Portugal · Spain · Italy

Fado, Gaudí & the Forum

Portugal PRTSat, Dec 5 – Mon, Dec 7PTEN

LisbonDay 1Sat, Dec 5PT (Portuguese)EN (English)
SintraDay 2Sun, Dec 6PT (Portuguese)EN (English)
Belém & CascaisDay 3Mon, Dec 7PT (Portuguese)EN (English)

Spain ESPTue, Dec 8 – Thu, Dec 10ESCAEN

BarcelonaDays 4–6Tue, Dec 8 – Thu, Dec 10ES (Spanish)CA (Catalan)EN (English)

Italy ITAFri, Dec 11 – Wed, Dec 16ITENNAP

RomeDays 7–9Fri, Dec 11 – Sun, Dec 13IT (Italian)EN (English)
NaplesDays 10–12Mon, Dec 14 – Wed, Dec 16IT (Italian)NAP (Neapolitan)EN (English)
PompeiiDay 11Tue, Dec 15IT (Italian)EN (English)

Travel & day by day ↓

Getting there & around

Fly in

LIS · Humberto Delgado Airport

Lisbon, Portugal

Sat, Dec 5, 2026

Add your home airport for flight times ↑

Fly home

NAP · Naples International Airport

Naples, Italy

Wed, Dec 16, 2026

Add your home airport for flight times ↑

Every flight

Day 1Sat, Dec 5Home → LISLand at Humberto Delgado Airport, Lisbon. Keep the day flexible around your flight.
Day 4Tue, Dec 8LIS → BCNMorning nonstop to Barcelona–El Prat. Allow about half a day with airport transfers.~2 h
Day 7Fri, Dec 11BCN → FCOMorning flight, ideally direct, to Rome Fiumicino~1 h 45
Day 12Wed, Dec 16NAP → HomeDepart Naples International Airport

Trains cover Sintra, Cascais, Rome–Naples and Pompeii. Lisbon → Barcelona → Rome are two short flights.

The route on a map

RoadBoatFlightAirport

Day by day

Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Sun
Dec5Day 1
1Lisbon PRT
Arrive · Praça do Comércio · Alfama · fado
- Home → LIS
- LIS airport → Baixa / Chiado~20–30 min
Dec6Day 2
2Sintra PRT
Pena Palace (10 AM) · travesseiros · Quinta da Regaleira · Bairro Alto
- Lisbon Rossio → Sintra~40–50 min
- Sintra → Lisbon~40–50 min
Dec7Day 3
3Belém & Cascais PRT
Belém Tower · Jerónimos · pastéis de nata · Cascais · Pink Street
- Lisbon Cais do Sodré → Cascais~40 min
Dec8Day 4
4Barcelona ESP
Fly to Barcelona · Gothic Quarter · El Born tapas
- LIS → BCN~2 h
- BCN airport → city centre~35 min
Dec9Day 5
4Barcelona ESP
Sagrada Família (9 AM) · Casa Batlló · Casa Milà · Park Güell · seafood rice
Dec10Day 6
4Barcelona ESP
Barceloneta · Port Vell · Montjuïc · Christmas displays · El Born dinner
Dec11Day 7
5Rome ITA
Fly to Rome · Spanish Steps · Trevi · Pantheon · Piazza Navona · aperitivo
- BCN → FCO~1 h 45
- FCO airport → Roma Termini~32 min
Dec12Day 8
5Rome ITA
Colosseum (8:30 AM) · Forum · Palatine · Monti lunch · food tour
Dec13Day 9
5Rome ITA
Vatican Museums (8:30 AM) · St. Peter's · Castel Sant'Angelo · Trastevere
Dec14Day 10
6Naples ITA
Train to Naples · Spaccanapoli · pizza · Lungomare sunset
- Roma Termini → Napoli Centrale~1 h 10–20
Dec15Day 11
7Pompeii ITA
Pompeii ruins · Sorrento or Naples museum · celebration dinner
- Naples → Pompei Scavi~35–40 min
- Pompeii → Sorrento or Naples~30–40 min
Dec16Day 12
6Naples ITA
Espresso · sfogliatella · fly home
- Naples centre → NAP airport~20–30 min
- NAP → Home

Portugal PRT1Lisbon 2Sintra 3Belém & Cascais

Spain ESP4Barcelona

Italy ITA5Rome 6Naples 7Pompeii

Hover, focus or tap a travel line for how it works; every leg is spelled out in Getting there & around and under each postcard.

