Transport in Portugal
Airports
Arriving at an airport in Portugal is like any other airport you may have passed through, albeit on a smaller scale than some. There are three international airports, Oporto, Lisbon and Faro, in the Algarve. Lisbon deals with both business and tourist clients visiting the capital and surrounding areas. It has recently expanded considerably, mostly in response to extra demand during the Expo 98 exhibition, but also through the rise in popularity of Lisbon for short breaks. Oporto serves the traditional industrial north, and Faro almost exclusively caters for visitors to the Algarve, although I have frequently found it cheaper to fly to Faro and travel northwards by rail or coach.
On arrival you still pass through the conventional Passport Control, so keep your passport handy in case any query should arise. You will find, though, that you are waved through without so much as a glance at your ID. A friendly hello (Bom dia/boa tarde/boa non) and thank you (obrigado/a) will show that you are not another `typical tourist' with ignorance of the language. Display the common courtesies you might expect yourself. From Passport Control you will need to collect your belongings (bagagem) and then go through customs (Alfandega). Again, you are highly unlikely to be stopped now, so long as you appear to be carrying only the normal personal effects (camera, radio, sports equipment). If you are awaiting imported household goods, you should approach an official with the documents mentioned earlier.
Getting to your Final Destination
Once through the hassle of arriving, the next stage of your adventure is to reach your internal destination. Travel itself is dealt with in more detail later in this book. Should you arrive at a ferry terminal your choice may be rail/coach or you may arrange car hire at the terminal itself. However, as most people will probably be arriving by air, let us examine the possibilities.
Bus
In Lisbon and Oporto a bus service, Linha Verde, Green Line, runs between the airport and a main train station (Santa Apolonia in Lisbon and Campolide in Oporto), with stop-off points all along the way. If you need to travel on after arrival this is the easiest way, as you can get into the city centres without the push and shove of normal, busy service buses.
There can be nothing worse than trying to get yourself and all your belongings onto and along a packed bus! There are some town buses whose routes take them via the airport but unless you really know where you have to go, try to avoid them or you may end up at the opposite end of the city to where you intended. Pay the driver as you get on - you will probably want either the station (a estacao) or city centre (o centro).
Taxi
Don't be under any illusion - taxi-drivers the world over are notorious for swindling unsuspecting tourists so you may as well be prepared to be conned. Taxis, spacious black and green or buff-coloured old Mercedes, travel like the wind and can provide an exhilarating spin through the crowded streets. Within cities there should be a meter, but for longer distances a charge is made per km so you can always check beforehand to get an estimate of cost. Also at the Informacoes in the airports there is usually a list of approximate prices for certain destinations, and anyone trying to overcharge can, theoretically, be reported. Charges can increase dramatically after l0pm, on average by about 20%. It is customary to tip, usually about 10%, use your own discretion.
Rail
You will need to catch a taxi to the nearest station and from there on rail is relatively trouble-free. However, there was a spate of foreign travellers being manhandled and thrown off trains for not having a ticket. Train travel is so cheap it's not worth trying to evade payment: if you are in a rush to get on a train that is due to leave, try to gesture to someone that you want to get a ticket and could they help you.
Car
You may have prearranged car hire or you can always hire on arrival, with a wide choice of firms, all the reps speaking English. Or of course you may have travelled to Portugal in your own car.
