• About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
FREE REPORT
BEST PLACES TO RETIRE
*No spam: We will NEVER give your email address to anyone else.
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
Live and Invest Overseas
  • HOME
  • COUNTRIES
    • Top Destinations
      • Portugal
      • Panama
      • Belize
      • France
      • Colombia
      • Dominican Republic
      • Thailand
      • Mexico
      • Spain
      • Argentina
    • Browse All Countries
    • Best For
      • Retire Overseas Index
      • Health Care
      • Cost of Living
      • Investing in Real Estate
      • Editor’s Picks For Retirement
      • Establishing Residency
      • Starting an Online Business
      • Single Women
      • Playing Golf
  • BUDGETS
    • Super Cheap ($)
      • Cuenca, Ecuador
      • Chiang Mai, Thailand
      • The Philippines
      • Las Tablas, Panama
      • Granada, Nicaragua
    • Cheap ($$)
      • Algarve, Portugal
      • Medellin, Colombia
      • Boquete, Panama
      • Carcassone, France
      • Buenos Aires, Argentina
    • Affordable ($$$)
      • Abruzzo, Italy
      • Barcelona, Spain
      • Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic
      • Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
      • Costa de Oro, Uruguay
    • Luxury On A Budget ($$$$)
      • Ambergris Caye, Belize
      • Paris, France
      • Panama City Beach Area
  • Real Estate
  • ARCHIVES
    • Living & Retiring Overseas
    • Raising A Family Abroad
    • Foreign Residency & Citizenship
    • Offshore Diversification
    • Our Latest On Coronavirus ⚠️
  • Making Money
    • International Real Estate
    • Banking
    • Employment
    • Investing
  • CONFERENCES
  • BOOKSTORE
No Result
View All Result
Live and Invest Overseas
No Result
View All Result
Home Countries Portugal

8 Tips Before Traveling To Portugal

How To Prepare For Your Portugal Travel Like A Pro

Live And Invest Overseas by Live And Invest Overseas
Jun 25, 2021
in Portugal, Travel
0
Old City at Sintra National Palace, Portugal

Alamy/Sean Pavone

225
SHARES
3.2k
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Portugal’s borders date back to 1139 B.C., making it the oldest country in the Old World.

To state the obvious, that’s thousands of years—so more history has happened here than most places on Earth.

The upside of all of this history is that you’ll never run out of ancient places to discover when you’re traveling to Portugal…

The entire country is a cross between a national park, a museum, and a coastal resort—all with the constant, ever-present charms of the Old World.

If you want, you can spend all of your time relaxing and enjoying the beach, but there’s so much more to do here. Portugal boasts arguably the best beaches in Europe, along with the best weather, the best golf, and, thanks to decades as an expat hot spot, the most welcoming locals in Europe.

It sounds like a vacation—and for many it is—but, at these prices, your Portugal travel can be a holiday that never has to end.

Here are some tips before traveling to Portugal.

1. Pack a Range of Clothing

Dog sitting in packed clothes in suitcase.
iStock/redonion1515

Portugal is a coastal country, meaning the climate varies from town to town. Bring a range of clothes, from thick layers for when the weather gets cold, to thin layers to relax at the beach.  During the summer, consider thin fabric clothes and a light jacket for when the evening cools down. If you like to be outdoors and plan on hiking make sure to bring waterproof hiking shoes and the right outdoors clothing.

2. Wear Comfortable Footwear

Man wearing jeans and sneaker shoes walking in empty street
Alamy/Stefanos Kyriazis

You will be doing a lot of walking. One of the best ways to get to know Portugal is on foot, and there are plenty of walkable tours so it’s essential to bring a good pair of shoes that help you to stay on your feet while traveling to Portugal. The streets are mostly cobblestone, and in coastal towns it is common for  strong winds to blow sand on the roads making surfaces uneven and slippery. Be careful while walking and wear non-slip shoes.

