50+ Must-Know Travel Tips for Portugal: What I Wish I Knew Before My First Trip

I did a ton of research before my first trip to Portugal, but once I was actually there, some things turned out a little different than I expected and a few things I hadn't even thought about. So I put together the tips that helped me the most along with everything I wish I had known to help make your trip as smooth and as magical and as memorable as mine was. Getting around Portugal is actually pretty straightforward. For instance, in Lisbon, you can tap your credit card or use Apple Pay or Google Wallet on public transit. This includes the metro, buses, trams, and even local trains. You don't need a special transit card anymore, which makes things super convenient. And a single ride is just under 2 euros. Now if public transit isn't your thing or you're tired from walking all day, Uber is widely available and pretty affordable compared to North America. And if you're traveling with a group, it might actually be cheaper than buying multiple train tickets. Here's a little tip though. In Lisbon and Porto, we often used Bolt instead of Uber. It was usually about 20-30% cheaper. Just make sure to download the app before your trip. You'll need to verify your phone number and set up your payment info. And it's a little trickier to set up if you're already in the country and you don't have Wi-Fi or your internet set up yet. And if you're heading between cities, the train system is fantastic and affordable. Just make sure to book directly through cp.pt, not RailNinja or any other third-party site. We also rented a car for a few days while we were in the Algarve. And it was such a great experience. Driving in Portugal was a lot more relaxed than I expected. Outside of the cities, the roads are smooth, the traffic flows well, and the scenery is beautiful. In small towns though, the roads get a little narrow, sometimes only wide enough for one car. But people there are used to it, so they just pull over and wave you through and you just carry on. A few tips for driving in Portugal though. Manual transmissions are a lot more common and cheaper to rent. So if you need an automatic, make sure you book ahead. Also, cars are generally smaller in Europe compared to North America, so keep your luggage size in mind. And be ready for roundabouts. There are a lot of them. But don't worry, they keep traffic moving really well and honestly, yeah, they're so much better than stoplights. Just be ready for them if you don't have much experience. Now you technically don't need an international driver's permit and we weren't asked for one, but if you ever do get pulled over, it's a good idea to have one just in case. I think if I was driving for more than three or four days and driving in more areas than just the Algarve, I probably would have spent the $25 to $35 that they're worth and had one just for extra insurance. And one last tip for driving in Portugal. Many of the highways have tolls and most of them are fully electronic. Most rental vehicles include a toll transponder, but always double check. It'll save you a lot of hassle later. Let's talk money and ATMs. You'll find that many places in Portugal accept credit cards, especially Visa and MasterCard, but it's worth using a card that has no foreign exchange fees if you have one. And when the machine asks if you want to be charged in your home currency, always decline that. Choose euros for a better exchange rate. Some cafes and smaller places will have a 5 euro minimum to use a card and you'll definitely come across a few cash only places. So if that's the case, you'll usually see a sign or your server will let you know. Even though most places take cards, it's smart to carry a little bit of cash, especially for tipping or visiting bakeries to get those pastel de nata or grabbing something small like water or even small things like postcards. And when you do need to withdraw cash, always look for the multibanco ATMs. They're the official, most reliable network. Please avoid Euronet ATMs and always reject the conversion. You may have to do it twice and it may look like you're declining the whole transaction, but you're not. You're just declining the conversion. Your bank will give you a much better rate than the machine. And if you'd rather have cash on hand when you land, I'd recommend exchanging around 300 to 500 euros for a 7 to 10 day trip. If your cell phone plan charges extra for roaming, I definitely recommend using an eSIM. You can set it up before you leave and have instant access to data as soon as you land, which is very helpful when you're trying to get from the airport to your hotel. Personally, I've used Saly and Aerolo for eSIMs in Europe and both have worked great. Having data also lets you check Google Maps, use the Fork app for reservations or book a Bolt ride on the go. Another option for you is to stop into a Vodafone store and get a tourist SIM. They offer both physical and eSIMs and they'll even set it up for you. It's a little more expensive, but it comes with a local number, which is helpful if you want to make restaurant reservations or make any other calls. So let's talk about the food, which is going to be one of the absolute highlights of your trip. The rhythm of dining in Portugal might feel a little different than what you're used to. Dinner here starts late. Restaurants often don't open until after 7, sometimes 7.30, and many locals eat closer to 8.30 or even 9 o'clock. So if you're seeing a packed restaurant at 5.30pm, those