Premier Villas
Carthagena Barn
Bell Lane
Birdham
West Sussex
PO20 7HY
Tel: +44 (0)1243 514 970
Fax: +44 (0)1243 513 746
Email: post@premiervillas.net
Algarve Reference Guide
- Accidents
- Airport
- Banks
- Buses
- Consulates and Embassies
- Chemists/Pharmacies
- Driving
- Duty Free
- Electricity
- Emergencies
- Insects
- Lost Property
- Markets
- Price Comparison
- Public Holidays
- Police
- Post Offices
- Security
- Shops
- Telephones
- Trains
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
| Faro Airport (General) | 289 800800 |
| Flight Enquiries | 289 818982 |
| TAP (Portugal’s National Airline) | 289 818538 |
| British Airways | 0500 1251 |
| Lufthansa | 289 800750 |
| KLM | 289 800872 |
Faro Airport has a good website (in English).
The following table of average taxi prices from Faro Airport to various points in the Algarve is published by ANA Aeroportos - use this for guidance only. You should always verify the price with the taxi driver before commencing the journey.
| Destination | w/Luggage surcharge | w/Night Surcharge inc. Sat, Sun and Holidays |
|---|---|---|
| Albufeira, Tavira, Eurotel | €33.50 | €39.90 |
| Armação de Pêra | €40.50 | €48.30 |
| Carvoeiro | €48.50 | €57.90 |
| Faro | €8.50 | €9.90 |
| Lagos | €62.50 | €74.70 |
| Monte Gordo | €45.50 | €54.30 |
| Portimão | €50.00 | €48.00 |
| Praia da Rocha, Vau, Penina | €55.50 | €66.30 |
| Quarteira | €20.50 | €24.30 |
| Quinta do Lago, Vale do Lobo, Garrão | €19.50 | €23.10 |
| Vilamoura | €22.50 | €26.70 |
| Vila Real de Santo António | €46.50 | €55.50 |
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.
ATMs (called Multi-Banco in Portugal) are abundant and very sophisticated. You can usually draw cash against UK bank accounts if you have a VISA network card.
Buses
Clean, reasonably comfortable and cheap. Local services often infrequent by day and non-existent at night. Avoid long, boring journeys within the Algarve by booking express regional services. Good choice of Algarve-Lisbon bus companies and departure times. The Faro-based EVA (info in Portuguese, English, German and Dutch) run good local and regional services, and also frequent services to Lisbon and Spain, and the Rede Nacional de Expressos run a comprehensive national service. Both have good on-line routes and timetables.
Consulates and Embassies
| Country | Consulate (Algarve) | Embassy (Lisbon) |
|---|---|---|
| Austria | 282 416202 | 21 387 4162 |
| Belgium | 289 803757 | 21 549 263 |
| United Kingdom | 282 417800 | 21 396 1191 |
| Canada | 289 803757 | 21 347 4892 |
| Denmark | 289 805561 | 21 545 099 |
| Finland | 289 394085 | - |
| Germany | 289 803148 | 21 881 0210 |
| Holland | 289 20903 | 21 396 1163 |
| France | - | 21 386 0206 |
| Ireland | - | 21 396 1569 |
| Norway | - | 21 301 5344 |
| USA | - | 21 726 6600 |
| South Africa | - | 21 353 5041 |
| Spain | 281 44888 | - |
| Sweden | 282 413311 | 21 395 5224 |
| Switzerland | 289 823505 | 21 397 3121 |
Chemists/Pharmacies
Open 09:00 - 13:00; 15:00 - 19:00. One chemist in each area stays open after hours on a rotating basis and the address of the open pharmacy is listed on all other chemists' doors.
Chemists (Farmácias) will advise on minor matters. There are reciprocal arrangements within the EU on free treatment in clinics and hospitals. When requesting treatment, show your passport, or an E111 or E112 form. Health clinics (Centro de Sáude) deal with less serious problems. For emergencies, there are 24-hour hospitals in Faro, Portimão and Lagos. Private doctors (British, German and Dutch as well as Portuguese) will give more personal treatment, but without insurance it can be expensive.
Driving
| Speed Limits | |
|---|---|
| Built-up Areas | 50km/h |
| Out of Town | 90km/h |
| Trunk roads | 100km/h |
| Motorway | 120km/h |
- Insurance is compulsory and normally provided with a hire car
- EU licences are valid at all times
- Other foreign driving licences are valid for up to six months
- Seat belts are obligatory for the driver and front passenger
- DON'T DRINK AND DRIVE!
Alcohol is readily available and cheap - but the maximum legal blood alcohol level is currently only 20mg per 100ml. If you drink and drive and are caught, you will be immediately locked up and in court the next morning. - Portugal has the highest road accident rate in Europe. The standard of both road building and driving is much lower than in Northen European countries, and you need to be continually alert and cautious. Be especially aware of vehicles suddenly emerging from side roads, and of maniac overtaking.
- ZERO TOLERANCE! 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
There are no duty-free allowances for transport of goods within the European Union.
If you are planning to bring home Portuguese delights such as port, table wines or regional aguardentes or liqueurs, look no further for a good deal than the cheapest local supermarket, where you can generally buy at prices lower than the airport "duty free" shop.
