Now as we dive into the map of the world again, we are driven to the very ancient country of Portugal. Did you know that Portugal is the oldest country in Europe? It established its borders in 1139! Also Portuguese, is the official language in 9 countries. And of course, another fact added to the list is that Portugal won the Euro-league Game against France last night!! So it’s important to know that whenever we travel to a new country, to always be aware of things beforehand and to not get confused or taken advantage of your money. Now I say this everytime when we travel to a new country, and that is where is a good location where we are able to exchange our money. Now Portugal’s currency is the Euro. http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/ is a wonderful website that is able to let you know how much things on average will cost in a certain city. Extremely helpful for tourists!
So when you will be in a bigger city, the best place to exchange your money will be at a Bureaux De Change or change shops.
To keep you in the loop, the worst places for exchange rates are at airports. Always avoid airports, unless you have no other option. A money exchange place, called The Cambios is opened seven days a week in the main tourist areas. It’s very crucial to know that you may need your passport when exchanging your money. Now as a tourist that is new to another country, you have to make sure that you are not being taken advantage of your money. So when getting around any city or cities, you need transportation. So you need to know about taxis and what to do.
The first thing is when you get into a taxi, tell the taxi driver to turn on the meter right as you enter the cab, make sure you tell the taxi driver how much you’re handing him and also make sure you’re satisfied with the change you got back from them. It’s very important to know that you don’t get trapped with any schemes. Another alternative to using taxi’s is Uber, which is available in popular cities (e.g. Lisbon, Porto). Also there are buses in Portugal that will help you get from one place to another. There are four types of buses: Alta Qualidade A fast deluxe category offered by some companies, Carreiras Marked ‘CR, stopping at every crossroad, Expressos fast buses between major cities, and Rápidas Quick regional buses.
Now as we zoom out from transportation we go into restaurants and how to be wise when eating out. The main thing that you need to keep in mind is that when you see tourists getting food at a certain place that is an indication that it’ll be expensive and go seek for places where there are locals feasting. Just know that when you go to a restaurant and they serve appetizers on the table, and you touch it that means that they’ll charge you. It isn’t complimentary, it’s a cover charge, more like an undercover charge! A good, and well priced restaurant is Restaurante Leão D`ouro which is an all you can eat buffet for €5.90 at lunch or €7.40 at dinner. Another good, well priced place to get good food is Pains Sardines, where they sell baguettes and soups. Another delicious and well -priced cafe is Café Beira Gare. This cafe is close to the Rossio train station and you are able to purchase coffee, food etc. for the fraction of the prices of other locations.
When travelling to another country, especially to the oldest country in Europe we all would like to go see some entertainment. One thing that Portugal is famous for is Fado, which is the music of Lisbon, and is very famous.
Although just know that there are a lot of tourist traps locations where they give you a hefty cover charge. Go to a place where there are a bunch of locals and they won’t charge you a whole lot to hear the beautiful music. Go to Barrio Alto, where you are able to find a bar and hear the music of Fado for free in the night.
As tourists it is common to buy something popular and/or meaningful from a country you’re travelling to; as we know Portugal just won the Euro-league against France.
So people will want to buy Euro-league t-shirts. When you buy them from a store, Euro-league t-shirts cost 30.00 Euros, although for an alternative option of the shirts, buy the same exact shirt in supermarkets for 12.75 Euros. You will save tons of money on souvenirs I hope all of these wonderful tips on avoiding tourist traps have helped you in travelling and enjoying your time in the wonderful country of Portugal! So make Portugal your number one stay just as Portugal is number one in The Euro-league!
-Tchau!
