the_lisbon_connection blog

If you are visiting Croatia’s national park, here are the best tips I can give you: - Go very early (we arrived there at 10.30 after taking the 8.30 bus from Zadar which was the earliest bus available) and even so there was already a huge (enormous) line in entrance 1. - Use entrance 2: most people use entrance 1 as it is supposed to have a better view of the park and because you walk right into the main lakes but, to be honest there is almost no difference except for how long you will be in line to get your ticket J ; - Take lunch/snacks: food inside the park is expensive and not good; - Book your bus ticket in advance because seats do get sold out especially returning from the park. We booked our return ticket at 5.30 (which is the latest) but we finished visiting the park earlier and easily managed to anticipate our return); The park is incredible but the herd of people visiting is a letdown. I felt more like I was in a famous museum, say the Louvre, in line to ...

I have to say I was positively surprised with Croatia. As you know, travelling Europe in August can be scary if you are the type of person who hates crowds of tourists. I thought Croatia, being such a famous destination these days would be super packed, so I was preparing for the worse! I couldn’t be more wrong! Our trip was amazing! Here are a few things which will help you on your trip to Croatia: -        -  If you are travelling in August I recommend planning your trip and booking both transportation and accommodation in advance. It will avoid you a lot of time in lines and internet searching when you are already there. Plus, having to change your plans because there is no ferry or bus seats can be a bump. o    You can buy all ticket online but be careful as some bus companies ask you to print out your ticket and charge you an extra 2/3€ for taking your luggage or other “weird internet expenses”. Just go with it and don’t tr...

Finally completed one of my wish list things to do! Visit the HP studios! As a true HP fan, from the very beginning I recommend it! Truly do! So here are some tips and suggestions if you are also planning to visit! Buying tickets and getting there You can get the tickets from the HP Studios official website. I recommend doing this as soon as you book your trip, because the only way into the studios is with a reservation and they do sell out. The visit is very well organized. Every 20 minutes or so they allow a group of about 50 people to go in. There is a first part with a film and then you are on your own to explore all of the set. This is good because it means there are no lines and waiting around. Bathrooms are all clean and food court was not packed (and we went on a Saturday).   To get there I recommend buying a package deal with entrance and returning bus ride to central London (from and to Victoria). I mean this because if you miss y...

Picture credit: www.cvilarpics.tumblr.com   This was my second time in the infamous Amsterdam . My first time there was in March 2013, and as we arrived the first thing anyone told us was “hey, welcome to the north pole. It’s the coldest month of March since 1920 something”. Jackpot! This time around was much better weather…not great if you consider that I am travelling from 30 degrees in Lisbon, but definitely better! So here are a few points on Amsterdam and Zaanse Schans the lovely place with the Windmills. Here are a few FAQ from my friends about Amsterdam: Public transport/trams On both trips I used the tram only three times. Twice to get to the hotel with the bags and another time to get a TerraVision bus stop to get to Brussels from a further part of town. I guess this depends on how much you enjoy walking and, where your hotel/hostal is. This time we were in Munk Hotel in Achtergracht Street and the other time I was near Leidseplein which was also...

Day 1 – Adventure begins! My friend Joana, who is quite a citizen of the world (having lived in São Paulo, Scotland, and New York in the past few years) is now living in Dublin! Since I went to visit her, there will be no reviews on where to stay - Joana is simply a fantastic host! In terms of Dublin and the nearby areas, there is plenty to discuss…and an urge to go again! First of all if you are travelling from Lisbon you can fly Air Lingus or/and Ryanair and have a cheap ticket if you avoid high season and book in advance. From the airport to central city just take the turquoise buses ( 10€ return). As I arrived a little bit after lunch hour, we grabbed some delicious sandwiches to go at a place smartly called Lunch and headed out to eat outside at Trinity College lawn fields, whereas most students were also soaking the fleeting sun. We spent the afternoon just walking around town with a little few shopping stops – check out Avoca, a very cool store with Irish made stuf...

We left Paris in the morning and after what seemed like a short train ride cross country we arrived at Fontainebleau- Avon station. A bit lost alongside with a few other tourists we all got in a bus and 5/10 minutes later we arrived at the castle.  Here is a little of this amazing place... I must say one of the things I regreted was not having taken a bottle of wine and some snacks and have a picnic in this amazing spot! Next time...

Going on a trip with a professinal fotographer has its pros...the amazing pictures you see are from my wonderful experience in Jordan: Petra and the desert of Wadi Rum...which I will be writting about shortly! You can follow more of Juvenalia Oliveira's amazing work on her facebook page .

I am starting this blog with one of my favorite cities in the world, Paris! Also one of my biggest friends is travelling there in a few months and asked me for some tips so here we go:  Paris was the first place I ever travelled outside of Portugal by airplane. I was about 4 or 5 and I spent a few days with my parents in the city. Of course all I remember from this trip was walking around a lot, eating at McDonald’s because I found the food strange and going to the only place that will overshadow Paris for any child (and even some adults) - EuroDisney ! You see even a current travelling lover had to learn how to travel at some point :) Many years passed, I have been to Paris another 5 times and I can say, without a doubt, that the more you go to city of lights, the more you love it! Every time you visit there is something new to do…a new shop, a new trendy restaurant, a new bar, a temporary art exposition you simply must see! And then there are all the timeless things of P...