3. Security and Pick Pocketers

Pickpocketing
Pixabay/stevepb

The Algarve is one of the safest regions in Europe, and Portugal ranks as the 17th safest country in the world. Violent crime is rare, and petty crime is most common during the busy tourist season. Portugal commonly receives an “A rating” for Safety and Crime.

The main safety concern while traveling to Portugal is often pickpockets who tend to flock where the tourists go. Our best recommendation is to not carry an open handbag, keep an eye on your backpack, and do not leave your important belongings (such as your ID, wallet, or phone) in your pockets. In case you encounter a pickpocket, they are usually not violent. Relinquish your stuff and call the police.

The police may be able to get your wallet and belongings back, but probably not cash. Another great traveler tip is to carry a money belt with your cash stashed inside within your pants or inside a shoe. If you need assistance in Portugal, dial 112, which will get you in contact with the police and emergency medical services and it is free to call from anywhere.

4. Driving Culture

Street in Lisbon, Portugal
Alamy/ilyas Ayub

If you have multiple destinations when traveling to Portugal your best option is to rent a car. Driving in Portugal can be an experience and you may encounter more aggressive drivers.

While you drive, carry your important documents such as driver’s license, the IPO inspection and car rental papers along with vehicle registration. It is also good to carry a small first aid kit in case of any accidents.

5. Learn A Bit Of Portuguese

Girl looking stressed a her laptopAn estimated 50,000 of Portugal’s more than 100,000 resident foreigners are reportedly British. The fact that a near majority of expats are Anglophones means meeting people is easy—and also means that most Portuguese speak English pretty well.

Portuguese is a hard language to learn. In certain parts of Portugal, people are used to having English-speaking tourists or immigrants, and a great deal of the population will be able to speak English with you. In remote areas you might be wishing you’d learn at least a bit of Portuguese to help you out.

Certain Portuguese words and expressions can help you a great deal, and locals will be appreciative and happy to hear your attempt to communicate with them in their language. You won’t need to be fluent before your trip, but certain words and phrases will improve your trip and will always be received with a smile from Portuguese people.

You should at least learn some words and phrases such ashello, my name is, I need help with, where is the bathroom, how much is it, please, and thank you.  Make a list and practice these words during  your Portugal travel. It will go a long way and help you connect with locals.

[ Read: Tips for learning a new language ]

6. Tipping

Coffee cup on counter with tip laying beside it.
Alamy/Trudy Wilkerson

In general, Portugal is not a tipping culture, there are no established rules, and different people follow different rules. While traveling to Portugal, there is no obligation to tip in restaurants, hotels, bars, or personal service locations like salons and spas. However, a tip is always appreciated by the service provider and tips are more common in tourist areas or places with a high expat population.

7. Enjoy The Portuguese Cuisine

Grilled sardines with salad, bread and potato, Portugal.
Alamy/Jacek Sopotnicki

Don’t judge a country by its food. Or, at least, by the first dish you experience.

The Portuguese seem to eat nothing but meat… and lots of it.  If you are vegetarian or vegan it is best to come prepared with a few snacks from home or find alternatives in the local market during your Portugal travel.

For example,  a lasagna of pork, chorizo, bread, and gravy is considered a Portuguese special.

Portugal receives rave reviews about the local seafood. Clams, prawns, oysters, cod, sardines, trout, anchovies—they’re all so fresh and tasty, and typically presented with minimal tampering. Comur,the national cannery chain,has shops all over Portugal (as well as its own factory museum) that manage to turn a mundane product such as sardines, trout, and anchovies into something weirdly fun and entertaining.

Besides this, local wine will always be a great addition to your meal, while local beer and spirits are cheaper and can taste just as good.

8. Explore The History And Culture of Portugal

Historical center of Lisbon on sunny day, Portugal.
Alamy/kavalenkava volha

Portugal boasts Europe’s best beaches, 1,115 miles of coastline, and 300 days of sunny skies every year. To think of this special place as merely a beach getaway is a mistake.

