Porto

Currency

Euro. Porto is one of Western Europe’s better-value cities — a full meal with wine still runs €12-18 outside the tourist strip.

ATMs & cards

Look for Multibanco machines — the national network, usually fee-free and reliable. Avoid Euronet, which charges heavily and is common near São Bento.

Same rule as Lisbon: Multibanco or nothing.

Wherever you are: if the machine offers to charge you in your home currency, decline. That is dynamic currency conversion and the rate is set by the ATM's operator, not your bank.

Safety

Very safe. Watch your footing on wet cobblestones on the steep streets, and be careful of the crowds on the Luís I bridge upper deck.

Our own assessment, not a sourced index.

Entry & visa

Health & emergencies

Required to enter

No vaccinations are required for entry from Europe or North America.

Worth having

• Routine vaccinations up to date

Getting treated

EU/EEA and Swiss visitors are treated on the same terms as residents with an EHIC or GHIC card; UK visitors use a GHIC. Everyone else pays, and travel insurance is worth having for the repatriation cover rather than the treatment.

Orientation, not medical advice. Entry rules change and what you need depends on your own history and where you have been — check with a travel clinic or your national health service four to six weeks before you go.

Food tip

Francesinha is the local monster sandwich — heavy, cheesy, drowned in beer sauce. Pair it with a Super Bock. For seafood, head to Matosinhos.

Getting around

• Metro — 6 lines including a direct airport link, Andante card for all transport
• Tram 1 — the vintage tram along the river to Foz is worth riding for its own sake
• Walking — beautiful but genuinely steep, expect serious hills
• Funicular dos Guindais — saves the worst climb up from Ribeira
• Airport: Metro line E to Trindade (35 min, €2.60)

Must-see

Things to do

• Cross the Luís I Bridge on the upper deck
• Tour a port cellar in Vila Nova de Gaia
• Visit Livraria Lello early to beat queues
• Ride tram 1 to Foz beach
• Eat a francesinha
• Take a Douro valley boat trip

Nearby day trips

Say a few words

Portuguese

• HelloOláo-LA
• PleasePor favorpor fa-VOR
• Thank youObrigado / Obrigadao-bree-GA-doo / -da
• Yes / NoSim / Nãoseeng / nowng
• Excuse meDesculpedesh-KOOL-puh
• How much is it?Quanto custa?KWAN-too KOOSH-ta
• The bill, pleaseA conta, por favora KON-ta
• Cheers!Saúde!sa-OO-duh

Thank you changes with your own gender, not the listener’s: men say obrigado, women obrigada.

Religion

Catholic

Catholicism runs deep culturally, particularly outside Lisbon. Fátima is one of the largest pilgrimage sites in Europe.

Do's and don'ts

Do

• Say bom dia and obrigado — the effort is noticed and warmly received
• Expect couvert: the bread and olives brought unasked are chargeable, and you may decline them
• Eat dinner around 20:00, earlier than Spain
• Try the coffee standing at the counter, the way locals take it

Don't

• Do not call Portuguese a dialect of Spanish, or speak Spanish expecting it to pass
• Do not be loud in restaurants; the register is quieter than in Spain
• Do not tip more than 5-10%, and only for good service
• Do not confuse fado with background music — audiences listen in silence