72 hours vs 3 days for PCR test requirement

When it says hours, it means hours.

When anything says "x days" is when the question of "days vs hours" has to be sorted out.

What raised the question is when asking if we need a test in Portugal for our tour literally within 48 hrs of tour start we were told “two days” by RS Tours.

Portugal and RS tours have different requirements. Here is Portugal's according to CNN travel.

All travelers entering mainland Portugal must either show proof of vaccination, or valid recovery certificate, or a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding.

Carol now retired---as I read the website, if we aren't from a reciprocal country (U.S. doesn't seem to be listed), we have to have the test. You stated: "All travelers entering mainland Portugal must either show proof of vaccination, or valid recovery certificate, or a negative PCR test taken 72 hours before boarding, or a negative antigen test taken 24 hours before boarding."

I was hoping not to have to have a test when flying from AMS to Lisbon on 5/3, but it looks as if we will have to get them in Amsterdam since we are from the U.S.

Is that how others read the requirement? TIA!

I keep hoping it will change but I'm with Kathy that we Americans still have to have a negative test. On the TAP website there was a way you could check the requirements - I used NY JFK and Lisbon as the cities I was traveling from/to and this is what It said:

"Most travellers from United States (see 176 additional countries) must have a negative COVID-19 RT-PCR (or similar NAAT) test result. The test must be taken a maximum of 72 hours before the first departure to Portugal. Alternatively, travellers may present a laboratory antigen test (TRAg) taken a maximum of 24 hours before departure to Portugal. Only antigen tests acceptable by the European Union Health Committee are accepted for travel. The results must be in Portuguese, French, English, Spanish, or Italian and may be presented in paper or digital format. Self-tests are not accepted."

no one checks. there is a cursory check by airport employees after deplaning.

If Portugal current requirements are the same as April 6 (and sounds like they are as quoted in original post), my experience was different than Shaun Kel mentions above. TAP out of SFO connecting via Lisbon required a negative covid test and PLF for Portugal before boarding. Paper boarding passes were issued at check in (or the gate) after verification of both documents. YMMV

Thanks for the several replies. My takeaway from these and other research is:
-US citizens do need to have one of the two tests, either within 72 or 24 hours. measured in specific number of hours, not translated to days
-for most travelers this has been a part of the boarding process for the first flight to Portugal along with the PLF
-if the flight to portugal is delayed beyond the testing time period I've read there may be a 24 hour grace period allowed. Not to open another bucket of worms here. I'm just going to hope that won't be the case.