You could explore the caves and coves of the world’s most fascinating coast… Hike the Roman walls and medieval castles around noon… Play a round of golf at one of the world’s best golf courses… Or ride a rickety tram up narrow cobblestone streets to get to the Castelo de São Jorge overlooking the ancient city of Lisbon.

While traveling to Portugal, you can indulge in any activity imaginable here, from boating, diving, and hiking to regular nights out at the theater and museum and gallery afternoons.

Tags: LisbonPortugal beachesPortugal travelsafety in PortugalTravel to PortugalVisit Portugal
Share91Tweet56
Previous Post

The Most Efficient Way To Break Into The Foreign Real Estate Market

Next Post

The Teak Tree Turn-Key Investment That Creates Legacy Wealth

Live And Invest Overseas

Live And Invest Overseas

Live and Invest Overseas is the world's savviest source for top opportunities to live better, retire in style, invest for profit, do business, and own real estate overseas. Established in 2008, the Live and Invest Overseas' editors and correspondents have more experience researching and reporting on top opportunities for living well, investing for profit, doing business, and owning real estate around the world than anyone else you'll find.

Related Posts

Male dentist treating female patient
Health Care

The World’s 7 Best Countries For Dental Tourism

by Live And Invest Overseas
May 9, 2022
0

What Is Dental Tourism? Dental tourism means a patient travels overseas for dental treatment. This is often combined with a...

Read more
And old yellow school bus on a dirt road in Belize

Tales From The LIOS Archives—Rome Wasn’t Built In A Day

April 28, 2022
A view of Paris with the Seine River and the Eiffel tower in the background on a sunny afternoon

My Paris Bucket List: 7 Things To Do In The City Of Light

April 24, 2022
roup of rock formations in beautiful beach on a sunny day in Portugal

Why Moving To Portugal Should Be The Next Thing You Do

April 22, 2022
A cobblestone street in the Algarve, Portugal with colorful houses and red flowers

The Top Tips To Live In Portugal From Expats Themselves

April 21, 2022
Ferragudo, Algarve, Portugal

How One Couple Discovered A Great New Life In Algarve

April 21, 2022
Rossio Square, Lisbon, Portugal

History And Culture In Lisbon, Portugal

April 19, 2022
Next Post
Teak trees in an agricultural forest.

The Teak Tree Turn-Key Investment That Creates Legacy Wealth

A world full of fun, adventure, and profit awaits! Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we'll send you a FREE report on the 10 Best Places To Retire In Style Overseas Today.

Start Your New Life Today, Overseas

Get Your Free Portugal Report Today!

​​Simply enter your email address below and we'll send you our ​FREE REPORT — Portugal: The World’s #1 Retirement Haven.

LIOS Resources


  • New To LIOS
  • Ask An Expert
  • Media Center
  • Contact Us
  • FAQs

Quick Links


  • Best Places To Live
  • Best Places To Retire
  • Finding A Job Overseas
  • Real Estate

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and get your FREE report: The 10 Best Places To Retire Overseas In 2022

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms
  • Unsubscribe

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Countries
  • Budgets
  • Archives
  • News
  • Events
  • Bookstore
  • Newsletters
  • About Us
  • Members Area
  • Contact Us

© 2008-2021 - Live and Invest Overseas - All Rights Reserved.

The World’s Best Places To Be In 2022?

Discover Them Here…

WANT TO RETIRE OVERSEAS?

Sign up for our free daily e-letter, Overseas Opportunity Letter, and we’ll immediately send you a free report on the 10 BEST PLACES TO RETIRE in style overseas. Each day you’ll learn about the best opportunities for international living, retiring overseas, offshore diversification and asset protection, and investing in real estate around the world.

Get Your Free ​Portugal Report Today!
 

​​Learn more about ​​PORTUGAL ​​​and other countries in our free, daily Overseas Opportunity Letter​​​​​​​​​. Simply enter your email address below and we’ll send you our FREE REPORT — Portugal — The World’s Number #1 Retirement Haven