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Florence or Lisbon?

Florence and Lisbon side by side: recommended length, best time, daily budget, highlights and which one suits whom.

The tiled dome of the Duomo in Florence

Italy

Florence

A city you can walk. A museum does not have to take the whole day.

Country
Italy
Recommended length
2 days
Best time
May and September
Daily budget
110–170 €
Language
Italian
Currency
Euro (€)

Highlights

  • One museum, a long walk
  • An Oltrarno afternoon
  • A shared table in the evening

Neighbourhoods

  • Oltrarno — Around Santo Spirito is the right address for the evening.
  • Santa Croce — A breath away from the Duomo crowds, with a simpler walk home at night.

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A yellow tram in Lisbon

Portugal

Lisbon

Generous, if you do not underestimate the hills.

Country
Portugal
Recommended length
3–4 days
Best time
May and September
Daily budget
80–150 €
Language
Portuguese
Currency
Euro

Highlights

  • The first tram of the morning
  • A miradouro, early
  • Belém as its own half day

Neighbourhoods

  • Alfama — Climb up, see the view early, and accept getting lost on the way down.
  • Príncipe Real — Dinner, and fewer postcards. You are at the top of the hill here.
  • Belém — Think of it apart from the center. Go before noon and linger in the pastry shop.

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Which one for whom?

Why Florence?

The Duomo is your compass. Florence itself slows down across the river, among the workshops.

Florence looks small, and the day disappears, because every corner calls you through another door. Choose one museum and leave the rest for the next trip.

Why Lisbon?

The yellow tram is a morning errand. Lisbon begins when you linger on a hill and get lost on the way down.

You can plan Lisbon as a flat city. You will live it as a hilly one. A ten-minute walk is sometimes a climb. Count the pause as part of the route.

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01Do I need a visa?Where Turkish passport holders go visa-free, with a visa on arrival, or with an e-visa.Open →02Budget calculatorPick days, people and pace; see the group total and the per-person figure.Open →03When to goA month-by-month calendar. Which month for which country, which country for which month.Open →05Trip routesRoutes the editors built day by day, with length, pace and an estimated budget.Open →