We went years back with no kids but stayed in the algarve and there was one resort that seemed super kid friendly right on the beach. I'm pretty sure it was this one - https://www.martinhal.com/sagres/.

Could be fun to end your trip there!

I just started another thread about when to go to Portugal and then saw this thread. PP who went this summer, that sounds super fun! Did your kids do ok with moving around that much? Did you rent a car?

Anonymous wrote:Keep in mind that dinner is very late in Portugal. That was tough on my kids when most restaurants weren't even open until 8pm

Op here- I took the advice of someone to allow the time difference to work in our favor! I let the kids stay up to 10-10:30 but they slept in! It worked really well and it was a lot cooler at night so it was better.

Youngest did struggle a bit at 4 but 7 year old did great!

Keep in mind that dinner is very late in Portugal. That was tough on my kids when most restaurants weren't even open until 8pm

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Stay away from Lisbon airport. Read the news.

What???

I think this refers to potential airline worker strikes.

OP here- yes, we went! It was amazing!!!

Flew in/out Lisbon. Spent 3 nights cascais, 1 night obidos, 1 night Aveiro, 3 nights porto, 1 night Coimbra, and 4 nights Lisbon.

We loved cascais- kids top place, porto was in 2nd! Aveiro and Costa nova- awesome!! Actually some protected spots at the beach for the kids to play and great bars, shopping. So fun!!

Lisbon was great but big and super hot! I love Portugal now.

Anonymous wrote:Bumping this thread up- OP did you go? We are considering Portugal for next year and our kids will be the same ages (4 and 7). Would love to hear what you ended up doing and what your kids enjoyed!

Not OP but I went with my elementary aged kid. We loved Cascais, which was recommended on this board. We could have spent our whole trip there! Lisbon is ok but its just a lot of schlepping around with kids. Sintra was nice but we only did 1 attraction there. Its probably worth a few days. If I went again, I would go straight from the airport to Cascais, then rent a car to go north to the Duoro region (which we didn't see because we didn't have a car).

Bumping this thread up- OP did you go? We are considering Portugal for next year and our kids will be the same ages (4 and 7). Would love to hear what you ended up doing and what your kids enjoyed!

Anonymous wrote:Stay away from Lisbon airport. Read the news.

What???

Braga
Sintra
Aveiro

Anonymous wrote:OP here- thanks for the feedback!! Definitely sounds like a trip to consider. We had previously considered switzerland and paris but I'm concerned that my kids can't handle it. Not sure about switzerland but in Paris they like children but only in certain spaces and if they are meticulously well-behaved. 2 years in a pandemic with young kids who have had limited socialization....yeah, that's not a realistic expectation to place on them. Portugal might be a good option for us to spread our "international wings" lol.

Thanks

My parents took us to Switzerland 2 or 3 times growing up and ive been as an adult a few times (pre kids). It’s wonderful for kids! As a child I remember just doing lots of hiking and relaxing by lakes and riding trains to see mountains. As an adult I visited the transportation museum in Lucerne and it is AMAZING for kids.

So we went without our kids, so take with a grain of salt. Lisbon was fun and I really enjoyed Sintra but not sure if kids those ages would enjoy it- I could be very wrong about that, they might have kid friendly activities- but we did a TON of walking , enjoying views and the museum of the castle, and a lot of waiting in line to get in. My kids would have hated it.

We drove down to Salema in the southern tip for a few days at the beach and it was great- tiny town, laid back beach, ice cream stands etc. I think my kids would have enjoyed it a lot.