Yes, everyone needs a passport to travel to Europe. If you currently do not own a passport, it takes an average of 4-6 weeks to get a passport back or it can be expedited within 2-3 weeks for an extra fee. You can apply for a passport at your local post office, or related facilities. You need to preschedule your appointment. Please check what documents are required in order to apply for your passport. You may bring the application to your appointment prefilled. It’s also recommended to check how much your passport will cost before to your scheduled appointment. If you already have a passport, please be aware of your expiration date. To travel from the US to Portugal, you need a valid US passport that’s valid for at least three months past your planned return date.
Yes, you will need to apply for a visa in order to travel to many European countries in 2025, including Portugal. The application will be available online and will cost 7 euros (about $8.00). Purchase of this visa is not yet required, so you are unable to purchase one at this time. An update will be provided here once this requirement is in effect. You will not be able to purchase your visa until your travel dates are set. To read more on this requirement, please see the link below. https://travel-europe.europa.eu/etias_en
The airport is 24 miles from the Grande Real Villa Italia Hotel & Spa. You may take a taxi, Uber, train or shuttle to get to and from the airport. If you would like to preschedule a ride service, please see the transportation voucher below: https://www.bestourspt.com/en/quote.php?voucher=AL2
The euro is the official currency of Portugal. You may use a currency exchange in the US or Europe, but some find the cheaper option is a local bank or bank ATM in Europe. Most major credit cards are accepted in Portugal, but please check with your credit card company if your card has foreign transaction fees.
Portuguese is the national language of Portugal. However, in addition to Portuguese, English and French are the other top languages spoken. So, while locals will appreciate you taking the time to learn their native tongue (Rosetta Stone anyone?), you will find many residents will be able to communicate with you just fine in English.
For instance, from Chicago (Central Time Zone) it is a 6 hour time difference. So, if it’s 1:00pm in Chicago, it’s 7:00pm in Lisbon. Please keep your time zone and time difference in mind when arranging your flights as you will have to account for this loss in time when traveling to make it to the wedding events.
The average temperature in Lisbon during October is upper/mid 70s during the day and can dip to low 60s/high 50s at night. There are occasions when the weather is extremely above average or below average, so please check the weather closer to the wedding date. Please also keep in mind that besides dinner, most of the wedding events will occur outside so dress accordingly or bring something warm to wear if needed. In the event of rain, there is a plan B which entails an indoor space available at the palace. This will only be used if rain is in the forecast for the whole wedding event.
Yes! Portugal is considered to be a very safe and friendly country that welcomes respectful tourists to explore their rich historical culture. Overall, Portugal’s crime rate is considered to be low and violent crime to be rare. However, just like traveling to any large city, please exercise caution when traveling around by foot. Like many countries in Europe, petty crime, such as pickpocketing, is a little more prominent than here in the US, so please take appropriate measures to keep yourself aware of your surroundings. In addition, if you often travel with a backpack or purse, you may want to swap that out for a sling purse or fanny pack to minimize risk.
Please make sure you bring the appropriate adapters for your electronics. The electrical outlets in Portugal are the same as those in neighboring Spain: Type C and Type F. They both have two round holes, but Type F also has two grounding clips, while Type C is ungrounded. In Lisbon and throughout Portugal, Type F tends to be the more common outlet type. Type C and Type F plugs are interchangeable, meaning both can take either plug type; they both work with Type E plugs as well, which are normally used in France.