 |
General and Tourist Information |
| APPROXIMATE PRICE GUIDE |
|
| ACCIDENTS |
Breakages in apartments and villas must be reported
and paid for. In the event of a serious road accident, wait for
the police to arrive. Meanwhile, obtain the other driver's name,
address, his insurance company details and the number of his policy.
Insist that the police take statements from both parties and that
both are breathalysed. |
| AIRPORT INFORMATION |
Faro Airport
|
289 800 800 |
|
TAP Call Center Portugal |
707 205 700 |
|
British Airways |
808 200 125 |
|
Lufthansa |
707 782 782 |
|
KLM |
707 222 330 |
|
Easy Jet |
||
Monarch |
| BANKS |
Open Monday to Friday 08:30 - 15:00; closed Saturdays,
Sundays and National Holidays. You'll need your passport to exchange
travellers cheques. Look for the sign “câmbios”.
Commission is charged per transaction regardless of amount. |
| PUBLIC TRANSPORT |
BUSES TRAINS CAR HIRE |
| CONSULATES IN THE ALGARVE |
Austria
|
289 510 900 |
Belgium |
289 899 590 |
Canada |
289 880 888 |
Finland |
289 399 873 |
Germany |
289 803 181 |
Great Britian |
282 490 750 |
Netherlands |
289 820 903 |
Norway |
282 414 878 |
Spain |
281 544 888 |
Sweden |
289 355 213 |
| LISBON EMBASSIES |
Austria
|
21 395 8220 |
Belgium |
21 317 0510 |
Brazil |
21 724 8510 |
Canada |
21 316 4600 |
Finland |
21 393 3040 |
France |
21 393 9100 |
Germany |
21 881 0210 |
Great Britian |
21 392 4000 |
Ireland |
21 392 9440 |
Netherlands |
21 391 4900 |
| Norway | 21 301 5344 |
| South Africa | 21 319 2200 |
| Switzerland | 21 394 4090 |
| USA | 21 727 3300 |
| CHEMISTS |
Open from 09:00-13:00; 15:00-19:00. Each chemist displays a card showing the address of the nearest all-night chemist and a list of those with late closing (22:00). The sign for a chemist (farmácia) is a green cross on a white background. Chemists (farmácias) will advise on minor matters. Social Security coverage is available for all EU nationals, although you may have to pay first and reclaim later. You must obtain an E111 form before you travel. These forms are available at post offices in your country or from your Department of Health. The E111 covers emergencies only, so medical insurance is strongly advised. Private doctors (British, German, Dutch and Portuguese) will give more personal treatment, but without insurance can be expensive. |
| DRIVING |
Speed Limits
|
DON'T
DRINK AND DRIVE! High-profile police patrols are becoming ever more vigilant and ever less tolerant of bad driving, speeding and drink driving. Besides risking your life and those of others, you also risk heavy penalties if you break the law. |
| DUTY FREE |
Value added tax (IVA) can be reclaimed by non-EU residents who stay for less than 180 days. Ask for an Isenção de IVA form or invoice in triplicate, and present the forms at customs on departure. |
| ELECTRICITY |
220 volts AC with Continental two-pin plugs is usual. Earthing can be erratic in older buildings. |
| EMERGENCY |
1-1-2 is the single emergency telephone number
for the European Union. Hospitals:
|
| EXCHANGE RATES |
The local currency is the Euro. See the Nexus Euro Information Page. |
 |
To find exchange rates based on the Euro, or a range of other currencies, select a currency and press Generate Currency Table. |
| INSECTS |
Ants are out and about all over the Algarve during the warm months and will home in on any scraps of food left lying around. They are easily deterred by insecticide powders which can be bought from supermarkets. Use repellants to deter mosquitoes from zeroing in on exposed flesh at sundown and after dark. |
| LOST PROPERTY |
To report or inquire about air travel baggage gone astray in transit, phone Faro airport lost property office 289 818302. Property lost in Portugal should be reported to the nearest GNR police station. |
| MARKETS |
Albufeira |
Caliços |
1st and 3rd Tuesday of the month |
Almancil |
next to the C+S school |
1st and 4th Sunday of the
month |
Castro Marim |
Azinhal |
1st Sunday of the month and city center
2nd Saturday of the month |
Faro |
Estoi |
2nd Sunday of the month |
Guia |
3rd Friday of the month |
|
Lagoa |
opposite the FATACIL |
2nd Sunday of the month |
Lagos |
1st Saturday of the month |
|
Loule |
every Saturday |
|
Monchique |
Market Square |
2nd Friday of the month |
Quarteira |
next to the Filipe Jonas publich garden |
every Wednesday |
| NATIONAL HOLIDAYS |
January 1st
|
New Year's Day |
April 25th |
Liberty Day |
May 1st |
Labour Day |
June 10th |
Portugal Day |
August 15th |
Assumption Day |
October 5th |
Republic Day |
November 1st |
All Saint's Day |
December 1st |
Independence Day |
December 8th |
Immaculate Conception |
December 25th |
Christmas Day |
| MOBILE HOLIDAYS |
2006
|
2007 |
|
February 28th |
February 20th |
Carnival |
April 14th |
April 6th |
Good Friday |
April 16th |
April 8th |
Easter |
June 15th |
June 7th |
Corpus Christi |
| POST OFFICE |
Post offices are usually open from 9:00 until 18:00 from Monday to Friday. Central post offices in major cities have different opening times, usually from 8:00 until 22:00 from Monday to Friday and 9:00 until 18:00 on Saturdays. Visit www.ctt.pt for more information. |
International mail to 20 grams |
0,74 € |
National mail to 20 grams |
0.30 € |
International mail 20-50 grams |
1.70 € |
National mail 20-50 grams |
0. 46 € |
| SECURITY |
Theft from cars, locked or otherwise, is depressingly common. When driving you need your licence and other documents, but don't leave them in the car when parked. Be every bit as security conscious in villas and apartments as you would be at home. When you go out, be sure to lock up. |
| SHOPS |
Shops open between 9:00 and 10:00 and close at 19:00. Smaller shops usually close for lunch between 13:00 and 15:00. Large shopping centres, which include supermarkets, restaurants, banks and a variety of other shops, usually open at 10:00 and close at 23:00, daily. |
| TELEPHONES |
Telephone calls can be made at post offices and public call boxes which accept coins or phone cards. They are found in booths in the street, as well as bars, cafés and shopping centres. For calls abroad dial 00, followed by the county code, the area code (omitting the 0), then the telephone number. Portugual's directory enquiries number is 118. You can also visit www.telecom.pt for further information. |
| WEATHER |
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