According to reported
Portugal tourist information and statistics, the number of people who
visit Portugal increased incredibly in the last few decades. A relatively
small number of visitors, only 2 million were counted annually in the
latter years of the 1970s. Today that number is over 20 million! With
the influx of visitors and a thriving tourism industry, things have
changed in Portugal, and new services and attractions are popping up
everywhere. The following is a list of general Portugal tourist information
to give you a basic foundation of knowledge from which to learn more
about the country and plan your visit.
General facts
Portugal is located on the Iberian Peninsula, and is bordered by
Spain on the east and the Atlantic Ocean on the left. The island
regions of Madeira and Azores, which are several hundred miles off
the west coast, are also part of Portugal. The mainland part of the
country is 6 hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Standard Time and Portugal
does observe daylight savings time.
The official language is Portuguese, but several other languages,
including English, are commonly spoken by businesses people and those
in the tourism industry.
Practical information about tourism in Portugal
Portugal is part of the European Union and people from member countries
do not need passports or visas to enter, provided you have a valid
identity card. Passports are required for citizens of non-EU countries,
but for U.S., Canadian, and several other nationals, a visa is not
needed for stays of less than 3 months.
When entering Portugal, you can bring in a wide list of personal
items related to travel, such as sports and fishing equipment, 2
cameras with 10 rolls of film per camera or 1 video camera, a laptop
computer, provided it is not for resale, up to 50 cigars or 200 cigarettes,
and 1 litre of liquor or 2 litres of wine.
When leaving Portugal, you are allowed up to $800 of merchandise
duty free. Some items such as agricultural products are not allowed.
Your airline, cruise ship, consulate and other organizations can
provide you with detailed information.
Other info about
tourism in Portugal
Banking hours
in Portugal generally run from 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., but businesses
that offer currency exchange stay open longer, and ATMs can be
found in most popular locations.
The typically
hours for shops is 9 –1 and again
from 3-7. Many nightclubs do not open until 9 or 10 at night
and often stay open to the early morning hours. The legal drinking
age is 18.
Portugal Telecom is the governmental telephone service. Phone booths
accept both coins and calling cards. Calls can also be made at post
offices. The national emergency number in Portugal is 115.
These tidbits
of Portugal tourist information should give you some useful practical
information. There are many publications and Web sites with detailed
information about the country. ICEP, which stands for Investimento,
Comércio e Turismo or Portugal-Investment,
Trade and Tourism Office, is a governmental agency created
in 1949 to provide information on tourism in Portugal.
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