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10 Portugal travel tips I wish I knew before my first trip
Portugal had been on my travel list for years—but even after weeks of research, our 24-day trip in 2025 across the country still came with a few surprises I didn’t see coming.
Some of these mistakes cost us time. Others caused unnecessary stress. And a few were things most travel guides simply don’t mention.
So in this post, I’m sharing Portugal travel tips I wish I had known before going there—from tourist visas and tipping etiquette to renting a car, using public transport, booking flights, and navigating Portuguese roads.
This guide is especially helpful for mid-range budget travellers who want to explore Portugal independently, without relying on tours or luxury packages.
My goal is to help you plan your trip confidently and enjoy Portugal without the same trial-and-error we experienced.
1. Duration & best time to visit
How many days to spend in Portugal?
Spend at least 15 days in Portugal if you truly want to enjoy the main highlights like Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve. Add another week if you’re planning to visit the islands.
I spent 24 days there and could easily have stayed two more weeks.
Despite being a European country, Portugal also has beautiful tropical islands.
From mountains to beaches, hiking to city strolling, lazy beach days to surfing, football matches to pretty libraries – the variety is huge for such a small country.
Best time to visit Portugal
The best time to visit Portugal is April to May and September to November. These months are easier on the wallet and comfortable for walking-heavy sightseeing.
Peak season is June to August. Hotel prices shoot up, activities get expensive, and the sun honestly has no mercy on you. Afternoon sightseeing can feel brutal.
We travelled from the last week of October to the last week of November and proudly dodged the crowds while staying on budget.
Apart from a few passing showers in Lisbon and Porto, the weather stayed near perfect and we could explore without battling tourist crowds
2. Travel itinerary tips
A pro tip while planning your Portugal itinerary: are you relying fully on public transport, renting a car, or doing a mix of both like we did?
This single decision changes your entire route.
In counties like Austria, your itinerary barely changes because trains and buses reach almost everywhere. Portugal doesn’t work like that- you might have to drive.
Those pretty villages like Monsanto with giant boulders, or those tunnels in Madeira that suddenly open into ridiculous ocean views – you simply need a car for places like these.
If you’re firmly in the “no driving, only trains and buses” camp, that’s fine too. Just plan your route around what public transport actually connects.
Popular regions to visit in Portugal and what each is known for
Officially, Portugal has 20 districts. But as travellers, it makes more sense to think of it as seven regions, including two island regions.
3. Trip budget breakdown
In November 2025, we spent around €275 per day for two people as mid-range travellers in Portugal.
99% of the entrance fees, public transport, hotel rooms are free for kids under age 2 generally. In Portugal kids under 3 travel for free in buses and trains , except in long journey buses.
That covered everything —
- Simple local restaurants and cafes for all meals,
- Domestic island flights,
- Trains and buses,
- Car rental for 7 days,
- Few Bolt taxi rides,
- Attraction tickets like Algarve boat rides,
- Some souvenir shopping in Portugal’s markets and stores.
If you skip shopping, you can comfortably manage a similar trip for around €230 per day for two people during the off-season, like we did.
If you visit between June and August, expect this to increase by at least 30%. Summer travel in Portugal is costlier, but definitely cheaper than Central Europe in peak season.
Average travel costs in Portugal for accommodation, food, and transport
I haven’t included bottled water because tap water in Portugal is safe to drink. There aren’t many public water fountains, but restaurants happily give tap water for free.
4. Booking tours and activities in Portugal
You really don’t need those fully packaged, done-for-you tours in Portugal. Most of them rush you through Lisbon and Porto and call it a “country tour”.
Smartest way is to book a few key tickets and tours online in advance. It saves time and spares you from standing in long queues.
Which activities in Portugal should you book in advance?
Portugal activities you can safely book after arrival
You can’t prebook Madeira’s famous toboggan rides (Carreiros do Monte) either. You’ll need to stand in line, pay in cash, and then take the ride. Trust me, we did this Funchal basket ride and it was absolutely worth the wait.
You need not buy any city passes ( for public transport) in advance. These can easily be bought on the spot like we did.
5. Pre-trip perparations
Schengen visa requirements for visiting Portugal
Portugal is part of the Schengen zone that got 29 European countries.
One visa lets you move across 29 European countries without applying separately for each one.
That political backstory of how Schengen started in a tiny village in Luxembourg is interesting, but for travellers, this is all you really need to know.
Over 50 nationalities can enter Schengen without a visa. A valid passport is enough.