are probably geared towards tourists. And don't worry if you get hungry between 4 and 7 o'clock, there's always a pastel de nata to tide you over. Restaurant reservations are definitely recommended, especially in Lisbon and Porto. So if one person in your group has a SIM that allows calling, that's really helpful. But you can also use apps like The Fork or message restaurants on Instagram or WhatsApp. And that's what we did several times and it worked out quite well. If you don't have a reservation, try going right when they open or after 9pm. We only made a few reservations over our two-week trip and we still had incredible meals everywhere. So if there are any restaurants that you've seen online recommended ahead of time, definitely try to get those reservations in. But if you don't, it's not going to be a big deal. There's great food everywhere. Now when you do sit down at the restaurant, there's a couple things to know. You'll often be offered a cuvere, which is a small plate of bread, cheese, olives, or spreads. Now it's not free, but it's not expensive either. It's usually just a few euros and if you don't want it, you simply just politely let them know. Now when I was researching this before my trip to Portugal, everyone said the servers would just bring this out without asking and place it on the table. We didn't really encounter this. Every server greeted us and asked us if we were interested in the cuvere or not. And what I loved is that every restaurant's cuvere was different. It's not all the same and it's usually listed on the menu so you can actually look at it and decide if it's something you want to try or not. We thoroughly enjoyed trying different cuveres all over and sometimes we would just stop for a glass of wine and cuvere is the perfect little in-between meal break. Now the food in Portugal itself is fresh, it's simple, and it's so flavorful and not overly loaded with sauces. You really get to taste all the ingredients in every dish. We definitely made a point to enjoy the region's specialties. We had cod and octopus and sardines in Lisbon. We had piri-piri chicken in the Algarve and francesinha and bafanas in Porto and vino verde up north. Each region has its thing and it's definitely worth seeking out. So if you're on the fence about trying anything, just try it, it's all delicious. One more thing I always recommend, wherever you are, try the local wine. It's a huge part of the culture and you'll find great pairings everywhere. Another thing to keep in mind about wine and dining in Portugal is back home you might feel like a nice dinner out calls for a 30 or 40 dollar bottle of wine. In Portugal, that same quality might cost only 8 to 10 euros and it'll be fantastic. Even the 3 euro bottles from the grocery store were lovely. Now that we've covered wine, I think this is a good time to talk about water. At restaurants, you'll be asked if you want still or sparkling water. And yes, this will cost you a few euro. But you can request tap water which is free and totally fine to drink. They may not just always offer it to you automatically. We found tap water in Porto and in most places in Lisbon, but in the Algarve we never found a restaurant that offered free tap water. There's really no bad time to visit Portugal, but March, April, May and October are often considered the sweet spot for weather and lighter crowds. We visited in October and didn't feel like it was overly crowded or found long lineups anywhere, especially in the Algarve. I don't think I would visit in July or August or even the first part of September, but if you do go during those times, I would consider visiting regions with fewer tourists like the Alentejo region. Let's move on to some packing tips. Comfortable shoes are an absolute must and this might be the most important tip of the whole video. Portugal's cities are full of calçadas, they're beautiful stone tile sidewalks, but they can be a little uneven and slippery, especially when it rains. Everything is also just so beautiful and amazing to look at and admire, so you'll be walking a lot, including up hills and stairs, so bring shoes with a solid grip. I packed three pairs of shoes. I brought my everyday walking shoes, which are New Balance, a pair of black flats for short evening walks, and my reef sandals. These were ultra comfy, waterproof and so versatile. They were great walking around in Lisbon when it was hot and I also wore them throughout the Algarve. I wouldn't bother packing an umbrella. If it rains, your hotel might have one or you can easily pick one up from a vendor. I would save that space in your bag for something you'll actually use or for souvenirs on the way home. And if you're visiting in the summer, a portable handheld fan would be very useful to have. And yes, it is totally doable to travel Portugal with just a carry-on and a personal item. Some bags I'd recommend are the Monos carry-on for hard-sided and if you prefer soft-sided, I would choose the Bricks Spinner or a Travel Pro. Those are great options. I also like the Samsonite LePeau for something lightweight and flexible. All of these fit on most European airlines and are easy to maneuver on trains or cobblestone streets and up stairs. I'll leave a few more bag options in the comments below and check out my carry-on database which has a full spreadsheet of which bags fit on certain airlines. For your day bag, I would choose a sling or a crossbody with zippers, that's ideal. I used the Large Nomad Lane sling bag which easily fit my