Some people say that prices are extremely high in Portugal, while others are sure they are cheap. Everything depends on the country of residence.
However, we all want to save some money if there's such an opportunity. In this article, we will try to highlight the main ways to save on a trip to Portugal.
About tickets
The first thing to start with is buying tickets. It's no secret that there is such a thing as a seasonal approach. During the peak season, owners increase the prices of tickets, hotels and much more.
For example, the cost of the flight depends not only on the season, but also on the time of day, and the day of the week (prices are higher on weekends). If you want to buy tickets to Portugal as cheap as you can, you need to monitor and track special offers of airlines. The most expensive month to visit Portugal is August.
About accommodation
There is a huge selection of hotels in Portugal: from the most luxurious ones located in ancient buildings of historic castles, fortresses, and monasteries, to inexpensive youth hostels.
It is worth noting that the classification system of hotels in Portugal is slightly different. In many countries, three-star hotels often have a lower level of comfort than a 2-star hotel in Portugal.
Always pay attention to the opening year of the hotel. Obviously, the new four-star hotel is much better than the old five-star hotel.
In addition, a lot of people rent rooms, apartments, houses and even villas with a pool. The choice is really huge.
If you are traveling in a large company, it may be cheaper to rent a house or a large apartment. And if you want to travel with a backpack on your shoulders, the hostel is what you need.
In fact, you will spend the least time in the hotel, you will come there after a busy day, jump on the bed and fall asleep.
Never book a hotel with breakfast, because you can find a cafe where the cost of breakfast will be lower. Recently, Couchsurfing has also been popular, and you can find many options to stay with locals on the a href="https://www.couchsurfing.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">following website.
In the case of the accommodation as in the case of air tickets, the season plays an important role. For example, a room in a 4-star SPA hotel in Albufeira in March can be booked for only 25-30 euros a day. In the summer, the same room will cost 200 euros. No doubt, such a difference in the cost of a room can be found only in coastal cities. There is nothing similar in Lisbon and Porto.
Make sure to book a hotel in advance because it's going to be a huge problem to find a cheap room in summer.
Moving in the city and around the country
Конечно, для более комфортного отдыха можно взять автомобиль на прокат, вы не будете зависеть от расписания, сможете остановиться и заехать в любой городок и на любую мирадору.
You can rent a car for the highest level of comfort. You won't depend on the schedule, and you can stop and in any town and any miradouro (viewing point).
But there are disadvantages: first of all, it's the high cost of car rental, and the high price of the fuel (>1.50 euros). In addition, you need to take into account the fact that parking is paid, the streets are narrow, and sometimes you have to park at an angle of 45 degrees.
Check out our detailed travel planning recommendations for those who want to rent a car.
While visiting the cities, it's better to use public transport. To make it, you need to buy a travel card. If you are in Lisbon, it's better to buy the Lisboa Card, which gives you the right to access to some museums for free.
If you are under 30, be sure to issue the Youth card. It gives discounts on visiting many attractions, on train tickets and in some shops.
Do not ignore such an eco-friendly form of transportation as a Bicycle. In many cities, you can rent a bike and ride it enjoying the holiday.
How to eat something tasty and inexpensive
I think you have already heard the fact that people in Portugal like to eat delicious food. Look for cafes and restaurants away from the classic touristic places. You need to find venues where the locals usually eat.
Local restaurants offer quite large portions. Get ready for the fact that by ordering a grilled fish, you will get a lot of boiled potatoes and a salad from fresh vegetables. Therefore, in many restaurants it's possible to order half a portion, just look carefully at the menu.
When you sit down at a table in a cafe, the waiter brings Entradas (snacks) along with the menu. They are usually olives, bread, fish pate, butter, and cheese. Kindly note that it's not free. Politely ask the waiter to take it away if you don't want to eat them.
There's a huge number of cafes in Portugal. This is part of Portuguese life, and a cup of coffee with buns (an incredible number of varieties) will cost you around 2-3 euros.
Shopping
You can bring a lot of beautiful and interesting things from Portugal: wines, paintings, cork products, Nazare tablecloths, leather bags, local wallets and many other things at reasonable prices.
Don't forget to make Tax Free refund if you plan to buy something. Choose stores that provide this service. It's not difficult to recognize them by looking at a special sticker next to the entrance or the checkout point.
Please don't forget about the seasonal sales, when the price of clothing can fall by up to 90%.