Page 379 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Portugal

provided they have a valid EHIC (European Tourism For All offer specialist holiday packages,
Health Insurance Card). while Accessible Portugal gives comprehensive
EHIC advice on travelling with limited mobility.
∑ gov.uk/european-health-insurance-card Accessible Portugal
∑ accessibleportugal.com
Vaccinations Tourism For All
∑ tourism-for-all.com
No inoculations are necessary for Portugal.
Language
Money
English is widely spoken in Portugal’s cities, but
Most urban establishments accept major credit, the same cannot always be said for rural areas.
debit and prepaid currency cards. Contactless While written Portuguese is fairly similar to
payments are gradually becoming more com- Spanish, the idiosyncratic pronun ciation of
mon in cities, but it’s always a good idea to carry spoken Portuguese can demand several
cash for smaller items like coffee and pasteis de attempts to correctly enunciate even simple
nata, or when visiting markets. ATMs are widely phrases. Attempting to communicate solely in
available across the city. Spanish may well cause offence.
Booking Accommodation Closures
Portugal offers a diverse range of Lunchtime Some museums and public
accommodation, varying from boutique buildings are closed from noon until 2pm.
hotels and villas to guesthouses, hostels and Monday State-run museums, public buildings
campsites. A useful list of accommodation can and monuments are closed all day.
be found on the Visit Portugal website. Sunday Churches and cathedrals are closed to
During the summer months, lodgings are tourists during Mass. Some public transport
snapped up fast and prices become inflated, so runs less frequently.
book in advance. Lisbon and Porto are popular Public holidays Most museums, public
short city-break destinations, and it can also be buildings and many shops are closed early
difficult to find a last-minute weekend booking or for the day.
during the low season (Dec–Mar). In some cities,
as well as the Algarve, you will be charged a PUBLIC HOLIDAYS
tourist tax on top of the price for the room
(€1–2 per person each night). Hotels are 1 Jan
required by law to share details of foreign New Year’s Day
visitors with local authorities. Mar/Apr Good Friday
Visit Portugal Mar/Apr Easter Sunday
∑ visitportugal.com 25 Apr Freedom Day
1 May Labour Day
Travellers with Specific Needs 10 Jun Portugal Day
13 Jun Feast of St Anthony (Lisbon)
The steep, winding streets in Portugal’s 20 Jun Corpus Christi
historic towns and cities can be challenging 24 Jun Feast of St John the Baptist
for wheelchair-users and those with prams. (Porto)
Facilities in Portugal have improved greatly, with 15 Aug Assumption Day
wheel chairs, adapted toilets and reserved car 5 Oct Republic Day
parking available at airports and main stations. 1 Nov All Saints’ Day
Ramps and lifts are installed in many public 1 Dec Restoration of Independence
places and some buses (marked with a blue- 8 Dec Immaculate Conception Day
and-white logo at the front) accommodate 25 Dec Christmas Day
wheelchair users. Tour companies such as

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