LISBONGUIDE - guides.tripomatic.com

1 LISBON GUIDELISBON GUIDE2 Money3 Communication4 Holidays5 Transportation6 Food8 Events During The Year9 Things to do10 DOs and DO ContactsGeneral emergency number: 112 Forest fires: 117 Essential InformationThe capital of Portugal gives the impression ofan ancient, lazy city where time stopped longago. History lovers will certainly be in heavenhere: there are many lavish palaces, statelymuseums, countless monuments and impos-ing churches to explore. St. George's Castle isthe dominates Lisbon s skyline the Moorishfortress literally overlooks the city. The othersymbol of Lisbon is Bel m Tower, a landmarkthat stands as a reminder of the city s greatcolonial is also a vibrant cultural to its unique climatic conditions andvery special clear light, the city is very popu-lar with artists come here to be inspired by itsunique are other fascinating natural assets: thecity is built on seven hills that can be reachedeither on foot or by trams, lifts and a funicular:certainly a scenic way of travelling!

2 Moreover,there are many beautiful sandy beaches veryconveniently accessible right from the city cen-ter just a few minutes walking through theback streets and you re there!Time ZoneWET (Western European Time): No UTC/GMToffset, Daylight Saving Time +1 hour March ContactsLisbon Tourist Office: +351 210 312 700 Lisbon Portela Airport: +351 0218 413500 MONEY3 Currency: Euro (EUR), 1 = 100 best exchange rates are usually offered bybanks. They charge a commission fee but are stillthe most convenient option. Definitely do not ex-change your money at hotels or at the airportswhere the rates are usually the worst.

3 Alterna-tively, you can withdraw euros at credit cards (Mastercard, Visa, AmericanExpress) are widely accepted at supermarkets,hotels and good restaurants. Still, you should notrely on cards and always have some cash withyou kiosks, museums and small shops usuallydon t accept any RefundsThe value added tax (VAT) ranges between 6 and23%. In order to be eligible for the VAT refund,you need to reside outside EU and spend over 50 (net amount without VAT) on goods. Whenpurchasing, you need to ask for a special reim-bursement receipt where the exact VAT amountis stated. When leaving the country, you need todeclare the purchased goods at the customs of-fice together with the , inexpensive restaurant 7 Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant, three courses 35 Combo meal at McDonald s of water at supermarket ( ) 1 Domestic beer ( liter, draught) 2 Cappuccino (1 liter) (average price/night) 154* hotel (average price/night) 130 Car-hire (medium-sized car/day) 20 TippingIt is customary to tip in Portugal service fees areusually not included on the bill.

4 Tip 5 to 10%, de-pending on how satisfied you were with the ser-vice. In hotels, tip 1 to porters who take yourbags. Taxi drivers generally expect the fare to berounded up at least to the nearest standard electricity supply in Portugal is 230V 50 Hz AC. The standard socket is the "Type C"Europlug with two round pins this type is widelyused across Europe. You might need a voltageconverter if coming from a non-European coun-try. Adaptors and converters can be convenientlypurchased at the is the main language spoken in Lis-bon, but increasing numbers of people have atleast some command of English, more so herethan in the rest of the country.

5 Don t expectcommon knowledge of Spanish people will un-derstand to some extent, but the probability ofencountering an English speaker is PhonesThe standard mobile network (GSM 900/1800/GPRS)covers the whole country. You might need tocheck the compatibility of your phone and roam-ing service if coming from a non-European country code is +351, the city code for Lisbonis s no public Wi-Fi service, but you can easilyfind a caf or fast food joint in the city center thatoffers wireless connection or a computer with In-ternet access. There are also several cyber caf sthat provide access for 2 to 3 per ResourcesOfficial Tourist Website Portugal ( )Official Tourist Website Lisbon ( )More information on Lisbon ( )HOLIDAYS51 January New Year's Day(Ano Novo)Carnival(often observed unofficial holiday,the day before Ash Wednesday)Good Friday,Easter(Sexta-feira Santa, P s-coa)25 April Freedom Day(Dia da Liberdade)1 May Labor Day(Dia do Trabalhador)10 June Portugal Day(Dia de Portugal)13 June St.

6 Anthony'sDay(Dia de Santo An-t nio), celebrated only in Lisbon15 August Assumption(Assun o de NossaSenhora)5 October Republic Day(Implanta o daRep blica)1 November All Saints Day(Todos os San-tos)1 December Restoration of Independence(Restaura o da Independ ncia)8 December ImmaculateConception(Imac-ulada Concei o)25 December Christmas Day(Natal)All offices and banks close on these holidays;however, major shops and sights usually stayopen. In order to be sure, check the respectivewebsites HoursShops usually open at 9 or 10 and close at The lunch break (or siesta) lasts from 1 to Shopping malls and supermarkets may closeeven later.

7 Restaurants open unusually late, at 7or 8 but stay open well into the night. Bankand post office hours are Monday to Friday, 8 3 Restaurants and street shops tend toclose one day a week, usually Sunday or TransportationMetro ( ) undoubtedly thebest way to get around the city. There are fourlines with six transfer stations. It runs from 6 to 1 , Buses, Funiculars, Lifts ( ) their lines conveniently connect to Metro. Ridevintage tram No. 28 for great views of Lisbon s oldquarters. The network is quite complicated, andyou should expect delays, especially on the buslines. There s also an extensive network of nightbuses numbered 200+ that run at least once single ticket for the metro is You can pur-chase a magnetic card (for ) and top it upwith money to pay as you go.

8 With the card, asingle ticket is cheaper and more conve-nient you should definitely consider it. The moremoney you put on your card, the bigger bonusyou get. A one-day ticket costs 5. You shouldvalidate your card when entering the vehicle thegreen light indicates a successful mentioned previously, you are likely to expe-rience rip-offs in Lisbon taxis. To avoid this sit-uation, book a taxi ahead and inquire about theprice. If you let your hotel to book a taxi for you,insist on taking a public taxi, not a private one those usually charge s a surcharge for taking a taxi after 9 on weekends.

9 There is a surcharge for lug-gage as well. The price starts at and everysubsequent 162 meters are numbers:Autocoope +351 217 932 756 Telet xis-cooperativa +351 218 111 100 Regional TransportationTrains The rail network is operated by a sin-gle company ( ) and it covers the maincities of the country. There are several classes oftrains, from international and intercity trains toregional and suburban lines. Trains are quickerthan buses but also cost operated by several companies, cheaperand more extensive than Nacional de Expressos ( )Renex ( )Rodonorte ( )Alsa ( )DrivingPortuguese traffic is on the right side of the can be convenient and very tiresome atthe same time it depends a lot on where andhow you travel.

10 The toll highways are generally ingood condition, and drivers are civilized (exceptfor speeding). The regional streets can be in badshape, narrow and signposted confusingly withvery chaotic traffic. The city centers also often getcongested, even outside the rush hours. High-way tolls can be paid at the registration point in abooth or through an automatic electronic system( ) that needs to be set up in ad-vance. The lane with automatic payment systemis marked with a green cannot recommend driving in Lisbon andPorto. The cities are always jammed and there sa serious shortage of parking limits:TRANSPORTATION7urban areas and villages 50 km/hopen roads 90 km/hmotorways 120 km/hIt is advised to observe these limits as radarchecks are quite common and fines need an international license to drive are mandatory in both front and rearseats.