Travel Links and Tips
Below you will find a list of useful travel links to flight
companies, car hire companies, bus and train services and some
other links and tips to help you plan your trip to Portugal. If you
need further assistance, advice or information regarding flights,
car hire or any other matter, please contact us.
Flight Companies Flying Direct to Portugal
from the UK and Ireland.
Scheduled Airlines:
Aer Lingus
www.aerlingus.com
Cork to Faro
Dublin to Lisbon
Dublin to Faro
British Airways
www.britishairways.com
London Heathrow to Lisbon
TAP Portugal
www.flytap.com
London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Lisbon
London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Porto
Low Cost Operators:
Note: We advise you to check exactly what is included in the
price for the low cost airlines and be aware that there are often
hidden costs.
Bmibaby
www.bmibaby.com
Birmingham to Lisbon
Birmingham, Cardiff and East Midlands to Faro
Easy Jet
www.easyjet.com
Bristol, London Luton and London Gatwick to Lisbon
Belfast, Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, Newcastle
and London Stansted to Faro.
Fly Globespan
www.flyglobespan.com
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Durham Tees Valley to Faro.
Fly Monarch
www.flymonarch.com
London Gatwick to Lisbon
Birmingham International, London Luton and Manchester to Faro
Fly Thomson
www.thomsonfly.com
Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Doncaster Sheffield,
East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Humberside, Liverpool John Lennon,
London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle to Faro.
Ryanair
www.ryanair.com
Dublin, Liverpool, Bristol and London Stansted to Porto
Shannon and Dublin to Faro
Scheduled Airlines Flying From Other European
Countries with Connections to Portugal:
Air France
www.airfrance.com
Paris Charles de Gaulle to Lisbon
British Airways
www.britishairways.com
Lufthansa
www.lufthansa.com
TAP Portugal
www.flytap.com
Car Hire Companies:
Auto Europe
www.autoeurope.ie
Auto Jardim
www.auto-jardim.com
Avis
www.avis.com
Easy Car
www.easycar.com
Easy Terra
www.easyterra.com
Europcar
www.europcar.com
Farocar
www.farocar.com
Hertz
www.hertz.com
Algarve Car Hire Portugal
www.algarverent-a-car.com/
Bus services:
www.eva-bus.com
This link provides information on bus travel in the Algarve and on express buses
running between Portugal’s main towns and the Algarve as well as the Algarve and
Seville in Spain. Timetables and prices are also provided.
Rail Services:
www.cp.pt
This link provides information on national and international rail line services. You can
also access the website in English by clicking on the partial picture of the union jack
flag in the top right hand corner.
www.urbanrail.net/eu/lis/lisboa.htm
This link provides a map of the Lisbon Metro.
Taxi and Tour Services:
Mr Friend
www.mrfriend.pt
This link provides information on a door-to-door mini-bus tour company, with
maximum capacity for 8 people, which organises tours of cities and towns and tours
between cities and towns in Portugal. The drivers speak English, French, Spanish,
Italian and Portuguese.
Royal Executive
www.royal-executive.pt
This link provides information on an English-speaking chauffeur-driven transportation
company offering door-to-door service and sight-seeing tours. It is based in Lisbon but
covers the whole of Portugal.
Public Transport:
www.carris.pt
This link provides information on public transport in Lisbon, including buses, trains,
trams and express services.
www.stcp.pt
This link provides information on public transport in Porto, including buses and trams.
Finding ‘Blue Paradise’ locations on the map
Many of our ‘Blue Paradise’ properties are hidden away which, to our way of thinking,
adds to their charm. However, to help you locate them on a map, we suggest you try
Google maps http://maps.google.com and search for Portugal →
Nearest large town (e.g. Setúbal) → ‘Blue Paradise’ location
Driving in Portugal
We recommend that you have an up to date road map, as the road network has been
increased considerably in recent years. You can buy one at the airport, or at a
newsagents, bookstore, or filling station.
In Portugal we drive on the right hand side of the road, and distances are measured in
kilometres (1 km = 5/8 of a mile).
Road signs are in accordance with international norms.
Be aware that at junctions and crossroads which may not have ‘Stop’ or ‘Give Way’
signs, especially on smaller roads, the rule which applies is that vehicles approaching
from your right have priority.
At roundabouts, traffic circulating on the roundabout has priority, therefore we need to
wait before entering the roundabout.
Motorways are indicated by their number preceded by A, for example the A1 is the
motorway linking Lisbon to Porto, the A2 Lisbon to Algarve and so on. Motorway
information signs have a blue background. Tolls are payable on most motorways, and
are indicated by the word ‘Portagem’. At the tolls, avoid the lanes indicated as ‘Via
Verde’ as these are only for users who have a direct-debit account for paying the tolls.
