lisbon:alfama or lapa campo?

Alfama is an old and very typical place in Lisbon.

It is in the heart of lisbon, the craddle of Fado, our national song, very beautiful houses, you can smell a bit of the old Europe. Also a little degradated.

Lapa (not campo) is also an old part of Lisbon, also near the center, but a fancy zone, where rich people live, embassys, etc. It's not so typical like Alfama.

If are looking for a trully portuguese experience, go to Alfama.

(watch the movie "The House of Russia" with Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer (1990 or so), some parts are in Alfama)

I stayed in the Alfama district, and loved it. We were in a budget hotel, very cheap but clean and run by very nice people, and with plumbing that can best be described as eccentric ;-). But we had the best view over the estuary, a balcony, and a local cafe in the ground floor of the building where they got to know us and had our coffee ready for us every morning.

You have to be careful everywhere you go, not just Lisbon. Practice commonsense and you'll be fine. Don't plan on parking in the Alfama district, though. The streets are pre-mediaeval in places, and very very narrow and steep. But really interesting to walk through, you'll easily get lost but you won't be lost for long.

I loved Lisbon ... have a great time there.