People often say planning is a large portion of the funny moments of travel. We made a rundown of the 10 things you have to know before flying out to Lisbon that cover every one of the nuts and bolts to verify you appreciate the absolute best of the city. We are talking unremarkable stuff (money, opening hours, 24h drug stores… ) and insider tips (most prominent tricks, what is “run of the mill”… ) here!
1. Cash
As in most of the European nations, Portugal’s money is the Euro (€). On the off chance that you are going to go with for the most part money, attempt to trade the coin in your nation of flight for lower charges and if conceivable attempt to have just little bills of €5, €10 and €20. On one hand you would prefer not to be blazing the enormous bills (like €50 and €100 or €200; €500 bills are an outright irregularity in Portugal) and turning into a simple focus for a wide range of individuals attempting to offer you stuff in the city (from shades to lighters, to hash… ); then again, littler bills will be less demanding for change in many stores and bistros.
Most of the spots acknowledge installments with charge or Mastercards, yet the littler shops may have a base measure of €5 to acknowledge installments with cards — that is on account of they are saddled on each exchange that is made.
2. Opening And Closing Times
In Portugal, the timezone is GMT.
Most shopping centers open at 10 a.m. also, close between 11 p.m. what’s more, 12 a.m. what’s more, are open each day of the week. Road shops, on the other hand, have a more prohibitive timetable opening at 10 a.m. furthermore, shutting down at 7 p.m. be that as it may, they don’t close amid lunchtime; on Saturdays the greater part of them will close right on time at 1 p.m. also, won’t open on Sundays.
With respect to the end time may change as indicated by their area and reason (a few bistros serve dinners also, yet despite everything they aren’t delegated eateries), yet normally the majority of them will open for breakfast as ahead of schedule as 7 a.m. then again 8 a.m.
Eateries for the most part serve their snacks between 12 p.m. what’s more, 3 p.m. furthermore, meals between 7 p.m. what’s more, 10 p.m., yet it additionally relies on upon area and prevalence which implies they can be open until as late as midnight. This timetable is identified with what is known as the “kitchen hours”, which implies the season of day they are simply get ready dinners. There’s no mischief in inquiring as to whether the kitchen is still open!
Banks are open on weekdays just from 8.30 a.m. to 3 p.m. also, most open workplaces open from 9 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. also, from 2 p.m. to 4.30 p.m.
3. Wellbeing And Safety
Lisbon is a sensibly safe city, however in the event that anything less positive happens (as in numerous other European capitals, pickpocketing is an antiquated craftsmanship) the Police Station for Tourists is exceptionally focal and simple to get to in Palácio Foz at Praça dos Restauradores. The Portuguese law authorization is called PSP (Polícia de Segurança Pública) and they are effortlessly recognized by their dim blue outfits.
There are three 24h Pharmacies in Lisbon and three with augmented calendar (until 10 p.m. on the other hand 12 a.m.) in the event that you require particular drug. For over the counter medication, most shopping centers have drugstores where you can purchase marked or bland pills.
If there should be an occurrence of crisis dial 112. On the off chance that you are a national from another European nation, you can apply for the free European Health Insurance card, substantial up to 5 years.
4. Tourism Information
The Tourism Information workplaces or booths are called “Ask Me Lisboa”. Their calendar shifts relying upon their area so the ones with the expanded timetable are at the air terminal entries (7 a.m. to 12 a.m.), at the International Terminal of Santa Apolonia train station (7.30 am to 10 p.m., be that as it may it’s shut on Sundays), at Praça do Comércio (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.) and at Palácio Foz (9 a.m. to 8 p.m.).
This is likewise where you can purchase the Lisboa Card that joins open transportation with rebates on a few exhibition halls and vacation destinations, legitimate for 24h (€18.50), 48h (€31.50) or 72h (€39.00).
Note: Prices may shift so make a point to affirm the redesigned rates.
5. Transportation
Lisbon has a decent and natural open transport system of cable cars, transports, underground, ships and rural trains. The cable cars and transports are worked via Carris (and can’t be missed by their mustard yellow shading), the underground is worked by Metro, the ships are worked by Transtejo and Soflusa (with associations with the Tagus Southbank from Belém, Cais do Sodré, and Terreiro do Paço) and the trains are worked by CP.
From the airplane terminal, you can take the Aerobus or the Metro. It’s a matter of picking the most helpful (where are you staying?) or the most open (some underground stations won’t have lifts or lifts). In the event that you are thinking reasonable, Metro is the least expensive alternative.
Costs for one time ticket bought on load up:
Aerobus – €3.50
Metro – €1.40
Transport – €1.80
Cable car – €2.85
Vessel – in the middle of €1.20 and €2.75 relying upon your destination
Train – in the middle of €1.25 and €3.40 relying upon your destination zone
24h tickets (Metro, Tram, and Bus just) – €6.00
Best Value: in the event that you are wanting to utilize open transport a considerable measure while you’re going to, buy the Lisboa Viva card for €0.50 on any Metro station stall or machine and compute the amount of cash you will requirement for going around for the season of your sit tight. Verify you accuse the card of cash rather than ventures, that way you can use the same number of diverse open method for transport as you need. On the off chance that you purchase goes rather, remember they may be legitimate for the vehicle you picked. It implies you can utilize it for the transport or cable car, yet you can’t utilize it on the watercraft to go visit the Cristo Rei in Almada or on the train to see the Atlantic sea in Cascais.
