Portugal: The Highs and Lows of Our Trip
LaidbackExpats
Portugal had been on my bucket list for quite some time for its astounding coastline, famed sunsets, and the largest waves in the world.
Although we planned and did our research, there were bumps in the road—figuratively and literally. But that’s not to say we didn’t like it.
I think Portugal might not have matched my expectations entirely, and that’s a personal POV.
Portugal had been on my list for years, but like a lot of bucket list destinations, expectations can get a little out of control.
Between the coastline, the culture, and everything you see online, it’s easy to build it up into something almost impossible to match.
This trip ended up being a mix of moments that completely lived up to the hype—and others that definitely didn’t.
💸 Prices
We were so impressed that Portugal was in fact as cheap as we had heard.
We could buy wine, coffee, and groceries and feel like we were undercharged—which was a treat coming from Florida.
This afforded us some leeway in the budget to do the things we wanted, like trek off to Sintra.
🚻 Bathroom Access
If you’ve been to Europe, you know public bathrooms are harder to come by—but here in Portugal, we thought it was impossible.
Even train stations didn’t have them.
Make sure you go before you head out the door.
In emergency situations, we would buy something from McDonald’s and go. And yes, you do need to buy something because the bathroom code is on the receipt.
Food in Portugal
🍮 Foods We Loved
A warm Pastel de Nata was hands down the best local treat I had in all of Europe.
The dessert has a flaky pie crust and a custardy center, best when eaten warm—so good I instantly needed another.
Green wine was another treat, and for less than $3 USD, we could buy a bottle.
🍽️ Foods We Didn’t Care For
This being the first destination on our backpacking trip, we were pumped to try new and unique foods.
I had high hopes for Francesinha, which is a sandwich stuffed with all kinds of meats and topped with a tomato beer sauce.
It felt like a case of less is more—they just did way too much.
Bacalhau was another dish I had high hopes for, as it is the national dish of Portugal.
I (Hannah) am personally not a big seafood person—unless it’s deep fried and beer battered—so it makes sense I wouldn’t love it.
However, Andrew loves seafood, and even he found it to be a touch too fishy.
Of course, these are based on our personal preferences—go with God as you order.
🚋 Tram 28
Tram 28 is one of the historic old trams that run through the steep streets of Lisbon.
It gives a romantic, classic feeling while seeing the city as you lean out the open windows, crawling up the hills without exhausting yourself.
If you are traveling Europe, you are doing enough walking—take this tram.
The tram can be busy, and although many people get off at major stops, that’s also where you find the longest lines.
⚠️ Hassled
As we promenaded the tourist areas looking at souvenirs and cafes to scope out our next meal, we found that we were constantly being stopped.
Sometimes for little gifts—but also for drugs.
Andrew experienced this tenfold when he was alone, and some friends of ours from Turkey had the same experience.
We couldn’t have a conversation because men came up to us and started offering drugs.
Sorry—but we are here for something else.
🌅 Sunsets
This one is perhaps a touch cliché—but much of “going on an adventure” is.
The sunsets in Porto were the real deal.
You have so many options to experience this:
On the San Luis Bridge, watching the sun dip
From the river, gliding on a traditional wooden boat
On a grassy hillside with live music and a cocktail in hand
Or even a gondola ride as the sun meets the water
I recommend every option.
🚗 Car Rental (The Chaos Story)
Not to be dramatic—but this car drove us out of Portugal.
We were amped to go on the open road and left Lisbon for Porto with pure excitement.
The rental company advised us to take an electric car to save on gas.
Halfway to Porto, we stopped to charge—and it wouldn’t work.
We drove all over Leiria trying to charge.
It took a good samaritan at a grocery store to tell us we needed a special card—one we never got.
He kindly used his card to power ours, and after many “Obrigadas,” we headed to Porto sweaty and stressed.
The next morning, Andrew pulled down the sun visor—and out fell our power card. One problem solved.
After a few days in Porto, we headed to Nazaré to see the largest waves in the world.
We tried charging again—and it still didn’t work.
Now freezing and anxious, we pulled into a parking garage… and got trapped.
Concrete barriers surrounded us. We felt hopeless.
Eventually, someone opened the gate, and we drove to a hotel—not our hostel.
The next day, we tried returning the car. They wouldn’t take it.
We had barely any battery left.
We went back to the same grocery store, found help again, and finally got the car to charge.
We filled it to the top and got the hell out of there.
Driving back to Lisbon, we were cold, anxious, and praying the battery would last.
We stopped in town after town trying chargers—none worked.
There was zero room for error.
🧭 Final Thoughts
Portugal didn’t completely match what I imagined—but maybe that’s the point.
The best trips aren’t perfect—they’re the ones you remember.
