{"id":800,"date":"2017-03-18T13:09:37","date_gmt":"2017-03-18T05:09:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/?page_id=800"},"modified":"2017-03-18T14:03:15","modified_gmt":"2017-03-18T06:03:15","slug":"portugal","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.gautamkhattak.com\/wordpress\/emea\/portugal\/","title":{"rendered":"Portugal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Portugal (Lisbon, Porto, Sagres, Lagos) <\/strong>by Gautam Khattak
\nLast updated:<\/strong>\u00a0March 18, 2017<\/p>\n

Disclaimer:<\/strong> These are notes I\u2019ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide.<\/p>\n

Currency:<\/strong>\u00a0Portugal uses the Euro<\/p>\n

Conversion Tool:<\/strong> http:\/\/www.xe.com\/ucc\/convert.cgi?Amount=1&From=USD&To=EUR<\/a><\/p>\n

General Tips<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Tipping:<\/strong> It is customary to tip 10% of a meal but tipping is not customary on taxis. You may just round up the fare.<\/p>\n

Data\/SIM:<\/strong> Its easy enough to get a SIM card at the airport. It was \u20ac20 for a 30 day 3GB \/ 500 minute package from Vodafone. Just make sure they activate it and try calling a number because we had to have ours reset because dialing didn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n

Transportation<\/h4>\n

Getting around in cities like Lisbon and Porto is easy enough by foot or with taxi\u2019s, Uber, and Metro so I don\u2019t recommend getting a rental car for the days you\u2019re staying in those cities because parking is scarce and expensive (between \u20ac20-30 a night it seems). If you are doing day trips, a car may be better but that being said getting to major places like Belem, Sintra and even Porto can be more convenient by train (and Sintra has even less parking than Lisbon). If you do rent a car, ask for the Toll package. It\u2019s less than \u20ac2 per day and you don\u2019t have to worry about any tolls while you\u2019re driving (they\u2019ll charge your credit card within 30 days). Note renting a car in Europe is a time consuming process. If you arrive during peak time, it could take 1-2 hours to get a car (even though you have one reserved).<\/p>\n

Lisbon, Portugal<\/h2>\n

<\/a>Touristy Destinations<\/h3>\n

Castelo do S\u00e3o Jorge<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Castelo de S\u00e3o Jorge is a Moorish castle occupying a commanding hilltop overlooking the historic center of the Portuguese city of Lisbon and Tagus River. The strongly fortified citadel dates from medieval period of Portuguese history, and is one of the main tourist sites of Lisbon. Read about the history of this medieval castle. You can easily buy tickets at the castle gate, though there may be a line. Also getting to the castle can sometimes be a challenge and it\u2019s very uphill. There are a series of elevators<\/a> that you can use to get up there.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. de Santa Cruz do Castelo, 1100-129<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    +351 218 800 620<\/p>\n

    Alfama District<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 Alfama is the oldest district of Lisbon and is a delightful maze of narrow streets, which lead from the Tejo estuary uphill to the castle. Contained within this ancient district there are some of Lisbon\u2019s most historically important buildings including the Se Cathedral, Lisbon Castle, National Pantheon and Saint Anthony\u2019s Church. Today, Alfama has shrugged off its grim status and become a young, trendy and fashionable area of Lisbon. A famous activity in the Alfama district is to ride on the number 28 tram. This narrow and undulating tram route is totally unsuitable for any modern trams, so historic Remodelado trams, which date from the 1930s, provide the service instead. The district has an intangible quality that needs to be experienced to be truly appreciated, and the best way to get to know it is to get a little lost<\/p>\n

    GK Editorial<\/strong>: After leaving the castle exit we headed straight into Alfama to get lost amongst the narrow roads and stairways.<\/p>\n

    Elevator de Santa Justa<\/strong><\/a> \u2013 One of the city’s best-loved landmarks and also known as the “Elevator of Carmo,” this extraordinary structure was built at the turn of the century by the Portugal-born French architect Raoul de Mesnier du Ponsard (an apprentice of Gustave Eiffel, explaining the structure’s similarities to Paris’ Eiffel Tower), to connect downtown to Bairro Alto (the lowest and highest points of the city). I believe if you have a Metro day pass you can use that to go up the Elevator (but double check that)<\/p>\n

    Pasteis de Bel\u00e9m<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    Rua de Bel\u00e9m n\u00ba 84 a 92, 1300 \u2013 085, Lisboa<\/p>\n

    +351 21 363 74 2<\/p>\n

    Portugal is famous for its egg tarts. You can buy them everywhere in Portugal but the best I had was from the very birthplace of the egg tart – Pasteis de Bel\u00e9m. Bel\u00e9m is only 15 minutes from Lisbon. You can drive there or take the train but forewarning there is usually a long line (but it goes fast for takeout) so get there early. You can make reservations if you want to eat there but best make it a few days in advance or they\u2019ll sell out. you want to Take a walk around the restaurant and watch the egg tart factory in action.<\/p>\n

    Bel\u00e9m Tower<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

    Bel\u00e9m Tower or the Tower of St Vincent is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the significant role it played in the Portuguese maritime discoveries of the era of the Age of Discoveries. You can go inside the tower and climb to the top – but it’s not for those with claustrophobia.<\/p>\n

    Day Trips from Lisbon:<\/strong><\/p>\n