Plan Your Trip
Family Travel
Portugal for Kids
The great thing about Portugal for children is its manageable size and the range of sights and activities on offer. There’s so much to explore and to catch the imagination, even for those with very short attention spans.
The Algarve has to be the best kid-pleasing destination in Portugal, with endless beaches, zoos, water parks, horse-riding outfitters and boat trips. Kids will also be happy in Lisbon and its outlying provinces. There are trams, puppet shows, a huge aquarium, a toy museum, horse-drawn carriages, castles, parks and playgrounds.
As for fairy-tale places, Portugal has these in spades. Some children enjoy visiting churches if they can light a candle, and they’ll enjoy the make-believe of the castles and palaces sprinkled about the country. In towns, hop-on, hop-off tours can be good for saving small legs, and miniature resort trains often cause more excitement than you would have thought possible.
Kids are welcome just about everywhere and the Portuguese are naturally very kind towards them. They can even get literary: the late Nobel Prize–winning author José Saramago wrote a charming children’s fable, The Tale of the Unknown Island, available in English.
Portugal for Babies
oThe Portuguese are generally quite laid-back about breast-feeding in public as long as some attempt at discretion is made.
oFormula (including organic brands) and disposable nappies (diapers) are widely available at most pharmacies and grocery stores.
oTurismos (tourist offices), as well as most hotels and guest houses, can recommend babysitters.
oKeep your baby hydrated in the summer months, especially on the beaches of the Algarve and in big cities like Lisbon and Porto.
Eating with Kids
Portuguese restaurateurs are always glad to see junior diners. Kids portions are almost always available, a high chair can always be found somewhere and staff are very friendly and forgiving towards children. Less formal cafes and bakeries are superb places to feed tots – we've yet to encounter a child in Portugal who hadn't discovered the joys of a pastel de nata (custard tart)! A glass of warm milk can cost as little as €0.50 and kids love freshly squeezed juices.
Best for Kids
Museu de Arte, Arquitetura e Tecnologia Inquisitive minds will love the scientific exhibitions here.
Oceanário Fishy fun in the Portuguese capital.
Museu da Marioneta Kids can play puppeteer for the day at this Lisbon puppet museum.
Skygarden Glide through Coimbra’s Botanical Gardens on slide or rope.
Algarve beaches Sandcastle fun on Portugal’s finest strands.
Aveiro boat trips Kids will love the brightly coloured boats and messing about on the water.
Getting Around
Children aged under five travel free; those aged five to 12 go for half price. This is true on the trains but bus drivers on local services will often just wave you to a seat when they see a child getting on. Journeys are rarely long enough for niggliness to set in; long-distance coaches always have a toilet on board.
Annoyances
Nothing is ever perfect and there are aspects of family travel in Portugal that irk some.
oThe message about kids and sugar hasn't quite reached Portugal. Often children's drinks come with extra sachets of sugar.
oSome Portuguese have the habit of ruffling the hair of blond children in the street – some parents may not be comfortable with this.
oHealth and safety is not a priority at most castles in Portugal – missing railings, exposed walkways etc abound. Keep hold of those tiny hands if you see a dangerous section coming up.