Parking can seem chaotic in the cities, especially in the older districts which were not
built for traffic! Try to find a public car park, indicated by the letter P, for ‘Parque’.
Much of the on-street parking is paid for at meters. The symbol for NO PARKING is
Look out for this affixed to gates or garage/warehouse doors and avoid parking there.
The penalty is a fine, and you may have your vehicle towed away or wheel-clamped!
The same sign with the word ‘Zona’ above it indicates that Parking is not allowed in a
particular area.
Telephones:
Public pay-phones can be found on the street in urban areas, as well as in shopping
centres, sports arenas, stations, airports, motorway services etc. Phones may be coin
operated, or accept credit cards or phone cards which can easily be bought in
newsagents, some cafés etc. Phone calls can also be made from Post Offices
(Correios).
Mobile phones are very much a feature of Portuguese life. There are three operators –
Vodafone, TMN and Optimus (see company logos below). You may wish to check out
their offices on arrival at the airport to purchase a SIM card (chip) with a local number
to slot into your own phone as this would be cheaper than paying for roaming. This
works on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you can start with a minimum amount of credit and
buy more as necessary.
Currency, Banks etc.
The currency in Portugal is the Euro, which is divided into 100 cents. For conversion
rates try www.xe.com.
Money can be exchanged at banks or Currency Exchange Bureaux where you will see a
sign for ‘Cambios’. Some banks also have ATM exchange machines.
ATM machines are very widespread, located both in banks and many other areas. They
are called ‘Multibanco’.
Many will allow you to withdraw money with your own debit cards – you can check the
symbols to see if yours will be accepted. The maximum amount which can be
withdrawn in one day is currently € 200.
Payment by credit or debit card is widely available in major shops, restaurants, service
stations etc. Smaller establishments may not have this facility – it is wise to check first.
Major credit cards such as VISA, MASTERCARD and AMERICAN EXPRESS are
widely accepted.
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. till 3.00 p.m.
Eating out:
You will soon find that eating is a major feature of Portuguese life, and there are many
delicious dishes for all tastes. In major urban and tourist areas you will find that
restaurants have fairly extended opening hours, but generally you could expect to be
able to sit down for lunch between 12.30 – 3 p.m., whilst dinner can be served from
about 7.30 – 10 p.m. This is obviously only a guide and individual restaurants will
differ but their opening hours will be displayed on the door. In the north and more rural
areas, generally the start of meal times is earlier than in the cities, and the opening hours
may be more restricted. If you are out in the country and want to have lunch, it’s best
not to leave it till 2 p.m. to find a restaurant!
Bear in mind that particularly in the north the portions are very generous. Often one
portion ‘uma dose’ is more than enough for two! If in doubt, check with your waiter.
Children are very welcome in the vast majority of restaurants, and it is very normal for
whole families to go out to lunch, particularly at the weekends. Children’s menus or
children’s portions may be available, but if not speak to the waiter because you will
generally find that the restaurants will happily provide smaller portions for your
children, or just provide them with plates to be able to share with parents!
One of the most sought-after features of Portuguese cuisine is the fresh fish and
seafood. In many restaurants on the coast you will be able to choose your fish and have
it prepared as you wish. It may come as a surprise to some visitors, but it is normal for
the cooked fish to be presented whole, but if you are not happy with this your waiter
will gladly prepare it for you!
A service charge is included in your bill, but it is customary to leave a tip. Depending
on how pleased you are with the service, between 5-10% is considered normal.
Beaches:
Portugal has many beautiful beaches, but it is wise to remember that this is an Atlantic
coast and therefore not as calm as the Mediterranean, often with the presence of a strong
undertow.
During the official ‘Beach Season’ Lifeguards operate on most of the more popular
beaches using a flag system to give information about the bathing conditions. A red
flag indicates it is not safe to go in the water, a yellow flag means that it is OK to wade
but not to swim, while the green flag indicates safe bathing conditions.
Particularly with children it is wise to bathe within the designated area where the
Lifeguards operate.
Other Useful Travel Facts:
www.howtobooks.co.uk/abroad/portugal/transport.asp
This link provides useful travel facts and tips.
www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/geninfo.html
This link provides useful travel facts and tips.
www.visitportugal.com
This is the official Portuguese government tourism site, with lots of useful information
about the country. Check out the ‘All About Portugal’ button for information regarding
transport, communications, money, driving, etc.
www.sights-and-culture.com
This website gives information from a traveller’s point of view on what to visit in
various countries. Under Portugal you will find information on history, culture, what to
see, and some more detailed information on certain towns such as Lisbon, Porto, Sintra,
Batalha, Mafra and others
Below you will find a list of useful travel links to flight
companies, car hire companies, bus and train services and some
other links and tips to help you plan your trip to Portugal. If you
need further assistance, advice or information regarding flights,
car hire or any other matter, please contact us.
