Rating: 
Summary: Not the greatest but still a good help.
Review: Egypt and Portugal are the only two countries besides America I will ever want to travel in. While not the best guide I have ever read this one is still quite useful. If you ever go there see the Palacio Nacional da Pena in Sintra and the Palaco do Visconde de Estoi near Faro
Rating: 
Summary: Overweight, stale, out of date
Review: I have used the Lonely Planet guides in Asia, the Middle East, and in Europe. Lately, they seem to have lost their way. Originally, the LP guides were for people who had travelled at least a little bit before and needed some pointers to an area. The guides usually had some sort of walking tours in the cities they indicated. Their guides have become filled with useless colour photos of generic scenes, The quirky, fresh information has disappeared -- In the summer of 2004, I used the LP guides for both Portugal and Spain. I was traveling for about three months. I had been in both places before and had used a LP guide. The most recent guides are stale and minimally updated. They are also occassionally misleading; especially concerning food. Sadly, the LP guide to Portugal is not worth the weight that goes along with carrying it.
Rating: 
Summary: great tool, but you'll need a bit more...
Review: i've used LP Portugal on many short trips to portugal (i live in madrid, so going to portugal occurs once in a while)... after purchasing several guidebooks, i have ended up taking LP every time and leave the other guidebooks on the shelf at home... despite this, some caveats are necessary!the pros: the maps and city plans are substantially better than in the competitors' guidebooks.. lonely planet is one of the few economic travel guidebooks (economic travel, i mean, the book is not economical at all!) that gives you information on at least a few hotels that are not youth hostels, dives or other forms of bottom-barrel accommodation; in other words, they at least give you a few mid-range and expensive options if you wish to go that way... all the essentials are there, with great suggestions on places to sleep, eat and visit the cons: as with ALL of the backpacker/youth travel guidebooks (LP, footprint, rough guide, let's go), the information on sights/monuments/museums, etc., is SEVERELY lacking... there is just the most basic of information on the history of the sights that you have gone so far to see... which makes it necessary to buy another book, pay an expensive guide or some such thing... (for instance, you will rarely read detailed descriptions of the artwork to be found in a church and are often left wandering about saying 'this is so beautiful, i wonder what it is???...i wish the guidebook would tell me more!') i know this would make the guidebooks huge, but even 50% more information on what you are gawking at would be wonderful so as to have a little bit more of a grip on the backgrouns after flying so far to see it! which is why, despite its quality, i always feel the need to take another guidebook along, just in case...using my usual technique of tearing out just the pages i would need from each book
Rating:
Summary: A very good guide that covers the whole country
Review: Lonely Planet consistently proves itself to be THE guide to have while you're traveling. The details are fantastic, the layout is simple, the maps are good, and the recommendations are right on, particularly regarding Lisbon. Further, it's small enough to take with you without looking too conspicuous. I especially like the details of off-the-beaten-path places too often overlooked by the average guidebook. For example, We found ourselves in the little town of Tomar, and the guide really came through with a great restaurant recommendation. If you want to escape to the real Portugal, use this book.
Rating:
Summary: A very good guide that covers the whole country
Review: Lonely Planet consistently proves itself to be THE guide to have while you're traveling. The details are fantastic, the layout is simple, the maps are good, and the recommendations are right on, particularly regarding Lisbon. Further, it's small enough to take with you without looking too conspicuous. I especially like the details of off-the-beaten-path places too often overlooked by the average guidebook. For example, We found ourselves in the little town of Tomar, and the guide really came through with a great restaurant recommendation. If you want to escape to the real Portugal, use this book.
Rating:
Summary: I kept on thinking I should have brought another book
Review: The print was so small that we needed a magnefying glass and the description of several of the sites, restaurants and accomodations in Portugal were a little off. All the information they wrote about was available for free at any tourist information desk. The maps were illegible. All the time I was in Portugal using this book, I kept on thinking I should have gotten another book. I brought this book because I saw the Lonely Planet show on the Travel Channel on Portugal. I though it was great, unfortunately the book wasn't as great. I'll never buy a Lonely Planet travel guide again.
