Itinerary in Portugal – Road trip

Planning a trip to Portugal ? Looking for a road trip itinerary in Portugal ?

🇵🇹 Summery smells, paved streets, golden sand … Welcome to Portugal ! 

Looking for a road trip itinerary in Portugal ?

You will fall in love with Portugal, its beautiful nature, welcoming inhabitants and lovely cities ! The country has many treasures for you to discover. 

Go explore Portuguese cities, listening to fado with friends or family, whether you want to relax or go for hikes and bike rides, you’ll love it ! 

And foodies, Portugal will be heaven on earth, you will discover many delicious traditionnel dishes during your trip. 

Ready for adventure ? Let’s go ! 

What to see in Portugal ?

What to do in Portugal ?

Live Portuguese experiences

• Stroll through the streets of Lisbon and take the iconic cable car.  
• Go explore the most beautiful beaches in Algarve.
• Taste Portuguese specialities like Pastei de Nata.
• Drive along Alentejo‘s wine route.
• Enjoy the lovely and colorful city of Sintra.
• Swim in the middle of the forest on the island of the Azores.

But wait for it … Portugal also knows how to celebrate !

There are many national holidays and festivals all year long :

• Experience the Portuguese Carnival between Lisbon and Viana do Castelo in February.
• Fantastic and thrilling movie lovers, head to the Fanrasporto in Porto in February.
• Foodies, eat some delicious chocolate at the International Chocolate Festival in Óbidos.
• In April, celebrate Easter during the Semana Santa all across the country.
• Take part in the celebration of the month of May : Feira das Cantarinhas in Bragança, Queima das Fitas in Coimbra and Festa das Cruzes in Barcelos.
• At the end of May/beginning of June, take part in the Serralves em Festa in Serralves (Porto), a 40-hour cultural festival !
• Listen to Fado in Lisbon in June during the Fado no Castelo.
• In June, attend the many festivals : FestivalMed in Loulé, Festas de Junho, Festa de Santo António in Lisbon or Festa de São João in the North.
• In Porto, in July, get your traditional outfit on and attend the Porto International Folklore Festival..
• August is the month of music festivals across the whole country ! 
• Make friends with le locals at the Feiras Novas in Ponte de Lima in September.
• Single men, head to the Festa dos Rapazaces in Miranda do Douro after Christmas and party all night long. 

Languages in Portugal

We speak Portuguese !

So of course the official language is Portuguese, not very surprising. But don’t worry if you don’t speak Portuguese, English is widely spoken across the country. 

Portuguese 101 ! 

• Good morning :Bom dia 
• Good evening : Boa noite 
• Goodbye : Tchau / Até logo
• Please : Por favor 
• Thank you : Obrigado (if you are a man) / Obrigada (if you are a woman)
• Sorry : Perdão 
• Yes : Sim 
• No : Não 

Official currency in Portugal

Money, money, money

The official currency in Spain is the euro (€). So for you non European folks, better get a money converter on your phone so you can manage your expenses more easily.

Credit/debit cards are are accepted everywhere and ATMs are easily found. Just be sure to warn your bank that you are traveling so that they won’t block your card for suspect abroad transactions.

Traveling in Portugal

Is the steering wheel on the left or right ?

Traveling in Portugal is ideal with a car. To rent a car you will need to be over 25 years old and have had your driver’s licence for over a year. If you are not a EU citizen, better get an International Driving Permit.

If you were wondering what side the steering wheel is on, it’s on the left side and Portuguese drive on the right side of the road.

Overall cost of a trip to Portugal

Thanks for all the information but how much will this actually cost ?

Transportation

• Flights :  TAP and Ryanair have affordable domestic flights. 
• Busses : expect about 20€/trip, to get to Faro from Lisbon or from Lisbon to Porto for example.
• Bike rentals : expect maximum 25€/day.
• Car rentals : expect about 300€/week during peak season. You could also rent a scooter for about 30€/day.
  Gas is around 1.5€/liter.

Accommodation

• Youth hostels are about 20€/night/person during peak season. 
• For a camping slot, expect around 5€/person/tent or vehicle.
• A bedroom for 2 person at a local’s house will be around 40€/night. 
• A 2-person bedroom with shared bathroom in a boarding house should be about 35€/night. 

Eating

• You can get a traditional dish in the street for about 2€. 
• For a more filling meal, expect about 15€/person. 

Useful contact information in Portugal

If you need to join / go to you embassy while in Spain, go to this website for the address, phone number, email address  and website. 

In case of emergency, call : 112

Book your trip to Portugal

Here are different platforms to book your trip from.

Flights

• • Tap Air Portugal
  • Ryanair

Busses

• • Rede Expressos
  • Rodonorte
  • Eva Transportes

Car rentals 

• Hertz
  

Find other travelers’ experiences and get inspired from them on ShareYourTrip :

Practical information in Portugal

Tips to travelers

• In Portuguese restaurants bread and butter are not free. 
• Beware of thief’s and pickpockets, do not leave your valuables unintended or on a table for example.