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Dublin may have said 'no' to the Lisbon Treaty, but that's no reason to reject the Portuguese capital! Lisbon is a lively, vibrant city that makes for an excellent touring base. Renting a car in Lisbon allows you to get the best of both the city and the surrounding countryside. The city built on 7 hills offers a host of wonderful attractions. The following is a guide to the best ways of spending your time in Lisbon.

Lisbon Airport Mini Guide:

Lisbon Portela Airport is situated 7km to the north of Lisbon. The airport offers a good range of passenger facilities including shopping, banks and restaurants.

Things To See/Do in Lisbon:

Set on seven hills, where the River Tagus flows into, the Atlantic Ocean, the wonderful city of Lisbon boasts a beautiful location that is the perfect base from which to explore Portugal. In the city centre, eye-grabbing sights include the Baixa district, a famous UNESCO World Heritage site. A gentle stroll through the quaint cobbled squares and winding arcades makes it easy to see why. The fact that the city underwent a complete rebuild after the 1775 earthquake makes it all the more remarkable. To gain the best view of the city, it's worth making a short trek towards the Elevador de Santa Justa, a decorative, quirky cast-iron street elevator that carried its first passengers skywards in 1901. Outside of the city centre, popular attractions include Bel'm, renowned for being the port where Portugal's great explorers embarked on voyages of discovery all over the globe. Rent a car in Lisbon and embrace the spirit of these great explorers. Travel to new territories and discover hidden gems that you never knew existed. The best thing about renting a car in Lisbon is that you won't have to rely on public transport, timetables or annoying scheduled stops, which cut valuable time off you touring experience. Independent of all of these drawbacks, you'll be free to discover Lisbon and its wonderful surrounding countryside at a pace that suits you.

Eating Out in Lisbon:

Eating out in Lisbon allows you to sample some of the best seafood that Portugal has to offer. As the capital, you'll find the largest fish market in the country in Lisbon which always has fresh stocks of fresh fish and seafood. Traditional favourites worth a try include Bacalhau salted cod and Sardinhas assades- grilled sardines.

Day Trips/Events in Lisbon:

Lisbon makes for a fantastic base from which to discover the hidden gems of Portugal's western region, villages and coastal resorts. Attractive excursions include the pretty town of Sintra, located just 45km away. Sun-seekers needn't fret either. The nearby beaches of Estoril and Cascais are the perfect place to soak up the glorious sunshine.

Lisbon has a bubby, frenetic nightlife that would rival Berlin or Madrid in terms of its intensity. The locals really know how to let their hair down in Lisbon and their events calendar gives them every chance to do so. June's fantastic San Antonio festivities take place from the 12th.