WOW, thanks for the information about DCC, I did NOT know about that, although I have to say, we have always withdrawn money in the local currency. I'm not sure about when we charge things, but what a scam!

thursdaysd, I haven't called Verizon yet, on my list, I'll let you know.

And I reported the triple posting, hopefully someone will get rid of 2 of them.

Thanks much!
Alice

Alice,
The wording during the multibanco transaction can be tricky.

From Rick Steves--
"Some ATM machines also offer DCC, often in purposefully confusing or misleading terms. If an ATM offers to "lock in" or "guarantee" your conversion rate, choose "proceed without conversion." Other prompts might state, "You can be charged in dollars: Press YES for dollars, NO for euros." Always choose the local currency."

The Portuguese multibancos that we used gave us the prompt, Press YES for dollars, NO for euros".

https://www.ricksteves.com/travel-ti...chip-pin-cards

And never, ever, ever use one of the ubiquitous "Euronet ATMs" that are everywhere now in Lisbon and even Sintra that look like this
https://www.portugalist.com/euronet-atms/. .

Learning portuguese - why? What for? The only ones that are able to pronounce portuguese are the Greeks, pronounce is the same. Other countries, like Albânia, might touch portuguese pronounce. But the others... come on, try to say a simple word like "Bolhão" (the market in Porto that unfortunately is still under works). You don't need to know portuguese words to be welcome here, a smile is much more important! Bring your smile and spread it. We are in need for that.

Maribel, thanks so much for this warning, this is devious indeed, I can see how people would easily by tricked.

Alice

Well, HelenaFatima, that is very good to hear, smiling is something I am pretty good at! I DO feel like it's always worth making an effort to speak a little of the language, that's it's presumptuous of Americans to assume that everyone, everywhere speaks English. I like to be able to say Hello goodbye please thank you excuse me and most importantly where's the bathroom? HOPEFULLY, I will be able to manage those!

Alice

Many banks no longer want you to call for travel alerts. Some don't require them, and some have a link on their website.While some that say they don't need a travel notice, my payment is often blocked at some gas stations out of area (I get a text alert that needs to be approved). Always a good idea to bring a mix (MC/Visa/Amex) sometimes one works while another doesn't.

In the US I have a cheap Tracfone SIM that doesn't include internationaI but also have a Google Fi SIM mostly for emergencies during international travel. (the basic plan is $20/month plus data). I know the number before I leave and can swap out the SIMs when I travel (or better yet, I bring two unlocked phones). I would bring a battery if you are not driving, ( I don't remember if the rental cars there had charger ports or not?) I mostly charged at home overnight.

I don't know Portuguese and it was not needed! Smiles (and English) work fine. Even if I had tried to speak in Portuguese it would have come out in Spanish no doubt. So I stuck to English.

Adapter only. I do not travel with a hair dryer or curling/straightening iron.

Like mlgb, we take a mix of cards (Visa, MC, AmEx) and 2 debit cards, plus we have Apple Pay and the Uber app.

In our experience, in Portugal AmEx isn't widely accepted. Many small, homey tascas/tabernas, such as specifically the Taberna Rua das Flores, can be cash only, Lisbon, ime, isn't yet, the cashless place that Madrid is now becoming. Not all Lisbon taxi drivers accept credit cards.

Alice: Regarding language, despite some discouraging comments above, I would encourage you to carry on with your commendable intention to learn some Portuguese phrases. My guess would be that the great majority of tourists who visit this increasingly popular country know, or care, little about the language; if you speak some Portuguese yourself (the more the better), you may distinguish yourself in a positive way. A comment above about about Portuguese sounding like Greek or Albanian was, I thought, a bit far-fetched; as I mentioned in my earlier note, you have to go only as far as France to find similar phonetics. Anyway, I've always tried to learn at least some of the language of the respective countries I visit -- you've acknowledged your skills at smiling, which I'm sure will be useful; but for those of use who have not mastered that skill, at least some of the local language is good compensation.

Thanks, Faedus, we are of like mind on the language topic. I don't need to learn a lot, but enough to show I've made a bit of an effort.

