# Advice on areas to live in Lisbon/Cascais please!



## Emmis

Are there any families (or anyone else!!) in Lisbon from whom I could get some advice on good areas to live in the area?

We have 2 children aged 4 and 7, are quite an alternative family (a tiny bit more surfing, yoga and organic food than plasma TVs and aerobics!) and are used to living in apartments in cities rather than big houses in the suburbs. We have seen that Cascais isn't too far from Lisbon and as my husband's a surfer that definitely seems a possibility, but as we usually love city living we'd also love to know some suitable areas in Lisbon itself. As we're with our two children it would nice to be near a park and somewhere with character and that is quite safe. 

We've also looked into International schools as initially we don't know if we will be there for longer than a year, though if we do stay our intention would be to put them in local schools. We heard from St. James in Cascais, but would also love advice on any of the other international schools in Lisbon. We're not used to league tables and aren't too fond of competitive environments - their current international school in Amsterdam is very nurturing, structured and inclusive.

If you do have any advice, I'd be very grateful!

:confused2:


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## thepilotswife

Hello,

We live in Cascais. We just moved here in late July and so far, love it. We live in the Birre area, which is not far from good surfing in Guincho(about a 5m drive. The Guincho area is very windy and the seas are often rough and the waves big during the winter, but for a surfer it's heaven(my brother is a surfer). Areia, Murches, Charneca, Malveira da Serra and surrounding areas are also not so "suburban" and there is a more rustic feel to the area. Other good areas to live around here are Cobre, Torre, Pampilheira

St James is a good school and not at all far from my present house. It has a very good reputation around here and was mentioned several times to me by different people as being a "good school". My kids(also 4 and 7) go to St Dominic's, an international school(which my dh's company is paying for) and we love it.

I love where we live. It's far enough away, yet close enough to get places quickly. We live in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. We also live near an entrance to the A5, which my dh takes to work each day, so it's convenient for him.


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> Hello,
> 
> We live in Cascais. We just moved here in late July and so far, love it. We live in the Birre area, which is not far from good surfing in Guincho(about a 5m drive. The Guincho area is very windy and the seas are often rough and the waves big during the winter, but for a surfer it's heaven(my brother is a surfer). Areia, Murches, Charneca, Malveira da Serra and surrounding areas are also not so "suburban" and there is a more rustic feel to the area. Other good areas to live around here are Cobre, Torre, Pampilheira
> 
> St James is a good school and not at all far from my present house. It has a very good reputation around here and was mentioned several times to me by different people as being a "good school". My kids(also 4 and 7) go to St Dominic's, an international school(which my dh's company is paying for) and we love it.
> 
> I love where we live. It's far enough away, yet close enough to get places quickly. We live in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. We also live near an entrance to the A5, which my dh takes to work each day, so it's convenient for him.


Wow! You've sold it!! We had a look at some properties over the weekend and initially were a bit disheartened as it all seemed very modern with pools etc... I know some people's dreams but we'd swap a view and a pool any day for a house with character! Then we found some lovely places for rent in the Centrol historico (my computer's failing me on accents!!) and big smiles were seen all round.

We really hope this comes off. We still haven't had the confirmation although it's all looking quite likely. I've never even been to Portugal but it sounds like heaven and for my husband the waves look even more so! He spent a good part of Saturday looking at the surf in the Cascais area on youtube!

Thank you so much for your advice and for the information on St.James. St. Dominic's looks lovely but unfortunately we work for ourselves so I think we'd prefer to find a slightly cheaper option that's also good... and St. James seems to be it!

Stay in touch as it would be nice to have a contact! I suppose my next question, eventually, will be about yoga and organic food!! 

Thank you so much :clap2:


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## Emmis

*Cornerstone Academy?*

Sorry, one more question "pilotswife"! 

Would you happen to know anything about the Cornerstone Academy in Sintra? 

I understand it is both a secular and Christian school, and from the website it looks quite "young" and upbeat but as it's still waiting to be accredited by the UK, the US and Portuguese governments, I'm wondering if you've heard anything about it, or know if it's any good?

Thanks again for your help so far!


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## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> Sorry, one more question "pilotswife"!
> 
> Would you happen to know anything about the Cornerstone Academy in Sintra?
> 
> I understand it is both a secular and Christian school, and from the website it looks quite "young" and upbeat but as it's still waiting to be accredited by the UK, the US and Portuguese governments, I'm wondering if you've heard anything about it, or know if it's any good?
> 
> Thanks again for your help so far!


I've heard of it, but not heard anything about it beyond it's website. Sorry.


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> I've heard of it, but not heard anything about it beyond it's website. Sorry.


That's ok! Thanks for getting back to me anyway.

Basically our daughter has a place in St. James' in Cascais but our 4 year old is too young to attend but in their "sister" school St. John's there aren't any places available for his year group. 

There are places for both of them at St. Dominic's and at St. Julian's but as the fees are much higher we did a bit more research and found Cornerstone. 

I'm not sure though, partly because I'm worried it might be evangelical in nature, though I did speak to someone there and she did say they tackle both the creationist and evolutionist angles (for example!). 

Also I'm a bit less keen as it would mean not living by the coast and I'm really not sure how the commute from Sintra would be for my husband (and eventually for me once I start working, probably in Lisbon) heading to Lisbon everyday. But, I suppose it's the vicinity to the coast thing that makes me less than enthusiastic. Sintra sounds beautiful but we've had our fair share of trying to live inland, in a hilly, pretty area in Italy, which was picture postcard perfect but just not our thing, and we got pretty miserable trying to fill a round hole with a square peg, so to speak.

So, I think I'm now trying to ask you what your opinion of St. Dominic's is - is it worth spending that bit more? Are there any other possibilities at least for my 4 year old, until he was old enough to attend St. James'? I can only find a Montessori Nursery School online (Boa Ventura) in Cascais. Do St. Dominic's provide any discount on the 2nd sibling's fee, do you know? 

St. Julian's is also a possibility and maybe our 4 year old could attend there, until he's old enough for St. James' and then transfer over... or maybe if we're still there by then and decide to settle (finally!!) then he could move to a Portuguese school.

Sorry, for waffling on for ages! I should PM you!

Thanks for your great help so far, and I completely understand if there are too many questions here for you to answer!


