Travelling to Portugal

Portuguese is the official language but English is widely spoken and understood, especially among younger generations.

Climate:

In Portugal in Porto can get the best time in May, June, September and October. In some years, in July and August can be really hot.
March and April may be a hot or cold and rainy, it's hard to guess ...
From November to February is cold and sometimes rain, but is best when the waves are!

Kitchen:

Portuguese cuisine is very much appreciated by foreigners. It has a wide variety of flavors of Mediterranean influence.

SeaFish - Particularly impressive is fish, and of this type, sardines are the best value.

Bacalhau - Cod salty - is the national dish and is served in different ways

Francesinha Especial - considered one of the 10 best sandwiches in the world! L'adresse with a chilled beer.

Weather:

Local time is GMT (same as UK).

Health:

There are no health risks linked to travel to Portugal. Health care facilities are good and reciprocal health agreements exist with most European countries, including Britain, whose citizens can receive low-cost emergency care in hospitals. It is advisable for travelers to obtain a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC) before the trip.

Safety:

Security is not a problem for travel in Portugal, but there is an increased incidence of petty theft and pickpockets in crowded tourist areas, so reasonable care should be taken.
It is advisable to explore the country in a rental car because the distances are never far away and there is much to see!

Communications:

The international access code for Portugal is +351. There are no area or city codes required. The exit code is 00 followed by the relevant country code (eg 0044 for the UK).

Usefull Contacts:

SOS: 112
Oporto Excentric: +351 224 069 200
National Information Service: 118
Service call for international assistance: 120
National calls to pay at destination: 120
International Information Service Numbers: 177
Weather Information Services: 12150
Poisoning: 808250143
Civil Protection: 213148213
GNR - National Republican Guard: 213217000 / http://www.gnr.pt
PSP - Police: http://www.psp.pt

Credit Cards:

American Express: 707504050 / 21427820502
Master Card: 800811272
Visa: 800811107

Airports:

Faro: 289800800
Funchal: 291520700
Lisbon: 218413500 / 218413700
Ponta Delgada: 296205400
Port: 229432400

Transport Information:

Bus: 707223344 / http://www.rede-expressos.pt
Train: 808208208 / http://www.cp.pt
Mail: 707262626