Who needs a visa to travel to Portugal
If you’re from the EU, you don’t need a visa for Portugal. Almost everyone else either needs a visa or other authorisation
Travellers from countries like the USA, Canada, Singapore, and Japan could earlier enter just with their passports. From 2026 onwards, they’ll need an ETIAS authorisation.
It’s not a visa, just a quick online approval before travel.
If you’re travelling on a weaker passport (like India), a Schengen sticker visa is your only option. This applies to travellers from over 140 countries, including India.
This means lots paperwork, embassy appointments, and patience.
As an Indian traveller, I go through this every time I visit Europe.
It usually takes at least a month, sometimes longer.
Best airports to fly into Portugal
It is best to fly into Lisbon, as it’s the best-connected of Portugal’s six commercial airports.
Porto is the second most connected airport in the north, with plenty of direct flights from the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. We actually flew out of Portugal to Luxembourg from Porto.
Faro, in the south, has direct flights from Spain, Switzerland, and the UK.
Madeira and the Azores have smaller airports and are mostly connected via domestic flights, especially through Lisbon. That said, there are also a few weekly direct flights from the UK, Germany, and Switzerland.
Fair warning — Lisbon airport immigration is painfully slow most days. We cleared it in about an hour because we were travelling with a baby, but there are horror stories of non-EU travellers waiting up to five hours.
Are domestic flights in Portugal worth taking
Yes, if you plan to visit the islands. Madeira and the Azores are only reachable by air.‘TAP Air Portugal is the main domestic carrier. Ryanair, Wizz Air, and easyJet are the other frequent low-cost airlines.
You’ll often see super cheap fares, sometimes as low as €30 per ticket. And yes, those prices are real.
But they usually don’t include checked luggage and sometimes not even a proper cabin bag.
I’ve listed all the small but important things you should keep in mind when flying domestically in Portugal in a separate post. It covers what I did right and how I handled a few tricky situations while taking local flights.
If you stay on the mainland, trains and buses work fine, but be ready for long journeys. Smaller towns often require changing in Lisbon
Currency used in Portugal and ATM withdrawal fees
Portugal uses the Euro (€).
Bring euros with you if possible. Exchange rates for weaker currencies are poor, and some cannot be exchanged at all.
ATMs charge around €3 per withdrawal because most machines are managed by aa third-party agency called Multibanco.
Using credit cards vs cash in Portugal
Visa and MasterCard work well, but cash still matters in Portugal.
Carry small cash. Don’t rely only on cards totally..
Some machines fail randomly. I once watched a tourist’s card get stuck in a vending machine in Sintra. Guards couldn’t even help.
I was glad I had paid cash for my sandwich that never arrived. Losing money is bad. Losing your card is worse.
Also stay alert for card skimming in tiny street shops. It’s not rampant, but better safe than sorry.
6. Getting around Portugal: transport options for tourists
Driving in Portugal: Road conditions and rules for tourists
Roads in Portugal are decent. You can’t compare them to places like Luxembourg or Austria, but highways are mostly smooth and pothole-free.
Inside cities, especially historic centres, expect narrow roads and cobbled streets.
Portuguese drive on the right. Despite what the internet says, they’re not terrible drivers.
When my husband drove for four days, we were expecting chaos. Yes, if the speed limit says 90, many drive at 120. But they mostly respect traffic rules. No wild lane cutting or red-light jumping.
Pedestrian priority depends on signals. If vehicles have green, they won’t stop. But at unsigned crossings, drivers usually wait for people to cross
Renting cars in Portugal
Renting a car is easy, with companies like Europcar in bigger towns. Sometimes it’s necessary because trains don’t reach every corner, especially rural areas.
But don’t rent a car just to move around cities. Driving and parking in Lisbon is more stress than joy.
Is Portugal good for cycling travellers
Portugal isn’t a cycling paradise. Most towns are hilly and cycle lanes are rare. You often share roads with cars and trams.
Unless you’re in a national park or a cycling-focused route, cycling isn’t the easiest way to explore.
Public transport in Portugal: trains, buses, and metros
Trains connect major cities well. Buses fill the gaps where trains don’t go. You can even take a bus ride from Algarve to Southern parts of Spain like we did.
Expect small delays. Our trains to Aveiro and Tavira were both around 10–15 minutes late. Nothing dramatic, just not Swiss punctual.
City buses work well in places like Funchal and Nazaré. Google Maps helped us with routes, but tickets can be confusing.
In most Portuguese cities, local bus tickets are flat fare, meaning the price doesn’t change with distance. In Porto, it’s around €2.50 per ride, which honestly feels pricey for a short hop.
