Why Travel to Portugal

Hello – how are you? This is a happy week for me as my daughter is in town. She lives in Dubai and is here to complete a course module for her studies. She arrived in London hoping to escape the heat in Dubai, only to be met with uncharacteristically hot weather here! I did warn her in advance – but do kids ever listen to their mothers? Thank heavens it’s cooling down a little now, for both our sakes!

Are you off to Portugal this summer? For those sun worshippers amongst us, it may interest you to know that the number of tourists to Portugal have dropped, mainly of course due to the almost universal slump in the economy. The country has always offered some of the best value in the eurozone, especially outside the Algarve, and now you may easily get even better prices.

So…what to see and how to save on costs?

The rule of thumb is that farther north you go, the further the cost of living drops as this area sees far fewer tourists.

If you Google holiday deals, you will find that many holiday companies are offering cheaper deals that ever - a sign of the times. But, if like me, you like to travel independently, you may find that the Solares de Portugal fit the bill. These are not hotels or guesthouses but privately-owned stately manor houses, elegant country homes or lovely old farmhouses. The concept was introduced to help preserve Portugal’s heritage as well as providing accommodation in houses of character “Turismo de Habitação”. Some of them were once a bit tumbledown but they have now been restored to their former glory and are open to guests, who are treated as part of the family.

The Azores is affordable and is also the best place in Europe to see a large range of whales and dolphins up close. There are low cost airline flights plus a growing choice of self-catering options, as well as keenly priced hotels. You may find B & Bs an even better option that the bigger hotels as they can be more flexible price-wise.

Then Portugal’s state-run pousadas – wonderful palaces or convents that have been converted into very comfortable hotels – have introduced a new five-night “Pousada Passport”. This offers savings of up to 40 per cent on walk-in room rates on weekdays. Plus the pousadas have also teamed up with Avis to offer a five-night package at a very reasonable price…these are just a few of the options you can Google online.

Most visitors to the Algarve go west from Faro airport to the busy coastal resorts of Albufeira, Portimão and Lagos. These are the most popular destinations, and therefore the most pricey. Try going east to the nearby pretty riverside town of Tavira for instance and your holiday can cost half as much. Food is much more affordable and so is the accommodation. Finally, some of the most rewarding touring can be found in the coastal province north of Porto called the Minho. Those in the know consider this the most beautiful part of the country, and it is also the most traditional. You can get there via Ryanair and book cheaper B & Bs – that’s what I did when I was in Portugal.

And if you your trip is part of a property viewing trip, this could be a very good time. Prices have dropped throughout the country some are not expecting the market situation to improve before the second half of 2012. You do however really need to focus on accessibility – always important but never more so than now. I write a monthly Portugal Buying Guide newsletter and I am dedicating my end July/ early August one to transport within Greece – you may like to look at it. Just go to: http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com/news.htm around about 29th July.

All the best until next week,

Carol.

Holiday Planning Tips

Hey there. As we experience our usual erratic weather here in the UK, summer is hotting up in Portugal. Are you going out there any time soon to look for your dream home? I am planning a trip later on in the year and I was mulling over a few thoughts about my trip. Being a ‘list lady’, I jotted down a few trip planning priorities – you may like to have a look:

1. Timing: Decide on when to travel to Portugal. Choosing to go at off-peak season can cut your costs (airlines/hotels) by as much as a third, and you may just find it far more pleasant without the crowds. I have been as early as April and as late as October and found both to be good times to be there.

It also means that if you are using an estate agent they will be less busy. Do check that they are available while you are there: many take their holidays in the off-peak seasons.

In addition you will have the opportunity to assess how easy it is to get to and from your planned area of purchase out of season, plus give you a look at the area when tourists aren’t there. Do all the shops and restaurants shut – and, if so, will the peace and quiet suit you or will it drive you crazy?

2. Flights: Tourism in Portugal has plummeted, what with the economic squeeze and the volcanic ash debacle. All this however means that getting you-know-what on seats hasn’t been as easy as it usually is for the airlines. They are having to reduce prices and there are a few good bargains around so have a good look before you book

3. Car Hire: Unless you know a really good and inexpensive local car hire company, compare prices between booking a car from home with one of the big international car hire companies before settling for a small local company. The results may just surprise you

4. Travel Insurance: Now more than ever it is essential to take out travel insurance and to make sure what it covers you for – witness the volcanic ash problem and those pesky BA strikes

5. Hotels: If you are booking direct with a hotel, don’t be afraid to ask if that is their ‘best price’. I have had my hotel accommodation price lowered when asking this…it’s worth a shot. Or go online and see what prices the hotel is showing there…it does sometimes vary

6. Travel from airport: Take a bus from the airport rather than a taxi I find out from your hotel in advance if there is a bus stop nearby. If you do decide to take a taxi, what I have done more than once is to get chatting to a fellow passenger and, if we were heading in the same direction, share the cost of a taxi. Once my neighbour on the plane, a charming Portuguese lady, dropped me off at the railway station when she heard where I was heading…!

7. Travelling internally in the country: This is a holiday remember – try not to be like me and find yourself rushing along…”Why am I hurrying?” I ask myself? The reason I am saying this is that you may want to try taking a bus or a train if it is cheaper than flying…that’s if you are not hiring a car of course.

If you are like me, I have often made some good friends on buses, trains or ferries. Indeed talking to people as I travel has more than once proved a wonderful experience. In Obidos I got chatting to an American girl and we ended up travelling together in her car down to Sintra, where we shared a small rental apartment for a few days as we took in the lovely surroundings – she became a friend for life!

And then, on a purely tourist note:

8. Free entrance to museums: We in the UK have become used to free museums but in Portugal the costs can mount up. See if there are free admission days: find them out in advance and get there early!

9. Combo Tickets: It’s worth looking to see if there are museums that offer combination tickets. I know this happens in Greece and in Washington (at the Smithsonian) for instance. These deals will seldom be offered upfront!

Given you some food for thought? I hope so…next week I want to continue with the buying aspect – but first we need to get you out there!

Have a great week and take care!

Carol.
http://www.portugalbuyingguide.com