phone, wallet, tissues, a power bank, my film camera, a foldable tote, and more. We didn't have any issues with pickpocketing, but it's definitely something that you need to be aware of, especially in crowded areas like Lisbon and Cascais. Keep everything zipped, don't leave your phone in your back pocket, just be alert and aware of your surroundings at all times, especially if people bump into you or are trying to distract you. When it comes to planning your itinerary, here's one of the biggest lessons that I learned. Don't try to see the entire country in one trip. Portugal might look small on a map, but it's incredibly dense with beautiful places and things to do. So if you've got a week, I'd recommend focusing on maybe Lisbon and north, or Lisbon and the south. If you want to do Lisbon, Porto, and the Algarve, I'd say give yourself 9-10 days, it can definitely be done in probably 8 days, but there's going to be some places where you're just spending one night. On my last trip, we had 12 nights and split it evenly, 4 nights each in Porto, Lisbon and the Algarve, and I feel like that was just right. But you do need basically a full 2 weeks to do that with travel on either end. 4 nights in each city though gives you 2 full days to explore and then a third day to do a day trip, like the Douro Valley from Porto and Sintra from Lisbon. And if you haven't seen it yet, I made a full itinerary vlog about that trip if you want to plan a similar one. That said, there are so many places that I didn't get to visit and I already know I'll be going back. Maybe even sooner than you think? Stay tuned in the comments because I'll be announcing something special very soon. For accommodations, we booked all of our hotels on Booking.com about 2.5 months ahead of time, but earlier is always better I would say. Our hotels averaged out to be about €200 per night. These were all in well located areas, walking distance to everything. We also had 3 adults in a room, so we did need rooms that were a little bigger. If there's only 2 of you, you can definitely get away with great hotels, probably even the same ones for about €150. I would also recommend checking out Planin.com. This website works in partnership with Booking and sometimes has even lower prices. I've used Planin quite a bit now, there's a link in the description or you can scan the QR code and you can browse my Planin profile to see some of my personal hotel recommendations. Now for day trips and tours, we also used Viator and Get Your Guide, and I'd highly recommend booking anything that's high on your list as a must-do, book that in advance. Our Douro Valley wine tour was one of the trip highlights and I would not want to have missed out on that, so if there's anything that's a must-do, make sure you book it ahead of time. Now things like walking tours and food tours can often be booked last minute, but the top rated ones definitely do sell out. We had a couple of rainy days and so we tried to find some fun cooking classes, but those were all sold out, so not everything will be available only a day or two ahead of time. Let's move on to cultural tips and some final thoughts. One of the best parts about visiting Portugal was just how kind and welcoming everyone was. People were genuinely so friendly and helpful everywhere we went. And in my experience, I found most people under 40 or 50 spoke English, especially in the cities, but I would say learning a few Portuguese words or phrases goes a long way. Simple things like ola for hello, bom dia for good morning, boa tarde for good afternoon, and obrigada or obrigado for thank you. Now, please don't come at me for pronunciation. I'm doing my best here. People really appreciate the effort, even if it's not sounding perfect. I wanted to say a quick note on some logistics. Some museums and tourist sites are closed either on Sundays or Mondays, so always double check opening hours before planning out your day. We also found a lot of restaurants were closed on Mondays as well. And one thing you'll notice in the cities especially is that there's a lot of graffiti everywhere, even in the nicest areas. But don't let that throw you off. I think that's just part of the urban aesthetic there. Both Porto and Lisbon have a bit of grit and texture to them, but that's just part of what makes them feel so real and interesting and alive. Let's talk tipping. There's no strict rule for tipping in Portugal. Here's what's typical or most common. At restaurants and bars, 5 to 10% is standard, but ideally in cash. You can also look at it as rounding up your bill. So for example, if a meal is €37, you could just leave the €3 change as the tip. In cafes, you could round up to the nearest euro. For Ubers and taxis, rounding up is also generally fine. For guided tours, I would say use your own discretion based on the length of the tour and how in-depth it was. If you're doing a free walking tour for 2 to 3 hours, I would say €20 per person is a nice gesture. And for private or paid tours, maybe 5 to 10% is a good benchmark. Always tip in euros and preferably in cash. It's easiest and most appreciated. Making this video just makes me want to go back to Portugal so bad. There's so much more I want to see or just re-experience because it was all so magical. So if Portugal is on your list or you have a trip coming up, I hope these tips help make your trip as incredible as possible. And who knows? Maybe we'll even cross paths there sometime. Thank you so much for watching and I'll see you in the next one.