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## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> That's ok! Thanks for getting back to me anyway.
> 
> Basically our daughter has a place in St. James' in Cascais but our 4 year old is too young to attend but in their "sister" school St. John's there aren't any places available for his year group.
> 
> There are places for both of them at St. Dominic's and at St. Julian's but as the fees are much higher we did a bit more research and found Cornerstone.
> 
> I'm not sure though, partly because I'm worried it might be evangelical in nature, though I did speak to someone there and she did say they tackle both the creationist and evolutionist angles (for example!).
> 
> Also I'm a bit less keen as it would mean not living by the coast and I'm really not sure how the commute from Sintra would be for my husband (and eventually for me once I start working, probably in Lisbon) heading to Lisbon everyday. But, I suppose it's the vicinity to the coast thing that makes me less than enthusiastic. Sintra sounds beautiful but we've had our fair share of trying to live inland, in a hilly, pretty area in Italy, which was picture postcard perfect but just not our thing, and we got pretty miserable trying to fill a round hole with a square peg, so to speak.
> 
> So, I think I'm now trying to ask you what your opinion of St. Dominic's is - is it worth spending that bit more? Are there any other possibilities at least for my 4 year old, until he was old enough to attend St. James'? I can only find a Montessori Nursery School online (Boa Ventura) in Cascais. Do St. Dominic's provide any discount on the 2nd sibling's fee, do you know?
> 
> St. Julian's is also a possibility and maybe our 4 year old could attend there, until he's old enough for St. James' and then transfer over... or maybe if we're still there by then and decide to settle (finally!!) then he could move to a Portuguese school.
> 
> Sorry, for waffling on for ages! I should PM you!
> 
> Thanks for your great help so far, and I completely understand if there are too many questions here for you to answer!


First, there are several very good nursery/preschools here. You could send your 4yr old to one for a year and this would be more affordable. I can't think of the names of them right now(or how to spell them correctly!), but I know several families that send their children to Portuguese nursery school and they are very pleased. Their kids are practically native speakers after a few months, plus they also get English lessons as well. I have heard the Montessori school is very good. I do know someone who sends her daughter there and we did consider that for our 4 yr old. 

St Dominic's- this is where we send our kids, 7 and 4. They both love it and we have been extremely pleased, especially with the kindergarten program for our 4 yr old(love our daughter's teacher as well-it's just a good school). My dh's company pays for our 7yr old to go and will pay for our 4yr old when he turns 5(next school year)-we are paying his tuition this year. They do not offer a discount for 2 kids- only for 3 or more. My reasons for wanting him to attend the same school as his sister were many- they could ride the bus together, I felt as though his education up to this point was lacking(because of the poor preschool he attended in Japan) and that he was behind where he should be. St Dominic's impressed me greatly, with their passion for education and the program that they do. I didn't want my 4yr to miss out on this great education opportunity just because of his age. Also, because we know we will only be here for 3 years, I really wanted him to be in one school for the whole time. 

I prefer living by the coast as well, but we chose house location over sea view this time. We are only about 5 minutes drive to the sea, so it's not so bad and I love my nice quiet neighborhood. Sintra is beautiful, easy to get to-about 20 minute drive- and we go often, for the hiking and castles/palaces nestled in the hills. 

I think whatever you decide, you can't make a wrong decision no matter which school you decide on.


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> First, there are several very good nursery/preschools here. You could send your 4yr old to one for a year and this would be more affordable. I can't think of the names of them right now(or how to spell them correctly!), but I know several families that send their children to Portuguese nursery school and they are very pleased. Their kids are practically native speakers after a few months, plus they also get English lessons as well. I have heard the Montessori school is very good. I do know someone who sends her daughter there and we did consider that for our 4 yr old.
> 
> St Dominic's- this is where we send our kids, 7 and 4. They both love it and we have been extremely pleased, especially with the kindergarten program for our 4 yr old(love our daughter's teacher as well-it's just a good school). My dh's company pays for our 7yr old to go and will pay for our 4yr old when he turns 5(next school year)-we are paying his tuition this year. They do not offer a discount for 2 kids- only for 3 or more. My reasons for wanting him to attend the same school as his sister were many- they could ride the bus together, I felt as though his education up to this point was lacking(because of the poor preschool he attended in Japan) and that he was behind where he should be. St Dominic's impressed me greatly, with their passion for education and the program that they do. I didn't want my 4yr to miss out on this great education opportunity just because of his age. Also, because we know we will only be here for 3 years, I really wanted him to be in one school for the whole time.
> 
> I prefer living by the coast as well, but we chose house location over sea view this time. We are only about 5 minutes drive to the sea, so it's not so bad and I love my nice quiet neighborhood. Sintra is beautiful, easy to get to-about 20 minute drive- and we go often, for the hiking and castles/palaces nestled in the hills.
> 
> I think whatever you decide, you can't make a wrong decision no matter which school you decide on.


I've only just registered that you have a son and daughter the same ages as our son and daughter!!

I feel like I owe you a large cake or something to thank you for all this wonderful advice!

From what you say (and the fact that coincidently both your children go there!!) St. Dominic's does sound great. I spoke to Thea Verdor today and she was so incredibly nice! I've already emailed across an "Expression of Interest". However, it is quite expensive for us so I think I will get in touch with the Montessori, just to compare and contrast! 

I would love to sign our little boy up for a Portuguese school but as we don't know for the time being what will happen after the 1st year I think for now I'd prefer them to be in an English speaking environment. Our daughter is already suffering a bit from having been in the Italian system for 3 years (which is wonderful but "formal" reading, writing etc doesn't start until 6 yrs), and then going to a school in Australia for 8 months.... and now we're in an international school in Amsterdam!

If we can give them some kind of constancy then it has to be their education... at least while we are still in this "mobile" stage or our lives!

We're also very fond of being in the Cascais area. I've never even been to Portugal but it really sounds wonderful. Maybe I need to look into property in the Sintra area too though, to be sure...!

Out of curiosity, does your husband, or you, work in Lisbon? Did you guys consider Sintra at all? Or maybe I should ask whether it is somewhere you _would have_ considered, as I understand your dh's company pays for St. Dominic's, so I imagine you wanted to be close by!

Thank you so much pilotswife. Hopefully oneday we'll get to meet and I might get to know your "other" name!! I met a wonderful friend through here and for an age I knew her as her "expat forum" name... which was actually that of her cat!!

Thank you x


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## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> I've only just registered that you have a son and daughter the same ages as our son and daughter!!
> 
> I feel like I owe you a large cake or something to thank you for all this wonderful advice!
> 
> From what you say (and the fact that coincidently both your children go there!!) St. Dominic's does sound great. I spoke to Thea Verdor today and she was so incredibly nice! I've already emailed across an "Expression of Interest". However, it is quite expensive for us so I think I will get in touch with the Montessori, just to compare and contrast!
> 
> I would love to sign our little boy up for a Portuguese school but as we don't know for the time being what will happen after the 1st year I think for now I'd prefer them to be in an English speaking environment. Our daughter is already suffering a bit from having been in the Italian system for 3 years (which is wonderful but "formal" reading, writing etc doesn't start until 6 yrs), and then going to a school in Australia for 8 months.... and now we're in an international school in Amsterdam!
> 
> If we can give them some kind of constancy then it has to be their education... at least while we are still in this "mobile" stage or our lives!
> 
> We're also very fond of being in the Cascais area. I've never even been to Portugal but it really sounds wonderful. Maybe I need to look into property in the Sintra area too though, to be sure...!
> 
> Out of curiosity, does your husband, or you, work in Lisbon? Did you guys consider Sintra at all? Or maybe I should ask whether it is somewhere you _would have_ considered, as I understand your dh's company pays for St. Dominic's, so I imagine you wanted to be close by!
> 
> Thank you so much pilotswife. Hopefully oneday we'll get to meet and I might get to know your "other" name!! I met a wonderful friend through here and for an age I knew her as her "expat forum" name... which was actually that of her cat!!
> 
> Thank you x


Ah, Thea is wonderful. I knew St Dominic's was the place for us after visiting there. I had gotten a little "zing" when viewing the website prior to our move and after visiting, the place gave me such a warm, happy feeling. I feel the same way about my kid's education- we've moved a lot as well(4 moves in 8 years) and really wanted to make sure that they felt comfortable and that the one thing that is the same is their education. If your daughter is 7, then she's 1st grade? Which is Year 2 there. Both Y2 teachers there are wonderful- my daughter has Ms Lima. My son's kindergarten teacher is Miss Williams, a truly fabulous woman, who is incredibly passionate about her job and loves it so much. Such a change from our last school, where the teacher's seemed beaten down by their jobs, the kids, the admin of the school. I'm incredibly biased about St Dominics, though!  Wish we could stay in Portugal forever just so my kids could go to this school! 

