Planning my first summer trip in Europe: Portugal

Ever since we settled into our new life in Germany, we had been dreaming about all the places we could finally explore. Travel has always been a big dream of mine and it was actually a huge part of why we decided to move. So when summer started to roll in, I knew it was time to plan our first summer trip. I began browsing different destinations, trying to find the perfect mix of sunshine,

culture, and affordability. Since this was our first getaway after the big move, we didn’t want to go overboard with the budget — but we also wanted something memorable. Lisbon was one of the places I had pinned on maps and saved on Instagram. And with the nudge of a friend I started looking more into Portugal. It felt like a perfect mix of sunshine, coastline, culture and affordability. So just like that, we had a plan — our first summer getaway would begin in Portugal.

Before I get into how I planned our trip, I just want to say – this isn’t some perfect Portugal guide that guarantees the best trip ever. I am not a travel expert, just someone who genuinely enjoys planning, discovering new places and then sharing my experience. I am still figuring out things as I go. Every trip teaches me something new – about planning, about travel and about us. I know that everyone travels differently – some love fast paced trips, some prefer to take it slow, some go for nature, some go for history. We try to find a balance that suits both of us. So this is me sharing our little version of it – what we did, what worked for us and what made it special. I hope you find our travel story fun, maybe even inspiring in some small way. If something here helps you plan your own trip — even just a small tip or idea — that honestly makes me so happy. Take what speaks to you, leave what doesn’t — that’s the beauty of travel, isn’t it? There’s no right way to do it. Just your way.

Once we were sure on the destination, the next step was deciding which places we wanted to visit within Portugal. After a bit of research ( and way too many travel videos), we settled on a mix of three- Lisbon for the culture and city life, the Algarve for the beaches and sunshine and Porto for cozy, old town charm (and of course wine).Now it was time to move on to bookings and I tend to take it step by step. So first book the travel to and fro from the destination, then go on to sort your stay, after that book the intercity travel if it has to be done in advance and then finally move on to book your experiences. So following the pattern it was time to book our flights.We didn’t fix our dates right away — instead, we kept things flexible so we could grab the best flight deals. We used Skyscanner to check different combinations of dates and airports, which really helped us see which routes and dates made best sense for us. One thing that really helped: we were open to flying from any city in Germany, not just where we live. It might sound like a hassle, but it can save you quite a bit. If you have a Deutschland Ticket, you can travel across cities for free using regional trains. And even if you don’t, Flix Bus or DB Trains are pretty affordable. Of course, it depends on how much time you’re okay spending in transit vs. how much you’re saving — it’s all about finding that sweet spot that works for you.

After checking a million combinations of dates and cities (okay, maybe not a million but close 😛) , we finally booked a 9-day trip from 26th June to 4th July. Yayyy!! We flew from Hannover to Faro, and the tickets came to about 133 Eur for both, including one extra 8kg hand luggage. If you are travelling light with just a backpack, you could probably bring that cost down even more. For the return, we booked a flight from Porto to Cologne for about 115 Eur for both, again including one extra hand luggage. Now looking back, flying into Faro from Hannover worked out great – smooth and easy. But flying back to Cologne? Not our best move I would say. Now you will ask why? We picked it because flights were cheaper, and we thought we would squeeze in a quick visit to the famous Cologne Cathedral. But honestly, by the end of the trip we were just too tired to do any more sightseeing. We skipped the cathedral altogether and the journey back home felt  longer and more exhausting than the whole Portugal trip! So don’t forget to factor in how much time and energy it will take to get back home – especially at the end of the trip when you are running low on both.

Once our flights were booked, it started to feel real. I am not gonna lie, I love this part – sitting with my notes, reading blogs, watching videos, checking Google Maps and trying to build a plan that feels exciting but relaxed, and include things that match both our travel styles — a bit of exploring, a bit of slowing down. So here is how we ended up dividing our time.

We started with 2 days in Albufeira, a small town in the Algarve region. We landed in Faro, and while the Algarve is huge and full of beautiful places, Albufeira stood out to us — both for its charm and because it made sense with the tour of Benagil Caves which I was quite excited for! (more on that in a later blog!). 

After soaking up the sun there, we headed to Lisbon for 3 days — a perfect blend of city energy, history, and those postcard-perfect streets. We even managed to squeeze in a day trip to a fairytale town called Sintra. You’ll have to wait for the next post to hear more about that 😉.

And finally, we spent our last 3 days in Porto, soaking in the riverside views, cobbled streets, and slowing down before wrapping up the trip and heading back home. With the big pieces in place, we let the rest flow naturally. Here’s a simple day-by-day look at how our little Portugal adventure came together.

Day 1: Flight to Faro → Arrived in Albufeira and explored
Day 2: Relaxed day at the beach + coastal tour (more on this coming soon!)
Day 3: Travel to Lisbon → Check in and explore
Day 4: Full day exploring Lisbon’s main spots
Day 5: Day trip to Sintra
Day 6: Travel to Porto → Relax and explore
Day 7: Exploring Porto — the vibe, the views, and the wine
Day 8: More of Porto
Day 9: Flight back to Germany (from Porto to Cologne) and journey back home

Once our flights were booked and the itinerary was set, the next big thing was figuring out where to stay — and that’s when my inner research worm kicked in again. 😄 There were so many options out there: hostels, hotels, apartments, cute little BnBs… it was honestly a bit overwhelming at first.

I explored all the websites — Booking.com, Airbnb, Skyscanner, Agoda — just trying to find the best mix of comfort, location, and price. In the end, we booked different types of stays from different platforms for each city, depending on what made the most sense there. Each place had its own pros and cons (more on that in the upcoming posts!), but overall, I think we ended up with some really good deals that worked well for us.

And that’s the outline of our 9 days in Portugal! I’m so excited to share more about each place — the little moments, the surprises, the things we loved, the lessons we learned, and most importantly, to show you just how beautiful Portugal truly is. If you’ve made it this far, thank you for joining me — I really hope you enjoyed reading about our journey. I’d love to have you along for the next part too!