Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Boat
Other than river cruises along the Rio Douro from Porto and the Rio Tejo from Lisbon, Portugal's only remaining water-
borne transport are cross-river ferries. Commuter ferries include those across the Rio Tejo to/from Lisbon, and across
the mouth of the Rio Sado between Setúbal and Tróia.
Bus
A host of small private bus operators, most amalgamated into regional companies, run a dense network of services
across the country. Among the largest are
Rede Expressos
(
www.rede-expressos.pt
) ,
Rodonorte
(
www.rodonorte.pt
)
and the Algarve line
Eva Transportes
(
www.eva-bus.com
)
.
Bus services are of four general types:
Alta Qualidade
A fast deluxe category offered by some companies.
Carreiras
Marked 'CR'; slow, stopping at every crossroad.
Expressos
Comfortable, fast buses between major cities.
Rápidas
Quick regional buses.
Even in summer you'll have little problem booking an
expresso
ticket for the same or next day. A Lisbon-Faro ex-
press bus takes four hours and costs €20; Lisbon-Porto takes about four hours for around €19. By contrast, local ser-
vices can thin out to almost nothing on weekends, especially in summer when school is out.
Don't rely on
turismos
for accurate timetable information. Most bus-station ticket desks will give you a little com-
puter printout of fares and all services.
Car & Motorcycle
Portugal's modest network of
estradas
(highways) is gradually spreading across the country. Main roads are sealed and
generally in good condition. The downside is your fellow drivers: the country's per-capita death rate from road accidents
has long been one of Europe's highest, and drinking, driving and dying are hot political potatoes. The good news is that
recent years have seen a steady decline in the road toll, thanks to a zero- tolerance police crackdown on accident-prone
routes and alcohol limits.
Driving can be tricky in Portugal's small walled towns, where roads may taper to donkey-cart size before you know
it, and fiendish one-way systems can force you out of your way.
A common occurrence in larger towns is down- and-outers , who lurk around squares and car parks, waving you into
the parking space you've just found for yourself, and asking for payment for this service. It's wise to do as Portuguese
do, and hand over some coins (€0.50) to keep your car out of 'trouble' (scratches, broken windows, etc).
