Lisbon – our first holiday with a baby

by Sophie · 5th March 2017

We’ve wanted to go to Lisbon, the sunniest capital in Europe, for a while. Friends have raved about the food scene, especially those custard tarts. We were also very selective about our first trip abroad with a baby, with a long list of criteria, so were extremely pleased when Lisbon seemed to fit the bill.

We had no idea whether a holiday with a 6 month old would be a breeze or chaotic, so we tried to make things easy for ourselves; a short flight from a local airport, a European city with all the amenities we would need, plenty of cafes for feeding baby out of the sun/cold, an airbnb apartment (in the Chiado district) where he could have plenty of room to roll around, and a country where people love family. Lisbon and Portugal turned out to be perfect. A rather different prospect from our last visit to Portugal last year!

Lisbon is set on 7 hills, so our legs really got a work out, especially whoever drew the straw to wear the baby carrier that day. The public transport was alright- the metro was reliable, but the tram network seemed to be struggling with the popularity with tourists. A journey on the tram has to be done though – it feels like stepping back in time, with views of everything above (rather than under-) ground!

Rather than having top sites in the city, the enjoyment really came from walking around. We strolled along the banks of the river, eating ice-cream and stopping at the impressive squares, we wandered through the little cobbled streets surrounding the castle in the Alfama district, and enjoyed sunsets from various viewpoints. After a few days in the centre, you feel like you’re at home, it’s easy to navigate and everyone is so friendly.

Most memories from the trip are food related, no surprise. Lisbon really is a foodie-paradise. The market is fantastic – with small stalls from top restaurants selling small dishes (so you can share them and try many), and the best port tonic I have tasted. There were little ginjinha bars everywhere to have a quick pick-me up shot (sipped, not downed!) There are also bakeries on what seemed like every street. Our favourite custard tarts were by Manteigaria and the famous Pastéis de Belém. We also had some of the yummiest seafood ever. Highly recommend is the Cervejaria Ramiro (featured on Rick Stein’s Long Weekends), who were super kind to queue jump us when they saw we had a little one.

A family tip would also be to spend a day at the Aquarium. This was a great use of our rainy day, and was so interesting.

Travelling with a small person is definitely more tricky. Breastfeeding on a plane is pretty cramped, our luggage (giant suitcase) was a far cry from our backpacking days, we had to sneak into some places to use baby changing rooms, and we did have a crying baby in a restaurant on more than one occasion. However, a great time was had by all! Definitely a successful first family trip a success, perhaps the first of many…? Watch this space….