My Dh does work in Lisbon, in Monsanto, right off the A5. That's one of the reasons he really wanted this house, because it's very easy for him to get there. We did not consider Sintra before- the farthest we looked was Areia, which is next to Birre and Guincho. Our focus was on Cascais and Estoril, and after living in cramped houses in Japan, we wanted some space. This house in Birre gave us want we all wanted-space, ease of movement, close but far enough away, and a nice neighborhood. I love Cascais, but I've come to value the breathtaking view from Sintra and surrounding areas. It's rugged and romantic and still a little wild, untouched. Makes me realize how much I love living by the sea and how much I missed it!

I would absolutely love to meet you when you move here! No cake needed.


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> Ah, Thea is wonderful. I knew St Dominic's was the place for us after visiting there. I had gotten a little "zing" when viewing the website prior to our move and after visiting, the place gave me such a warm, happy feeling. I feel the same way about my kid's education- we've moved a lot as well(4 moves in 8 years) and really wanted to make sure that they felt comfortable and that the one thing that is the same is their education. If your daughter is 7, then she's 1st grade? Which is Year 2 there. Both Y2 teachers there are wonderful- my daughter has Ms Lima. My son's kindergarten teacher is Miss Williams, a truly fabulous woman, who is incredibly passionate about her job and loves it so much. Such a change from our last school, where the teacher's seemed beaten down by their jobs, the kids, the admin of the school. I'm incredibly biased about St Dominics, though!  Wish we could stay in Portugal forever just so my kids could go to this school!
> 
> My Dh does work in Lisbon, in Monsanto, right off the A5. That's one of the reasons he really wanted this house, because it's very easy for him to get there. We did not consider Sintra before- the farthest we looked was Areia, which is next to Birre and Guincho. Our focus was on Cascais and Estoril, and after living in cramped houses in Japan, we wanted some space. This house in Birre gave us want we all wanted-space, ease of movement, close but far enough away, and a nice neighborhood. I love Cascais, but I've come to value the breathtaking view from Sintra and surrounding areas. It's rugged and romantic and still a little wild, untouched. Makes me realize how much I love living by the sea and how much I missed it!
> 
> I would absolutely love to meet you when you move here! No cake needed.


Wow... now this is where you tell me that, on the other hand, all the Y3 teachers are witches!

Thea actually rang me about half an hour ago to confirm that both children have places should we wish to continue!!

I've been told that our little girl would be in Y3 as her birthday is in July (born 2003). She's young for her year and to be honest I think I'd prefer her to be in Y2 but as she was held back in Australia and it didn't really do her any favours over here, maybe it's better for her in the long run to stick with her year groups, rather than be held back, Australian style. In her school her in Amsterdam she's in a mixed Y3/Y4 class but as some of the children are from countries such as Finland where formal education doesn't actually start until 7 yrs of age, it's not a big deal.

When was your little girl born? She's probably younger than our daughter, hence the different year groups. You're now going to tell me that Y3 is horrible, aren't you?!!! 

You do make it sound so temptingly wonderful!

Anyway, must dash and gather children (!) and, yes please, we must definitely meet up!

Love xx


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## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> Wow... now this is where you tell me that, on the other hand, all the Y3 teachers are witches!
> 
> Thea actually rang me about half an hour ago to confirm that both children have places should we wish to continue!!
> 
> I've been told that our little girl would be in Y3 as her birthday is in July (born 2003). She's young for her year and to be honest I think I'd prefer her to be in Y2 but as she was held back in Australia and it didn't really do her any favours over here, maybe it's better for her in the long run to stick with her year groups, rather than be held back, Australian style. In her school her in Amsterdam she's in a mixed Y3/Y4 class but as some of the children are from countries such as Finland where formal education doesn't actually start until 7 yrs of age, it's not a big deal.
> 
> When was your little girl born? She's probably younger than our daughter, hence the different year groups. You're now going to tell me that Y3 is horrible, aren't you?!!!
> 
> You do make it sound so temptingly wonderful!
> 
> Anyway, must dash and gather children (!) and, yes please, we must definitely meet up!
> 
> Love xx


Haha, no I'm a total idiot! She's in Year 3, 2nd grade. :doh: She was born March 2003. Jeez... not enough coffee this morning!


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> Haha, no I'm a total idiot! She's in Year 3, 2nd grade. :doh: She was born March 2003. Jeez... not enough coffee this morning!


Ha Ha!! I don't even have the not enough coffee excuse for my dippiness!

Anyway, just one more question (well, that's probably a small lie....!).

I received the St. Dominic's forms via email and it said that we need to provide a copy of the BI or Autorização de Residencia. 

Now, obviously we have neither of these and won't have until we actually move there. I've got in touch with Thea via mail to ask about them and see whether we can go forward with registering the kids anyway but I was curious about your experience. 

We are EU citizens but I do know from both Italian and Spanish bureaucracy experience that it means diddly squat and that you still need to obtain residency and ID cards... but they do take time and it won't happen overnight, as soon as our feet hit the streets of Lisbon!! Did you guys register you kids prior to moving to Portugal without your BI or Autorização de Residencia?

I should PM you as I'm sure the rest of the expat forum might not be that interested in my application to St. Dominic's!! 

Love xxx


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## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> Ha Ha!! I don't even have the not enough coffee excuse for my dippiness!
> 
> Anyway, just one more question (well, that's probably a small lie....!).
> 
> I received the St. Dominic's forms via email and it said that we need to provide a copy of the BI or Autorização de Residencia.
> 
> Now, obviously we have neither of these and won't have until we actually move there. I've got in touch with Thea via mail to ask about them and see whether we can go forward with registering the kids anyway but I was curious about your experience.
> 
> We are EU citizens but I do know from both Italian and Spanish bureaucracy experience that it means diddly squat and that you still need to obtain residency and ID cards... but they do take time and it won't happen overnight, as soon as our feet hit the streets of Lisbon!! Did you guys register you kids prior to moving to Portugal without your BI or Autorização de Residencia?
> 
> I should PM you as I'm sure the rest of the expat forum might not be that interested in my application to St. Dominic's!!
> 
> Love xxx


I'll PM you.


