Portugal
Southern Europe · Portuguese · Euro
The bread and olives on your table are not free, coffee is a bica taken standing, and nobody here is in a hurry — neither should you be.
Today in Portugal
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5 phrases you need in Portugal
- HelloOláoh-LAH
- GoodbyeAdeusah-DEH-oosh
- PleasePor favorpoor fah-VOR
- Thank youObrigado / Obrigadaoh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah
- Excuse meCom licençakong lee-SEN-sah
The Trovlr app drills all 8 Portugal phrases with audio, Duolingo-style. Get the app →
Know before you go
money
Use Multibanco ATMs attached to banks and avoid the blue Euronet machines, whose fees and exchange rates are brutal.
etiquette
The couvert — bread, olives, cheese brought unbidden to your table — goes on the bill if you touch it. Wave it away politely if you don't want it.
tipping
Tipping is modest: round up or leave a euro or two at a café, 5–10% at a nice restaurant. Nobody expects American percentages.
transport
In Lisbon get a Viva Viagem card and validate it on every tram and metro ride; for Porto and the Douro, trains from São Bento are half the fun.
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