Where to Stay in Lisbon: Honest Advice
It's easy to get Lisbon wrongh. I learned that the hard way when I tried to book a "central" hotel near Rossio Square, only to find myself two blocks from the main tourist drag, stuck in a maze of souvenir shops selling €15 "Portuguese" t-shirts. My first night was spent listening to a street musician play fado under my window, but the price for that "view" was a €250 room with a broken AC and a view of a brick wall. I knew I needed to rethink my strategy. After a day of wandering the Alfama district, I stumbled upon a hidden gem on Rua da Madre de Deus, a quiet street just a 10-minute walk from the historic center. The hotel, called Casa da Rua, is a family-run guesthouse with just six rooms. I booked a double for €85 a night, which included a small breakfast of pastéis de nata and fresh orange juice. The owner, Maria, greeted me with a warm smile and showed me to my room, which had a tiny balcony overlooking a courtyard filled with geraniums. The b...