Travelling to Lisbon with TAP Air Portugal
When booking our holiday to Portugal, I spent quite some time researching airlines to find the best deals on flights to Lisbon.
Prices varied depending on the times and dates of flights and I wanted to make the most of our short break, so booked an early 6am flight so we could make the most of the first day of our break.
The cheapest deals were with TAP Air Portugal, who were also offering 9% cashback on Top Cashback, so I saved both ways. Hand luggage was free but I did pay extra for one large case for Hubby and I which added an extra £40 each way to our flights.
I was concerned how the kids would react to such an early start, so we made the decision to book into a Travelodge near the airport the night before. Sadly, there were what could only be described as hoards of teens on our floor, who insisted on racing around the halls until the early hours of the morning, which meant that Hubby and I didn’t get much sleep.
I have used Holiday Extra’s for parking on a number of occasions now, as they have access to the best deals, and found that our parking location was less than a mile from our hotel. We unloaded the kids and our luggage from the car and hopped on the handy minibus which took us on the final journey to the airport.
Check-in at 4am in the morning was surprisingly painless as it was so quiet and we were soon eating breakfast in the departure lounge, before boarding our plane.
TAP Air Portugal is the most comfortable budget airline I have ever flown with. Not only was there lots of leg room, but the seats were Recaro designed and very comfortable.
Each one came with a handy tablet holder on the headrest in front of you and USB port so you could charge your phone / iPad.
With budget airlines, you normally have to pay extra for food and drink, but breakfast and refreshments were included on our flight too which was a lovely surprise.
The flight from Heathrow to Lisbon was just 2.5 hours, so perfect for travelling with young children and with it being still early in the morning, the airport was quiet so we got through immigration nice and speedily.
Martinhal Resorts arranged our transfers for us and we were greeted in arrivals by a friendly taxi driver in a huge 7-seater Mercedes who even provided car seats for the kids to sit in!
The driver happily chatted to us and the kids as we drove the 30 minute drive to Cacais, where we were staying, and pointed out various landmarks and their famous football stadiums along the way.
We arrived at our hotel by 10am, meaning the early start was well worth it and we could start our holiday straight away.
Find out where we stayed and what we got up to in Lisbon by following the links below:
Martinhal Cacais Review
Martinhal Chiado Review
Visiting Sintra and Castelo dos Mourous
Visiting the Cabo da Roca
Visiting Pena Palace
Visiting Lisbon with the Kids
Lisbon Oceanarium and Torre de Belem
Micaela Levachyov
Lisbon is definitely going on my travel bucket list. It looks like you had a great time!
Becky
The extras you got were not what I associate with a budget airline. Well done, TAP Air Portugal! I’m sure it made it far more relaxing for all of you.
Sarah Bailey
This sounds like you got an awesome deal flying with TAP Air, hands up I LOVE it when you manage to get some cashback as well.
Rhian Westbury
I actually really like super early flights as you can maximize how much time you get on holiday. I’ve never heard of this airline though x
The London Mum
I never knew about the headrests and the iPad holders- that’s a game changer!!
Emma Raphael
TAP sound like a great airline, those tablet holders are a great idea. Looking forward to reading more about Martinhal as well, they sound great! E
Bee nai
Tap sounds like a great airline! I love the fact they have tablet holders, that’s so handy! I love budget airlines, they often surprise me with their quality
Jeni
Oh wow this sounds and looks great. The airline sounds really good and so good they provide food too.
Scots2travel
That doesnt look budget does it? Great value. Will read your Pena Palace post as I want to go!
Honey @ The Girl Next Shore
Oooh, thanks for sharing this! Lisbon is on my list for this year but I’m rather picky with air lines to use!
Do you think 4 days would be enough?
Kara
Yes, 4 days would be perfect 🙂
MarchMadness
Lisbon is one of mine dream place to go before I die. It looks so nice in pictures!
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy
We are thinking about a trip to Portugal at the end of summer, so I will keep them in mind for that.
Fashion and Style Police
I like the sound of the airline. The tablet holder is a great one.
Ali - We Made This Life
I’ve never travelled with this airline and have flown several times to Portugal. I’ll check it out on our next trip, thanks!
Rachel
Sounds like a good flight and airline. I like early flights meaning you have the whole day at your destination.
Tanya
I’d love to go to Lisbon, and TAP Air Portugal sound like a great company to fly with. I think some airlines forgo comfort on short haul flights but 2 and a half hours is still a long time to be stuck in an uncomfortable small space so it’s great to hear that you had a lot of leg room and the tablet for entertainment
Stephanie
This sounds like a good company to fly with. Great leg room! Shame about the noisy night before, not what you need the night before
Emily Leary
It’s always interesting to read non-biased reviews of airline companies and it sounds like you all had an easy and comfortable trip, including your very early start. It’s a shame about the noisy teenagers in the hotel but I’m guessing that your stay in Lisbon made up for any niggles along the way! I’m looking forward to reading all about it.
Becca Talbot
I love it when drivers point out all the landmarks and areas of interest – it’s like having a guided tour hehe! Sounds like you had a pleasant experience with the airline – I’ve never heard of them before to be honest! x
Cathy
I have not heard of this airline before. Definitely worth considering if looking for cheap flights though. Love food is provided. X
mukesh choudhary
amazing blog. i had journey by this airlines also. its fantastic airline. service and Food is amazing. thanks for that.
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