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> Hello,
> 
> We live in Cascais. We just moved here in late July and so far, love it. We live in the Birre area, which is not far from good surfing in Guincho(about a 5m drive. The Guincho area is very windy and the seas are often rough and the waves big during the winter, but for a surfer it's heaven(my brother is a surfer). Areia, Murches, Charneca, Malveira da Serra and surrounding areas are also not so "suburban" and there is a more rustic feel to the area. Other good areas to live around here are Cobre, Torre, Pampilheira
> 
> St James is a good school and not at all far from my present house. It has a very good reputation around here and was mentioned several times to me by different people as being a "good school". My kids(also 4 and 7) go to St Dominic's, an international school(which my dh's company is paying for) and we love it.
> 
> I love where we live. It's far enough away, yet close enough to get places quickly. We live in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. We also live near an entrance to the A5, which my dh takes to work each day, so it's convenient for him.


Hey Erin,

I just PM-ed you and realise now that I had already asked you about specific areas and you actually mentionned about 8 on this reply. 

Apologies... how embarrassing!! 

However, I did ask you a couple of other questions (I think!!)!

Thank you so incredibly, hugely, largely (!!) for your help and positive vibes!!!

I'm hoping one day I can return the favour!

xxx


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## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> Hey Erin,
> 
> I just PM-ed you and realise now that I had already asked you about specific areas and you actually mentionned about 8 on this reply.
> 
> Apologies... how embarrassing!!
> 
> However, I did ask you a couple of other questions (I think!!)!
> 
> Thank you so incredibly, hugely, largely (!!) for your help and positive vibes!!!
> 
> I'm hoping one day I can return the favour!
> 
> xxx


Hmmm... I didn't get a PM yet. I'll keep checking to see if it pops up.


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## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> Hmmm... I didn't get a PM yet. I'll keep checking to see if it pops up.


Did you ever get the PM?

I'm going to bombard you with questions here instead. If you didn't get the PM then I've no idea where it went!!!

It was definitely sent... something may have happened in cyberspace but then I'm not the most technically minded of people.

I'm hugely grateful for all your info so far! We have notes all around our laptop of the places you've suggested!!

We were wondering what the area around St. Dominic's is like? If not so great, where does the bus pick up from? 

Also, o) what is São Domingos de Rana like? And o ) can you let me which areas we should avoid looking into?! We're online looking at rental places and I have no idea whether something that looks nice is actually in a horrible area! Rents are a lot higher in Cascais than we were expecting, in fact more than we pay in our pretty nice area in Amsterdam! However, I did note that the size of the places was about 3 times our apartment size here!!!!

If you could let me know where to avoid, that would be great!!! 

We like the look of central Cascais, the historic part, even though we would be renting a small, probably 2 bedroom place. I want to avoid driving as much as possible and would love to have shops/grocers and cafes within walking distance.

And (now the even more ridiculous question....) do you know if organic/eco stuff is easy to come by?  I've looked online and found some nice places in Lisbon so I suppose I could do a weekly trip into the city at the weekend... which I think wouldn't be too dire!!!!! Lisbon looks wonderful! I'm wondering if there are markets, or home deliveries from farms .... I know I'm comparing to Italy which is RIDICULOUS but if there was some eco-friendly/organic source I could use that would be great.

Anyway, once again, I thank you hugely. And I think the cake has been doubled in size!


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## Bruschy

*To Emmis*

Hello Emmis,

how are you??

Firs of all if you are looking forward to move in to Cascais i think it´s a very good option.

It has a very good lifestyle, close to beaches (among them Guincho and Praia Grande in Sintra, nice surf).

Cascais is located 15 minutes from lisbon by car if you go through the higthway or 30 minutes if you choose to go by Marginal wich is the biggest avenue in the world and it´s beautiful because follows the river.

One think that you will understand is the fact that you will not need to find organic stores (as we start to see in big cities), everywhere people sell organic food.

For example: the couple that have the grocery store in my street ( lisbon) live 1 hour from the city and every day they bring the fresh food from the country side and sell it in their store, you will find plenty of that places in there.

Im living in australia (sydney) and im getting crazy with their food culture, i miss the portuguese food.

If you like fish and sea food so you will love Portugal, fresh and tasty fish every day in the local markets.

People in Portugal are not addicted to Fast Food as they have a strong gastronomic culture so dont woorries with your suns health in school and friend houses.

Lisbon for me though ( and i have visited the majority of the cities in europe) is the most beatifull city in the world.

Very historic, the pedestrians tracks are all of them made with white portuguese rocks so give to the city a ligth that even paris dont have.

Actually and if you are a surfer you can give me your email or send me an email to and get in touch with my brother who is the top ten (under 21) bodyborder in Portugal and is always surfin in praia grande, who knows you can not cath up with him.

Another think and that i think you should know is the fact Portugal is a very safety country, i never heard about an homicide for example as i hear in sydney, i think in 2008 was considered the 7th safetier contry to live in.

The only problems that we have there is with imigrants, aside that dont need to worry.

And at last but not least the weather is beautiful.

If you are going to live in cascais and work in lisbon i highly recommend you to be carefful with the traffic, it can drive you nuts.
Just in the morning though!!

Sorry this massive text but i love to write about my country.

Feel free to contact me on my email for future possible questions.

Regards,

Lourenco Bruschy


----------



## thepilotswife

Emmis said:


> Did you ever get the PM?
> 
> I'm going to bombard you with questions here instead. If you didn't get the PM then I've no idea where it went!!!
> 
> It was definitely sent... something may have happened in cyberspace but then I'm not the most technically minded of people.
> 
> I'm hugely grateful for all your info so far! We have notes all around our laptop of the places you've suggested!!
> 
> We were wondering what the area around St. Dominic's is like? If not so great, where does the bus pick up from?
> 
> Also, o) what is São Domingos de Rana like? And o ) can you let me which areas we should avoid looking into?! We're online looking at rental places and I have no idea whether something that looks nice is actually in a horrible area! Rents are a lot higher in Cascais than we were expecting, in fact more than we pay in our pretty nice area in Amsterdam! However, I did note that the size of the places was about 3 times our apartment size here!!!!
> 
> If you could let me know where to avoid, that would be great!!!
> 
> We like the look of central Cascais, the historic part, even though we would be renting a small, probably 2 bedroom place. I want to avoid driving as much as possible and would love to have shops/grocers and cafes within walking distance.
> 
> And (now the even more ridiculous question....) do you know if organic/eco stuff is easy to come by?  I've looked online and found some nice places in Lisbon so I suppose I could do a weekly trip into the city at the weekend... which I think wouldn't be too dire!!!!! Lisbon looks wonderful! I'm wondering if there are markets, or home deliveries from farms .... I know I'm comparing to Italy which is RIDICULOUS but if there was some eco-friendly/organic source I could use that would be great.
> 
> Anyway, once again, I thank you hugely. And I think the cake has been doubled in size!


