Description

This week Darren & Paige are in Portugal. Why Portugal? You have to listen to find out. They talk about some of the travel tips they have learned over the last eleven years of traveling together, including what not to pack and how to tip your waiter.

Why Portugal?

• Resort in Praia Del-Rei
• Porto
• Coimbra

Travel tips 

• It might be cheaper to travel from a different airport. SFO was about half as much as flying out of SMF for use.
• It might be cheaper to rent a car one way than to pay for parking. Check it out before you rule it out.
• Stay in some place central where you can make day trips into the different cities. We have done this on multiple occasions.
• Plan out an itinerary but be flexible. We had a rough idea

Before you fly

• Get snacks for the flight
• Try and switch to a better seat. Unless you are my flight.
• Have a battery backup or charger for your devices
• Download shows to watch before getting to the airport. Bring a blanket or sweater. Airplane temperatures are hot and cold depending on who has control of the thermostat.
• Check out the travel documentation requirements. Including COVID. They are changing all the time.

Clothing

• Do your homework and pack accordingly. Light rain jackets are always good.
• Proper shoes or sandals. On Paige's first trip outside of the US, she brought plenty of proper shoes.

Eating

• Tipping customs
• Times restaurants are open or closed. In Portugal, everything is closed down from 3-7pm.
• What kind of food is local in the places you are visiting. If you are visiting different cities, they have different dishes.
• Bring snacks in your carry-on and in your suitcases. We have been in situations when nothing was open when we landed or got to the hotel.
• Find the local hangouts. Ask your uber driver and even someone at the front desk. It is cheaper than the typical tourist areas.
• Understand the local customs with food and restaurants. Just because bread is free in America, it is not accessible in most places. They may even put it on your table and not tell you how much it costs.
• Hydration. We are over hydrated in the US and in Europe. Most times, the water is as expensive as soda or beer. Craziness for us.
• Find out if you can drink the local water. Websites should have this information.

Driving and Transportation

• Look at the travel blogs and Reddit for tips on traveling in a foreign country.
• Rental cars can give you flexibility if you are exploring.
• Toll roads are big in almost every country in Europe. 
• Look at trains and subway systems for big-city transportation.
• Parking can take time and cost lots of money.
• UBER and Lyft are great alternatives.

Lemonade Moment of the Week

After exploring Porto with sore feet and tired bodies after a long day, Darren & Paige walk along the Douro River and find a wonderful evening of music and food.