Travel tips for Portugal - what to prepare in advance and what to obey

Staying in a foreign country involves respecting her cultural traditions and rules. Portugal in this sense is no exception.

The price of snacks in restaurants is included in the price of main courses, and the visitor has the right to refuse it in advance. In this case, the cost will be deducted from the sum of the final bill. If the guest has tasted the snack, it will have to be paid for and the cost can be equal to the price of a hot dish.

The Portuguese adhere to the traditional routine of eating: breakfast, lunch, mid-afternoon snack, snack or lunch, and then dinner.

Top Portugal hotels for most demanding travelers

Most hotels in the country provide a five-star level of service. This is because working below this standard is considered disadvantageous. One …
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Frugal tourists are advised to order portions in the restaurant to take-out, or buy ready-made products in local supermarkets.

Some restaurants in Portugal specialize in preparing a takeaway meal. Previously, such food establishments resembled affordable and convenient eateries for the locals. To date, there are numerous take away restaurants located in all towns of the country, and tourists can try a variety of dishes cooked on a charcoal stove.

Lovers of elegant shoes with high heels are advised to abandon such shoes for the period of travel as most of the sidewalks of Portugal are equipped with small paving stones called “kalsada”. To ensure a comfortable stay, sports shoes or shoes with flat soles are recommended.

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Portugal guide chapters 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23

Fantastic City Tours and Excursions in Portugal

Colorful and unique places in Portugal

Santa Catarina Street

From the series “Top 13 Most Fantastic and Colorful Streets and Quarters”

There is a street in Porto that is worth attention of the most experienced and discerning travelers. It's called Santa Catarina. The main feature of this historic street are beautiful buildings decorated with traditional white and blue tiles, azulejos. Buildings with a unique finish looks simply fascinating. Their facades are reminiscent of the best works of art. Santa Catarina Street is considered a commercial heart of the city; the most amazing shops and souvenir stalls are concentrated there.

The pedestrian street starts near the train station. That's a real pleasure to walk there. Tourists go there in search of unusual gifts, jewelry and apparel. Locals love to relax in local cafes and restaurants where the most popular national food can be tasted. The legendary Café the Majestic … Read all

Soaring Umbrellas Street

From the series “Top 13 Most Fantastic and Colorful Streets and Quarters”

Amazing outdoor installation can be seen in the Portuguese town of Agueda. Every year, for a few weeks, the central streets of the city are decorated with a special art installation. Colorful umbrellas are its main component. The most colorful and unique items are used to decorate the street. Parasols are opened and hung using specially strung ropes. In a sunny day, bright umbrellas make quirky colorful glare showing on the street and buildings. This decoration also creates a pleasant shade on the street, which is difficult to overestimate in a hot summer day.

Soaring Umbrellas Street is home to numerous shops, restaurants and cafes. The place is very popular not only among tourists but also locals. This cozy street is pedestrian. It would be difficult to find the more amazing and … Read all

Sintra

From the series “Fabulous Nooks of the World with Striking Colorful Shades”

Portugal also has an amazing location that strikes with its fabulous atmosphere. That’s the old town of Sintra. Today, its colorful ambience is known all over the world. The ancient town was able to preserve the pristine architecture. There, you can see numerous majestic palaces, castles, and monasteries surrounded by centuries-old forests. The place features a very soothing and romantic atmosphere. The port city was founded in 1154 on the site of the fortress of the same name. Now, the whole territory of the town and its immediate surroundings are listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Literally, every building in the city is a priceless historic landmark. One of the main historical sites is the National Palace of Sintra. The world famous Palace of Pena is hidden in the dense … Read all

All unique sightseeing Portugal

Advices for popular cities of Portugal

Lisbon

1. Setting out to Lisbon you should be surely backed up with a pair of comfortable shoes. The reason is that the city is placed on seven hills that is why hiking through the wind streets is only possible wearing sport shoes. 2. The public system of city transportation is presented by the underground network, trams and cable railway. For those tourists who are limited in time and crave to hunt the best part of city sights the tram route # 28 will do best. It can be really named as excursion … Read more

Albufeira

1. The local residents usually have early dinners from 12:00 to 14:30, so many restaurants and cafes can be closed once the dinner time is over. Supper, however, is rarely eaten earlier than 20:00, so the menu can simply be not ready until that time in many large restaurants. 2. The menus of many restaurants and cafes contain two prices - the full cost of a dish and the cost of its half. The reason for this is in the fact that food portions are quite large in the local restaurants, so many … Read more

Porto

1. A walk along Douro River is one of the best ways to explore the sights of the city. If you plan to stay in the city just for a couple of days, a boat tour on this river will be the best choice for you. 2. Local restaurants and bars often become venues for concerts of well-known musical performers. A visit to a luxurious gastronomic facility can easily replace visiting a concert hall. 3. All best restaurants dedicated to national cuisine can be found in Cais da Ribeira district. … Read more

Funchal

1.Luxury hotels are situated mainly in the western part of the resort. They feature quite high prices, so it makes sense for budget travelers to pay attention to hotels at other areas. 2. Travelers who expect to save on trips and want to explore the city by themselves are advised to use a taxi. Daily rent of a taxi will cost travelers about 150-180 euros, depending on the planned route, while the cost of some bus trips is about 100 euros. 3. It is comfortable to navigate around the city on … Read more

Lagos

1. In many restaurants before ordering visitors are offered a variety of snacks. They may be waived; however, if the client would try the snack, then its cost will be included in the total bill. Often the cost of snacks is quite high, so those who don’t expect to overpay are advised to ignore treats. 2. In many culinary places meals can be purchased for take-out, in this case the cost will be 10-20% lower. It is recommended to go to one of local supermarkets for buying grocery. The closer to … Read more

Portimao

1. In a lot of local restaurants clients can taste various snacks before the order. Snacks’ price will be included in total payment, clients need to note that number of this snacks are as expensive as main course is. 2. economical travelers need to pay attention to restaurants which carry out dishes. They can offer the different variants of dishes, the most widespread dishes of “take away” format are seafood and carbonado. 3. Ambassadors of the fair sex need to refuse the high heels. It … Read more

Vilamoura

1. The most advantageous way to exchange currency is to use the services of offices located near the airport. Travellers, who expect to use the services of banks, should pay attention not only to the exchange rate, but also to the size of commission charged. In different banks, the sum of commission can vary significantly. 2. Large supermarkets and department stores accept payments by credit cards. Some shops even accept US dollars in addition to the national currency. The best way to … Read more

Braga

1. The local residents are not distinguished by punctuality. When going to a business meeting, you should be prepared to the fact that your partner may be late. However, local people are very responsive and binding. They will surely fulfill requests, but it may take a little more time than expected. 2. Dinners in Braga are quite early, so many restaurants and cafes close at 22:00. There are only a few eating places that accept visitors until late in the evening. 3. Despite the fact that … Read more