one day to see this, and it was worth it!

Quick Tips:

Learn some Portuguese before going. Although many people do speak English, when you ask "Fala Ingles?", they will say no. Don't even attempt Spanish. I was snubbed more than once for attempting to speak Spanish (it's very similar) when someone wouldn't respond to me in English.

Walk or take taxis everywhere. Walking is free, but taxis are cheap and will save your knees from the neverending cobblestones!

Best Way To Get Around:

You have a wide variety, without hiring a car. Walking is the free way, but again, cobblestones are pretty but become quite hateful after walking on them all day. Trams and buses are good, but very crowded. They are cheap, and a good way to see the city. Taxis are the cheapest in Europe that I've found. A ride to central Lisbon from the airport was six euros. Save your knees and back and take a taxi.

Hands down, the best hostel I've been in within Europe. Clean, inexpensive, not so noisy, friendly owners (well, one of them), and much more. Whether it's a single room or a double, you don't get the "hostel" feeling here. You get the "hotel" feeling. If you're traveling alone, you get your own room. The hostel is central to many things, a 10-minute walk to the Praco do Comercio, a 5-minute walk to the Rossio Train Station, and the Metro/Tram picks up within 50 meters of the front door. English, Spanish (a little), Portuguese, and French are spoken. The email address is: pensao_duque@yahoo.com

Really good food, not so many Euros! I had Chicken Cordon Bleu, which came with salad as a starter - and bread, but be warned: if you eat the bread, you pay extra for it. The main course was a HUGE piece of chicken, rice, potatoes, and mixed vegetables. The chicken took up half the plate. My total bill, with two Coca-Colas, was 8 Euros. Not bad at all, and there was little to no wait, with a clean atmosphere.

Basically, it's a tour of Lisbon and the outskirts via tram. These trams go up hills that some healthy people can't climb without being winded, and often, you wonder how the trams can. They are old and clanky, but make it! They are also jam-packed. If you can go during off hours or early in the morning, it's your best bet. They do shut down for siesta, so don't expect a ride then. You can see many of the greater points of Lisbon and the outlying cities without leaving your seat. Bairro Alto, Baixa, and Rossio are the main suburbs that they go through. A must for every first-time visitor...if nothing else, to get you familiar with your surroundings!

Walking is your best bet, as most of Lisbon is on one of seven hills. If you don't feel like walking back up the hill, the taxis are the cheapest in Europe. You can ride around the city for 10 Euros. The trams are also inexpensive, as well as the lifts, such as Elevador da Gloria and Elevador da Bica. These are funiculars that scale the mountain for you. The price is right, too! Whether on foot, taxi, tram, lift or bus, there really isn't any reason to hire a car in Lisbon.