Flight Companies Flying Direct to Portugal
from the UK and Ireland.
Scheduled Airlines:
Aer Lingus
www.aerlingus.com
Cork to Faro
Dublin to Lisbon
Dublin to Faro
British Airways
www.britishairways.com
London Heathrow to Lisbon
TAP Portugal
www.flytap.com
London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Lisbon
London Heathrow and London Gatwick to Porto
Low Cost Operators:
Note: We advise you to check exactly what is included in the
price for the low cost airlines and be aware that there are often
hidden costs.
Bmibaby
www.bmibaby.com
Birmingham to Lisbon
Birmingham, Cardiff and East Midlands to Faro
Easy Jet
www.easyjet.com
Bristol, London Luton and London Gatwick to Lisbon
Belfast, Bristol, East Midlands, Liverpool, London Gatwick, London Luton, Newcastle
and London Stansted to Faro.
Fly Globespan
www.flyglobespan.com
Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Durham Tees Valley to Faro.
Fly Monarch
www.flymonarch.com
London Gatwick to Lisbon
Birmingham International, London Luton and Manchester to Faro
Fly Thomson
www.thomsonfly.com
Belfast, Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bristol, Cardiff, Coventry, Doncaster Sheffield,
East Midlands, Edinburgh, Exeter, Glasgow, Humberside, Liverpool John Lennon,
London Gatwick, London Luton, London Stansted, Manchester and Newcastle to Faro.
Ryanair
www.ryanair.com
Dublin, Liverpool, Bristol and London Stansted to Porto
Shannon and Dublin to Faro
Scheduled Airlines Flying From Other European
Countries with Connections to Portugal:
Air France
www.airfrance.com
Paris Charles de Gaulle to Lisbon
British Airways
www.britishairways.com
Lufthansa
www.lufthansa.com
TAP Portugal
www.flytap.com
Car Hire Companies:
Auto Europe
www.autoeurope.ie
Auto Jardim
www.auto-jardim.com
Avis
www.avis.com
Easy Car
www.easycar.com
Easy Terra
www.easyterra.com
Europcar
www.europcar.com
Farocar
www.farocar.com
Hertz
www.hertz.com
Algarve Car Hire Portugal
www.algarverent-a-car.com/
Bus services:
www.eva-bus.com
This link provides information on bus travel in the Algarve and on express buses
running between Portugal’s main towns and the Algarve as well as the Algarve and
Seville in Spain. Timetables and prices are also provided.
Rail Services:
www.cp.pt
This link provides information on national and international rail line services. You can
also access the website in English by clicking on the partial picture of the union jack
flag in the top right hand corner.
www.urbanrail.net/eu/lis/lisboa.htm
This link provides a map of the Lisbon Metro.
Taxi and Tour Services:
Mr Friend
www.mrfriend.pt
This link provides information on a door-to-door mini-bus tour company, with
maximum capacity for 8 people, which organises tours of cities and towns and tours
between cities and towns in Portugal. The drivers speak English, French, Spanish,
Italian and Portuguese.
Royal Executive
www.royal-executive.pt
This link provides information on an English-speaking chauffeur-driven transportation
company offering door-to-door service and sight-seeing tours. It is based in Lisbon but
covers the whole of Portugal.
Public Transport:
www.carris.pt
This link provides information on public transport in Lisbon, including buses, trains,
trams and express services.
www.stcp.pt
This link provides information on public transport in Porto, including buses and trams.
Finding ‘Blue Paradise’ locations on the map
Many of our ‘Blue Paradise’ properties are hidden away which, to our way of thinking,
adds to their charm. However, to help you locate them on a map, we suggest you try
Google maps http://maps.google.com and search for Portugal →
Nearest large town (e.g. Setúbal) → ‘Blue Paradise’ location
Driving in Portugal
We recommend that you have an up to date road map, as the road network has been
increased considerably in recent years. You can buy one at the airport, or at a
newsagents, bookstore, or filling station.
In Portugal we drive on the right hand side of the road, and distances are measured in
kilometres (1 km = 5/8 of a mile).
Road signs are in accordance with international norms.
Be aware that at junctions and crossroads which may not have ‘Stop’ or ‘Give Way’
signs, especially on smaller roads, the rule which applies is that vehicles approaching
from your right have priority.
At roundabouts, traffic circulating on the roundabout has priority, therefore we need to
wait before entering the roundabout.
Motorways are indicated by their number preceded by A, for example the A1 is the
motorway linking Lisbon to Porto, the A2 Lisbon to Algarve and so on. Motorway
information signs have a blue background. Tolls are payable on most motorways, and
are indicated by the word ‘Portagem’. At the tolls, avoid the lanes indicated as ‘Via
Verde’ as these are only for users who have a direct-debit account for paying the tolls.
