Tourist Information

The Portuguese Ministry of Tourism divides the country into a number of touristic regions, which are separate from its administrative districts. All major cities or large towns within each touristic region have a Government Tourist Office (Posto de Turismo), as do the larger towns on Madeira and the Azores. Here, visitors can obtain information about the region, town plans, maps and details on regional events. In some cases they will also sell advance tickets for local shows and concerts. Information about local hotels will be available from the tourist office, although they will not usually book the accomodation. Visitors can also obtain information prior to travelling, from Portuguese tourist offices abroad. These offices will normally provide visitors planning a trip with a wide range of useful maps, fact sheets and tourist brochures.

Government Tourist Offices:

Lisbon:
Palácio Foz
Praça dos Restauradores,
1200 Lisboa.
Tel: 01 . 346 3643

Oporto:
Praça Dom João I 143,
4050 Oporto.
Tel: 02 . 31 75 14

UK – London:
22-25a Sackville Street,
London W1X 1DE
Tel: 0171 – 494 1441

 

Language
Portuguese resembles the Spanish language in many ways - if you know Spanish you should have little difficulty reading Portuguese. However, Portuguese pronunciation is likely to sound very unfamiliar, and spoken Portuguese sounds nothing like spoken Spanish.

The Portuguese are justifiably proud of their own language and do not take kindly to being addressed in Spanish. Their own language is widely spoken throughout the world as a result of historical ties with Brazil and a number of countries in Africa.

Health Precautions
No vaccinations are required for visitors, although it is a sensible precaution to have had a typhoid shot and a current polio booster. Tap water is safe to drink throughout the country. If you are visiting during the summer, it is advisable to bring insect repellent, as mosquitoes, while they do not present any serious health problems, can be a nuisance.

Portuguese Time
Portugal and Madeira follow Britain in adopting Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) in winter and moving the clocks forward an hour from March to September (as in British Summer Time). In the Azores clocks are one hour behind GMT in winter and the same as GMT in summer. The 24-hour clock is more commonly used throughout Portugal.

Electrical Adaptors
Voltage in Portugal is 220 Volts - plugs have two round pins and an earth connection. Most hotel bathrooms offer built-in adaptors for electric razors.

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