(Photograph: Jorge Firmino)

Located in the southwestern corner of Europe, Portugal is bordered by Spain on one side and bathed by the Atlantic Ocean on the other. Recognised as an independent country since 1143, it joined the European Community in 1986 (now the EU), and has been using the Euro - the European single currency – since 2002, which replaced its former currency called the ‘Escudo’ (€1 being roughly equivalent to 200 ‘escudos’).

Timewise the country is on GMT, so if you’re coming from Ireland or the UK you won’t need to adjust the time on your watch. As Portugal follows daylight saving time, clocks are set forward one hour on the last Sunday in March (making it GMT+1), and then set back one hour again on the last Sunday in October.

The official language is Portuguese, the European variety, which is somewhat different to Brazilian Portuguese, and it belongs to the branch of Romance languages, like Castilian Spanish, Italian or French, among others, all derived from Latin. If you’ve heard it being referred to the language of Camões, this is a reference to Luís Vaz de Camões, venerated as the greatest Portuguese poet, who lived in the 16th century and wrote the national epic poem called “The Lusiads” (Os Lusíadas, in Portuguese), among many other sonnets and poems, which describes the fortunes and misfortunes of the nation during the Portuguese Age of Discoveries.

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to clear some doubts you might have.

I don’t speak Portuguese. What do I do?

If you are visiting Portugal and don’t understand the language don’t panic. It’s relatively easy to find someone who speaks English – even if at a basic level -, Spanish or French. In Portugal, children are taught between one and two foreign languages at school, being able to chose between English, French and German. So especially in cities, major tourist destinations and urban areas it won’t be too difficult to find someone who’ll be able to help if you need.

The majority of people working in public places, like restaurants, bars, shops or museums, will be able to communicate in English and in tourist areas you’ll come across useful information on events, tours and services available in English, and of course restaurant menus are widely available in English, and sometimes in Spanish, German, French and Dutch. The Algarve is, in this respect, the most international region in Portugal, but the rest of the country won’t prove too difficult, unless you’re venturing off the beaten track. In this case, we’d recommend buying a phrase book or having someone teach you a few basic sentences. Wherever you go, a few simple words in Portuguese will earn you the respect and friendliness of the people.

I want to go out for a meal. At what time do the Portuguese eat?

Meal times often differ from country to country, and Portugal might prove rather different from where you come from. During business hours, people usually have lunch between 1pm and 2pm, but the Portuguese are also known for lingering at the table and lunch may stretch until 3pm, or even 4pm, if you add a coffee and a drink after it. Restaurants are usually open from 12pm to 3pm for lunch.

Dinner can last even longer. The standard time for the evening meal is roughly 8pm at home, but if dining out people will make it later, sometime between 9pm and 10pm. 7pm is way too early. The Portuguese talk, drink, eat and make an ordinary meal feel like an exceptional social occasion, and thus it can last for hours. Restaurants usually close their kitchens and stop serving between 10.30pm and 11pm. But don’t worry they won’t kick you out, not until you’ve drained a few more bottles of wine or have finished your brandy.

The majority of restaurants have a plate of entrée serves (often with olives, bread and butter, goat cheese or even smoked ham) on the table when you arrive and if you don’t tell the staff you don’t want them, they will be charged to your bill, whether you’ve touched them or not. Simply tell the waiter you’re not interested and he’ll take them away. In touristy places we’d recommend checking the bill in the end, just in case. You can also ask to have part of them and keep the olives or the bread for example, and have the rest removed. The price of a meal can soar just because of these entradas.

As far as tipping is concerned (a tip is a gorjeta in Portuguese) there are no rules. If you consider the service was very good service, you can tip the waiter, but if you don’t you’ll not be blacklisted. A gorjeta is usually only left after a full meal and it’s not common to tip just for a coffee or a juice. An “acceptable tip” ranges between €2 to €4, depending on the quality of the service. Bur it’s up to you to decide.

For further info on Portuguese food and the book “Eat Portugal – The Essencial Guide to Portuguese Food” check the article published by PDV here.

I need to buy medicines. Where do I go?

If you have a headache or a stomachache you can go to a pharmacy or a supermarket, most of these now have a health area where you can buy over-the-counter drugs that need no prescription from a doctor.

If you are suffering from something more serious, or need prescription only medication, you should go to a hospital and get an appointment with a doctor. All chemists are obliged by law to have at least one qualified pharmacist on duty. Most of these will be able to speak some English and may be able to assist your enquiries if the need arises. If they don’t, try and get someone to translate for you.

Many pharmacies have different business hours, but they usually tend to be open between 9am and 7pm or 8pm. In each region or area of a city there is always an on-call pharmacy that stays open all night, these are called ‘farmácia de serviço‘. For security purposes these close their doors at 10pm, after which you will have to ring the doorbell and the pharmacist will see to you through the window. As they rotate every day, you can check online which is closest to the area you are in. All pharmacies also have a list displaying the nearest out-of-hours pharmacy in the area in case they are closed.

Website ‘Farmácias de Serviço’: www.farmaciasdeserviço.net

And if I just want to go shopping?

For shoppers, there are two options. You can either go to a mall (of which there are plenty around the country), where you’ll find the usual assortment of multinational stores and hypermarkets as well as a food court with restaurants and fast-food places. They open at 10am and usually close between 11pm and 12am, every day including weekends.

Or, if you prefer something more traditional and a bit of fresh air, just walk around the city centre or shopping district of any town, where you’ll be able to find some international brands, but also many family-run businesses, designer stores, trendy boutiques, independent retail stores and so on. In these, business hours are different, and shops are usually open between 9am and 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 7pm or 8pm Monday to Friday. Saturdays they usually open in the morning until 1pm, and close on Sundays. During Christmas and in the summer in touristy areas, shops extend their opening hours.

What about banks and other public services?

Banks open at 8am and do not close for lunch, so customer service ends early, at 3pm. In spite of these restricted business hours, ATMs can be found almost everywhere around towns, either close to banks as well as in supermarkets, petrol stations, railway stations and bus depots, scattered around shopping districts and so on. Unless you’re in the countryside or some far off place, you’ll definitely walk past an ATM every few minutes. If in need, ask someone for the nearest Multibanco. You can access them with the majority of debit and credit cards. Because the Portuguese ATM network is independent from banks and runs on an integrated network, you have access to a variety of services which are not available in other countries, such as buying tickets for buses, national railway services, tickets for performances (theatre, concerts etc), and even pay you household bills.

Other public services usually keep business hours between 9am and 5pm, closing for lunch from 12.30pm or 1pm to 2pm.

What if something goes wrong?

Like the majority of European countries, the Portuguese emergency telephone number is 112, and you can call it from any landline, public or mobile phone in the country, even if you have no credit. Please remember: this is only used for emergencies and life-threatening situations, and the dispatcher will put you in contact with whatever emergency service you need, be it police, fire or medical.

If you have a health problem which is not really an emergency, you can call the Saúde 24 (Portuguese for Health 24) phone line: 800 24 24 24 – where nurses from the National Health Service (SNS in Portugal), will answer your call and help you with any queries you may have. Some of them may speak English, but if not, try and get someone who speaks Portuguese to make the call for you.

Website Health 24: www.saude24.pt

Website SNS: www.portaldasaude.pt