I'll be staying for a couple of days in Lisbon and then spending the rest of my 10 days in Salema. My question is, how difficult was it to be understood? I'll go in with a very basic understanding of Portuguese with a little Spanish and even less French.
Posted by
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
2779 posts
My experience with Portugal is that English is widely spoken and understood. Portugal is one of the main vaccation destinations of the English. My knowledge of Spanish and French helps me to read and understand Portuguese signs, food menues etc.
Posted by
New Paltz, NY
9109 posts
I've never been to the beach resorts in Southern Portugal, but in Lisbon, and areas north of it, there is a definite language barrier. Except for hotel workers, English was very limited. In the grand scheme of things it wasn't a big deal, Portugal is a very easy place to travel around.
Posted by
Pearland, TX, USA
852 posts
Rick, we've gone to many places where we had only rudiments of the local language - and suggest that a little preparation will go a long way, for example:
- Study the list of entrées likely to appear on menus (especially those you might want to order).
- Learn to recognise and say important words such as the equivalent of thanks, please, mens room, ladies room and whatever else you feel is important.
- Write an English phrase on one side of a 3 X 5 index card. When you arrive, ask someone to write it in the local language on reverse side. It might be the name/ address of your hotel, for example - and you may want to show that card to a taxi driver at some point.
Most likely, you won't need anything but English.
Vaya con Dios... P