Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Mobile Phones
Portugal uses the GSM 900/1800 frequency, the same as found in Australia, the UK and the rest of the EU. Mobile-
phone usage is widespread in Portugal, with extensive coverage provided in all but the most rural areas. The main do-
mestic operators are Vodafone, Optimus and TMN. All of them sell prepaid SIM cards that you can insert inside a GSM
mobile phone and use as long as the phone is not locked by the company providing you service. If you need a phone,
you can buy one at the airport and shops throughout the country with a package of minutes for under €20. This is gener-
ally cheaper than renting a phone. Note that mobile-phone numbers usually begin with a 9.
It's illegal in Portugal to drive while talking on a mobile phone.
Time
Portugal, like Britain, is on GMT/UTC in winter and GMT/UTC plus one hour in summer. This puts it an hour earlier
than Spain year-round (which is a strange thought when you are crossing the border). Clocks are set forward by an hour
on the last Sunday in March and back on the last Sunday in October.
Tourist Information
»
Turismo de Portugal, the country's national tourist board, operates a handy website:
www.visitportugal.com
.
»
Locally managed
postos de turismo
(tourist offices, usually signposted '
turismo'
) are everywhere, offering brochures
and varying degrees of help with sights and accommodation.
Travellers with Disabilities
»
The term
deficientes
(Portuguese for 'disabled') gives some indication of the limited awareness of disabled needs. Al-
though public offices and agencies are required to provide access and facilities for people with disabilities, private busi-
nesses are not.
»
Lisbon airport is wheelchair accessible, while Porto and Faro airports have accessible toilets.
»
Parking spaces are allotted in many places but are frequently occupied. The EU parking card entitles visitors to the
same street-parking concessions given to disabled residents. If you're in the UK, contact the
Department for Trans-
port
( 020-7944 8300;
www.gov.uk/government/policies/making-transport-more-accessible-to-all
)
.
»
Newer and larger hotels tend to have some adapted rooms, though the facilities may not be up to scratch; ask at the
local
turismo
. Most campgrounds have accessible toilets and some hostels have facilities for people with disabilities.
»
Lisbon, with its cobbled streets and hills, may be difficult for some travellers with disabilities, but not impossible. The
Baixa's flat grid and Belém are fine, and all the sights at Parque das Nações are accessible.
For more information, contact the following organisations:
Accessible Portugal
( 926 910 989;
www.accessibleportugal.com
; Rua Jorge Barradas 50, 4th fl) This Lisbon-
based tour agency offers a wide range of itineraries and can arrange accommodation, transfers, overnight trips and out-
door activities such as tandem skydiving and hot-air balloon trips.
