Why not start in Azambuja?

SandyLeone · Jan 18, 2015

Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

amorfati1 · Jan 18, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

Sensible choice
I've started last year, early May, in a town 11km prior to Azambuja - I wished I'd taken the train all the way to Azambuja.... But many pilgrims did not mind the road walking through industrial areas, so you surely will find proponents of all sort of options. see what suits you best.
Truly enjoyed the walk out of Azambuja, alongside farm tracks, and the river Tejo. I stopped over in Ponte de Muge @ the Quinta Marchanta which is About 16km after Azambuja, and then onwards to Santarem (all flat except the last bit steep up the hill into town) - I can recommend staying at the Hostel Santarem in the old part of town. Lovely place, kind hosts.
Enjoy the preparation and good luck in finding fellow pilgrims ...

Former member 22438 · Jan 18, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

That is a wise decision Sandy. although you will miss the attractive walk from Lisboa to the parque das Naçãoes in Moscavide .
I do not know when you fly back but there are interesting places on the CP which are worthwhile visiting an extra day.

Tomar with the Convento de Cristo. In 2013 we "forgot" to visit... Somebody on this forum told us we missed something so last year after our camino Ingles , we specially went back to Tomar to visit the Convento !

Coimbra. The medieval university with its famous library and the fado center with a nice musical fado show.

Porto.. Great place great food..great port wine...

When you are in Barcelos. Make a bus tour (public transport) to Braga A town with a beautifull-world heritage church -Bom Jesus do Monte- don't miss it

Santiago de Compostela.. Happy ending... The pilgrims mass...lounging..sightseeing.. Great time..

Other place are worthwhile seeing but here above are the highlites.

It look likes you walk long days 32 km or so but once leaving Barcelos after 18 kms there is casa da Fernanda. Stop there is my advice and stay the night and you will understand who the Portugese are. Very kind people. Here you get the real caminho Portugues feel. Don't miss it !

Bom caminho

peregrina2000 · Jan 18, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

Well, I'm one of those who can't convince herself to hop on a bus or train to avoid the ugly parts in and out of cities. Kevin O'Brien once explained why he felt the same way in a post and I found he summed it up for me -- it's something about seeing it all, the good bad and ugly, being there, seeing people go about their normal lives, etc etc (Annie the nurse says something very similar, as I remember a post of hers thinking she was quite the wise soman ). But I TOTALLY understand why others would want to do that, and the commuter train system from Lisbon is so great that you can decide on the spur of the moment.

And I'm not trying to change your mind, Sandy, but for anyone else who might be on the fence -- if you walk those early parts on a weekend, you'll have much less traffic.

But as Albertinho says the only pity in that option is that you miss the in-Lisbon walk. So here's a solution -- walk from the cathedral in Lisbon to Parque das Nacoes. It's 8 or 12 km, I forget which. Some of it isn't stunningly beautiful but it does go through old Lisbon and takes you to the big expo site on the river. Very nice place to walk around. The Parque das Nacoes is right at the Calatrava train station, Oriente, and you can hop on a commuter train there to Azambuja. Or you can continue a few towns further along the route (the Lisbon-Porto guide in the resources section details all of this) and just hop on a train when you want to. Plenty of options! Bom caminho, Sandy! Laurie

SandyLeone · Jan 19, 2015

Albertinho said:
That is a wise decision Sandy. although you will miss the attractive walk from Lisboa to the parque de Naçãoes in Moscavide .
I do not know when you fly back but there are interesting places on the CP which are worthwhile visiting an extra day.

Tomar with the Convento de Cristo. In 2013 we "forgot" to visit... Somebody on this forum told us we missed something so last year after our camino Ingles , we specially went back to Tomar to visit the Convento !

Coimbra. The medieval university with its famous library and the fado center with a nice musical fado show.

Porto.. Great place great food..great port wine...

When you are in Barcelos. Make a bus tour (public transport) to Braga A town with a beautifull-world heritage church -Bom Jesus do Monte- don't miss it

Santiago de Compostela.. Happy ending... The pilgrims mass...lounging..sightseeing.. Great time..

Other place are worthwhile seeing but here above are the highlites.

It look likes you walk long days 32 km or so but once leaving Barcelos after 18 kms there is casa da Fernanda. Stop there is my advice and stay the night and you will understand who the Portugese are. Very kind people. Here you get the real caminho Portugues feel. Don't miss it !