Sorry that it's taken me so long to get back to you! I was trying to get in touch with one of my daughter's friends' mothers who live in S.Domingo and ask her about her neighborhood. Well, actually they live near the school. Having only really driven through there, I don't know if they live in an apartment or a house, but they seem to like it there. There is a shopping center pretty close to the school, with a grocery and other shops. The immediate neighborhood surrounding the school is ringed with big apartment buildings and a few single-family house neighborhoods. As with any place, there are good places and bad places. In general, it looks like a decent place. Most houses seem to be in good condition and the apartment buildings seem rather new. Carcavelos/Oeiras is the 2nd closest area and again, you have to pick where you live. I'm not terribly familiar with either area, just know what I see when I drive around. This reminds me- they are building a school(a PT one, I think a large preschool) directly across from St Dominics. I think it's supposed to be finished next year sometime. There is little to no parking around the school as it is now- I can only imagine how crowded it will be when this new school opens!

Central Cascais is a great area, I think. There you would have the small village feel, shops/restaurants are within walking distance. Almost anywhere you go, you should be able to find something. I am within walking distance(5-15m) to a vet, ATM, groceries, pharmacy, pet store and several local restaurants. I would not consider my area to be village-like, it's very residential and most people drive.

I would say that the houses here are large- at least the ones we saw and compared to Japan. Our place is a monster, seriously the largest place we have ever lived and probably ever will. It was within our budget, but we watch the water/electricity bills and try to keep them on the lower side. Of course, not every house is going to be huge. 

The school bus picks my kids up at my front door every morning and drops them off at the front door. They get picked up around 7:45am and are home by 4pm. Not too bad, but it all depends on where in that particular bus' schedule you are. 

Organic stuff- yes and no. Yes, I have been able to find produce and the like that is organic, even other things, like cleaning supplies and such, in the bigger markets. There are lots of "green" items for sale here, which surprised and delighted me. I have heard that there is an organic farmers market in Cascais/Guia every week, which day I don't know. I haven't been able to find it yet. As far as home delivery from farms, no idea. I can ask my neighbor, she might know. 

Hope this helps some. I'll see if I can talk to the other mom, see what she thinks and find out where exactly she lives. The girls are supposed to have a play-date this weekend, so I should be able to get some more info for you.


----------



## thepilotswife

Duh, yes, as Bruschy said, it is pretty easy to get organic produce, especially at the smaller family run markets, but even in the chain stores, most of the produce seems to come from small family farms. There are also great markets in Cascais and Carcavelos- Weds and Sat in Cascais, Thursdays in Carcavelos. These are HUGE and sell tons of stuff, from fish to produce to shoes to clothes.


----------



## Emmis

Bruschy said:


> Hello Emmis,
> 
> how are you??
> 
> Firs of all if you are looking forward to move in to Cascais i think it´s a very good option.
> 
> It has a very good lifestyle, close to beaches (among them Guincho and Praia Grande in Sintra, nice surf).
> 
> Cascais is located 15 minutes from lisbon by car if you go through the higthway or 30 minutes if you choose to go by Marginal wich is the biggest avenue in the world and it´s beautiful because follows the river.
> 
> One think that you will understand is the fact that you will not need to find organic stores (as we start to see in big cities), everywhere people sell organic food.
> 
> For example: the couple that have the grocery store in my street ( lisbon) live 1 hour from the city and every day they bring the fresh food from the country side and sell it in their store, you will find plenty of that places in there.
> 
> Im living in australia (sydney) and im getting crazy with their food culture, i miss the portuguese food.
> 
> If you like fish and sea food so you will love Portugal, fresh and tasty fish every day in the local markets.
> 
> People in Portugal are not addicted to Fast Food as they have a strong gastronomic culture so dont woorries with your suns health in school and friend houses.
> 
> Lisbon for me though ( and i have visited the majority of the cities in europe) is the most beatifull city in the world.
> 
> Very historic, the pedestrians tracks are all of them made with white portuguese rocks so give to the city a ligth that even paris dont have.
> 
> Actually and if you are a surfer you can give me your email or send me an email to and get in touch with my brother who is the top ten (under 21) bodyborder in Portugal and is always surfin in praia grande, who knows you can not cath up with him.
> 
> Another think and that i think you should know is the fact Portugal is a very safety country, i never heard about an homicide for example as i hear in sydney, i think in 2008 was considered the 7th safetier contry to live in.
> 
> The only problems that we have there is with imigrants, aside that dont need to worry.
> 
> And at last but not least the weather is beautiful.
> 
> If you are going to live in cascais and work in lisbon i highly recommend you to be carefful with the traffic, it can drive you nuts.
> Just in the morning though!!
> 
> Sorry this massive text but i love to write about my country.
> 
> Feel free to contact me on my email for future possible questions.
> 
> Regards,
> 
> Lourenco Bruschy


Thank you SOOOO much for that beautiful message!! Everytime I get a message from a Portuguese person, I fall more in love with your country even though I've never been there!

Everyone I know who has been there is so positive about it. I'm prepared for crazy traffic and driving (coming from Italy) and am looking forward to the slow (albeit bureaucratic!!) way of life, so much!

Your points about organic food make me smile from ear to ear!! We would eventually love to buy a place in the countryside and grow our own vegetables, use solar power and self-sustain as much as possible. Portugal seems a very populare destination for eco-warriors and we already know a couple who are living a dream life in the countryside, living in such a way!

Thank you, thank you. And please, put us in touch with your brother. My husband is the surfer but my children will be learning to surf. We lived in Sydney for 10 months. I loved it but I know what you mean about fresh food and commercialism. I missed Italy and fresh food a lot when I was there. 

THANK YOU! :clap2::clap2:


----------



## Emmis

thepilotswife said:


> Sorry that it's taken me so long to get back to you! I was trying to get in touch with one of my daughter's friends' mothers who live in S.Domingo and ask her about her neighborhood. Well, actually they live near the school. Having only really driven through there, I don't know if they live in an apartment or a house, but they seem to like it there. There is a shopping center pretty close to the school, with a grocery and other shops. The immediate neighborhood surrounding the school is ringed with big apartment buildings and a few single-family house neighborhoods. As with any place, there are good places and bad places. In general, it looks like a decent place. Most houses seem to be in good condition and the apartment buildings seem rather new. Carcavelos/Oeiras is the 2nd closest area and again, you have to pick where you live. I'm not terribly familiar with either area, just know what I see when I drive around. This reminds me- they are building a school(a PT one, I think a large preschool) directly across from St Dominics. I think it's supposed to be finished next year sometime. There is little to no parking around the school as it is now- I can only imagine how crowded it will be when this new school opens!
> 
> Central Cascais is a great area, I think. There you would have the small village feel, shops/restaurants are within walking distance. Almost anywhere you go, you should be able to find something. I am within walking distance(5-15m) to a vet, ATM, groceries, pharmacy, pet store and several local restaurants. I would not consider my area to be village-like, it's very residential and most people drive.
> 
> I would say that the houses here are large- at least the ones we saw and compared to Japan. Our place is a monster, seriously the largest place we have ever lived and probably ever will. It was within our budget, but we watch the water/electricity bills and try to keep them on the lower side. Of course, not every house is going to be huge.
> 
> The school bus picks my kids up at my front door every morning and drops them off at the front door. They get picked up around 7:45am and are home by 4pm. Not too bad, but it all depends on where in that particular bus' schedule you are.
> 
> Organic stuff- yes and no. Yes, I have been able to find produce and the like that is organic, even other things, like cleaning supplies and such, in the bigger markets. There are lots of "green" items for sale here, which surprised and delighted me. I have heard that there is an organic farmers market in Cascais/Guia every week, which day I don't know. I haven't been able to find it yet. As far as home delivery from farms, no idea. I can ask my neighbor, she might know.
> 
> Hope this helps some. I'll see if I can talk to the other mom, see what she thinks and find out where exactly she lives. The girls are supposed to have a play-date this weekend, so I should be able to get some more info for you.


