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