Portugal ... Tips for Planning and Traveling

Here are a few tips for planning a trip and traveling around Portugal.

First thing, the best time to go. The summers are quite hot and very crowded. If you have the option, plan to travel off season, with spring and fall offering the nicest weather, smaller crowds and still plenty of sunshine.

Portugal is part of the European Union and uses the Euro (€) as its currency. It is one of the Schengen Area countries, an area comprising of 26 European states that have abolished passport and border controls at their mutual borders.

Lisbon

English is widely spoken in the larger cities and tourist towns. It is always a good idea, and is polite, to learn some basic words and phrases before setting out to any non-English speaking country. At least learn the courtesy words of hello (bom-dia, pronounced boñ dee-uh), goodbye (adeus, pronounced a-deh-oosh), please (por favor, pronounced poor fuh-vor), thank you (obrigado, pronounced o-bree-gah-doo – if you are a man and obrigada, pronounced o-bree-gah-duh – if you are a woman), yes (sim, pronounced seen) and no (nao, pronounced nown). Do not speak Spanish, Portuguese is not the same.

It is a good idea to make reservations for dinner, especially if you do not want to be disappointed by being turned away at a restaurant you particularly wanted to try. The most popular restaurants can be booked as much as months in advance (such as the the ones with famous Michelin star chefs), so for those, book early. 

As mentioned in my Lisbon post, be aware that in Portugal when bread and unordered appetizers appear on the table, they are not free. You will be charged if you eat any of it. Simply wave it away with a no thank you if you do not want it, but most of the morsels are good, reasonably priced, and worth enjoying if they look good to you.

Cascais

Credit cards are widely accepted in the larger cities and tourist towns. Better to have some cash if wandering into less populated areas. As in all train, metro and other transportation stations within Europe, you must have a true "chip and PIN" card when using machines to purchase tickets. A chip only card will not work.

We usually rely on public transportation when we travel around Europe, but if you are planning to drive, Portugal has a good highway system. It also has a high rate of accidents so pay attention. Pick up an International Driver’s License from AAA, you will need it if pulled over by police. Always reserve your car before you leave home for the best rates, and make sure you have good insurance. If you are staying for an extended period of time, three weeks or more, look into leasing a car.

The train system in Portugal is called the Comboios De Portugal (CP). Traveling between major towns is easy and affordable by train. The high speed trains are nice and fairly comfortable.

Sintra

Portugal has four kinds of train service:

Alpha-Pendular (AP): These are the fastest trains in Portugal and are usually the newest and the most comfortable. They usually have electrical outlets and free Wi-Fi on board. This type of train is the most expensive, but the difference between Alpha-Pendular and Intercidades is often not much more than a few Euros.

Intercidades (IC): These trains are slightly slower than the Alpha-Pendular trains as they make more stops, but they are usually not significantly slower. If the price difference is big, the time difference may be worth the lower cost. Theses trains are older and are a little less comfortable.
Regional (R) and Interregional (IR): These trains cover much shorter distances and are more basic.
Urban (U): These trains are common in larger cities like Lisbon and Porto and are similar to commuter trains.

The CP website (https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en) is easy to use to search for routes, schedules and to purchase tickets. There is also an app for both IOS and Android users. You can, of course, buy tickets at the rail station counter or at a machine (you can use a credit card at the machines as long as you have a true “chip and PIN” credit card). Like throughout the rest of Europe, it is less expensive to buy train tickets ahead of time. Discounts are available for younger passengers and those 65 and over.

Belém

Online reservations open 60 days before travel. It is necessary to fill out a registration form to buy tickets online. After purchase, you print your own ticket or have the ticket sent by SMS (text) to any mobile phone once it is registered with the site. You are also required to enter some form of ID number, such as a passport number, when you register. You must have this identification with you when you travel as you will need to produce it if the conductor asks.

Seat reservations are compulsory on all Alfa Pendular (AP) and Intercidades (IC) long distance trains.

Trains are perfect for connecting the larger cities of Portugal such as Lisbon, Coimbra and Porto, but less so when traveling to smaller towns which have little or no train service. Buses nicely fill the void. The EVA (www.eva-bus.com) bus company covers the south of Portugal and the Rede Nacional de Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt) covers points north.

It is possible to buy bus tickets up to a week in advance, but you can almost always buy a ticket right before your departure.

Porto

Arrival by plane to Lisbon is easy. You have the choice of taking a bus or metro as public transportation options to get from the airport to the city center. Lisbon is a great Uber town, especially when coming from the airport or when going further afield. 

Taxis are good within town, but be aware when coming from the airport. Some unscrupulous taxi drivers will overcharge. (For instance, when it was time for us to head toward a resort outside of Sintra for a conference, we took an Uber from downtown Lisbon for under 30 Euros. Another conference attendee took a taxi from the airport to the resort and was charged over 90 Euros. Big difference in price for the same distance.)

Traveling around Lisbon is easy. Walking is the cheapest and most enjoyable way to explore, although the hills are many and some are quite steep. The underground system is simple to use and quickly zips you all around town and to the train stations.

The Viva Viagem Card is a reloadable transportation card with an embedded chip. It provides for a quick and easy way to pay for journeys on the metro, bus, tram, funicular, ferry and suburban train systems. The card works the same way as many metro cards do in the US. Simply zap it at the turnstile when you enter the underground or train system and zap it again when you leave. Also zap it when you enter a bus or trolley. Rides are cheaper with the card, and at €.50 to initially buy the card, it is well worth the price.

The Tiles of Portugal

To reach the suburban town of Belém, take the train from the Cais do Sodré train station (you can use the Viva Viagem Card). The coastal train line runs all the way from Lisbon to the town of Cascais with a stop in Belém. You can also hop trolley 15E, take bus 714 or 728, taxi or Uber.

To visit towns a little further afield, take the urban trains. To go to the charming coastal town of Cascais, take the train from the Cais do Sodré train station to the last stop. To go to Sintra, take the train from the centrally located Rossio train station. The Viva Viagem Card can be used to access these trains. It is much better to take the train from Lisbon to Sintra even if you have a car. Driving and parking in Sintra is a nightmare.

If traveling to Porto or Coimbra by train, the main stations are located outside the city centers (Campanha Station for Porto and Station B for Coimbra). You should book your ticket through to town (São Bento Station for Porto and Station A for Coimbra). Once in the suburban station, you will need to transfer to a local train, covered by your ticket, to get into town. You could also taxi or Uber, but it is too far to walk to town.

If arriving by plane to Porto, the choices for getting from the airport into town are similar to Lisbon. The metro takes you there in about 30 minutes, or taxi and Uber services are available.

Also like Lisbon, walking is the best way to enjoy Porto, but it is hilly. Porto has its own transportation card, the Andante Card. It works the same way as the Viva Viagem Card. Initially costing €0.50, it is reloadable and is used to enter and leave the metro system and must be validated when boarding buses.

Hope this helps as you prepare for a wonderful trip to beautiful and welcoming Portugal.