#Break in free#
Pausing at one by the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcantara viewpoint means a side-serving of acoustic guitar with my great sweep of a view, across a zigzag of tiled rooftops towards the expanse of the Tagus River and the ancient hulk of Castelo de São Jorge.Īt Cais do Sodré, I find a river bank populated by sunbathing hippies and stoners, all admiring an entirely free view of the Tagus rolling back and forth in front of Lisbon’s towering Christ the King statue. June is the festival month for Saint Anthony, the patron saint of Lisbon and of lovers, and street parties in his honour feature live music as well as little wooden huts selling fresh juice and pina coladas. The cheapest option I can find comes with worrying TripAdvisor reviews (“paper thin walls”, “trains seem to rush through the room”) so I book into the next most affordable thing: the Empire Marques, in a slightly scruffy neighbourhood away from the tourist heartlands. In late June, three-star accommodation is at least £40 more than the Post Office average figure of £121 for two nights. Is it possible to have the perfect Lisbon short break on a Post Office budget? I’m about to find out.īooking a hotel is the first stumbling block, partly because I’m travelling in summer. Favourable laws for cryptocurrency investors have led to an influx of billionaires while a generous digital nomad scheme means shared workspaces are appearing too (some with pools and lush gardens which suggest they’re not built for those on a minimum wage). Across the city, posh new apartments are going up in a crescendo of daytime drilling. It sounds like good value – but times are changing in Lisbon.
#Break in plus#
That figure includes a stay in a three-star hotel plus food, sightseeing and transport. It’s official: Lisbon is the cheapest option for a European city break according to the Post Office’s City Costs Barometer, which puts the average price of a two-night trip to the Portuguese capital at £224.76.
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