Travel Info

For those visiting or planning a holiday in Portugal, here is some general information that may be useful. Further help is available from Icep Portugal offices or at tourist information posts within Portugal.

Entry requirements

A valid passport is the only requirement for US citizens. All other nationalities, please contact the nearest Portuguese Consulate in order to obtain any requirements information. (see list at bottom of page)

Going to Portugal

International airports are: Lisboa, Porto, Faro, Funchal (Madeira), Ponta Delgada (São Miguel, Açores), and Lajes (Ilha Terceira, Açores). The national airline is TAP–Air Portugal. The regional air company, SATA, flies connections to the Açores Islands. There are also air links between Funchal (Madeira) and Porto Santo. Portugalia (www.pga.pt) and Air Luxor also operate schedule flights to and from Portugal in Europe. Every day, international trains run between Paris and Lisbon (Sud Express); Lisbon-Madrid train Lusitânia, and Porto-Vigo

Customs

Residents or non-residents

who leave or enter Portugal territory are free to take with them national and foreign currency in coins and notes, travelers cheques and other securities intended to pay for the travel expenses, but are obligated to inform the customs authorities if the values involved exceed 12,000 Euros (approximately US$13,000.00).

Travelers over 17 years old, may bring in the following items, duty free: 2 bottles of table wine, 1 bottle of hard liquor, 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco, 1.75 ounces of perfume and small quantities of tea or coffee for personal use. Bringing fresh meat into Portugal is forbidden. For further information, contact the Embassy services or the Portuguese Consulates.

Time

Continental Portugal and Madeira Island are on the Greenwich time - five hours ahead of Eastern Time & eight ahead of Pacific Time. The Azores Islands are 1 hour behind the Portuguese mainland. Daylight savings time begins the last Sunday in March (clocks are turned one hour ahead) and ends the last Sunday in October (clocks go back one hour).

Climate

Mild year round. Summers are dry and clear, with warm sunshine extending long into Autumn. Winters are moderately cool and are the rainiest time of year, except in subtropical Madeira, where there is little rain. Mid-Summer temperatures range in the 70 F, while Winter temperatures range from the low to mid-50s.

Weather Chart reflects average temperatures

Getting around

Urban public transport In the main towns there is a complete public transport network. In Lisboa there are buses, the underground, and trams. One may also use public elevators (lifts). Tourism Information Centers at Carris (Lisboa) and STCP (Porto) sell tourist tickets every business day from 8 am to 8 pm.

Taxis are painted mostly cream with a roof-light to identify them. However, there are still some taxis which keep the old colours, green and black. In towns they use taximeters, but once outside urban boundaries the service is charged by the kilometre, and includes the price of the driver’s return trip to his starting point. From 10 pm to 6 am the rate increases by 20%. It is normal to give a tip of 10% on top of the fare. Luggage is charged according to a fixed rate. All taxis have an updated chart in two languages.

Express trains run between Lisbon and Porto stopping in Coimbra (Alfa trains), while regional trains (Intercidades and Inter-regional) connect the different parts of Portugal. These trains have first and second class carriages, except for local and suburban trains, where there is only one class. Special tickets - including tourist tickets valid for 7, 14 or 21 days, may be bought, while there are special return ticket discounts on “blue days” for trips exceeding 100 km.

Business hours

Banks open from 8:30 am to 3 pm from Monday to Friday; closed on bank holidays. Shops open rom 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm (working days). On Saturdays, most shops close at 1 pm. In the shopping malls located in larger towns, shops are normally open on 7 days a week and holidays from 10 am to 11 pm.

Museums open from 10 am to 12:30 am and from 2 pm to 5 pm. Closed on Mondays. Some palaces also close on Wednesdays.

Pharmacies open from 9 am to 1 pm and from 3 pm to 7 pm, Monday to Friday, and Saturday mornings. There are also 24 hour pharmacies which operate according to an official chart displayed on Pharmacy windows.

Distances in kilometers between main tourist destinations

Direct Air Services from the US

Contact these carriers for most up to date schedules and fares to Portugal.

TAP AIR PORTUGAL

www.tapusa.us

Tel: 1 888 328 26 71

CONTINENTAL AIRLINES

www.continental.com

Tel: 1-800-231-0856

AZORES EXPRESS

www.azores-express.com

Tel: 1 800 762 99 95

KING HOLIDAYS · Air Luxor

www.kingholidaysusa.com

Tel: 1 973 274 17 01

AIR CANADA

www.aircanada.ca

Tel: 1-888-247-2262

Portuguese Embassy and Consulates in the United States

EMBASSY OF PORTUGAL

2125 Kalorama Road, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

Tel: (202) 328-8610

Fax: (202) 462-3726

CONSULATE GENERAL OF PORTUGAL

630 Fifth Avenue, 8th Floor, Suite 801

New York, NY 10111

Tel: (212) 246-4580

Fax: (212) 459-0190

CONSULATE GENERAL OF PORTUGAL

One Exeter Plaza, 7th Floor

Boston, MA 02116

Tel. 1(617) 536-8740

Fax 1(617) 536-2503

E-mail : mail@cgbos.dgaccp.pt

CONSULATE GENERAL OF PORTUGAL

3298 Washington Street

San Francisco, CA 94115

Tel: (415) 346-3400

Fax: (415) 346-1440

CONSULATE GENERAL OF PORTUGAL

The Legal Center

1 Riverfront Plaza, Lobby

Newark, NJ 07102-5401

Tel: (973) 643-4200

Fax: (973) 643-3900

CONSULATE GENERAL OF PORTUGAL

7950 Loretto Avenue

Philadelphia, PA 19111

Tel: (215) 745-2889

Fax: (215) 745-2867

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

56 Pine Street - 6th Floor

Providence, R.I. 02903

Tel: (401) 272-2003

Fax: (401) 273-6247

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

628 Pleasant Street - Room 204

New Befdford, MA 02740

Tel: (508) 997-6151

Fax: (508) 992-1068

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

20 East Main Street - Room 220

Waterbury, CT 06702

Tel: (203) 755-4111

Fax: (203) 755-7563

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

2310 Tracy Place, N.W.

Washington, D.C. 20008

Tel: (202) 332-3007

Fax: (202) 328-6827

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

1901 Ponce de Leon Blvd., 2nd Floor

Coral Gables, Fl 33134

Tel: (305) 444- 6311

Fax: (305) 444-7649

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

1955 N. New England Street

Chicago, IL 60635

Tel: (773) 889-7405

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

700 Louisiana, Suite 4200

Houston, TX 77002

Tel: (713) 759-1188

Fax: (713) 230-0016

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

1801 Avenue of the Stars - Suite 400

Los Angeles, CA 90067

Tel: (310) 277-1491

CONSULADO DE PORTUGAL

416 San Leandro

Sagrado Corazon

Rio Piedras, P.R. 00926

Tel. and Fax: (787) 755-8556

Dr. John Henry Félix

Honorary Consul of Portugal

CONSULATE OF PORTUGAL

P.O. Box 3470

Honolulu, Hawaii 96801-3470

Tel: (808) 841-2828