Bom caminho

Thank you Albertiho! I have read about most of the places you mention and am excited to see them all if possible. Thank you for taking the time with your suggestions.

SandyLeone · Jan 19, 2015

peregrina2000 said:
Well, I'm one of those who can't convince herself to hop on a bus or train to avoid the ugly parts in and out of cities. Kevin O'Brien once explained why he felt the same way in a post and I found he summed it up for me -- it's something about seeing it all, the good bad and ugly, being there, seeing people go about their normal lives, etc etc (Annie the nurse says something very similar, as I remember a post of hers thinking she was quite the wise soman ). But I TOTALLY understand why others would want to do that, and the commuter train system from Lisbon is so great that you can decide on the spur of the moment.

And I'm not trying to change your mind, Sandy, but for anyone else who might be on the fence -- if you walk those early parts on a weekend, you'll have much less traffic.

But as Albertinho says the only pity in that option is that you miss the in-Lisbon walk. So here's a solution -- walk from the cathedral in Lisbon to Parque das Nacoes. It's 8 or 12 km, I forget which. Some of it isn't stunningly beautiful but it does go through old Lisbon and takes you to the big expo site on the river. Very nice place to walk around. The Parque das Nacoes is right at the Calatrava train station, Oriente, and you can hop on a commuter train there to Azambuja. Or you can continue a few towns further along the route (the Lisbon-Porto guide in the resources section details all of this) and just hop on a train when you want to. Plenty of options! Bom caminho, Sandy! Laurie

Thank you Laurie for your response. I understand where you're coming from. I don't usually like to take the easier route either. I have a few days in Lisbon before I start off and want to spent them exploring the city. I therefore don't have the luxury of beginning on the Saturday. I do plan to walk part of the route out of Lisbon as you suggest and then take a train or bus back to Lisbon. So much to see in this lovely city so must make the most of it. Forfeiting the very beginning will be the price I pay and I feel grateful that it is at the beginning.

SandyLeone · Jan 19, 2015

amorfati1 said:
Sensible choice
I've started last year, early May, in a town 11km prior to Azambuja - I wished I'd taken the train all the way to Azambuja.... But many pilgrims did not mind the road walking through industrial areas, so you surely will find proponents of all sort of options. see what suits you best.
Truly enjoyed the walk out of Azambuja, alongside farm tracks, and the river Tejo. I stopped over in Ponte de Muge @ the Quinta Marchanta which is About 16km after Azambuja, and then onwards to Santarem (all flat except the last bit steep up the hill into town) - I can recommend staying at the Hostel Santarem in the old part of town. Lovely place, kind hosts.
Enjoy the preparation and good luck in finding fellow pilgrims ...

Thanks for your kind words of encouragement. I feel fortunate that this large section of industrial areas and no shoulder roads are at the beginning. If I had to place it anywhere, that's where it would be. Yes, the walk out of Azambuja sounds very nice and I think it's a great place for me to begin.

peregrina2000 · Jan 19, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Thank you Laurie for your response. I understand where you're coming from. I don't usually like to take the easier route either. I have a few days in Lisbon before I start off and want to spent them exploring the city. I therefore don't have the luxury of beginning on the Saturday. I do plan to walk part of the route out of Lisbon as you suggest and then take a train or bus back to Lisbon. So much to see in this lovely city so must make the most of it. Forfeiting the very beginning will be the price I pay and I feel grateful that it is at the beginning.

Sandy, since you're going to stay in Lisbon for a few days, don't know if you've seen it but several years back I posted a walking tour of Lisbon -- I lived there for a year once and came up with an in-town walk that hits all the high spots. It can be "walked" in two hours, more or less, but many of my friends have taken a day or two, because they stopped to see the things that it passes.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-walking-tour-of-lisbon.7257/#post-205259

Bom cmainho, Laurie

SandyLeone · Jan 19, 2015

peregrina2000 said:
Sandy, since you're going to stay in Lisbon for a few days, don't know if you've seen it but several years back I posted a walking tour of Lisbon -- I lived there for a year once and came up with an in-town walk that hits all the high spots. It can be "walked" in two hours, more or less, but many of my friends have taken a day or two, because they stopped to see the things that it passes.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-walking-tour-of-lisbon.7257/#post-205259

Bom cmainho, Laurie

Laurie, that's a fantastic site/blog. I will be printing it out and definitely taking it with me. My visiting in Lisbon just got a lot easier. Many thanks!

