Hi all:
I'll be traveling to Portugal next month. My plan is to tour via rental car so I will need data for using a routing app and for placing calls to confirm hotels etc. I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a specific sim card that might suit my purposes? Also, I will be arriving at LIS and I understand that Vodaphone is the only sim seller available at the airport. Is that true? Lastly, if I decide to wait and buy the sim someplace other than the airport, will I be able to call an Uber using the airport's wifi?
Thanks for any advice you can offer.
Posted by
1230 posts
There is a Vodaphone in the airport. Buying a new SIM and putting it in takes less than 10 minutes. There are other Vodaphones (I bought my SIM at the one in the center of Lisbon, which is inside a mall, on the ground floor, in case you end up seeing that one in your search). There is a taxi queue right outside the airport where everyone waits (I dont know if there is Uber, but EVERYONE seemed to be waiting for the taxis, and the system including queue and which taxi comes through the line when is very organized). I waited to get my SIM, as I said and wished I had just done it at the airport because while getting a taxi was easy, I then had no way to navigate to my lodging once they dropped me off (I opted to get out a few blocks from the address because getting through the traffic in those small streets was taking an hour when the walk would take minutes) and my $10/day that Id arranged with my home phone carrier had not kicked in for some reason (I planned to pay the $10 that first 24 hours while I sorted out the SIM).
Ha, thats longer than your questions, sorry
Posted by
OP
4 posts
Thanks for the information, Jessica. Did you go with the “Travelers” sim at Vodaphone? Was it sufficient for your needs?
Posted by
1230 posts
I dont know what I got. I said "I need a SIM that covers two countries..." and she pulled one out and popped it in and it was €30 (about) and it lasted over three weeks between Portugal and Italy
Posted by
near San Francisco
5476 posts
I plan to get this Vodafone SIM at Lisbon airport. The €20 "Travellers" version, with 10GB of data should be sufficient for my 20 days.
I'll be following this thread for other suggestions.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1826 posts
I have had friends and family use Vodophone at the airport with good results. Some of them stayed 3 weeks and didn’t run out of data.
MEO and NOS are the other providers but you will have to wait until you get into Lisbon to get one. I would go ahead with Vodophone, if it were me.
And, yes, there is wifi at the airport that should enable you to call an Uber. Be aware the Uber pick up spot is upstairs from the arrivals areas - across the street from departures.
Posted by
near San Francisco
5476 posts
Reporting back for future travelers, I used the Vodafone Portugal SIM for my just-ended visit to Portugal. I bought it at the airport on Sunday, knowing that the Vodafone location near my hotel was closed on Sundays. Although there was a queue, it moved quickly with their efficient numbering system.
The SIM worked flawlessly in Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto and the Douro Valley. During my 20 days, I used 2GB of the 20GB of data.
Posted by
374 posts
Hi
Vodafone travellers is the sim card you need.
Regarding GPS, I use Navigator app for Android.
It allows for offline, turn by turn directions if you download Portugal map before traveling.
Happy travels