Money

Currency

Tourists who plan to visit Porto must keep in mind the official currency of Portugal is the euro. Tourists who travel from outside the European Union and are not familiar with this currency must learn the subunits refer to 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, and they come in coins. There are also 1 and 2 euro coins. Banknotes refer to 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500 euro bills.

Currency exchange

Being one of the biggest cities in Portugal, Porto understandably makes it easy for anyone to deal in no time with issues like the currency exchange. Banks, as a rule, offer the best rates, but tourists can also rely on the exchange desks or on the specific services provided by the post offices in Porto or at the hotels they are accommodated, the advantage being the exchange desks, for instance, have longer opening hours.

Communications

Post offices

There’s no scarcity of post offices in Porto and, on top of that, they are easy to identify since they are indicated by red signs which read “Correios” in Portuguese. As a rule, the post offices in Porto open weekdays between 8am and 10pm. Most of them provide similar services, money exchange transactions included, but in order to learn more about the specific services of each of these offices, their location and the like, visit CTT (Correios de Portugal).

Telephones

In order to call from abroad to a landline network in Porto, one must first dial the country code (00351), and then enter the region code (22). The phone number proper, which must be entered last, usually consists of 7 digits.

Connection to the Internet

The connection to the Internet should not become an issue for holidaymakers of Porto. The city is dotted with public venues where anyone can have access to wireless networks. Thus, there are more than a dozen of WiFi spots, such as the ones located within the perimeters of reputed landmarks like Casa da Musica, the Serralves Museum, and the Crystal Palace Gardens. Other alternatives refer to Estadio do Dragao, Avenida do Brasil, the City Park, Praca da Riberia and so on.

Useful numbers and addresses

Tourism Police

Name:
Tourism Police
Address:
11, Rua Clube dos Fenianos, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 222 081833
Email:
prtetur@psp.pt
Website:
www.psp.pt

Municipal Police

Name:
Municipal Police (Policia Municipal)
Address:
13, Rua Treze do Bairro Rainha D. Leonor, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 226 198260
Fax:
00351 226 198269
Email:
policiamunicipal@cm-porto.pt

Fire department

Name:
Fire department (Associacao Humanitaria Bombeiros Voluntarios do Porto)
Address:
145, Rua de Rodrigues Sampaio, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 223 322787
Fax:
00351 225 073700

Santo Antonio General Hospital

Name:
Santo Antonio General Hospital (Hospital Geral de Santo Antonio)
Address:
Largo Prof. Abel Salazar, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 222 077500
Fax:
00351 223 320318
Email:
grp@hgsa.min-saude.pt
Website:
www.chporto.pt

Foz do Duoro Health Center

Name:
Foz do Duoro Health Center (Centro de Saude da Foz do Duoro)
Address:
181, Rua do Molhe, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 226 167510
Fax:
00351 226 164763

Bonfim Health Center

Name:
Bonfim Health Center (Centro de Saude do Bonfim)
Address:
244, Rua Barao de Niva Sintra, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 225 898560
Fax:
00351 225 898569
Website:
www.min-saude.pt

Sao Joao Health Center

Name:
Sao Joao Health Center (Centro de Saude de Sao Joao)
Address:
234, Rua Miguel Bombarda, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 223 395370
Fax:
00351 223 395371

Boavista Health Center

Name:
Boavista Health Center (Casa de Saude da Boavista)
Address:
186, Rua Domingues Machado, Porto, Portugal
Telephone:
00351 228 339000
Website:
csaudeboavista.com

Others

Spoken language

Portuguese is the official language spoken in Porto. English is, however, spoken by plenty of locals, not to mention the fact people who work in tourism speak English fluently. On the other hand, knowing a bit of Portuguese is definitely an advantage, since thus visitors have the opportunity to get off the beaten tracks and discover the less popular tourist opportunities of Porto.

Time zone

GMT (summer time: one hour ahead of GMT)

Tourist information offices

In Porto there are four tourist information offices able to provide visitors with essential information on the major sights of the city. By relying on these offices, visitors can orient better and understand Porto in its tourist essentials, learning about the first-hand sights and top things to do and events in Porto.

Customs regulations

If interested to visit Porto from outside Portugal, European Union citizens must learn they are allowed to bring in or out of Portugal no more than 800 cigarettes, 200 cigars, 1 kilogram of tobacco, 10 liters of spirits, 90 liters of wine, on condition that these amounts are for personal use. On the other hand, non-European citizens are not allowed to import or export more than 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars, and 250 grams of tobacco, 1 liter of spirits and 4 liters of wine. Finally, tourists are not allowed to bring in more than about 5,000 euros, nor are they allowed to export more than 10,000 euros, regardless of nationality.

Entry documents

European Union Citizens only need a valid identification card in order to enter Portugal, Porto included. Nationals of countries outside the European Union are required to present a passport, whereas non-European citizens who plan to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days must also hold a visa. Furthermore, depending on the nationality of the non-European citizens, they might also be required to present a visa irrespective of the duration of their stay in Portugal.

Electricity

In Portugal, just like anywhere else in Europe, sockets have two pins and are supplied with 220 / 380 volts. Appliances designed according to the American-type plugs must be provided with adapter plugs that tourists, for that matter, can easily purchase from any specialized shop.

Tap water

Being one of the largest cities in Portugal, Porto is supplied with tap water perfectly safe to drink. However, as a rule, bottled water tends to better tap water, at least from a tourist point of view.

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