Parking can seem chaotic in the cities, especially in the older districts which were not
built for traffic! Try to find a public car park, indicated by the letter P, for ‘Parque’.
Much of the on-street parking is paid for at meters. The symbol for NO PARKING is
Look out for this affixed to gates or garage/warehouse doors and avoid parking there.
The penalty is a fine, and you may have your vehicle towed away or wheel-clamped!
The same sign with the word ‘Zona’ above it indicates that Parking is not allowed in a
particular area.
Telephones:
Public pay-phones can be found on the street in urban areas, as well as in shopping
centres, sports arenas, stations, airports, motorway services etc. Phones may be coin
operated, or accept credit cards or phone cards which can easily be bought in
newsagents, some cafés etc. Phone calls can also be made from Post Offices
(Correios).
Mobile phones are very much a feature of Portuguese life. There are three operators –
Vodafone, TMN and Optimus (see company logos below). You may wish to check out
their offices on arrival at the airport to purchase a SIM card (chip) with a local number
to slot into your own phone as this would be cheaper than paying for roaming. This
works on a pay-as-you-go basis, so you can start with a minimum amount of credit and
buy more as necessary.
Currency, Banks etc.
The currency in Portugal is the Euro, which is divided into 100 cents. For conversion
rates try www.xe.com.
Money can be exchanged at banks or Currency Exchange Bureaux where you will see a
sign for ‘Cambios’. Some banks also have ATM exchange machines.
ATM machines are very widespread, located both in banks and many other areas. They
are called ‘Multibanco’.
Many will allow you to withdraw money with your own debit cards – you can check the
symbols to see if yours will be accepted. The maximum amount which can be
withdrawn in one day is currently € 200.
Payment by credit or debit card is widely available in major shops, restaurants, service
stations etc. Smaller establishments may not have this facility – it is wise to check first.
Major credit cards such as VISA, MASTERCARD and AMERICAN EXPRESS are
widely accepted.
Banks are open Monday to Friday from 8.30 a.m. till 3.00 p.m.
Eating out:
You will soon find that eating is a major feature of Portuguese life, and there are many
delicious dishes for all tastes. In major urban and tourist areas you will find that
restaurants have fairly extended opening hours, but generally you could expect to be
able to sit down for lunch between 12.30 – 3 p.m., whilst dinner can be served from
about 7.30 – 10 p.m. This is obviously only a guide and individual restaurants will
differ but their opening hours will be displayed on the door. In the north and more rural
areas, generally the start of meal times is earlier than in the cities, and the opening hours
may be more restricted. If you are out in the country and want to have lunch, it’s best
not to leave it till 2 p.m. to find a restaurant!
Bear in mind that particularly in the north the portions are very generous. Often one
portion ‘uma dose’ is more than enough for two! If in doubt, check with your waiter.
Children are very welcome in the vast majority of restaurants, and it is very normal for
whole families to go out to lunch, particularly at the weekends. Children’s menus or
children’s portions may be available, but if not speak to the waiter because you will
generally find that the restaurants will happily provide smaller portions for your
children, or just provide them with plates to be able to share with parents!
One of the most sought-after features of Portuguese cuisine is the fresh fish and
seafood. In many restaurants on the coast you will be able to choose your fish and have
it prepared as you wish. It may come as a surprise to some visitors, but it is normal for
the cooked fish to be presented whole, but if you are not happy with this your waiter
will gladly prepare it for you!
A service charge is included in your bill, but it is customary to leave a tip. Depending
on how pleased you are with the service, between 5-10% is considered normal.
Beaches:
Portugal has many beautiful beaches, but it is wise to remember that this is an Atlantic
coast and therefore not as calm as the Mediterranean, often with the presence of a strong
undertow.
During the official ‘Beach Season’ Lifeguards operate on most of the more popular
beaches using a flag system to give information about the bathing conditions. A red
flag indicates it is not safe to go in the water, a yellow flag means that it is OK to wade
but not to swim, while the green flag indicates safe bathing conditions.
Particularly with children it is wise to bathe within the designated area where the
Lifeguards operate.
Other Useful Travel Facts:
www.howtobooks.co.uk/abroad/portugal/transport.asp
This link provides useful travel facts and tips.
www.portugalvirtual.pt/_tourism/geninfo.html
This link provides useful travel facts and tips.
www.visitportugal.com
This is the official Portuguese government tourism site, with lots of useful information
about the country. Check out the ‘All About Portugal’ button for information regarding
transport, communications, money, driving, etc.
www.sights-and-culture.com
This website gives information from a traveller’s point of view on what to visit in
various countries. Under Portugal you will find information on history, culture, what to
see, and some more detailed information on certain towns such as Lisbon, Porto, Sintra,
Batalha, Mafra and others