Advice on areas to live in Lisbon/Cascais please!

[Emmis]

Originally Posted by tracyann

Welcome to Cascais, I dont get on here very often but when you get here please let me know and I would love to meet up and have coffee and a natter. My email is Tracyhowse@yahoo.co.uk. We have been here two years now and still love it as much as the day we arrived.

Tracy!!

We are incredibly excited! I'm about to look up yoga and ecological stuff online now, and hopefully find some hippy types (ha ha ha - I have to laugh at myself!) that can show me how, where and when! Would you know?!

Yes, please, let's meet up for a coffee - that would be great!

I'll email you so you have my address too!

xxx

[oranger]

Emmis - if you've never been to Portugal I'd hold off choosing your exact location before experiencing the place first hand.

The best bet is to try to find a short term rent when you arrive then explore the area more fully. The historical part of Cascais is nice, but Cascais is very touristy, busy and quite posh and it may be that this doesn't suit you. You may find somewhere on the "marginal" east of Estoril (Sao Joao, Sao Pedro, Parede) which is a bit more "real", a bit nearer Lisbon but still near the schools and the beach.

Or you may want to be more in the countryside - the area near Colares south of Sintra is divine (but a little more of a drive).

So best to explore first, that's my advice!

[oranger]

ps, sorry just saw the OP date - may not be relevant now

[Emmis]

Originally Posted by oranger

Emmis - if you've never been to Portugal I'd hold off choosing your exact location before experiencing the place first hand.

The best bet is to try to find a short term rent when you arrive then explore the area more fully. The historical part of Cascais is nice, but Cascais is very touristy, busy and quite posh and it may be that this doesn't suit you. You may find somewhere on the "marginal" east of Estoril (Sao Joao, Sao Pedro, Parede) which is a bit more "real", a bit nearer Lisbon but still near the schools and the beach.

Or you may want to be more in the countryside - the area near Colares south of Sintra is divine (but a little more of a drive).

So best to explore first, that's my advice!

Thanks for the advice! We've got a month's short term holiday let in Bairro do Rosario. Our only problem at the moment is deciding on schools as we're having some doubts about one of our choices.

As for location, we do want to be somewhere with some character/charm, but not far from the ocean. We don't mind posh if there are also alternative types milling around... and some surfers!

We'd prefer a house or a low rise apartment building. I'm not sure at all where would be suitable other than inland such as Birre or Cascais centre for the charm aspect.

Anyway, we arrive at the end of this month.

Thanks for the advice - and keep it coming!

[Lindsey 36]

Hello - we need advice on where to live in Lisbon too! Daughter will be going to International Preparatory school in Alcabideche, which has a bus service but she's only 5 so need good transport links (I don't drive).
Worried about being isolated at home with my 20 month old.
Any advice??

Thanks

[thepilotswife]

Hello Lindsey,

Welcome to Portugal!

My kids will also be attending IPS in the coming school year(they are 9 and 6).

As for where to live, as long as you live close to a bus/train line you will not be isolated. It depends on what you want- city urban living, village/beach city living, country living. Since you don't drive, I would try to find a place that isn't too far out in the country, with lots of stuff within walking distance. Just my opinion.

I live in Cascais, and IPS is a 8min drive from my house. If you don't want her bus to be a long one, I would try to concentrate on neighborhoods around the school. Bicesse, Alcabideche, Estoril, Cascais.

Maybe if Emmis sees this, she can offer better advice than me.

[Lindsey 36]

Thanks so much for that
Could you possibly recommend any areas that have a good community as will need playgroups for my son etc. We live in a village with a friendly community feel at the moment but only 15mins train ride from a city centre so we like the best of both worlds!! Any ideas and suggestions would be great as we are coming out in a couple of weeks to house hunt.
Lindsey

[Lindsey 36]

Just realised you said your children will be attending IPS - I guess your youngest will be going in to Year 2? My eldest will be in Year 1. Looking forward to seeing the school!

[baby_depardieu]

Hi there - hope its ok to jump onto this thread - we are researching schools as we plan to move to Cascais or surrounding area next summer. Ive been reading all these threads. The fees for the big international schools sound high - do you know much about the St James primary school in Cascais?

It would be so helpful to make contact with some other UK mums/parents. Hope to hear from any of you.
Thanks so much

[thepilotswife]

Originally Posted by baby_depardieu

Hi there - hope its ok to jump onto this thread - we are researching schools as we plan to move to Cascais or surrounding area next summer. Ive been reading all these threads. The fees for the big international schools sound high - do you know much about the St James primary school in Cascais?

It would be so helpful to make contact with some other UK mums/parents. Hope to hear from any of you.
Thanks so much

St James is near my house, but I don't know much about it. There is no school bus, which I know was a turn off for many parents here. It has a good reputation within the community, though. That's about all I know, unfortunately.