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DIALLING CODE +351
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PORTUGAL
HIGHLIGHTS
HIGHLIGHTS
Portugal is one of the most fascinating countries in Europe and cheap to visit. Has a rich seafaring past, superb beach resorts, city and gloomy landscape characterized by olive groves, vineyards and wheat fields. Four decades of dictatorship sidelined the country from the european power and the progress of modern life for most of the twentieth century. Tourists have mistakenly interpreted this development as slow as a picturesque feature of the country and even after the dictatorship's collapse and the back to democracy. Portugal has maintained its reputation as a tourist destination second floor for the inhabitants of northern Europe who wish to revive their summer tan.
Portugal is not an extension of the Costa del Sol Like neighboring Spain, the last two decades has tried to overcome its isolation by establishing new ties with the rest of Europe, reorganizing its economic system and trying to keep the typical aspects of their national culture threatened by a sudden wave of foreign influence. The struggle between tradition and modernity continues, and while Portugal will start to follow the economic fate of the European Union, still seems to look nostalgically at their past and the sea.
Portugal is not an extension of the Costa del Sol Like neighboring Spain, the last two decades has tried to overcome its isolation by establishing new ties with the rest of Europe, reorganizing its economic system and trying to keep the typical aspects of their national culture threatened by a sudden wave of foreign influence. The struggle between tradition and modernity continues, and while Portugal will start to follow the economic fate of the European Union, still seems to look nostalgically at their past and the sea.
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PORTUGAL INFO TRAVEL
WEATHER
Portuguese climate is temperate and the weather is almost always beautiful from April to October (year-round in the Algarve). Basicly, rainfalls are concentrated between November and March in the northern mountainous region of Serra da Estrela in central country. Ski season runs from January to March, but you have the best deal in February. This high season runs roughly from mid-June to September, except for the Algarve, which continues until the winter. Carnival and Easter are celebrated with enthusiasm throughout the country and well worth attending events that accompany them.
EVENTS
In Portugal, 'romarias' (religious pilgrimage), 'Festas' (festival) and 'Feiras' (fairs) are very common and paralyzing the activity of entire cities. Events often are just a backdrop to a religious procession. As you move to the north, celebrations became more traditional and less touristy. The carnival is one of the main events: it takes place about six weeks before Easter and features parties, parades and costumes. During Easter of Braga, or called Festival of Holy Week, held a large and colorful processions. The festival of São João in June is particularly solemn in Porto, where everyone is dancing in the streets and practice hitting his head at one another amicably with the leeks. During the Feira de São Martinho (Golegã; November) you can see horses in quantity and attend horse shows.
THE TRIP
The Portuguese airline TAP Air Portugal (www.tap.pt) Portugalia Airlines (www.flypga.com) handles most domestic flights, but the number of its international flights to other European cities is growing. Portugal has three international airports, Lisbon, Porto and Faro. For more information, visit www.ana-aeroportos.pt. Lisbon airport is the busiest, with connections to many European cities including Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, La Coruna, Malaga, Valencia, Berlin, Monaco, Amsterdam, Brussels and London, as well Direct flights to America (New York and Los Angeles) and Canada (Toronto). In Porto landing flights from Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Madrid, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London and Liverpool, while you can reach from Faro Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Bristol and Dublin. Portugal can also be reached by land. Buses are slower and less comfortable than trains, but are cheaper, especially if you are eligible to get discounts for students, young people under 26 years and older. The international bus companies Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) and Busabout (www.busabout.com) have no direct links with Portugal, so you can stop and change buses in Spain.
Portuguese climate is temperate and the weather is almost always beautiful from April to October (year-round in the Algarve). Basicly, rainfalls are concentrated between November and March in the northern mountainous region of Serra da Estrela in central country. Ski season runs from January to March, but you have the best deal in February. This high season runs roughly from mid-June to September, except for the Algarve, which continues until the winter. Carnival and Easter are celebrated with enthusiasm throughout the country and well worth attending events that accompany them.
EVENTS
In Portugal, 'romarias' (religious pilgrimage), 'Festas' (festival) and 'Feiras' (fairs) are very common and paralyzing the activity of entire cities. Events often are just a backdrop to a religious procession. As you move to the north, celebrations became more traditional and less touristy. The carnival is one of the main events: it takes place about six weeks before Easter and features parties, parades and costumes. During Easter of Braga, or called Festival of Holy Week, held a large and colorful processions. The festival of São João in June is particularly solemn in Porto, where everyone is dancing in the streets and practice hitting his head at one another amicably with the leeks. During the Feira de São Martinho (Golegã; November) you can see horses in quantity and attend horse shows.
THE TRIP
The Portuguese airline TAP Air Portugal (www.tap.pt) Portugalia Airlines (www.flypga.com) handles most domestic flights, but the number of its international flights to other European cities is growing. Portugal has three international airports, Lisbon, Porto and Faro. For more information, visit www.ana-aeroportos.pt. Lisbon airport is the busiest, with connections to many European cities including Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Lyon, Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao, La Coruna, Malaga, Valencia, Berlin, Monaco, Amsterdam, Brussels and London, as well Direct flights to America (New York and Los Angeles) and Canada (Toronto). In Porto landing flights from Paris, Bordeaux, Nice, Madrid, Barcelona, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, London and Liverpool, while you can reach from Faro Rotterdam, Amsterdam, Brussels, London, Bristol and Dublin. Portugal can also be reached by land. Buses are slower and less comfortable than trains, but are cheaper, especially if you are eligible to get discounts for students, young people under 26 years and older. The international bus companies Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) and Busabout (www.busabout.com) have no direct links with Portugal, so you can stop and change buses in Spain.
