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Portugal Clothing Advice

I will be in Portugal from March 27 and am very confused about the weather and what kind of clothing I should bring. I will be going all around Portugal on a tour so I am assuming the weather will vary. Long sleeves, short sleeves, or sleeveless? Suede booties, sneakers, open toe sandals, Mary Janes? Long sleeveless dresses? Regular knee length raincoat with a hood? Short packable waterproof jacket with hood? Sweaters for layering? Long pants? I am assuming my puffer coat is too warm? I am from New York and have been freezing at 42 degrees. Help!
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Posted by
7730 posts

Yeah you just need something waterproof with a hood but light and layer underneath with sweater as needed.
And some water resistant shoes comfortable casual. I am from Chicago I would not bring a puffer coat.

I would look at the historical averages or look at the forecast before you go. And then pack like what you would wear in similar weather in NYC when you are just hangin out.

Posted by
26829 posts

I like to look at actual historical day-by-day weather data because averages really obscure extremes--and it's the extremes that tend to be uncomfortable.

I use timeanddate.com. You'll can usually find data there going back ten years or so. I like to look at five years' worth of data. In your case I'd check Lisbon, the most southern destination, and the most northern destination. And I'd look a the last week of March as well as the first two weeks of April. I've linked to Lisbon's stats for March 2018.

My gut feeling (I haven't been to Portugal so early in the year) is that you don't need to worry about excessive heat anywhere in the country in March and early April. But weather is wacko these days.

Posted by
144 posts

Expect lots and lots of rain in the North (Coimbra to Porto and beyond).

Heavy rain, light sprinkles, puffy stuff that blows in sideways.

Umbrella destroying winds and thigh-soaking mists.

Then perhaps a beautiful golden sun-break, the sound of water gurgling into storm sewers and streets littered with busted up umbrella parts.

A knee length raincoat and high boots may serve you well.

The Southern part, not quite so much rain.

I do love Portugal!

Happy travels.

Posted by
6113 posts

You have been given good advice to look at averages for where you are visiting. The weather is so unpredictable these days that averages mean less than they used to.

The weather in the south the past few Marches has been mostly mild, between 16-20 daytime, with lots of wind and a few showers, but no torrential rain. However, it’s cold of an evening, getting down to about 7 degrees and I take a wool scarf and gloves along with a lightweight waterproof jacket with a hood with a warm fleece underneath. It will be wetter further north.

I take a pair of waterproof lightweight hiking boots, a pair of dressier shoes for the evening and a a pair of dock shoes. I also take a pair of flip flops, as these are lightweight and useful if say popping out for a coffee after it has rained, as they dry quickly. Sneakers are for the gym. Suede boots will get ruined if they get wet. Wear comfortable shoes if you have lots of walking.