Portugal travel Tips

Travel in Portugal is relaxed and generally hassle-free. The crime rate is low and medical facilities are adequate, all backed up an established tourism infrastructure. Here are some basic tips and situations you may wish to prepare for.

• Peak tourist season is roughly from mid-June to September. Carnaval and Easter are two holidays celebrated with gusto all over the country and are worth going out of your way for. The climate is mild all year round, while winter is the wettest period.

• Portugal is one of the cheapest places to travel in Europe, although prices are starting to rise so this may not last long. A reasonable restaurant tip is about 5 to 10 per cent. Good-humoured bargaining is acceptable in markets but you'll find the Portuguese tough opponents.

• It’s a good idea to make hotel reservations well in advance, especially during the peak season as many hotels are booked out.

• The Portuguese Tourist Office has set up what is called the Green Line or ‘Linha Verde’. It is a free telephone support system for visitors. The line offers help in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese with hotels, sightseeing and restaurants. The number called from within Portugal is 0-800-296-296.

• For a unique experience, try staying at a ‘pousada’, located throughout the country. Historical pousadas are particularly enchanting as they are located in castles or other historically significant buildings and are well known for their excellent cuisine and wine.

• Do not plan dinner until 20:00 at the earliest. Most of the major restaurants do not open for dinner until 19:00 or later. Lunch is usually served from 13:00 to 15:00.

• Bullfights are held during April and May and, unlike in neighbouring Spain, the bull isn’t killed.

Useful travel tips resources

Footprint Guides - Portugal
Excellent resource on Portugal from this well=known travel guide publisher.
http://www.footprintguides.com/

Portugal
Informative site with plenty of information and tips on travel in Portugal.
http://www.portugal.org

Portugal Info
Exhaustive site covering all things Portuguese.
http://www.portugal-info.net/

More topics on this site…
Portugal travel information
Portugal health and safety
Portugal maps and geography

Essentials

Visas: None for EU nationals. 90 days visa free for some other nationals
Season: June - September
Money: Euro – ATMs widely available
Language: Portuguese – English understood widely
Emergency #: 112

Portugal