Part One · Dec 10–13

Portugal

Sat, Dec 5 – Mon, Dec 7 · 3 days

Weather while you're there

December

59°Ftypical high

4.7 inrain that month

Showers most days

Rain through the year · Lisbon

Dark bars: your months

December is mild and changeable: highs near 59 °F, bright spells and Atlantic showers. Sintra is often cooler and misty, so bring a layer. Cascais is for scenic walks, not swimming.

Typical monthly averages for Lisbon, approximate. Check a forecast before you go.

Day 1 · Sat, Dec 5

Lisbon

PRT (Portugal) PT (Portuguese)EN (English)

Next · Day 2 · Sun, Dec 6

Train
Lisbon Rossio → SintraRegional train, 8:00 AM. Reserve a timed Pena Palace ticket.
~40–50 min
Train
Sintra → LisbonEvening train back for dinner and bars in Bairro Alto or Cais do Sodré
~40–50 min

Day 2 · Sun, Dec 6

Sintra

PRT (Portugal) PT (Portuguese)EN (English)

Next · Day 3 · Mon, Dec 7

Train
Lisbon Cais do Sodré → CascaisCoastal line after lunch; walk the beaches, harbour and Boca do Inferno, then back for Saturday night on Pink Street or Bairro Alto.
~40 min

Day 3 · Mon, Dec 7

Belém & Cascais

PRT (Portugal) PT (Portuguese)EN (English)Cascais Belém

Next · Day 4 · Tue, Dec 8

Flight
LIS → BCNMorning nonstop to Barcelona–El Prat. Allow about half a day with airport transfers.
~2 h
Taxi
BCN airport → city centreAerobus, metro or taxi. Then the Cathedral and El Born; patatas bravas, croquetas, local wine.
~35 min

Part Two · Dec 13–16

Spain

Tue, Dec 8 – Thu, Dec 10 · 3 days

Weather while you're there

December

57°Ftypical high

1.6 inrain that month

Mostly dry, a few showers

Rain through the year · Barcelona

Dark bars: your months

Cool, sunny and fairly dry in December, with highs around 57 °F. Mornings and evenings are chilly by the sea. Christmas displays go up across the city.

Typical monthly averages for Barcelona, approximate. Check a forecast before you go.

Days 4–6 · Tue, Dec 8 – Thu, Dec 10

Barcelona

ESP (Spain) ES (Spanish)CA (Catalan)EN (English)

Next · Day 7 · Fri, Dec 11

Flight
BCN → FCOMorning flight, ideally direct, to Rome Fiumicino
~1 h 45
Train
FCO airport → Roma TerminiLeonardo Express. Dinner: carbonara, cacio e pepe, tiramisu; late drinks in Trastevere.
~32 min

Part Three · Rome & Naples, Dec 16–21

Italy

Fri, Dec 11 – Wed, Dec 16 · 6 days

Weather while you're there

December

55°Ftypical high

3.3 inrain that month

Mostly dry, a few showers

Rain through the year · Rome

Dark bars: your months

Rome and Naples are cool and damp in December, with highs around 55 °F and periodic rain. Archaeological sites close early (Rome's park at 4:30 PM, Pompeii's last entry 3:30 PM), so start mornings on time.

Typical monthly averages for Rome, approximate. Check a forecast before you go.

