Lisbon to Heathrow on TAP in Y

[yflyer]

How many Portuguese Egg Tarts can you consume in 24 hours?



Quite a few! No, the Portuguese egg tart craze has not returned to Singapore. But I was quite pleased to learn that Portugese egg tarts are actually eaten in Portugal. In fact they appear to be a staple in Lisbon. These tarts are everywhere in Lisbon. Unlike, for example, the dish known as "Singapore Noodles", which seems to appear on menus in every country except Singapore...

This TR was prompted by a recent post by CarbonMan, who is planning a trip to Lisbon. I was in Lisbon late last year, but had not gotten round to posting a TR yet. In fact, I probably wasn't going to post a TR, as this was the worst kind of business trip: my first visit to Lisbon, but because of last minute schedule changes, I would have less than 24 hours in this charming city, and I would spend most of it indoors in meetings.

In other words, I saw and did practically nothing.

But I did eat a whole lot of egg tarts...

So just a short TR to share some experiences of my hotel, the TAP Star Gold Lounge in Lisbon Airport, and my short flight on TAP, the Portuguese airline, from Lisbon to London Heathrow...

[yflyer]

I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express Lisboa Ave Liberdade. This is not an upscale hotel, but it offered very good rates, and it exceeded expectations by a large margin: this is a new, and strikingly stylish hotel, in a restored buildling in a very central location.



Small and quirky lobby...



Modern, new rooms...



Continental breakfast spread, with cold cuts, bread, pastries and Portugese egg tarts...

[yflyer]

Any sightseeing I did was out the window of a taxi.

The airport is very close to the city...



Like most European cities, there were quite a few statues and monuments...



Graffiti was mostly of the very artistic kind...



The office I spent the day in was by the sea. During our lunch break, I went outside onto the balcony to take in the view...



And there you have it, all I saw of Lisbon, in four photos. I really need to head back there.

[yflyer]

Later that day, after less than 24 hours in Portugal, I was back in the airport for my flight back to London.



I had arrived in Lisbon the previous evening on a spanking new BA Airbus A319, but because of last minute schedule changes and ticket restrictions, my return flight would be on a new one-way ticket on TAP.

More egg tarts at the airport...



The McDonalds here serves a very localized menu...

[yflyer]

I headed to the TAP Lounge, accessible to Star Gold frequent flyers.



This is a medium sized lounge with a slightly club-like feel to it...



High tables for you to munch on the F&B provided...



Beverages...



Wine on tap...



There is an upper level with separate seating.





Food options in the lounge were soup, sandwiches, bread, salad and snacks...





And of course, more egg tarts!



I must have consumed close to 10 of these, in various places, during my stay. Taste-wise, they were quite similar to those available in Singapore (And Macau), perhaps a tad sweeter.

Fairly basic shower facilities were also available.



I found the lounge ok overall. Comfortable, with decent F&B options.

That said, there are quite a few eating options in the airside area of the terminal, so while I would want to spend some time in this lounge, I would also allocate some time to explore the terminal and try some of the other F&B outlets there as well.

[yflyer]

Boarding for my flight was called on-time.



This was a fairly old A319, and the seats were showing their age.





Legroom was so-so, perhaps on the narrow side. But that's pretty much standard on the A319/A320...



No seatback IFE, just common drop-down video screens overhead.

On this 2 hr 35 min flight, a sandwich was served...







Apart from a bottle of juice which came with the sandwich, a range of beverages were available, including wine.



After meal service, the lights were dimmed, and they began playing Mr Bean cartoons on the overhead video screens.



Thankfully I had my own iPad with me...

We landed on time in Heathrow.

[yflyer]

Conclusions?

The hotel was great...I would stay at the Holiday Inn Express Lisboa Avenue Liberdade again, whether I was there for work or pleasure.

This was my first flight on TAP. I would fly them again, mainly because of their Star Alliance affiliation. I hope that the next time I fly on TAP, the aircraft is newer, though. The A319 I flew on this trip was a little tatty on the inside.

Hope to be back in Lisbon at some point. The people I met were warm and friendly, and the city itself looked to be great place to explore.

Thanks for reading!

[CarbonMan]

This TR was prompted by a recent post by CarbonMan, who is planning a trip to Lisbon. I was in Lisbon late last year, but had not gotten round to posting a TR yet. In fact, I probably wasn't going to post a TR, as this was the worst kind of business trip: my first visit to Lisbon, but because of last minute schedule changes, I would have less than 24 hours in this charming city, and I would spend most of it indoors in meetings.

Thanks very much, yflyer! This is good timing!!

[yflyer]

Thanks, yflyer! This is good timing. Planning a trip to Lisbon end of the year.

You are welcome, CarbonMan!

Wrote the TR because I saw your question! I wish I spent more time there, though. I liked everything I saw and experienced on my short trip.

[dfs24]

Thanks for sharing. A pity you did not manage to see Lisbon properly. I managed to see it for a week 2 winters ago. Nice place and easy on the pocket. I stayed a little further up on Ave Republica. Not the safest place I was told.

TAP's A320 seats looks super old school compared to the slimline seats on the Asian A320s.

[yflyer]

Thanks for sharing. A pity you did not manage to see Lisbon properly. I managed to see it for a week 2 winters ago. Nice place and easy on the pocket.

Thanks, dfs24! Yes, a week to explore Lisbon would be a good amount of time to get to know the place. That would be my kind of vacation as well...staying in one place for several days, and taking the time to look around the sights, monuments, food, markets and just to see how people live and go about their daily lives.

TAP's A320 seats looks super old school compared to the slimline seats on the Asian A320s.

One of the oldest 319's I have been on in a while!