Rating: 
Summary: The Best or Second Best Available
Review: There are two strong books on Portugal - my opinion - and the two books are the Eyewitness Travel (DK) guide which I personally prefer or Lonely Planet Portugal. These two books are both just under 500 pages and both are tremendous efforts. they are well balanced guides with lots of photos, maps, history, etc. Both are clearly 5 star guides. I would rate both (and DK Eyewitness Travel and Lonely Planet) head and shoulders ahead of Frommers, or Rough Guide or similar books that are less well balanced. Overall, the DK guide has better photos and visuals and makes for a better souvenir so it gets the nod as the better book, but it is a close call. Portugal is an old country with lots of fun things to see and do. I prefer to Algarve region but also enjoy visiting Lisbon - which can be expensive. Also I like to go well armed with maps and books because unlike the USA or Canada some areas have no English signs so the more information the better. This book is well balanced and like the DK guide it pulls a lot of things together such as history and culture, food, towns and lots of interesting information on Lisbon. The book brings it all to life with just magnificent photos and maps. Either case this is an excellent buy. 5 stars. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: The Best or Second Best Available
Review: There are two strong books on Portugal - my opinion - and the two books are the Eyewitness Travel (DK) guide which I personally prefer or Lonely Planet Portugal. These two books are both just under 500 pages and both are tremendous efforts. they are well balanced guides with lots of photos, maps, history, etc. Both are clearly 5 star guides. I would rate both (and DK Eyewitness Travel and Lonely Planet) head and shoulders ahead of Frommers, or Rough Guide or similar books that are less well balanced. Overall, the DK guide has better photos and visuals and makes for a better souvenir so it gets the nod as the better book, but it is a close call. Portugal is an old country with lots of fun things to see and do. I prefer to Algarve region but also enjoy visiting Lisbon - which can be expensive. Also I like to go well armed with maps and books because unlike the USA or Canada some areas have no English signs so the more information the better. This book is well balanced and like the DK guide it pulls a lot of things together such as history and culture, food, towns and lots of interesting information on Lisbon. The book brings it all to life with just magnificent photos and maps. Either case this is an excellent buy. 5 stars. Jack in Toronto
Rating:
Summary: Good recs for hotels/resturaunts, domestic travel info poor
Review: This book was right for hotel recommendataions, both in Lisbon and the smaller cities (I can only speak to Porto, Guimaraes, Coimbra, Sintra, and Pombal.) The chapter on Porto was particularly sharp, offering details and information that I would have almost certainly missed. Be aware, however, that both cinemas (Portuguese and Hollywood) in central Porto are closed, along with a several resturaunts. Bus information to Boavista is inaccurate, as is nearly all information regarding domestic travel in Portugal, particularly by train. Most of it is dated, as a new station in Lisbon has apparently rerouted some lines, but some info is totally wrong. For example, the guide contends that most IC trains to and from Lisbon stop BOTH at Coimbra A and B, when in fact, Coimbra B services the Lisbon line, and A handles local traffic. The reverse is true of Gare Oriente and Santa Apolonia in Lisboa, where it is possible to get off at either station. This is important information, especially if you speak barely functional Portuguese and have a hard time understanding anything more than simple directions about departure times and locations or yes/no responses(quando e? sim/nao/amanha, etc...) Furthermore, there are many more trains runnning on the Lisbon/Porto/Braga line than are mentioned in the book, and contrary to its assertions to the contrary, train travel (with the exception of the local, which painfully slow)is efficent and reasonably priced (the Lisbon-Porto Alfa train, the equivalent of an Amtrak metroliner between New York and Washington, costs about 15 dollars and takes all of 3 hours.) All in all, a good book, but it needs to be updated, particularly with the coming changes and choas during Euro2004.
Rating:
Summary: Good recs for hotels/resturaunts, domestic travel info poor
Review: This book was right for hotel recommendataions, both in Lisbon and the smaller cities (I can only speak to Porto, Guimaraes, Coimbra, Sintra, and Pombal.) The chapter on Porto was particularly sharp, offering details and information that I would have almost certainly missed. Be aware, however, that both cinemas (Portuguese and Hollywood) in central Porto are closed, along with a several resturaunts. Bus information to Boavista is inaccurate, as is nearly all information regarding domestic travel in Portugal, particularly by train. Most of it is dated, as a new station in Lisbon has apparently rerouted some lines, but some info is totally wrong. For example, the guide contends that most IC trains to and from Lisbon stop BOTH at Coimbra A and B, when in fact, Coimbra B services the Lisbon line, and A handles local traffic. The reverse is true of Gare Oriente and Santa Apolonia in Lisboa, where it is possible to get off at either station. This is important information, especially if you speak barely functional Portuguese and have a hard time understanding anything more than simple directions about departure times and locations or yes/no responses(quando e? sim/nao/amanha, etc...) Furthermore, there are many more trains runnning on the Lisbon/Porto/Braga line than are mentioned in the book, and contrary to its assertions to the contrary, train travel (with the exception of the local, which painfully slow)is efficent and reasonably priced (the Lisbon-Porto Alfa train, the equivalent of an Amtrak metroliner between New York and Washington, costs about 15 dollars and takes all of 3 hours.) All in all, a good book, but it needs to be updated, particularly with the coming changes and choas during Euro2004.
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