Trains are comfortable, frequent and generally accurate, but are also much more expensive than buses. You can reach Portugal from Paris with a daily train service that connects the french city to Lisbon and it takes 20 hours (you can book from the site www.voyages-sncf.com), this train also stops in Vitoria, Burgos, Valladolid and Salamanca in Spain. Lisbon is also linked to Madrid (via Cáceres). Britain, the faster and convenient for Portugal is to use the Eurostar to Paris and then take the TGV.
If you're in the car, the best places to cross the border near Valença do Minho (E01/A3), Chaves (N532), Bragança (E82/IP4), Guarda / Vilar Formoso (E80/IP5), Elvas (E90 / A6/IP7) Serpa (N260) and Vila Real de Santo António (E1/IP1). There are no more border controls.
There are regular ferries that reach the coast of Portugal, but there are many who arrive in Spain. Even the ferry from North Africa (Morocco) dock in Spain.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
Flights within Portugal are expensive and often unnecessary, given the small size of the country. However, both PGA Portugalia Airlines (218,425,559; www.flypga.com) and AP Air Portugal (707,205,700; www.tap.pt) have many direct flights daily between Lisbon and Porto and between Lisbon and Faro. To go from Porto to Faro you should instead make a stopover in Lisbon.
If you get to match your itinerary with a railway line, travel Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses ( www.cp.pt), will be cheaper than by bus. However, the trains tend to be slower than bus travel in very long.
As for buses, including the larger company will remind Rede Expressos (www.red-expressos.pt) Rodonorte (www.rodonorte.pt) and Eve (www.eva bus. com).
The small Portuguese motorway network is gradually expanding from across the country, the main roads are generally in good condition, and if you decide to venture out for those secondary, are practically deserted. But keep in mind that the Portuguese are real pirates of the road and that the fuel is quite expensive.
If you're in the car, the best places to cross the border near Valença do Minho (E01/A3), Chaves (N532), Bragança (E82/IP4), Guarda / Vilar Formoso (E80/IP5), Elvas (E90 / A6/IP7) Serpa (N260) and Vila Real de Santo António (E1/IP1). There are no more border controls.
There are regular ferries that reach the coast of Portugal, but there are many who arrive in Spain. Even the ferry from North Africa (Morocco) dock in Spain.
LOCAL TRANSPORT
Flights within Portugal are expensive and often unnecessary, given the small size of the country. However, both PGA Portugalia Airlines (218,425,559; www.flypga.com) and AP Air Portugal (707,205,700; www.tap.pt) have many direct flights daily between Lisbon and Porto and between Lisbon and Faro. To go from Porto to Faro you should instead make a stopover in Lisbon.
If you get to match your itinerary with a railway line, travel Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses ( www.cp.pt), will be cheaper than by bus. However, the trains tend to be slower than bus travel in very long.
As for buses, including the larger company will remind Rede Expressos (www.red-expressos.pt) Rodonorte (www.rodonorte.pt) and Eve (www.eva bus. com).
The small Portuguese motorway network is gradually expanding from across the country, the main roads are generally in good condition, and if you decide to venture out for those secondary, are practically deserted. But keep in mind that the Portuguese are real pirates of the road and that the fuel is quite expensive.
Flights &
Destination Guides to:
Destination Guides to:
Full name of the country:Portugal
Area: 92,391 sq km
Population: 10,600,000 inhabitants
Capital: Lisbon
Language: Portuguese, Galician and Leonese
Religion:94% Catholic, Protestant, other religions
Type of State:parliamentary republic
Area: 92,391 sq km
Population: 10,600,000 inhabitants
Capital: Lisbon
Language: Portuguese, Galician and Leonese
Religion:94% Catholic, Protestant, other religions
Type of State:parliamentary republic
Health Risks
Recommended vaccinations: diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B
EU citizens who are temporarily going (for study, tourism, business or employment) in Portugal (EU Member State) may need a urgent medical care provided by local public health care, if they have the European Health Insurance Card. Advise you to carry a small pharmacy, travel and health insurance which provides, in addition to covering medical expenses, including any air ambulance repatriation or transfer to another country
Timezone GMT+0
Electricity 220 V, 50Hz
Weights and measures metric
Recommended vaccinations: diphtheria, tetanus, hepatitis B
EU citizens who are temporarily going (for study, tourism, business or employment) in Portugal (EU Member State) may need a urgent medical care provided by local public health care, if they have the European Health Insurance Card. Advise you to carry a small pharmacy, travel and health insurance which provides, in addition to covering medical expenses, including any air ambulance repatriation or transfer to another country
Timezone GMT+0
Electricity 220 V, 50Hz
Weights and measures metric