Lisbon and Porto both have metros. Trams are the real charm, used by locals and tourists alike.
Using taxis in Portugal as a tourist
Honestly, Bolt taxi is the cheapest way to get around Portuguese towns. So keep their app downloaded before you leave.
If you’re travelling as more than one person, a Bolt ride can even be cheaper than buses.
For example, two bus tickets to Albufeira old town from Marina cost us €5, while a Bolt ride was just €3.50.
Even though all airports have shuttle buses to the city centre, you can easily hop into a taxi.
They don’t cost you a kidney like in some Central European countries. It’s easier, quicker, and way less headache after a long flight.
7. Portugal culture- language and etiquette
Portuguese Language
Portuguese is a Romance language. When my walking tour guide first said that, I also wondered if it meant romantic. It doesn’t. Romance languages come from Latin, like Spanish and Italian.
Even though we don’t speak Portuguese or Spanish, we could still spot similarities when we crossed into Seville.
For example, exit is “saída” in Portuguese and “salida” in Spanish. Water is “água” in both. Even casa for house stays the same.
So yes, the language Spanish and Portuguese are cousins. If you understand one, the other slowly starts making sense.
English works well in most tourist areas. With locals, we often used Google Translate as our Portuguese is super basic and their English is just managebale.
Are Portuguese people friendly to tourists
Yes! Very much. After Iranians, Portuguese are easily the friendliest people we’ve met in our travels.
I was mentally prepared for cold European behaviour — Germans being blunt, Austrians indifferent, Greeks doing business and moving on, the Dutch being direct. But Portugal surprised me in the best way.
They absolutely love kids. I’ve lost count of how many strangers played with our son or carried him for a bit. And with kids under age of 5, you get to skip lines in Portugal
We even received small gifts from locals. That rarely happens anywhere.
Hitchhiking isn’t common, but people are generally helpful when asked.
Religion in Portugal and what travelers should know
Around 80% of Portuguese are Catholic and are religious.
Unlike some European countries where churches feel like museums without actual devotees, in Portugal we regularly saw locals praying during normal hours.
In Faro, we even walked past a prayer group meeting in a community hall on our way to dinner.
You’ll also notice many kiosks promoting Bible groups.
Dress codes in Portugal’s cathedrals are taken seriously, and locals actually follow them.
Is tipping mandatory in Portugal?
No. Tipping isn’t expected.
If you’re feeling generous, you can leave around 5%, but honestly no one asks for it, not even to round up the bill.
In Porto, at the bar in the hotel where we stayed, we wanted to tip the bartender.
He was funny, warm, and made brilliant cocktails. But he smiled and said chatting with us while making our drinks was more than enough for him.
Is Portugal safe for tourists
Portugal isn’t unsafe, but it’s not squeaky safe either. You still need basic street sense.
Many cities have abandoned buildings even in central areas, which can feel a bit spooky at night. We personally never faced trouble, but these areas often attract drunk crowds.
A friend of ours was robbed late at night after partying.
If you’re back by around 9 pm and avoid dark empty streets, you’ll be fine.
Common tourist scams in Portugal
Apart from common scams like taxi overcharging and pickpockets, there are two you’ll notice more often.
Fake luxury bag sellers – They approach you with a partially visible branded bag and a sad story. One tried this on me at Lisbon’s Oriente bus station. I said no firmly and walked away. Never touch the bag.
Fake drug sellers – Common around beaches and busy tourist areas. They sell fake substances at high prices. Just ignore and keep walking.
8. Tips on carrying electronics and SIM
Plug Sockets and Adapters
Portugal uses Type C and F plugs with round pins. Check if your country needs an adapter.
I always carry a universal adapter and it saves me every single trip.
SIM cards and internet access in Portugal for tourists
You get good 4G coverage in most places, even on hikes and beaches.
Orange is one of the main network providers.
But as a foreign traveller, I strongly suggest buying an eSIM before leaving for Portugal. It’s far easier than hunting for physical SIM shops after landing.
I now always use an eSIM from Simlocal. It’s easy to buy, has no hidden fees, and lets you choose regional roaming plans.
Free wifi availability in Portugal
High-speed trains and long-distance buses usually provide free wifi, though it can be patchy.
Some public squares and ferry terminals also have wifi, but don’t rely on it.
Only a few cafes offer decent free wifi. Hotel wifi is usually much faster. We often switched to hotel wifi instead of burning mobile data.
Lisbon, Porto, and Funchal airports have free wifi too, but it worked poorly for us. We mostly relied on our eSIM data.