There is a risk the driver won’t have enough change to give you back and that the ticket machines inside the more current cable cars don’t work. The entryways of Metros are programmed, the passage on transports is constantly done from the front of the transport and on trains and cable cars you must push the catch to open the entryway (both inside and outside).
On weekends and National Holidays the recurrence of transportation is diminished (or smothered relying upon the course) and Metro trains circle with three autos just (for the most part it’s reported on the stage screens).
Note: Prices may change so make a point to affirm the redesigned rates.
6. Historical centers
Affirmation is free on first Sundays of the month for individual guests and little gatherings under 12 individuals and in some other day ticket costs differ in the middle of €2 and €10 for an individual grown-up passage. The accompanying historical centers are constantly free: MUDE (Design Museum), Berardo Museum, Electricity Museum, Cinemateca (Film Museum).
Most historical centers are shut on Mondays (and a few Holidays like Christmas day on the 25th December, Easter Sunday, January first and Labor Day on May first), with the exception of the National Museum of Ancient Art, Carris Museum, Water Museum, Berardo Collection Museum, Cinemateca (Film Museum) and Ajuda National Palace.
Perused our post with recommendations for three craftsmanship historical centers in Lisbon
7. Shopping
In the event that you can’t leave a spot without purchasing a trinket to gather or to blessing loved ones, we encourage you to search for the valid nearby items rather than the same old refrigerator magnet that, to be perfectly honest, you can purchase anyplace.
On downtown Lisbon dodge the blessing shops on the occupied lanes — they all offer literally the same things, however costs change from store to store. On the bug markets abstain from purchasing tiles — the greater part of them are cut off (actually) from recorded structures and numerous others were wrecked simultaneously. The most ideal approach to appreciate these authentic tiles is to photo them and visit the National Tile Museum.
A few proposals of shops to purchase keepsakes from (and that backing the nearby makers, artisans and creators): Lisbonlovers (run of the mill Lisbon with a turn), Portugal Gifts (another tackle Portuguese trinkets), Lisbon Shop (the official Tourism Information shop). In the event that you like to blessing nourishment: Conserveira de Lisboa (Portuguese canned merchandise), Mercearia Criativa (Portuguese items), Espaço Acores (items from the Azores), A Vida Portuguesa (they brought back brands and items that used to be a piece of our Portuguese adolescence society).
Perused our post with proposals for option shopping in Lisbon.
8. Mind the “commonplace”
The more you travel, the more you think the descriptor run of the mill. Particularly when you have that sensation that this has happened before feeling. In the event that they have to declare that it’s common to persuade you to purchase/eat/drink, then perhaps it isn’t so much that legitimate.
At the point when searching for an eatery you need to avoid the ones who have servers outside asking for a moment of your consideration. The nourishment will be overrated and not that incredible in quality. Search for spots where local people hang out and look for surveys on the web. What’s more, in particular, don’t scan for an eatery when you are ravenous — your nature will kick in and essentially your mind will instruct you to stop at the primary spot that serves sustenance.
Likewise, not every one of the eateries that promote live Fado have really an enchantment blend of awesome unrecorded music, incredible wine, and extraordinary nourishment.
Perused our post with recommendations for eateries in Lisbon.
9. The tricks
Aside from the psyche your effects guidance, mind the philanthropy tricks. When you are downtown (as a rule at Praça do Comércio where quite a few people go to for pictures, by the waterway unwinding and relaxing in bistros) you will probably be drawn nearer by a young fellow or lady, expressing they are from a philanthropy association (ordinarily it’s an association you never caught wind of) and that they are gathering gifts for their most recent raising money.
Decide to give cash to poor people in the road on the off chance that you need to, however constantly suspect when they appear to handle it as an every day work with a calendar: on the progressions of an occupied church, close to a famous vacation spot… True story, I have seen ladies change moves… One is sitting and wailing while asking for cash, the other one comes, they visit for some time (about the children, the most recent cleanser musical drama scene and what they’re cooking for supper), she gets up and leaves, the other one takes her place and (on line) the wailing restarts.
10. Stay connected
Most importantly, we need you to investigate this wonderful city however we realize that staying joined is likewise essential. On the off chance that you can hardly wait to retreat to your WiFi inn/inn/flat, most bistros and eateries will have an accessible association for clients (and for the most part will state so on the window).
WiFi is likewise accessible in all the Metro stations (with the exception of Baixa – Chiado) and in a few Carris transports.
On the off chance that you want to purchase a neighborhood prepaid SIM card search for a store from one of the Portuguese popular operators: Vodafone, MEO, and NOS.
20 Years Experience
Travel Advisor & Passionate for Portugal
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Passionate traveler, travel planner, private tour guide, and travel article writer in Portugal.
Owner of The Lisbon Guide with more than 250.000 pages visited every year (5 million views in 12 years)
I'm based in Lisbon/Portugal and experienced in travel planning, tour guiding, and entrepreneurship since 1996, and guiding customers for over 20 years across Portugal. Helping customers from all over the world, planning their stay in Portugal. I'm also an avid TripAdvisor user level 6 with more than 300.000 readers worldwide, assisting thousands of travelers yearly to plan their perfect trip.
*Disclaimer: All articles on this website express solely my opinion, and some services can be provided directly by myself, or through any partner.
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