Days 7–9 · Fri, Dec 11 – Sun, Dec 13

Rome

ITA (Italy) IT (Italian)EN (English)

Next · Day 10 · Mon, Dec 14

Train
Roma Termini → Napoli CentraleHigh-speed Frecciarossa or Italo, 9:00 AM. Drop luggage, walk past Castel Nuovo and Piazza del Plebiscito.
~1 h 10–20

Days 10–12 · Mon, Dec 14 – Wed, Dec 16

Naples

ITA (Italy) IT (Italian)NAP (Neapolitan)EN (English)

Day 11 · Tue, Dec 15

Pompeii

ITA (Italy) IT (Italian)EN (English)

Next · Day 12 · Wed, Dec 16

Taxi
Naples centre → NAP airportAlibus, taxi or Uber. With a later flight, walk the waterfront or shop for local gifts.
~20–30 min
Flight
NAP → HomeDepart Naples International Airport

Trip sheet

Fado, Gaudí & the Forum

Sat, Dec 5 – Wed, Dec 16

12 days · Portugal · Spain · Italy

What it costs · per person, USD

Where	Days	ThriftyHostels, trains, street food	ComfortableBoutique hotels, tickets, nice dinners	GrandLuxury hotels, private guides
PortugalSat, Dec 5 – Mon, Dec 7	3	$285$95/day	$630$210/day	$1,350$450/day
SpainTue, Dec 8 – Thu, Dec 10	3	$330$110/day	$720$240/day	$1,500$500/day
ItalyFri, Dec 11 – Wed, Dec 16	6	$690$115/day	$1,560$260/day	$3,300$550/day
Flights & ferriesLIS → BCN · BCN → FCO, boats	—	$200	$300	$500
Total per person	12	$1,505	$3,210	$6,650
Per person, per day		$125	$268	$554

Not included: your flights to LIS and home from NAP. Lodging, food and activities; rough 2026 estimates, not quotes.

Languages · most useful first

Where	Languages	In short
Portugal PRT (Portugal)	PT (Portuguese)PortugueseOfficial. A 'obrigado/obrigada' goes a long way. EN (English)EnglishWidely spoken in Lisbon hotels, restaurants and sights.	English works across Lisbon and Sintra. Base yourself in Baixa, Chiado, or near Avenida da Liberdade.
Lisbon PRT (Portugal)	PT (Portuguese)EN (English) Portuguese, English	Day 1
Sintra PRT (Portugal)	PT (Portuguese)EN (English) Portuguese, English	Day 2
Belém & Cascais PRT (Portugal)	PT (Portuguese)EN (English) Portuguese, English	Day 3
Spain ESP (Spain)	ES (Spanish)SpanishOfficial. Spoken everywhere. CA (Catalan)CatalanCatalan, co-official and on every sign in Barcelona. EN (English)EnglishCommon in hotels and tourist areas.	Spanish and Catalan on the street; English in tourist areas. Stay in Eixample, El Born, or the Gothic Quarter.
Barcelona ESP (Spain)	ES (Spanish)CA (Catalan)EN (English) Spanish, Catalan, English	Days 4–6
Italy ITA (Italy)	IT (Italian)ItalianOfficial. Spoken everywhere. EN (English)EnglishCommon at major sights and tourist restaurants. NAP (Neapolitan)NeapolitanNeapolitan, the local speech around Naples.	Italian everywhere; English at major sights. Stay in Monti, Centro Storico or Trastevere in Rome, and near Piazza del Plebiscito, Chiaia or Toledo in Naples.
Rome ITA (Italy)	IT (Italian)EN (English) Italian, English	Days 7–9
Naples ITA (Italy)	IT (Italian)NAP (Neapolitan)EN (English) Italian, Neapolitan, English	Days 10–12
Pompeii ITA (Italy)	IT (Italian)EN (English) Italian, English	Day 11

Language codes are ISO 639; country codes are ISO 3166 (three letters).