Arghhhhhhh. I'm getting so excited . 

Well, at the moment our current thinking  is that I will move over with the kids, most likely in January, even if my husband's project doesn't kick off until Feb/March, just so the children can settle into school at the beginning of term! I think he can fly in and out at weekends should that be the case. 

I've seen a lovely apartment online in the centro historico of Cascais, and also a lovely little house with a communal pool (crikey!!!) in Birre where you guys are. The pool and own garden are tempting and are definitely what we would like to have eventually (well, the garden at any rate!!) but I think we're more tempted by the centro historico just because I like to walk everywhere. 

Our dream is to buy a place in the countryside to head to at weekends. We've seen some ridiculously cheap places in the dark depths of the countryside, in locations we couldn't live in day to day but would be lovely for weekend retreats, where I can grow my vegetables and pretend to be a hippy :hippie:!!!

It's good to know the school picks up from the door... I wonder if they do that from every location?!

Well, lovely Erin, your help has, as usual, been fabulous and I'm looking forward to meeting you soon, I hope!! 

Fingers crossed that it all goes to plan and there aren't to many hitches attacking our plans!


----------



## Bruschy

Emmis said:


> Thank you SOOOO much for that beautiful message!! Everytime I get a message from a Portuguese person, I fall more in love with your country even though I've never been there!
> 
> Everyone I know who has been there is so positive about it. I'm prepared for crazy traffic and driving (coming from Italy) and am looking forward to the slow (albeit bureaucratic!!) way of life, so much!
> 
> Your points about organic food make me smile from ear to ear!! We would eventually love to buy a place in the countryside and grow our own vegetables, use solar power and self-sustain as much as possible. Portugal seems a very populare destination for eco-warriors and we already know a couple who are living a dream life in the countryside, living in such a way!
> 
> Thank you, thank you. And please, put us in touch with your brother. My husband is the surfer but my children will be learning to surf. We lived in Sydney for 10 months. I loved it but I know what you mean about fresh food and commercialism. I missed Italy and fresh food a lot when I was there.
> 
> THANK YOU! :clap2::clap2:








Emmis,


the pleasure in help is all mine!!

You can easily find a good place to buy some land and plant your organic food
North you go more rich will be the land!

Im glad you are positive and im sure you will enjoy the experience.

I have a country house 30 minutes from Lisbon as well witch is located in Santo Estevao (the village) and the place is called *Mata do Duque* ,you migth get interested because it´s very close to Lisbon and it´s a place that has been growin in popolarity as well.

I leave you the explanation of how to get to the link with my house and place.

we rent the house just during the summer in an english website and we always have english famalies there that love the experience and the place.

I know that are still many land there to buy and houses, and is the only place in Portugal where you have an equestrian Polo Field.

Put in the google *villas4you* and acess to the first link (the description of the link will say " Holiday Cottages in Uk, France, Ireland, spain , Portygal ..."

Just put the reference number in the home page:

PL012

thats my house and the place




Its good that you are going to put your suns doing surf, i think it´s the best way to adapt to a new contry and meet new peolpe, you will love Guincho and Praia Grande believe me.


----------



## Emmis

Bruschy said:


> Emmis,
> 
> 
> the pleasure in help is all mine!!
> 
> You can easily find a good place to buy some land and plant your organic food
> North you go more rich will be the land!
> 
> Im glad you are positive and im sure you will enjoy the experience.
> 
> I have a country house 30 minutes from Lisbon as well witch is located in Santo Estevao (the village) and the place is called *Mata do Duque* ,you migth get interested because it´s very close to Lisbon and it´s a place that has been growin in popolarity as well.
> 
> I leave you the explanation of how to get to the link with my house and place.
> 
> we rent the house just during the summer in an english website and we always have english famalies there that love the experience and the place.
> 
> I know that are still many land there to buy and houses, and is the only place in Portugal where you have an equestrian Polo Field.
> 
> Put in the google *villas4you* and acess to the first link (the description of the link will say " Holiday Cottages in Uk, France, Ireland, spain , Portygal ..."
> 
> Just put the reference number in the home page:
> 
> PL012
> 
> thats my house and the place
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Its good that you are going to put your suns doing surf, i think it´s the best way to adapt to a new contry and meet new peolpe, you will love Guincho and Praia Grande believe me.


Thank you again for your advice and help... and the link to your BEAUTIFUL house! Wow, what a gorgeous place! How could you leave Portugal?!!!!

Anyway, it gives us lots of great ideas!

By the way, we would love to know who your cousin is, the bodyboard pro! Where does he surf? 

My husband is obsessed with youtube pictures of surf in and around Cascais. Guincho looks fantastic! I think he's going to have to get us all wetsuits! 

Thank you again and maybe oneday if you're back in Portugal you can show us your favourite places!!


----------



## Bruschy

Emmis,


tell your husband to check names like:

waves in ericeira, ..peniche(WCT), ..nazare (europeean pipelaine),between cascais and lisbon you have very good spots to surf as well.

my brothers name is Martim Bruschy and his a local from Praia Grande(praia grande in a litle bit after Sintra).

If your husnband wants in a near future, i can give him my brother contact and my brother can pick him up whenever he wants to surf, its a friendly person my brother.

im going on december to spend the christmas there for a month, i have been living in sydney for almost 2 years..im studing hospitality managment (doing the uni).

If i go there when you are i will be more than happy to show you many things


----------



## janparky2

*Schools in Lisbon/Cascais area*



Emmis said:


> That's ok! Thanks for getting back to me anyway.
> 
> Basically our daughter has a place in St. James' in Cascais but our 4 year old is too young to attend but in their "sister" school St. John's there aren't any places available for his year group.
> 
> There are places for both of them at St. Dominic's and at St. Julian's but as the fees are much higher we did a bit more research and found Cornerstone.
> 
> I'm not sure though, partly because I'm worried it might be evangelical in nature, though I did speak to someone there and she did say they tackle both the creationist and evolutionist angles (for example!).
> 
> Also I'm a bit less keen as it would mean not living by the coast and I'm really not sure how the commute from Sintra would be for my husband (and eventually for me once I start working, probably in Lisbon) heading to Lisbon everyday. But, I suppose it's the vicinity to the coast thing that makes me less than enthusiastic. Sintra sounds beautiful but we've had our fair share of trying to live inland, in a hilly, pretty area in Italy, which was picture postcard perfect but just not our thing, and we got pretty miserable trying to fill a round hole with a square peg, so to speak.
> 
> So, I think I'm now trying to ask you what your opinion of St. Dominic's is - is it worth spending that bit more? Are there any other possibilities at least for my 4 year old, until he was old enough to attend St. James'? I can only find a Montessori Nursery School online (Boa Ventura) in Cascais. Do St. Dominic's provide any discount on the 2nd sibling's fee, do you know?
> 
> St. Julian's is also a possibility and maybe our 4 year old could attend there, until he's old enough for St. James' and then transfer over... or maybe if we're still there by then and decide to settle (finally!!) then he could move to a Portuguese school.
> 
> Sorry, for waffling on for ages! I should PM you!
> 
> Thanks for your great help so far, and I completely understand if there are too many questions here for you to answer!


