DOS & DON’TS Of Lisbon Vacation: Stay Upgraded!

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Make a stop in Portugal’s capital. It must be interesting time being. Nevertheless, it is better to follow these dos and don’ts to make the most of your time in captivating Lisbon.

DO: Tuck into a pasteis de nata or five

The long line to buy some local delicacies may scare you off. Butt trust when you are said the Portuguese egg tarts from Pastéis de Belém are worth the wait. The cafe was firstly opened in 1837. This little pastry shop in the town of Belém came up through the ranks with its secret, time-honored pastéis recipe. Today, Pastéis de Belém is Lisbon’s most famous maker of the pastéi de nata. You should try it.

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DO: Go beyond the city

Portugal is popular with its beaches with surfers near and far heading to its shores to ride the waves. Follow them in their beginning and go to visit beachside during your Lisbon trip. You should use Benerent Lisbon car rental location to take a car for your travelling. You cannot get it comfortably some other way. You may get to Costa da Caparica. Stroll along the banks, try the local seafood and get stuck into a good book; for those after a breather from the big smoke, this is just the place.

DO: Grab a day ticket

Lisbon’s transport system is clever. Planning to go out of the city, you need a car. But if you want to use public transport, you should buy a day ticket. Instead of paying €1.25 for a single pass every time you use public transport, you can pay €6.15 for a daily pass. This granted you unlimited travel on the bus, tram and metro for 24 hours. Unless you’re doing some out-of-town adventuring, you’ll be able to travel across Lisbon quickly and with ease with this nifty pass. What a good option for tourists.

DO: Have a cocktail in a collector’s museum

Pavilhao Chines may be the most curious of places for visiting. This exotic grocery store boasts thousands of knick-knacks, war memorabilia and other fanciful oddities to decorate the space. This place is called the museum by its sense. What is more, the 10-page cocktail list is impressive. The list is influenced by the classics seals the deal; this is one of Europe’s most unusual watering holes.

DO: Put on your dancing shoes at Time Out Market Lisbon

Time Out Market Lisbon is a favorite visiting place for locals. It must be something special for you. The place consists of 24 restaurants, 8 bars and a dozen shops on offer. It would be the real highlight of your evening. You should know that the Time Out Market Lisbon plays host to a local dancing event every Friday from 10 p.m. The dance program is changeable. If you cannot dance, you may just watch the pros twist and turn in the middle of the market space. Portuguese dancing at Time Out Market Lisbon kicks off on Fridays from 10 p.m. till close.

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DON’T: Underestimate the importance of good footwear

Ladies go first! Lisbon’s cobbled, slippery streets and ghastly hills create the perfect conditions for stumbles and falls. Remember that. Ladies, please, take care of your legs and leave the high-heels at home! You shouldn’t wear them in Portugal! Your experience will be way more enjoyable if you use more comfortable shoes. Why is that, you ask? The traditional Portuguese pavement is basically black and white cubes of basalt and limestone stones placed together, and you’ll see it across the whole country!

Do you know that famous sidewalk in Rio de Janeiro? That one was inspired in the Portuguese pavement in Rossio Square in Lisbon, and it is a hell for those that wear high-heels! Your tiny and sharp heel will certainly get stuck between those stones, and if you’re lucky you might just end up with a broken heel. Of course, broken heel is better than a broken leg. So ladies, forget about your shiny high-heels!

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DON’T: Skip Castelo de Sao Jorge

Of course, Lisbon is full of interesting places and attractions. This is an ancient historical city with lots of interests for locals and tourists. Someone prefers to walk over the city, others want to go outside. Nevertheless, there is one place that is recommended to visit for everyone. This is all about Castelo de Sao Jorge. A visit to the castle means walking up a steep, steep hill. Don’t be lazy! Pure laziness takes you to skip such an awesome place like Castelo de Sao Jorge. It was built by the Moors in the mid-11th century. The castle boasts the best spectacular views and towers over the city. Pack a lunch and park up around the castle’s walls, an hour here is never enough.

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DON’T: Speak Spanish

This don’t rule seems to be the most obvious one, but it isn’t for a big part of the tourists that visit Portugal. You all speak different languages. The most of people think that Portuguese is Spanish dialect. So, they try to speak Spanish in Lisbon hoping for understanding. Portuguese is not a dialect of Spanish. It is absolutely different language with Germanic, Celtic, Latin and Arabic influences! If you speak Spanish, locals don’t understand you clearly. Thus, people might be uneasy to help you or even feel insulted by that. Anywhere in the world, it is always a matter of politeness to ask if the person speaks a certain another language, like Spanish.

Unlike Spain, in Portugal you don’t dub the movies, everything is subtitled. It doesn’t matter whether you speak English or Spanish. Just remember to be polite and ask if people speak English, or Spanish or anything else. The best way to show respect to a native is trying to speak their language, badly pronounced Portuguese is still way better than spotless Spanish when talking to a Portuguese person. Now, open your favorite air company’s website, and book your ticket to Portugal. Of course, you cannot know everything about things to do or don’t here but you’ve got the basement.