Former member 22438 · Jan 19, 2015

peregrina2000 said:
Well, I'm one of those who can't convince herself to hop on a bus or train to avoid the ugly parts in and out of cities. Kevin O'Brien once explained why he felt the same way in a post and I found he summed it up for me -- it's something about seeing it all, the good bad and ugly, being there, seeing people go about their normal lives, etc etc (Annie the nurse says something very similar, as I remember a post of hers thinking she was quite the wise soman ). But I TOTALLY understand why others would want to do that, and the commuter train system from Lisbon is so great that you can decide on the spur of the moment.

And I'm not trying to change your mind, Sandy, but for anyone else who might be on the fence -- if you walk those early parts on a weekend, you'll have much less traffic.

But as Albertinho says the only pity in that option is that you miss the in-Lisbon walk. So here's a solution -- walk from the cathedral in Lisbon to Parque das Nacoes. It's 8 or 12 km, I forget which. Some of it isn't stunningly beautiful but it does go through old Lisbon and takes you to the big expo site on the river. Very nice place to walk around. The Parque das Nacoes is right at the Calatrava train station, Oriente, and you can hop on a commuter train there to Azambuja. Or you can continue a few towns further along the route (the Lisbon-Porto guide in the resources section details all of this) and just hop on a train when you want to. Plenty of options! Bom caminho, Sandy! Laurie

We did as you said Laurie and walked to Alverca do Ribatejeo and only skipped from there to Azambuja . The start from Sé cathedral in Lisbon through the old part of the town Alfama is very nice . I loved to sit on a bench at the flowery square where the old wine house Predro Fonseca is situated. Beautiful building .
The distance to parque das Naçãoes is about 8 kms.

dariosilva · Jan 19, 2015

Sandy, my son (26) and I will be traveling around May 13. Will probably hit Lisboa 11th or 12th, site see, and then train to Tomar or Santerum. Had not thought of starting in Azambuja. We are from New Mexico and will have a Zia sun patch on our packs. Maybe will meet up and share a coffee. Buen caminho.

amsimoes · Jan 20, 2015

Albertinho said:
We did as you said Laurie and walked to Alverca do Ribatejeo and only skipped from there to Azambuja . The start from Sé cathedral in Lisbon through the old part of the town Alfama is very nice . I loved to sit on a bench at the flowery square where the old wine house Predro Fonseca is situated. Beautiful building .
The distance to parque das Naçãoes is about 8 kms.

I agree with Albertinho.
Lisbon - Alverca, and
Alverca - Azambuja (train) sleeping in the new Azambuja hostel.
If you like tile, visit the museum of the tiles in the convent of "Madre Deus".
AMSimoes

Former member 22438 · Jan 20, 2015

amsimoes said:
I agree with Albertinho.
Lisbon - Alverca, and
Alverca - Azambuja (train) sleeping in the new Azambuja hostel.
If you like tile, visit the museum of the tiles in the convent of "Madre Deus".
AMSimoes

Muito obrigado Aurelio. Please tell u more about the new Azambuja hotel. It is new to me.
As far as I remember we were in residencia Flor ,oposite the station.
At andar n° zero was a kind of coffee bar, restaurant for breakfast.

Former member 22438 · Jan 20, 2015

dariosilva said:
Sandy, my son (26) and I will be traveling around May 13. Will probably hit Lisboa 11th or 12th, site see, and then train to Tomar or Santerum. Had not thought of starting in Azambuja. We are from New Mexico and will have a Zia sun patch on our packs. Maybe will meet up and share a coffee. Buen caminho.

Try to get to Santarêm. The Santarèm hostal is great. It is just behind the tourist inormation. They show you the way.

amsimoes · Jan 20, 2015

Albertinho said:
Muito obrigado Aurelio. Please tell u more about the new Azambuja hotel. It is new to me.
As far as I remember we were in residencia Flor ,oposite the station.
At andar n° zero was a kind of coffee bar, restaurant for breakfast.

New albergue in Azambuja:

http://caminhocentralasantiago.blogspot.pt/p/albergues-e-pernoita.html

Abrigo Peregrino da Santa Casa da Misericórdia (NOVO)
Rua Engenheiro Moniz da Maia 65
2050-356 Azambuja
7 Beliches (14 camas) Duche e Cozinha.
Entrada até as 20H00
As chaves encontram-se na Loja “Meu Super” no nº 5 da mesma rua,
Tel.: 917 038 116

Former member 22438 · Jan 20, 2015

amsimoes said:
New albergue in Azambuja:

http://caminhocentralasantiago.blogspot.pt/p/albergues-e-pernoita.html

Abrigo Peregrino da Santa Casa da Misericórdia (NOVO)
Rua Engenheiro Moniz da Maia 65
2050-356 Azambuja
7 Beliches (14 camas) Duche e Cozinha.
Entrada até as 20H00
As chaves encontram-se na Loja “Meu Super” no nº 5 da mesma rua,
Tel.: 917 038 116

Muito obrigado Aurelio.

Um abraço .

peregrina2000 · Jan 20, 2015

Diogo posted a picture of it here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/new-public-albergue-in-azambuja.29375/

Raymond Aquilina · Jan 23, 2015

peregrina2000 said:
Well, I'm one of those who can't convince herself to hop on a bus or train to avoid the ugly parts in and out of cities. Kevin O'Brien once explained why he felt the same way in a post and I found he summed it up for me -- it's something about seeing it all, the good bad and ugly, being there, seeing people go about their normal lives, etc etc (Annie the nurse says something very similar, as I remember a post of hers thinking she was quite the wise soman ). But I TOTALLY understand why others would want to do that, and the commuter train system from Lisbon is so great that you can decide on the spur of the moment.

And I'm not trying to change your mind, Sandy, but for anyone else who might be on the fence -- if you walk those early parts on a weekend, you'll have much less traffic.

But as Albertinho says the only pity in that option is that you miss the in-Lisbon walk. So here's a solution -- walk from the cathedral in Lisbon to Parque das Nacoes. It's 8 or 12 km, I forget which. Some of it isn't stunningly beautiful but it does go through old Lisbon and takes you to the big expo site on the river. Very nice place to walk around. The Parque das Nacoes is right at the Calatrava train station, Oriente, and you can hop on a commuter train there to Azambuja. Or you can continue a few towns further along the route (the Lisbon-Porto guide in the resources section details all of this) and just hop on a train when you want to. Plenty of options! Bom caminho, Sandy! Laurie

I

peregrina2000 said:
Well, I'm one of those who can't convince herself to hop on a bus or train to avoid the ugly parts in and out of cities. Kevin O'Brien once explained why he felt the same way in a post and I found he summed it up for me -- it's something about seeing it all, the good bad and ugly, being there, seeing people go about their normal lives, etc etc (Annie the nurse says something very similar, as I remember a post of hers thinking she was quite the wise soman ). But I TOTALLY understand why others would want to do that, and the commuter train system from Lisbon is so great that you can decide on the spur of the moment.

And I'm not trying to change your mind, Sandy, but for anyone else who might be on the fence -- if you walk those early parts on a weekend, you'll have much less traffic.

But as Albertinho says the only pity in that option is that you miss the in-Lisbon walk. So here's a solution -- walk from the cathedral in Lisbon to Parque das Nacoes. It's 8 or 12 km, I forget which. Some of it isn't stunningly beautiful but it does go through old Lisbon and takes you to the big expo site on the river. Very nice place to walk around. The Parque das Nacoes is right at the Calatrava train station, Oriente, and you can hop on a commuter train there to Azambuja. Or you can continue a few towns further along the route (the Lisbon-Porto guide in the resources section details all of this) and just hop on a train when you want to. Plenty of options! Bom caminho, Sandy! Laurie

This discussion is very inspiring !!!

Referring to this point about Park das Nacoes, I am booked to arrive in Lisbon evening 28th April and in tend to spend 29th April in lisbon for siteseeing. I am not sure if it is a good idea! ... if I base my stay (2 nights) in Lisbon at the Parque de Naceos youth hostel. On the 29th (site seeing day) will take metro to Lisbon centre and I will walk the first part (without my backpack) from Lisbon cathedral to parque de Nacios youth hostel the same eveing .... this should not take a long time and half way stop at the Azulejo museum.

Then will continue to Azambuja on the 30th ..maybe will decide if I will take a train.....then 1st May Santarem..etc

This is more or less my option !!

Buen Camino,

Ray

peregrina2000 said:
Well, I'm one of those who can't convince herself to hop on a bus or train to avoid the ugly parts in and out of cities. Kevin O'Brien once explained why he felt the same way in a post and I found he summed it up for me -- it's something about seeing it all, the good bad and ugly, being there, seeing people go about their normal lives, etc etc (Annie the nurse says something very similar, as I remember a post of hers thinking she was quite the wise soman ). But I TOTALLY understand why others would want to do that, and the commuter train system from Lisbon is so great that you can decide on the spur of the moment.

And I'm not trying to change your mind, Sandy, but for anyone else who might be on the fence -- if you walk those early parts on a weekend, you'll have much less traffic.

But as Albertinho says the only pity in that option is that you miss the in-Lisbon walk. So here's a solution -- walk from the cathedral in Lisbon to Parque das Nacoes. It's 8 or 12 km, I forget which. Some of it isn't stunningly beautiful but it does go through old Lisbon and takes you to the big expo site on the river. Very nice place to walk around. The Parque das Nacoes is right at the Calatrava train station, Oriente, and you can hop on a commuter train there to Azambuja. Or you can continue a few towns further along the route (the Lisbon-Porto guide in the resources section details all of this) and just hop on a train when you want to. Plenty of options! Bom caminho, Sandy! Laurie

peregrina2000 · Jan 23, 2015

Hi, Raymond, Welcome to the forum!

This is a creative idea! Since you're likely arriving by plane, you can hop from the airport to Parque Nacoes by metro very quickly and cheaply. Then the next day, the metro into the center won't take that long, and you can have those kms walking through town without your pack as a sort of warm-up. I see you're from Malta, so you won't have jet lag to deal with like those of us coming from other continents. That will give you a full glorious day in Lisbon, too.

Careful with Santarem in May, I know that May is a very popular month for people walking to Fatima, and the Santarem Hostel gets a lot of those pilgrims, too. You can contact Mario directly, just look for Santarem Hostel on this forum and you'll find lots of information. Bom caminho, Laurie

Former member 22438 · Jan 23, 2015

Raymond Aquilina said:
I

This discussion is very inspiring !!!

Referring to this point about Park das Nacoes, I am booked to arrive in Lisbon evening 28th April and in tend to spend 29th April in lisbon for siteseeing. I am not sure if it is a good idea! ... if I base my stay (2 nights) in Lisbon at the Parque de Naceos youth hostel. On the 29th (site seeing day) will take metro to Lisbon centre and I will walk the first part (without my backpack) from Lisbon cathedral to parque de Nacios youth hostel the same eveing .... this should not take a long time and half way stop at the Azulejo museum.

Then will continue to Azambuja on the 30th ..maybe will decide if I will take a train.....then 1st May Santarem..etc

This is more or less my option !!

Buen Camino,

Ray

We stayed in the pousada de Juventude youth hostal .great place but 8 kms away from the towncenter. The parque das Naçãoes is worthwhile visiting but the towncenter is more interesting

We booked an appartment in the old part Alfama where we almost could touch the cathedral-startingpoint litterally. Only 50 meters away. I booked this via the app AIRBNB and this was great .
After 2 days being tourists in Lisboa we walked to Moscavide to the poussada as a warming up Next day we walked to Sacavèm and from there we took the train to Azambuja .

Raymond Aquilina · Jan 23, 2015

peregrina2000 said:
Hi, Raymond, Welcome to the forum!

This is a creative idea! Since you're likely arriving by plane, you can hop from the airport to Parque Nacoes by metro very quickly and cheaply. Then the next day, the metro into the center won't take that long, and you can have those kms walking through town without your pack as a sort of warm-up. I see you're from Malta, so you won't have jet lag to deal with like those of us coming from other continents. That will give you a full glorious day in Lisbon, too.

Careful with Santarem in May, I know that May is a very popular month for people walking to Fatima, and the Santarem Hostel gets a lot of those pilgrims, too. You can contact Mario directly, just look for Santarem Hostel on this forum and you'll find lots of information. Bom caminho, Laurie

Thank you Laurie I think I will stick to the idea of staying in parque de Nacoes haveing no pack for the first day of warmiong up is a benefit ..however as you say coming from nearby Malta with no jet lag !!!

Regarding Santarem I followed a similar advice about Santarem and Fatima and already booked there (through Mario) for the 1st anhd 2nd May. Will be visiting Fatima on the 2nd while in Santarem as this will be a break after the kms from Parque de Nacoes.

Thanks and buen Camino,

Ray

Diogo92 · Jan 28, 2015

Raymond Aquilina said:
Then will continue to Azambuja on the 30th ..maybe will decide if I will take a train.....then 1st May Santarem..etc

I hope you not intend to walk directly from Lisbon to Azambuja, or that will be a killer day my friend

Track for the first (long) day, from Catedral de Lisboa, untill Vila Franca de Xira: http://pt.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4045889

Just one short note: this track don't appear to have some of the "off-road" detours created by Via Lusitana and Associação dos Amigos do Caminho de Fátima. Has I've said on another post, I'll do the Lisbon to Vila Franca leg tomorrow, following the arrows, and I'll post the track in here.

Raymond Aquilina · Jan 28, 2015

Diogo92 said:
I hope you not intend to walk directly from Lisbon to Azambuja, or that will be a killer day my friend

Track for the first (long) day, from Catedral de Lisboa, untill Vila Franca de Xira: http://pt.wikiloc.com/wikiloc/view.do?id=4045889

Just one short note: this track don't appear to have some of the "off-road" detours created by Via Lusitana and Associação dos Amigos do Caminho de Fátima. Has I've said on another post, I'll do the Lisbon to Vila Franca leg tomorrow, following the arrows, and I'll post the track in here.

Your correct Diogo92..this is a long way ....actually I will reach Santarem on the second of May with a stop on 1st May at Villafranka de Xira.

Thanks and buen Camino

Diogo92 · Jan 28, 2015

Raymond Aquilina said:
Your correct Diogo92..this is a long way ....actually I will reach Santarem on the second of May with a stop on 1st May at Villafranka de Xira.

Thanks and buen Camino

That's about 50km

Raymond Aquilina · Jan 28, 2015

Diogo92 said:
That's about 50km

Actually I intend to leave from Parque da Naceos youth Hostel in the morning. Would like to know about your walk to Vilafranka de Xira.

Keep me posted,

Thanks a

anniethenurse · Mar 28, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

@SandyLeone
I start from Lisbon May 9 and will be in Azambuja May 11. Meaning I will be one day behind you.
So maybe see you in Portugal.

peregrina2000 · Mar 29, 2015

Albertinho said:
I loved to sit on a bench at the flowery square where the old wine house Predro Fonseca is situated. Beautiful building .

View attachment 17378

There is more than one beautiful building in that square. I agree with you, Albertinho, it's a great place for a break. It's not exactly an "upscale" part of Lisbon, but every now and then there are gems like this along the Caminho! Laurie

santaremhostel · Apr 3, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

Hi Sandy.
Yes, a wise decision if you do not like to walk on asphalt and busy roads, typical on every "big" city outskirts. This trip report written by John in 2013 will let you know that it is not just a Lisbon issue. You will also have it in Porto. That is the way we people are developing and therefore, the way cities are expanding

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/trip-report.18765/

Bom Caminho
Mario

Former member 22438 · Apr 3, 2015

santaremhostel said:
Hi Sandy.
Yes, a wise decision if you do not like to walk on asphalt and busy roads, typical on every "big" city outskirts. This trip report written by John in 2013 will let you know that it is not just a Lisbon issue. You will also have it in Porto. That is the way we people are developing and therefore, the way cities are expanding

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/trip-report.18765/

Bom Caminho
Mario

The walk out of Lisbon is not that bad, except the 30 kms from Alverca do Ribatejo to Azambuja ,day 3 in John Brierleys guide. We skipped it by taking the train.
Arriving at Santarèm after walking for some days on plain grounds, following the Tejo river at once there is a big steep hill. Good gracious..we were out of breath allmost, reaching the top and there was a place which felt like home ! The Santarèm hostal !

Walking out of Porto there is the coastal detour to Matosinhos, Vila do Conde and São Pedro de Rates

Catherine Duffy · Apr 3, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

I've just walked this and can sort of see your point, but you'll miss out on a really lovely walk through the wet lands on the out-skirts of Lisbon in to Villa Franca. I agree though that some of the road walking is a bit frightening. Portugese drivers don't seem to expect to give any quater to pedestrians.

nabann · Apr 6, 2015

peregrina2000 said:
Sandy, since you're going to stay in Lisbon for a few days, don't know if you've seen it but several years back I posted a walking tour of Lisbon -- I lived there for a year once and came up with an in-town walk that hits all the high spots. It can be "walked" in two hours, more or less, but many of my friends have taken a day or two, because they stopped to see the things that it passes.

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/my-walking-tour-of-lisbon.7257/#post-205259

Bom cmainho, Laurie

@ Laurie, Sandy,
First of all thanks for this discussion, as I am thinking about the same issue for my walk, so it has been great to see pros and cons.
And Lauri, thanks for the link of the walking tour as well, I also plan to spend one day in Lissabon so it would be a great use for me too
Keep posting
Anna

Raymond Aquilina · Apr 6, 2015

nabann said:
@ Laurie, Sandy,
First of all thanks for this discussion, as I am thinking about the same issue for my walk, so it has been great to see pros and cons.
And Lauri, thanks for the link of the walking tour as well, I also plan to spend one day in Lissabon so it would be a great use for me too
Keep posting
Anna

Laurie,

Your two hour tour is ideal for me as I will be spending only one full day in Lisbon.

I printed a copy of this walking tour and will use it as my itininary.

Thanks a lot and regards,

Ray

Rikkitikkitavi · Apr 12, 2015

SandyLeone said:
Will begin my journey on Sunday May 10th - plan to take a train out of Lisbon to Azambuja and walk first day to Santarem (about 32 kms away). By doing this I fast forward myself off of the busy no-shoulder roads and out of the industrial areas. Maybe a bit whimpy on my part but given the choice of a better start I choose Azambuja. Anyone else out there planning a similar start? Will arrive in Lisbon from BC, Canada on May 8th, 2015.

Good idea. There is another marked route that starts west of Villa Nova de Reina. Azambuja is a good place to start IMO. I started from Lisboa and had some ugly patches.

I also recommend the walk from Santarem to Fatima. IT IS LOVELY

Restless · Apr 13, 2015

Albertinho said:
The walk out of Lisbon is not that bad, except the 30 kms from Alverca do Ribatejo to Azambuja ,day 3 in John Brierleys guide. We skipped it by taking the train.
Arriving at Santarèm after walking for some days on plain grounds, following the Tejo river at once there is a big steep hill. Good gracious..we were out of breath allmost, reaching the top and there was a place which felt like home ! The Santarèm hostal !

Walking out of Porto there is the coastal detour to Matosinhos, Vila do Conde and São Pedro de Rates

I am thinking of taking the train between Alverca and Azambuja. Can someone provide more details about train frequency, how long is the train ride, costs, etc? I am trying to figure out if I take the train out of Alverca in the morning or at night. If the train trip is short, I can take once I get to Alverca, stay the night in Azambuja and start walking to Santarem in the morning. (This way I gain a day of additional time over walking.)
Also on another post there was some discussion about credit cards and train ticket kiosks. I expect to be in Alverca on a weekend and don't have a "chip and pin" credit card so I am concerned about being able to purchase the train ticket. If I know what the cost of the ticket is I can be prepared with cash.

Former member 22438 · Apr 13, 2015

The train is a commuter train and went (when we were there on a week day ) every 20 minutes or so. The costs were a few euros
We walked from Moscavide to Alverca and arriving there took the train directly to Azambuja and stayed there in hostal Flor opposite the station. In the groundflior is a bar where we had breakfast. The journey by train took about half an hour.
Outside the Azambuja station you inmediately find the waymarkers.
I should advice to have some cash ready for all payments in Portugal
Bom caminho

Former member 22438 · Apr 13, 2015

Found this later: horrario de comboios = Commuter timetable
http://www.cp.pt/StaticFiles/CP/PDF/Passageiros/Horarios/lx/resumo_azambuja_sintra.pdf
Costs not more than 3€ from Alverca to Azambuja

Restless · Apr 14, 2015

Albertinho said:
Found this later: horrario de comboios = Commuter timetable
http://www.cp.pt/StaticFiles/CP/PDF/Passageiros/Horarios/lx/resumo_azambuja_sintra.pdf
Costs not more than 3€ from Alverca to Azambuja

The information you have provided is great.

Thanks!!

Why not start in Azambuja?

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