Coimbra

You visit the Biblioteca Joanina exclusively with a time slot booked at purchase (or online in advance); groups are small and fill quickly in peak season, so book well ahead. You do not buy a standalone Joanina ticket: it is included in a university combination ticket that also covers the Palace (Paço das Escolas) and the São Miguel Chapel, for around €13.50 (check current prices and programmes at visit.uc.pt; discounts are available for under 26s and over 65s). The university tower is a separate, inexpensive entry and open only from April to October. Photography is not permitted inside the Joanina.

One full day is enough for the essentials: the university with the Joanina, the Sé Velha, the Santa Cruz Monastery and a fado concert in the evening. But two days (one night) is more relaxed, giving you time for the upper city without rushing, the gardens of Quinta das Lágrimas and an unhurried dinner. If you want to add a day trip, such as Conímbriga, the Buçaco forest or the beach at Figueira da Foz, allow for a third day. For most travellers, Coimbra makes a perfect stop of one or two nights between Porto and Lisbon.

Both work, as Coimbra sits perfectly between the two cities: about 1h15 on the fast train (Alfa Pendular) from Porto and about 1h45-2h from Lisbon, arriving at Coimbra-B station (free shuttle train to the central Coimbra-A station). As a day trip it is doable, but you will miss the fado and the quiet evening atmosphere. Best is to stay one night and slot Coimbra in as a stop on your train journey between Porto and Lisbon; that way you avoid backtracking and see the city in the evening too.

Fado de Coimbra is the academic, male variant of Portuguese fado, born in the university world and sung by men in the black student cape, melancholic, often about the city and lost love, and distinctly different from Lisbon's fado (where women also sing). You hear it best at an intimate evening concert. Two established venues: Fado ao Centro (a daily concert around 18:00, about 50 minutes, including a glass of port, roughly €15, ideal for an early evening) and aCapella, in a 14th-century chapel in the old Jewish quarter (later, around 21:30). Book ahead in peak season.

The upper city is one long, steep hill of cobblestones and staircases: expect climbing and wear good shoes; it's not ideal if you have mobility issues. In the centre, you don't need a car: everything is within walking distance, and parking in the narrow upper city is a nightmare (park by the river and walk up). A car is only useful for day trips (Conímbriga, Buçaco, Figueira da Foz), where public transport is limited. If you arrive by train, you can explore the city itself without a car and book focused tours of the surrounding area.