Language: The official language of Portugal is Portuguese. English is widely spoken.
Timezone: UTC0 [GMT] (the same as Dublin and London, 1 hour behind European Standard Time)
Phone calls: Country Code: +351; Lisbon Prefix: 21
Passports and visas - European Union citizens only need a valid identification card in order to enter Portugal. Passports are necessary for nationals of countries outside the European Union. Visas are required for non-European citizens who plan to stay in Portugal for more than 90 days. Citizens of some countries require a visa to enter Portugal regardless of the duration of their stay.
Please see this site https://www.visitportugal.com/en/sobre-portugal/info-util (Entry formalities) for further information.
Currency: The official currency of Portugal is the euro.
Banks offer the best exchange rates. There are many bank branches across the city. As a rule, they open Monday to Friday, roughly between about 8.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. ATMs are widely available, in banks, shopping centres, transport hubs, etc.
Tips: Tips are optional, but usually we give 10% in taxis, restaurants and cafeterias.
Electricity: Portugal uses European "Schuko" type F two pin electrical sockets supplied with 220 volts. Appliances requiring USA-type plugs must be used with adapters and voltage transformers.
Medical care: Clinics and hospitals provide round the clock emergency service. The national emergency phone number is 112.
Smoking: Portuguese law does not allow smoking in any public transportation or in any closed public areas. (Some restaurants, bars and discotheques may have designated smoking areas).
Transportation: Lisbon's Portela Airport is located within the city limits and has an underground Metro de Lisboa station at the Southern edge of the Terminal 1 arrivals area. The metro's red line connects the airport with the city centre and the other three subway lines every 6 to 9 minutes, from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.; the metro takes 16 minutes to reach the city centre and 5 minutes to the Gare do Oriente train and bus station.
Carris city buses stop just outside Terminal 1 arrivals, with bus route 783 and night route 208 connecting to downtown and the main train stations. Two Aerobus routes prepared for travel luggage connect the airport with the downtown area.
Taxis: The city is served by 3.500 taxis and a taxi ride from the airport to the city centre should cost between 8 € and 15 €. The usual urban taxi fares are:
Day (06.00h to 21.00h) - 3.25 € + 0.10 €/km
Night, weekend and holidays: 3.90 € + 0.10 €/km
Lisbon taxis are widely used by the locals, and are cheaper than in many other countries.