Extended trip to Portugal

Thank you so much for your posting. It's so helpful. I'm planning my 1st solo trip to Portugal in March. I've never been there and I don't want to rent a car so I'm trying to figure the best itinerary for 15 nights. I prefer quaint towns over big cities. And I really want to go to the Algarve. Let me know if you have suggestions. Thank you kindly.

Thank you for sharing! Do you speak Portuguese and if not, how did you deal with the language barrier?

Hi
Patricia
Right now the weather in the north has been very rainy, floods happened more than once.
Depending on your itinerary pre plan the public transport part with extra time, the suburbs of the large cities have transit systems with little to no information and sometimes difficult to understand.
If you're traveling in the summer the whole country will be over run with tourists with lines for almost everything, in the winter is opposite.
This is one of the sites I use for tourist info, click on links for individual cities.
https://myportugalholiday.com/index.html

Tammy
I'm ok with Portuguese but English is understood by many people, when I don't know the word for something I say it in English or try to point at the item.
I've also used Google translate.
Many staff at restaurants are from Brazil.
In the tourist areas I've heard, French, German, Spanish, Slavic language, Portuguese, English
ends up being the common language that most tourists use with each and the Portuguese.

Hi Aulopone,
Thank you for your reply. I already bought my tickets and I'll be arriving in Lisbon the last week of March. My plan is to go to the Algarve the next day because my flight gets in the evening and there doesn't seem to be any trains that leave in the evening.
Could you please recommend me an area of town that I could stay that is safe and easy to get from the airport and easy to get to a train station to go to the Algarve?
Thank you.

Patricia
My preferred train station is Entrecampos ( in Lisbon for the Alfa train to the Algarve), usually platform number 4.
Entrecampos is very busy with diferente trains within minutes of each other. Announcements are made in Portuguese but the PA can difficult to understand, instead I look at the display above the the platform. Another way to distinguish the Alfa train from the others is the aerodynamic nose, all others are square flat.
You can also use Oriente or Santa Apolónia train stations, Santa Apolónia requires using a urban train to one of the other stations.

Both Entrecampos and Oriente have hotels whitin walking distance, use precautions as you would do on any other city.

If you're buying your train tickets in person, try buying the seats that face the direction of travel instead of backwards.

Last time I was on the train I saw flamingos in estuary of Sado river ( near Setúbal), west side of train - right side of train when inside a facing direction of travel.

I can attest, Aulopone, your trip report on Fodors is very helpful. Will you be adding to it?

Hi, I am also finding your trip report very helpful in preparing for my trip in May. Can you please explain the MB bank card that you show. Is this a credit card that you have because you live there or is it something you purchase separately to use those pay machines in shops? If it is the latter, where/how do I get one if I need it?

Thanks so much

Julesm
I'm adding to the post as go along on my extended trip to Portugal.
I'm not posting everyday, only when I have something to post and the time to do it.

Kaye
I live in North America and visiting Portugal.
I didn't want to use my own card from home in Portugal in case of fraud (except where absolutely necessary and by reputable businesses).
In case of fraud the card has a $ limit and not connected to any of my at home financials.

The MB card is similar to a Visa gift card , except that it's reloable.
I choose the Montepio Bank, they have two cards, €250 limit and €1500 limit.
I choose the €1500 limit, but don't recommend it, it's too onerous to set up and takes one week.
Next time I'll use the €250 limit card , it's available immediately at the bank counter and easier to set up.

Most of the time I've been using cash but some locations prefer MB.
In Sintra at Capuchos no cash was accepted, only MB.