7 Things to Know Before Visiting Portugal

1. Bring your walking shoes! Lisbon and many of Portugal's other cities are full of hills and cobblestone streets. Bring a comfy pair of shoes that match most of your outfits. Leave the wedges and heals at home.

2. You don't need to rent a car During out trip we visited Albufeira, Lisbon and Porto and did not rent a car at all. We used the bus to get to Albufeira from Lisbon and then took it back to Lisbon. We took the train to get to Porto from Lisbon. If possible I recommend booking your tickets in advance, even a few days. The bus and trains book up fast. Flixbus is the bus we used. You can find train tickets here: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/train-times

3. Bring cash with you We used way more cash than we expected to at all of our destinations. Credit cards are accepted at most places, but there are places that are cash only. We also frequently had to use cash to tip at restaurants, as it was not allowed to add the tip to the credit card machine. (It is not typical to tip in Portugal, but it is always really appreciated!

4. It can be very humid We visited at the beginning of September and the temperatures were still in the 80s. The humidity was in 90% most days. It does cool down at night so I recommend bringing layers, such as a sweater for night time.

5. It is quite affordable Food here is relatively inexpensive. The average espresso is 80 cents and a glass of wine 4 Euros, If you live like a local and stay away from very touristy restaurants the prices will stay low.

6. Book your accommodations well in advance We stayed in four airbnb's during our time in Portugal. We booked about 5 months in advance, but I would recommend booking even earlier if you are going during peak season June through August.

7. Don't try and see it all There is so much to see and do in Portugal and it's not realistic to see everything in one trip. Pick one or two destinations and make the most out of them. As our first time in Portugal, we really wanted to see all three regions - Lisbon, Algarve and Porto. It was a lot of moving around but it is doable if you have enough time. Sticking to two regions is much more doable and you will be able to see much more of that area.