Useful facts for travel to Portugal

Portugal has many festivals and religious holidays that are worth seeing if you have the chance: Calendar

1st January – New Year’s Day (Ano Novo)
4th March – Shrove Tuesday / Carnival
17th April – Maundy Thursday (Afternoon only)
18th April – Good Friday (Sexta-feira Santa)
20th April – Easter Sunday
25th April – Liberation Day (Dia 25 de Abril)
1st May – Labour Day (Dia do Trabalhador)
10th June – Portugal Day (Dia de Portugal e de Camoes)
13th June – St Anthony’s Day (Lisbon only)
19th June – Corpus Christi Day (Corpo de Deus)
24th June – St John’s Day (Oporto & Braga only)
15th August – The Assumption of Our Lady (Assuncao de Nossa Senhora)
5th October – Republic Day (Implantacao da Republica)
1st November – All Saints (Dia de Todos-os-Santos)
1st December – Restoration of Independence (Dia da Restauracao) – Public holiday cancelled
8th December – Immaculate Conception (Imaculada Conceicao)
24th December – Christmas Eve (Banks, official offices only)
25th December – Christmas Day (Natal)

Dress in Portugal tends to be informal but conservative.

None required for EU nationals. Nationals of Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the USA can stay for 90 days visa-free. Everyone else needs a visa.

Sunburn in summer, insect bites.

GMT/UTC (winter), GMT/UTC+1 (summer)

220V, 50Hz, 2-pin (round) plug 2-pin plug (round)

Metric (same as France)

Euro banknotes

As of January 1, 2002, the euro (€) replaced the national currency of 12 countries within the European Union, including Portugal. You can exchange currency at any bank branch (hours are listed below). Automatic cash machines can be found in most commercial centres.
Bank Opening Hours
Banking hours in Portugal are from 08:30 am to 3:00 pm, Monday to Friday. Most banks are closed on weekends and public holidays.
ATMs and Credit Cards
ATM machines are widely available in Portugal, even in small towns and they are the simplest way of obtaining cash. Credit cards are also widespread, allowing easy access to over the counter advances in banks and they are generally accepted in most Portuguese hotels, restaurants, petrol stations and shops
Currency exchange
Currency exchange can be carried out at all bank branches. Bureaux de change can also be found in large department stores, railway stations, airports and near to tourist sites. Automatic currency exchange machines are also to be found. Please note: although the exchange rate is fixed, commission rates are not. By law these must be clearly displayed.

Check out the current Euro exchange rate with your currency here (close the new window to return): TRAVELSIGNPOSTS CURRENCY CONVERTER

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