Hi.
We moved to Cascais at the beginning of July. I have twin girls who have just recently entered st. Julian's in year 9. So far, we are delighted with the school. Small class sizes, variety of subjects and lot's of different nationalities, cultures etc to mix with. We spent most of the summer on Guincho beach learning to surf. Birre is a fabulous place to live, I highly recommend it. It only takes 15-20 mins in the morning to get the children to St. Julians and there are lot's of car shares from Cascais/Birre. Hope this helps.


----------



## janparky2

*Pilots wife too!!*



thepilotswife said:


> Hello,
> 
> We live in Cascais. We just moved here in late July and so far, love it. We live in the Birre area, which is not far from good surfing in Guincho(about a 5m drive. The Guincho area is very windy and the seas are often rough and the waves big during the winter, but for a surfer it's heaven(my brother is a surfer). Areia, Murches, Charneca, Malveira da Serra and surrounding areas are also not so "suburban" and there is a more rustic feel to the area. Other good areas to live around here are Cobre, Torre, Pampilheira
> 
> St James is a good school and not at all far from my present house. It has a very good reputation around here and was mentioned several times to me by different people as being a "good school". My kids(also 4 and 7) go to St Dominic's, an international school(which my dh's company is paying for) and we love it.
> 
> I love where we live. It's far enough away, yet close enough to get places quickly. We live in a nice quiet residential neighborhood. We also live near an entrance to the A5, which my dh takes to work each day, so it's convenient for him.


Hi Erin.

Just been reading some of your threads. I am also a 'Pilot Wife' who moved to Birre in July of this year. I have twin daughters at St. Julians. Does your husband work for Netjets? Would love to hear from you.


----------



## Emmis

janparky2 said:


> Hi.
> We moved to Cascais at the beginning of July. I have twin girls who have just recently entered st. Julian's in year 9. So far, we are delighted with the school. Small class sizes, variety of subjects and lot's of different nationalities, cultures etc to mix with. We spent most of the summer on Guincho beach learning to surf. Birre is a fabulous place to live, I highly recommend it. It only takes 15-20 mins in the morning to get the children to St. Julians and there are lot's of car shares from Cascais/Birre. Hope this helps.


Thank you for the info on St. Julian's!! 

At the moment, it's definitely a toss up between St. Julian's for my little girl and the Montessori, Boa Ventura, for my little boy, or St. Dominic's for both of them. They all sound wonderful. We're just waiting for the final confirmation of the commencement date of the work project before we complete the registration forms.

Is there a school bus for St. Julian's from Cascais centro historico, do you know? 

Birre looks lovely but I think initially we'd like to be in walking distance of shops, cafes etc... but of course we will see when we land as we might change our minds!

Also, what are the teachers like at St. Julian's? Would be lovely to know - you sound very positive about it all, and so far that seems to be the general feeling, which is GREAT!!!

Hopefully we'll all catch up in person soon xx


----------



## janparky2

*St.Julians school*



Emmis said:


> Thank you for the info on St. Julian's!!
> 
> At the moment, it's definitely a toss up between St. Julian's for my little girl and the Montessori, Boa Ventura, for my little boy, or St. Dominic's for both of them. They all sound wonderful. We're just waiting for the final confirmation of the commencement date of the work project before we complete the registration forms.
> 
> Is there a school bus for St. Julian's from Cascais centro historico, do you know?
> 
> Birre looks lovely but I think initially we'd like to be in walking distance of shops, cafes etc... but of course we will see when we land as we might change our minds!
> 
> Also, what are the teachers like at St. Julian's? Would be lovely to know - you sound very positive about it all, and so far that seems to be the general feeling, which is GREAT!!!
> 
> Hi Emmis.
> 
> As far as I know there isn't a bus to St.Julians but an awful lot of the local children catch the train from Cascais which runs along the coastline and stops right across from the school. As your daughter is still very young that may not be a viable option but you will soon get to meet an awful lot of people who car share their children to school. The school has a very active parent and teachers association which enables you to meet other families. We are all going to Bonfire night at the school on Sat night but the only thing I would point out is that the school is not cheap by any means! From what I've gathered, both St.Julians and St.Dominics are comparable in price, but both have very good reputations. St. Julian's work towards IB. I'm not sure about St. Dominics.
> 
> We absolutely love living in Birre. 4 mins drive to the beach and about 10-15 mins up into the mountains. Beautiful. My dog loves it too!


----------



## acasey

*Bonfire Night*

Hi, sorry to butt in on your thread, but I was looking for a local Bonfire night venue, and it brought me here. We are British, but our kids age 7 and 10, go to CAISL school, can anyone go to the Bonfire Night that St Julian's are hosting? and if so, do you know if we need to pre-book tickets or just pay on the night? and also what time it starts?
Thanks so much Alison Casey


----------



## janparky2

*Bonfire Night*



acasey said:


> Hi, sorry to butt in on your thread, but I was looking for a local Bonfire night venue, and it brought me here. We are British, but our kids age 7 and 10, go to CAISL school, can anyone go to the Bonfire Night that St Julian's are hosting? and if so, do you know if we need to pre-book tickets or just pay on the night? and also what time it starts?
> Thanks so much Alison Casey



Dear Alison,

I'm so sorry but as far as I know it is only for St.Julians pupils and family. I have had correspondence from the school about it but there was no mention of inviting friends etc. 
I do hope you manage to find somewhere.

Kind Regards,

Jan P.


