Rick Steves - Rick Steves Portugal

Lisbon at night

Market vendor

Futebol on Nazars beach

Terraced vineyards in the Douro Valley

Fadosongs of sadness & bope

Tucked into a far corner of the Continent, Portugal is Western Europes least-touristed country. Its relative isolation preserves a traditional culture of widows in black and fishermen mending nets. Along with the old, youll find the modern, especially in the culturally rich capital of Lisbon and in the resort towns that rival Spains (but feel more authentic). If your idea of travel includes friendly locals (who speak a bit of English), exotic architecture, windswept castles, and fresh seafood with chilled wine on a beach at sunset... youve chosen the right destination.

In recent years, Portugal has experienced some economic success, thanks to its membership in the European Union. While Portugal is no longer a bargain basement for travelers, its still a good budget option compared to the tourist-mobbed destinations of Northern Europe.

This book breaks Portugal into its top big-city, small-town, and rural destinations, giving you all the information and opinions necessary to wring the maximum value out of your limited time and money. Experiencing Portugals culture, people, and natural wonders economically and hassle-free has been my goal for more than three decades of traveling, guiding tours, and travel writing. With this new edition, I pass on to you the lessons Ive learned.

While including the predictable biggies, this book also mixes in a healthy dose of Back Door intimacy. Youll eat barnacles with green wine, recharge your solar cells in an Algarve fishing village, and wax nostalgic over bluesy fado singing. This book is selective. For example, while there are plenty of Algarve beach towns, I recommend only the top stops: Salema and Tavira.

The best is, of course, only my opinion. But after spending half my adult life exploring and researching Europe, Ive developed a sixth sense for what travelers enjoy. Just thinking about the places featured in this book makes me want to hang out in a fado bar.

Key to This Book

Updates

This book is updated regularly, but things change. For the latest, visit www.ricksteves.com/update, and for a valuable list of reports and experiencesgood and badfrom fellow travelers, check www.ricksteves.com/feedback.

Abbreviations and Times

I use the following symbols and abbreviations in this book:

Sights are rated:

Tourist information offices are abbreviated as TI, and bathrooms are WCs. To categorize accommodations, I use a Sleep Code (described on ).

Like Portugal, this book uses the 24-hour clock for schedules. Its the same through 12:00 noon, then keep going: 13:00, 14:00, and so on. For anything over 12, subtract 12 and add p.m. (14:00 is 2:00 p.m.).

When giving opening times, I include both peak season and off-season hours if they differ. So, if a museum is listed as May-Oct daily 9:00-16:00, it should be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. from the first day of May until the last day of October (but expect exceptions).

For transit or tour departures, I first list the frequency, then the duration. So, a train connection listed as 2/hour, 1.5 hours departs twice each hour, and the journey lasts an hour and a half.

Rick Steves Portugal is a personal tour guide in your pocket. This book is organized by destinations. Each destination is a mini-vacation on its own, filled with exciting sights, strollable neighborhoods, affordable places to stay, and memorable places to eat. In the following chapters, youll find these sections:

Planning Your Time suggests a schedule with thoughts on how to best use your limited time.

Orientation includes specifics on public transportation, helpful hints, local tour options, easy-to-read maps, and tourist information.

Sights describes the top attractions and includes their cost and hours.

Self-Guided Walks take you through interesting neighborhoods, with a personal tour guide in hand.

Sleeping describes my favorite hotels, from good-value deals to cushy splurges.

Eating serves up a range of options, from inexpensive eateries to fancy restaurants.

Connections outlines your options for traveling to destinations by train, bus, or plane, plus route tips for drivers.

Portugal: Past and Present gives you a quick overview of Portugal, from its prehistoric beginnings to the issues it faces today.

The appendix is a travelers tool kit, with telephone tips, useful phone numbers, transportation basics (on trains, buses, car rentals, driving, and flights), recommended books and films, a festival list, a climate chart, a handy packing checklist, a hotel reservation form, and Portuguese survival phrases.

Browse through this book and select your favorite sights. Then have a great trip! Traveling like a temporary local, youll get the absolute most of every mile, minute, and dollar. Im happy that youll be visiting places I know and love, and meeting my favorite Portuguese people.

This section will help you get started on planning your tripwith advice on trip costs, when to go, and what you should know before you take off.

Your trip to Portugal is like a complex playeasier to follow and really appreciate on a second viewing. While no one does the same trip twice to gain that advantage, reading this book in its entirety before your trip accomplishes much the same thing.