9. Public amenities in Portugal tourists should know about
Public toilets in Portugal and how much they cost
There are almost no free public toilets in Portugal, except sometimes in malls.
Train stations, bus terminals, and toilets near tourist attractions usually charge around €0.40–€0.50. The good part is that they’re mostly clean, except occasionally on trains.
For example, Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point of mainland Europe, is a natural site, and even there the toilet cost us €0.50.
But at places like Funchal’s Cristiano Ronaldo Museum, where you already pay an entry fee, toilets are free.
Restaurant and cafe toilets are for customers only. Non-customers usually have to pay.
A funny (and slightly traumatic) detail — many Portuguese train stations have steel toilet seats.
In Aveiro, in November, sitting on that icy steel was… character building.
Public cleanliness and hygiene standards in Portugal
Portugal is clean, but not polished-clean like some European countries.
You won’t see trash-filled streets or bad air quality, but many towns still have rough-looking patches.
Old buildings covered with metal sheets, construction debris, and large public dustbins right on footpaths are common.
Historic centres look beautiful and well maintained. Step slightly outside those zones and things feel more raw and real.
Sometimes we even saw overflowing garbage bins. Not dirty, just not pretty.
Is tap water safe to drink in Portugal
Yes, tap water is totally safe to drink in Portugal. You can always ask for tap water in restaurants to save money.
One thing I really missed was public drinking water fountains. They’re surprisingly rare.
So keep refilling your bottle whenever you’re back at your hotel before heading out.
10. Food and drink in Portugal: what travelers should expect
What food is Portugal known for
Portugal is heavily seafood-driven, with plenty of vegetables, followed by pork and beef.
Grilled seafood is everywhere, often charcoal grilled or deep-fried. Bacalhau, the famous codfish cake, is probably the most common snack.
My seafood-loving husband could eat it any time of the day, and so can most Portuguese.
Then comes pork steak “Bifana” and very few chicken dishes like “Frango Piri”- Spicy chicken thighs.
They grow plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits, so meals usually come with more than just potatoes.
Breakfast is simple — toast with jam or egg sandwiches with bica (espresso). You’ll also see milky espresso drinks like galão. Locals usually grab a quick espresso and move on.
Croissants exist, but they’re not really a local breakfast obsession.
Vegetarian food options in Portugal
Vegetarians will struggle a bit in Portugal. There aren’t many traditional veg dishes.
Even as a non-picky vegetarian who eats eggs, I kept wishing there were more local options.
You won’t starve — Italian food, pizza, veggie burgers, and cafes are easy to find. Then there are many delicious pastries and traditional Portuguese desserts too that can keep you fuelled.
I did manage to eat things like arroz de tomate, legume curry with rice, salada de queijo de cabra quente, and bolo do caco, but these weren’t always available everywhere.
Portugal is easier than Germany for vegetarians, but nowhere close to Austria. Definitely easier than Japan though.
Coffee and tea culture in Portugal
Coffee rules Portugal. Strong black coffee is called bica, and milky coffee often comes in tall glasses.
Tea culture is almost non-existent, which surprised me considering their history with India.
Cappuccinos often come with chocolate and cinnamon dusting, so I stuck to espresso with milk whenever I wanted real coffee flavour, not dessert.
Alcohol drinking Culture
Portuguese don’t just stick to beer. You’ll find plenty of traditional drinks — ginjinha (cherry liqueur), port wine, Madeira wine, poncha, and several local brandies.
Superbock and Sagres are the most common beers.
Sangria is popular with tourists, but locals don’t highlight it much.
Smoking rules and habits in Portugal
Surprisingly, Portuguese don’t smoke as much as Austrians, French, or Greeks.
Smoking is banned in public transport and indoor cafes but allowed outdoors.
You’ll still see smokers in viewpoints and busy squares, but smoking doesn’t feel like a dominant social habit.
Weed isn’t legal, yet cannabis shops and hemp stores pop up in many places.
What to do next with these travel tips for Portugal?
Now that you know the basics of how to plan for Portugal trip, it’s time to turn ideas into an actual plan.
Start by fixing your travel dates and roughly mapping out which regions you want to cover.
If you’re confused between Lisbon and Porto and want to pick just one, I’ve compared both cities in detail to help you decide what suits your travel style better.
If you only have one week in Portugal and want the most jaw-dropping landscapes, pick Madeira. I’ve covered Madeira in depth in a separate guide, including what to see, where to stay, and how to get around.
And if you’re a complete beach person, I’ve shared a post on the most gorgeous Portuguese beaches I visited during our 24-day trip.