----------



## Emmis

janparky2 said:


> Emmis said:
> 
> 
> 
> Thank you for the info on St. Julian's!!
> 
> At the moment, it's definitely a toss up between St. Julian's for my little girl and the Montessori, Boa Ventura, for my little boy, or St. Dominic's for both of them. They all sound wonderful. We're just waiting for the final confirmation of the commencement date of the work project before we complete the registration forms.
> 
> Is there a school bus for St. Julian's from Cascais centro historico, do you know?
> 
> Birre looks lovely but I think initially we'd like to be in walking distance of shops, cafes etc... but of course we will see when we land as we might change our minds!
> 
> Also, what are the teachers like at St. Julian's? Would be lovely to know - you sound very positive about it all, and so far that seems to be the general feeling, which is GREAT!!!
> 
> Hi Emmis.
> 
> As far as I know there isn't a bus to St.Julians but an awful lot of the local children catch the train from Cascais which runs along the coastline and stops right across from the school. As your daughter is still very young that may not be a viable option but you will soon get to meet an awful lot of people who car share their children to school. The school has a very active parent and teachers association which enables you to meet other families. We are all going to Bonfire night at the school on Sat night but the only thing I would point out is that the school is not cheap by any means! From what I've gathered, both St.Julians and St.Dominics are comparable in price, but both have very good reputations. St. Julian's work towards IB. I'm not sure about St. Dominics.
> 
> We absolutely love living in Birre. 4 mins drive to the beach and about 10-15 mins up into the mountains. Beautiful. My dog loves it too!
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks again for the info!
> 
> I've had a chat with both schools about fees so I'm a bit less in the dark about that .... luckily! We're leaning towards St. Dominic's at the moment just because both of our children can go together so logistically speaking it would be easier... but we want to keep our options open!!
> 
> Keep the positive news coming! All sounds great!!
> 
> :clap2:
Click to expand...


----------



## thepilotswife

janparky2 said:


> Hi Erin.
> 
> Just been reading some of your threads. I am also a 'Pilot Wife' who moved to Birre in July of this year. I have twin daughters at St. Julians. Does your husband work for Netjets? Would love to hear from you.


Another Pilot's Wife!  lane: No, my husband does not work for Netjets here. Does yours?


----------



## janparky2

*pilots wife too!*

Yes. He has been flying for Netjets for the past 4 years but has taken a promotion to Chief Flying Instructor on one of the fleets here hence our move to Cascais. We are both ex British Airways crew of many years.


----------



## Emmis

Sorry to stop the pilot flow ;-) but could I just ask which estate/rental agents anyone would recommend for the Cascais area? Also, could you give me an idea what is usually required - agent's fee? 2-6 months deposit? Our Portuguese initially won't be that great but we do speak Italian and Spanish - do the agents generally speak any English at all?

Thank you!!!!


----------



## janparky2

*Estate Agents in Cascais*



Emmis said:


> Sorry to stop the pilot flow ;-) but could I just ask which estate/rental agents anyone would recommend for the Cascais area? Also, could you give me an idea what is usually required - agent's fee? 2-6 months deposit? Our Portuguese initially won't be that great but we do speak Italian and Spanish - do the agents generally speak any English at all?
> 
> Thank you!!!!


Dear Emmis,

We used Rose Real Estate at Av 25 de Abril no 1180
2750-512 Cascais
Tel 214 665 100
RRR. Lda. Sociedade de Mediação Imobiliária - Home

Gina Rantanen speaks perfect English and couldn't have been more helpful. She is extremely experienced in relocation and is favored by lots of Portuguese businesses to help out their staff when moving here. I can't recommend her highly enough!

Hope this helps.

Kind Regards,

Jan Parkinson


----------



## Emmis

janparky2 said:


> Dear Emmis,
> 
> We used Rose Real Estate at Av 25 de Abril no 1180
> 2750-512 Cascais
> Tel 214 665 100
> RRR. Lda. Sociedade de Mediação Imobiliária - Home
> 
> Gina Rantanen speaks perfect English and couldn't have been more helpful. She is extremely experienced in relocation and is favored by lots of Portuguese businesses to help out their staff when moving here. I can't recommend her highly enough!
> 
> Hope this helps.
> 
> Kind Regards,
> 
> Jan Parkinson


Thanks for that Jan!

Would you know anything about the initial deposit and whether agents charge? It would help with working out how much we will initially need to put down on the house.

Thanks again!!


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## janparky2

*Cascais Agents*



Emmis said:


> Thanks for that Jan!
> 
> Would you know anything about the initial deposit and whether agents charge? It would help with working out how much we will initially need to put down on the house.
> 
> Thanks again!!


I think it may vary from landlord to landlord but we had to pay two months in advance plus a months deposit. I'm afraid that I can't help on agents fees as my husband's Co. dealt with that but do get in touch with Gina, she will be happy to answer any questions. Her direct e-mail is; [email protected].

Good luck!

Jan Parkinson


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## Emmis

Well, the time has come!!! Hurrah!!!



We arrive on July 29th and my husband starts his new contract on August 1st!!!

We're in temporary accommodation for a month in Cascais and would love to meet up with you guys!

Please get in touch!

My email is [email protected].

I have sent some Private Messages but so far no replies so I'm concerned you may have dropped off of the side of the planet...!

See you soon, I hope xxx
:clap2:


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## janparky2

*Welcome to Portugal!*

Hi Emmis,

Great to receive your message. Have to admit, havent looked at the forum for months!!
So glad to hear you are arriving soon. Whereabouts in Cascais are you going to be?

We are away most of the summer but e-mail me at [email protected] and we'll catch up when we are back.

Have a good journey. It's very hot here at the moment!

Jan Parkinson


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## 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 [email protected]. We have been here two years now and still love it as much as the day we arrived.


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## Emmis

tracyann said:


> 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 [email protected]. 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


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## 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!


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## oranger

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


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## Emmis

oranger said:


> 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!


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## 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


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## 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.


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## 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


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## 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!


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## 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


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## thepilotswife

baby_depardieu said:


> 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.


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## thepilotswife

Lindsey 36 said:


> 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!


Lindsey- just saw this! Yes, my youngest will be Year 2. So happy school starts soon! One of the longest summers EVER, especially since my Dh was gone for the entire summer. I hope you had a great summer and we'll have to try to introduce ourselves at school sometime. Cheers!


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## baby_depardieu

Thanks for the reply - I guess its a case of visiting all the schools when we come over again... I dont mind so much about the school bus thing...


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## trdonaghy

*Kindergarten in Cascais*

I know this thread is old, but it helped me when I was looking for a nursery / creche / kindergarten (so many different names!) for my kids... and I thought that if anyone else came across it, the info might help them too.
After much searching and a few unsuccessful trials, I finally found a really wonderful little daycare for my kids. It's in Carcavelos, between Cascais and Lisbon. The name is Montessori Stay and Play. You can find them on google and facebook.
The teachers are very warm, loving people. They helped my daughter transition so easily from being with me all day, to being happy to spend time at their nursery. I love the Montessori approach which allowed my kids to develop at their own pace. And they were totally flexible in terms of days and times.
I'm really grateful to have found them, and just wanted to share it for any others who might be looking as well.
Cheers


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## julie8710

*did you all move?*

hi 
we are heading out in 10days to look at houses with a view to moving to the cascais area. Whilst googling the town this thread came up. Are you all still there? Do you like it? how do your children find it? is it friendly for outsiders moving in? sorry lots of questions but so much to think about!


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## Dovi2026

*House in Centro*

Hello we are also currenlty looking at moving with the familly (3 kids 7 8 and 8 month!) to Cascais. 

Any good advices on where to live ?
Are Birre and Cobre, where houses seems more affordable, good areas?

I saw in the listing you managed to find a charming house in centro historico , could i ask for the value / agent who could help

thanks so much

DC


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