Travel

Flight

LISBON (LIS)

Lisbon (LIS) is the airport you'll need to fly into. From here, we highly recommend renting a car to get to Ricardo's hometown, Leiria, about an hour and a half north of Lisbon, though there is public transportation (bus & train) that can take you from Lisbon to Leiria if renting a car is not feasible for you.

Travel Note

COVID-19 Update

Regardless of vaccination status, all passengers 12 years old & older must present a negative COVID 19 test in order to enter Portugal. A PCR test taken within 72 hours of boarding or a rapid Antigen test taken within 24 hours of boarding are accepted. At home rapid tests will not be accepted. The use of face masks is mandatory on transport in Portugal. And while restaurants, cafes, bars, shopping centers, etc. are functioning under normal hours at full capacity, wearing face masks is required in enclosed public places. For the latest info on Portugal's COVID-19 requirements, please visit the Embassy's website at https://pt.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

Rental Car

Rental Car

In order to efficiently get around Portugal and travel to various cities/sites throughout the country, you'll need to rent a car. The best place to rent a car is from the Lisbon Airport, on your way out of Lisbon. For those spending some time in Lisbon, do not rent a car until you are leaving Lisbon, as driving in Lisbon is extremely chaotic and there is a lot of public transportation that can be utilized while in the city. FYI: Manual cars are more common in Portugal, so there are fewer automatic cars for rent and they tend to be more expensive. Rico's tip is to rent what you're most comfortable driving!

Travel Note

Driving in Portugal

Driving in Portugal is a bit different than in the US, so below are some tips to help you should you choose to rent a car: -NO RIGHT TURNS ON RED LIGHTS -There are a lot of roundabouts everywhere in Portugal. Please be careful & yield to oncoming traffic. -Make sure to drive the speed limit, as there are hidden radars all over the place.

Travel Note

Highlights of Portugal

If you are planning to do some traveling throughout Portugal, below are a few highlights we recommend you visit while in Portugal: -Porto & The Douro Valley -Óbidos & Nazaré -Lisbon & Sintra -The Algarve

House Or Rental

Airbnb

There are a lot of great, reasonably priced Airbnbs available for rent in Leiria and the rest of Portugal, so we recommend checking out what's on Airbnb before booking a hotel stay. Make sure you book a place in the city of Leiria (Leiria, Leiria, Portugal) and not a different city within the region of Leiria, as Leiria is both a city and a region.

Hotel

TRYP Leiria Hotel

TRYP is a new, modern hotel in Leiria that is about a 5 minute drive or 20 minute walk from the city center. Of the limited hotels in Leiria, TRYP is probably the nicest and most similar to the hotels we're used to in the States. Based on current pricing, rooms start at about $90/night. Breakfast and WiFi are included, and parking is available in the hotel garage for 5 euros/night.

Hotel

Hotel Dom Dinis em Leiria

Centrally located just a few minute walk from the historic city center, Hotel D. Dinis is an affordable hotel option for those looking to stay in a great location while not breaking the bank. Rooms start at about $50/night and include parking, WiFi and breakfast. While the rooms are nothing special, they are clean and fresh (the hotel was remodeled in 2017) and the location cannot be beat.

Hotel

EUROSOL RESIDENCE HOTEL APARTAMENTO

The Eurosol Residence Hotel is another great option for those looking to stay close to the city center, as it's just a short 5-minute walk into historic downtown Leiria. Rooms start at about $80/night and include parking, WiFi and breakfast. Each room has a kitchenette and the hotel has a rooftop pool, gym, sauna and bar.