After landing in Faro Airport, you can get to Albufeira by car (taxi, transfer bus or rent-a-car), driving West by the EN 125 main road or the A22 freeway ("via do Infante") for about 35 Km, the road is well sign-posted making it quite easy to get there.

To spend their holidays in Portugal, all tourists that come from countries under the Schengen Agreement only need their Identification Card to travel.

All tourists from Europe, the United States, Canada and Australia need a passport to be able to stay in the country for more than 3 months.

For those who normally drive on the left side of the road, we advise you to take extra care when driving in Portugal, for here the driving is done on the right side.

The roads are reasonably sign-posted and the speed limits for cars is 120 Km/h on the motorway and 90 Km/h outside the town limits and 40 or 50 Km/h inside the town limits.

The use of a seatbelt is compulsory for all passengers.

The alcohol level in the blood should not go over 0.5 grams/litre – if the level should exceed this, it is punishable with a very severe fine and confiscation of the driving licence.

It is advisable to take extra precaution when driving, for the traffic is very intense in the Summer Holiday season.

You will naturally have to carry your driver license at all time.

Portugal comes under the GMT (Greenwich Meridian Time), the same as London.

Summer Time (from the last Sunday of March until the last Sunday in October) comes under the GMT/UTC + 1 hour.

Be sure to set your watches correctly to local time to avoid any confusion or mishaps.

Since January 2002, Portugal’s currency is the Euro.
The Euro coins have one side that shows the value of the coin and the other represents the country to which the coin belongs, so it’s perfectly normal to find different looking coins, but with the same value. The notes are the same in all of the Euro countries.

Exchanging foreign money or traveller’s cheques can be done in banks, exchange bureaus and hotels.

For those who don’t mind cooking on their holidays, a good meal can cost very little. However, the temptation to try at least one good traditional Portuguese dish will be very difficult to resist – so, it’s better to give in and try one of the many quality restaurants scattered all over the Algarve.

From the most simple of dishes, to the most elaborate, the prices will vary between less than 10€ and 50€ per person, this including drinks and desserts.

Al prices normally include taxes and service, but it is common to tip services like taxis ou restaurants around 5 or 10%, or just some change in case of small amounts like in a café or bar.

To gain maximum comfort whilst on holiday, here are a few tips about what kind of clothes to bring in your suitcase.

Summer season
Cool and baggy clothing is ideal for daywear. In the evening, the temperature can come down a little, so it’s better to always keep a jacket or cardigan handy and wear long skirts and trousers. For a luxury evening out, for example to a five-star restaurant or the Casino, it is necessary to dress more formally like a suit or dress. Something that should always be very handy is your beach-towel and swimwear.

Rest of the year
Visiting the Algarve out of the summer will still garantee you some very pleasant days. You should pack conformly each season (consult our weather and climate page). In any cases it is always a good idea to bring a t-shirt and a pair of shorts to enjoy a walk whenever the sky opens as it often does in our region.

If you forget to bring any one of these items, you can always purchase some locally.

As can be seen on our weather page, during the Summer, temperatures in the Algarve can be very high and the periods of sun are long. It is common knowledge that excess sun can cause illnesses such as skin Cancer.

The safest procedure is to use plenty of high-factor sunscreen, especially children. A hat is an indispensable accessory, as are a good pair of sunglasses. It is advisable to avoid exposure to the sun during its strongest point in the day, between midday and 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

In the case of sunburns or sunstroke, do seek medical attention.

Shops
Shops usually open around 9.30am until 1pm and reopen at 3pm until 7pm or later (week days). On Saturdays, many close at 1pm for the week-end although some remain open during the afternoon. During high season, many shops stay open at night in areas where most of the tourists are found.

Shopping malls
They open from 10am until 11pm or midnight, every day of the week.

Restaurants
Normally open for lunch at 12am until 3pm and than reopen later in the afternoon (±6pm) until 10pm or later.

Bars, Pubs and Discos
Bars and Pubs must close at 4am. Discos stay open throughout the night and many are seen leaving after sunrise.

Banks
Most banks open from 8.30an until 3pm non-stop from Monday to Friday closing on week-ends and holidays. Several agencies have adopted a different timetable opening and closing at later times.

Post-office
Most of post-offices open at 9am until 6pm without break.

In most areas, the tap water is considered drinkable.
However, it is advisable to drink bottled water.

The water is perfectly suitable for washing and bathing.

The electrical current in Portugal is of 220 Volts / 50 Hz and the plugs and sockets are under European regulations.

In some hotels, it is possible to be supplied with adaptor plugs for 110 Volts. The best thing would be to equip yourself with a suitable transformer before travelling, to avoid damaging any electrical appliances.

Telephones
Poderá fazer chamadas em cabinas públicas, estações de correio, hotéis e mesmo em alguns bares e restaurantes, utilizando moedas, cartões telefónicos que poderá adquirir em qualquer quiosque ou loja ou mesmo cartões Visa. 

Mobile phones (GSM)
At the moment there are three main cell phone operators in Portugal:
TMN; Vodafone; Optimus. All supply roaming service.

Internet
The main Internet access suppliers in Portugal are:
Telepac; Sapo; Clix; Oni; NetCabo

There are several "cyber cafés" spread around Albufeira where you can access the Net comfortably.

In increasing numbers are "Hot Spots", where to access the Internet Wirelessly. Ask your hotel or apartment reception to inquire if they already supply this service!

Post offices in Portugal offer much more services besides mail and postage delivery. There are several shops in Albufeira area with slightly different opening hours.

Next are some examples on prices to send mail from Portugal. Consult the CTT website for more details!

There are 4 open signal TV channels in Portugal: RTP1; RTP2; SIC and TVI. Foreign films and series and simply subtitled on Portuguese TV.

Channels like BBC World, SkyNews, CNN, German, Dutch, Spanish, French and many other channels are available and distributed by cable or satellite.

Several local radio stations have news bulletins broadcasted in English. Albufeira hosts two local radio stations: Radio Solar and Kiss FM, both have British speakers.

Portuguese is the official language.

Someone that has any knowledge of Spanish and French will be able to understand a little of the language
Most Portuguese people understand and speak English reasonably well.

Here are some of the most used common expressions: