Cell phone service

We used Vodafone Travellers.
We bought the sim card at the Vodafone booth at the Lisbon airport.
https://www.vodafone.pt/content/digital-sites/en/products-services/visiting-portugal/jcr:content/

We also used Vodaphone. We stopped in their store near the train station in Lisbon and they set us up.

What network are you on at home? Telus now has a 30 day roaming package for $60. The only downside is that it only allows texting and phoning to whatever your plan allows at home, i.e. Canada/US/Mexico. If you want to call a number in Portugal you'd be paying long distance fees.

There is a Vodophone quiosque in the airport arrivals area. However, I have recently started using an eSIM, which is much easier since you can have it already when you land. And, you can add more data easily if needed. It’s just like having your normal phone at home. I use Airalo and am pleased with it. But there are many available. Just Google eSIM if you want more information.

Thanks everyone. Kathryn, I thought esims were just for internet data, not phone minutes?

Most esim's are data only. Although, with data, you can still make phone calls and text for free or cheaply, with various services like Google Voice, TextNow, and the Apple and Facebook apps.

The following esim providers do have an option for a phone number for more cost:
Airalo, Airhub, aloSiM,

Roamless is data only, but their app allows you to make phone calls.

Thanks travelerguy for clearing that one up...

Orange has an eSIM for calls, text, and data. It is a France phone number. This is my go to eSIM provider when traveling in Europe.

Freedom Mobile’s “beyond roaming” option worked awesomely for me in Portugal (May 2024) for the two weeks we visited. Voice, data and messaging at no additional charge

The downside of Freedom Mobile is that coverage on the BC Sunshine Coast was sporadic at best so ended up switching to Public Mobile (Telus)

if you have a phone using eSim, I highly recommend Airalo. It won't give you actual "phone" time, as it will be data only, but it will be super inexpensive -- 30 GB valid for 30 days for $27 US. You can contact people via Whatsapp, or iMessage. I really don't see the need for talking on the phone. But if that's something you truly need, then you should look for other options.

By the way, forgot to mention earlier, I found a discount code for $3 off when buying eSim on Airalo -- MINFEI4587.

I didn't need such a large amount data when I visited (relying on WiFi at the airbnb, so only needing data when out and about for Google Map). I only spent $10 for 10 GB and a saving of $3 is 30% off.