Hotels in Lisbon

Lisbon is built on hills that will find your calves by day two, which is why the vintage trams and funiculars are transport, not just photo props. The pastel façades, azulejo tiles and miradouro viewpoints deliver exactly what the photographs promise, and eating well is easy and still reasonable — grilled fish, custard tarts from Pastéis de Belém, small tascas in Alfama.

The city's popularity has consequences: Tram 28 is standing-room-only with pickpockets, and Bairro Alto is noisy until very late. Stay in Baixa or Chiado for flat(ish) walking and metro links, Alfama for atmosphere if stairs don't bother you, or Príncipe Real for a quieter, elegant base. Book somewhere with air-conditioning in summer; many older buildings don't have it.