I find it interesting that many of the language apps and courses start you out with vocabulary that I don't need to know right away. I would much rather learn the polite phrases and exchanges I will be sure to use. I don't need the work for 'apple' necessarily, nor do I need to understand that someone is from Norway. I should start a company that gives courses in 'tourist language', heavy emphasis on greetings, driving (road signs!), restaurants, hotels, BATHROOMS, money etc. Sort of a combination of what you need to know and how to say it.

Alice

Faedus wrote: "A comment above about about Portuguese sounding like Greek or Albanian was, I thought, a bit far-fetched; as I mentioned in my earlier note, you have to go only as far as France to find similar phonetics."

Ok. I'm trying to find similar phonetics of my language with French. I'm still strugling with the word 500 (cinqcent). I use it everyday, as it is the Bus nr to Matosinhos, and yet I have to write it. It's impossible to say. French people never understand me!

Alice, bathroom is not very much used in Portugal, you should ask for the restroom (if you are speacking english). If you want to ask for this in portuguese, the right words are "casa-de-banho". Please don't use "banheiro", the brasilian word for it, that in portuguese from Portugal is a complete different thing (life-saver on the beaches). Of course we know what it means when they say "banheiro", but it is ridiculous if somelse say it. You can also use "toillets" and (the most common in signs) WC (don't say water-closet, just WC).

The big trap: if you are trying to be kind and say something in portuguese, but, unfortunately, you say it in spanish... well, that's really unkind. That's really bad. We all speak spanish, and don't mind to speak spanish with people that have spanish as their mother language (Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, etc). But the problem is that many people from other countries speak spanglish and think they are speaking spanish and so they are near to portuguese, which they are not. The same with Brasilian portuguese. If someone asks me where is "café da manhã", I just say I don't understand (unless it is a brasilian person, in that case I do understand and they are our family, so that's ok).

Restaurants - in portuguese, restaurantes.
Hotels - in portuguese, hotéis.
Money - euros. But everyone knows what dollars are, and where they are from.
Road signs - ??? They are signs instead of words for some reason...
Greetings - Olá!

Thank you HelenaFatima! At least I will be able to ask for the RESTROOM or WC. I find road signs important to look at if you're planning to drive at all - the first time we went to Italy, if I hadn't learned that uscita meant exit we would STILL be on that highway!

Good warning about spanglish, I was wondering about that.

Alice

Okay, it's been a cold and rainy day at home, and I was looking into which sites I need to buy tickets for ahead of time. The ones on my list are:
1) Pena Palace - but I am unsure, I only want to go on the grounds, not indoors, and we'll go in the afternoon. It doesn't appear to be timed - but is the idea just to avoid the line?
2) We'll go to the Regaleira first on our Sintra day, and try to get there when it opens (10?), but do I need to buy a ticket ahead for this one?
3) Jeronimos Monastery - doesn't seem to be dated, but just to not have to wait in line, is that right?
4) What about the Gulbenkian? I haven't seen anything about getting tickets ahead.
5) Our train tickets from Lisbon to Porto - before we leave for the trip, or just do it when we get there?
6) What am I forgetting that I need to do before leaving home?

I need to start spending some time on Porto now!

Thank you!
Alice

1). Pena Palace--the park ticket is untimed. The Pena Palace interiors ticket is timed. The idea of purchasing the Park ticket (which allows you access to the Palace terraces and the extra 3 euro green shuttle bus up to them to avoid the 15-min, steep climb) is to avoid a long ticket line at the Park entrance. It's chaotic these days at the park entrance. So, I'd purchase the Park ticket and supplementary 3 euro transfer on line.

Here's the link for the Park ticket and additional shuttle ticket purchase:

https://bilheteira.parquesdesintra.p...664.1649948800

2. There are several large signs at the Regaleira entrance advising visitors to purchase tickets online. When I see those type of signs strongly advising me, I tend to pay attention. They exist for a reason.
In March we didn't (didn't know about the warning signs), but it was a slow day, and luckily there were 5 ticket counters open, so it went quickly.
In high season, I'd definitely purchase those online tickets if only a day in advance. It doesn't "sell out', but it gets super busy.

3. Jerónimos isn't time specific but is IS date specific. A ticket purchased online does avoid the huge, miserable lines in the hot sun. And there are indeed long lines. When we arrived, there was only 1 ticket seller (sometimes there are 2). We arrived with tickets in hand at the entrance at 9:45, after a quick pasteis de nata/meia de leite stop at Confeitaria Pastéis de Belém (inside--not take out), so as to be the first inside the magnificent cloister at 10. We had an hour of sheer bliss in the cloister and were able to snap beautiful photos and identify the many creatures in the gargoyles, admire the beautiful tiles in the rectory and the special sculpture in the choir without constantly bumping into other visitors, although by the end, when exiting, there was a long line to get into the adjacent church (it's free, but closed on Sundays/Mondays). So to visit the church and the tomb of Vasco da Gama inside, we needed to stand in another line after our cloister visit.

Here's the official ticket purchasing site-
https://bilheteira.patrimoniocultural.pt/pos/space/list

4. We've never pre-purchased Gulbenkian tickets in all of our visits. But we do go when it opens, and it's closed on Tuesdays rather than Mondays.

5. Please !!! buy those Lisbon to Porto rail tickets on the IC or AP (Alfa Pendular) fast trains to avail yourselves of the great discounts. Discounts are available from 60 to 8 days out. In addition there's a 50% senior rate as well (just scroll down to find it). You'll need to register at www.cp.pt first before purchasing the tickets.

6. What are you forgetting?
Do you want to attend a Lisbon fado performance? My favorite venue is O Faia in the Bairro Alto, recommended to me by our great hotel concierge. One can go for dinner or just for the performance.
O Faia - Fado House Since 1947, Fado Restaurant in Lisbon

I've also been to Sr Vinho in the elegant Lapa district, somewhat of a fado icon, but that would entail a taxi/uber ride.
https://fadoreserve.com/#menu.

Maribel, PERFECT, and just what I needed to know.

I have mixed feelings about fado (I read something, somewhere that led me to think it was touristy, but, you know... we're tourists), but if we decide to attend a performance I will note your preferences, and assume I need tickets ahead of time.

So appreciated!
Alice

(You will get a big thank you in my trip report!).

Hi Alice,
Yes, the fado houses fill up with tourists just like all the flamenco venues in Spain, but the two places I mentioned have class and solid performances.
You might take a listen to a recording of Mariza or Ana Moura (or the legendary, late, great Amália Rodrigues) to decide whether it appeals to you.
We've luckily seen the first two contemporary fado singers here on tour in Seattle.

Now, on to Porto planning!

Regarding Pena Palace - we arrived at 9, bought our park ticket then hightailed it up the hill to the palace (we couldn't find where to purchase the park ticket online).

We found the climb up the hill pretty tame - and short - and the shuttle wasn't even running yet, so we beat those up who were waiting for the shuttle. This enabled us to get up to the palace before those with timed entry tickets (I think the first entry is at 9:30) and before those waiting for the shuttle - we had plenty of time to wander the palace terraces and take photos - with no people! Then we headed onto the park grounds, where we spent several hours.

Mel, was the line at the Park entrance to purchase the ticket at 9 am short? If so, that's the better plan for those wanting to tour it in the am.
I don't know what time the shuttle starts running...probably at 9:30 or maybe 9:15? It's supposed to run every 15 minutes, but there's no indication on the web page of what time the shuttle starts.
You're a much better hill climber and more experienced than we are. We found it steep and were glad to take the shuttle ride.

Yes and no. We were towards the front as we arrived prior to 9 am, but there were quite a few people behind us. It took us a few tries to buy our ticket at the kiosk.

I got the impression the shuttle didn't start operating until 9:30, but I don't know this for a fact.

Thanks Mel,
Another question---did you see public restrooms at the park entrance?

No, I didn't, but wasn't looking so didn't pay much attention.