Electricity
220 volts AC with Continental two-pin plugs is usual. Earthing can be erratic in older buildings.
Emergencies
| Ambulance, Police, Fire (Multi-lingual) | 112 |
| Hospital (Faro) | 289 803427 |
| Hospital (Portimão) | 282 415115 |
| Hospital (Lagos) | 282 763034 |
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 289 800 688. Property lost in Portugal should be reported to the nearest GNR police station.
Markets
In Quarteira a market is held every Wednesday, Loulé every Saturday, Portimão every first Monday of each month, Lagos every Saturday, most Sundays in Almancil and Moncarapacho, and most Thursdays in Boliqueme and on Mondays in Tavira.
Price Comparison
This approximate price comparison between resorts was researched by Thomas Cook and appeared in The Independent in 1999. It is offered here purely as a comparitive guide.
| Resort | 3-course Meal | Bottle of Beer | Suntan Lotion | Taxi (5 km) | Film 24 Exp | Car Hire /wk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algarve | £8.00 | £0.50 | £3.50 | £3.00 | £4.00 | £100.00 |
| Costa Del Sol | £6.95 | £1.30 | £4.10 | £12.30 | £4.10 | £130.85 |
| Majorca | £10.25 | £1.45 | £5.35 | £6.15 | £3.30 | £122.20 |
| Tenerife | £12.30 | £1.25 | £4.90 | £3.70 | £2.90 | £130.85 |
| Florida | £15.60 | £1.90 | £5.05 | £5.00 | £2.50 | £114.00 |
| Tunisia | £10.90 | £1.40 | £5.45 | £1.90 | £2.75 | £218.10 |
| Cyprus | £11.60 | £1.20 | £5.95 | £3.00 | £3.60 | £149.45 |
| Turkey | £6.50 | £1.05 | £6.50 | £4.90 | £2.85 | £263.00 |
| Corfu | £5.20 | £1.05 | £3.75 | £4.20 | £2.50 | £137.60 |
| Sorrento | £7.70 | £1.40 | £6.30 | £8.75 | £4.75 | £215.40 |
| Malta | £11.20 | £0.70 | £4.55 | £8.00 | £4.80 | £87.85 |
| Rhodes | £6.30 | £1.05 | £5.20 | £3.15 | £2.70 | £261.30 |
| Sicily | £13.25 | £1.75 | £4.20 | £7.00 | £3.85 | £174.40 |
| Madeira | £10.25 | £0.70 | £5.10 | £6.85 | £6.85 | £153.70 |
Public Holidays
| January 1st | New Year’s Day |
| April 25th | Revolution Day |
| May 1st | Labour Day |
| June 10th | Camões and Portugal Day |
| August 15th | Ascension Day |
| October 5th | Republic Day |
| November 1st | All Saints Day |
| December 1st | Independence Day |
| December 8th | The Immaculate Conception of Our Lady |
| December 25th | Christmas Day |
Other Public Holidays which fall on different dates are: Good Friday, Shrove Tuesday and Corpus Christi.
Police
The national emergency number (equivalent to 999 in UK) is 112.
Portugal actually has two police forces -- the GNR and the PSP. The GNR will deal with most matters, and pass you on to the PSP if necessary. The local numbers for the GNR in the Algarve are:
| GNR Faro | 289 801282 |
| GNR Lagos | 282 762809 |
| GNR Portimão | 282 417217 |
| GNR Tavira | 281 325704 |
Post Offices
Loulé and Quarteira offices open Monday to Friday 09:00 - 19:00. Vilamoura, Boliqueme, Almancil, Sta. Bárbara de Nexe, São Brás de Alportel and Estói offices are open from Monday to Friday 09:00 - 18:00.
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.
You should read the excellent safety information provided by The Foreign & Commonwealth Office on their web site.
Shops
Generally open 09:00 - 13:00; 15:00 - 19:00, Monday to Friday. On Saturdays open 09:00 - 13:00. Closed Sundays, except some supermarkets, mini-mercardos and out of town hypermarkets and malls. During the summer months many shops in tourist areas stay open until 23:00 or even later, and will open on Sunday.
Telephones
Telephone calls can be made at post offices and public call boxes which accept coins or credifone cards. Credifone call boxes are the most common and the majority of newagents and supermarkets sell the phone cards.
For calls abroad dial 00, followed by the country code (UK 44), the area code (omitting the 0) then the telephone number. Country codes can be found in the front of the telephone book, the post office, or by contacting the International operator on 099 (inside Europe), 098 (outside Europe).
To make local calls, you need to dial the area code (e.g. 289) even if you are inside that area.
Trains
Portuguese trains (Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses) are clean, efficient, comfortable, very cheap and run right on-time. Trains are one of Portugal's secret gems, and well worth exploring. If you intend to travel from the Algarve to Lisbon, take the train - it's far cheaper and much more fun than the bus. The route pass through some spectacular scenery, particularly in the hills and valleys of the lower Alentejo, and the adventure is completed by a ferry journey across the river Tejo into the heart of Lisbon. Consider paying the little bit extra for 1º class, where you have soft reclining seats and aircon. CFP have a comprehensive on-line presence in both English and Portuguese covering national and international routes, timetables and fares.