Visit Portugal - 10 Things That Will SHOCK You About Portugal

Portugal is one of the most popular spots for European travelers. It has great weather, cheap prices and wonderful people. This video covers some of the issues that travelers and tourists face when they visit Portugal. Whether you are having a pastel de belem in Lisbon, drinking Porto wine in Porto or just hitting the beaches all along the Portuguese coasts, a few things may stick out at you.
Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal
Copyright Mark Wolters 2017
Shock #1. You have to pay for the bread and butter on the table.
Shock #2. The Kitchens close between 3pm and 7pm
Shock #3. They CATCH The bull in Portuguese Bull fighting
Shock #4. The Portuguese love to smoke.
Shock #5. The lack of good lower and middle priced hotels. There are great hostels and vacation rentals though.
Shock #6. The Portuguese Concept of Time. Dinner at 8pm means 10pm... or later :) usually
Shock #7. Driving in Portugal is a white knuckle affair, so be safe.
Shock #8. Guys trying to sell you "drugs" in Lisbon
Shock #9. How affordable Portugal is for travelers
Shock #10. How slick the cobblestones can be.

5 Things You Will Love & Hate about Lisbon

5 Things You Will Love & Hate about Portugal

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[csgostats]

as a portuguese the thing that might be most shoking is during the summer seing french tourist wearing sandals with white socks.

[VIMDODF]

I was born in Lisbon but my parents immigrated to the U.S. when I was a baby. When I visited my family in Portugal in, on my own, I was shocked at how much they took pride in showing me all of the sights even though I know they have seen them a million times! Both my family in Monte Real and Lisbon drove me all over the place, took me to the coast, old castles and monasteries, the caves, and they never once looked bored or like it was a burden. It really taught me a lot about hospitality. The only thing was because I speak kitchen Portuguese, they felt the need to order for me at restaurants, LOL! So it was nice at the airport on my way back to the states, I went through the Portuguese speaking line and the security agent said that I did great speaking Portuguese. Hehe.

Another shock was that though both families were not rich, they both had 2nd homes near the beach. They called it "quality of life". They worked to live. Hopefully I will have a 2nd home one day, in Portugal! :)

[kylasbibi]

Just came back from Portugal. My 2nd time in a year. I truly love this city. For the summer you can fly direct from JFK to Lis on delta. The people are very friendly. We went back to a restaurant in the barrio alto just because of the great service and delicious pork cheeks. The waitress remembered us and started screaming and hugging us. So special. One thing is the pick pockets are real. However they are nice. My husband's sunglasses were picked but after the pickpocket realized they were prescription he gave them back! True story!

[ibrahimabtula]

I love Portugal. Portuguese people are the best!

[fernandoferraz]

I am from Brazil and I love Portugal and portuguese people.

[QWERTYOP]

Aside from sushi in Tokyo, Portugal has some of the best seafood I've ever had in my life.

[RuiOliveiraTV]

And an extra for the americans, in Portugal there is no tip!!!
You pay for the meal, the restaurant pays the service with the money they win from the meal.
Sometimes people give 2-3€ to the waiter because they really like him/her, but there isn't the "20% of the meal in tips" or "if I don't tip they are gonna kill me".

[albuquerqueThomas]

"wine is quite good in Portugal" Quite?!

[RosaAndrade-pbmf]

if you come to Portugal please don't stay on a rental apartment, it is a really big problems for the locals now because there are no more houses in central Lisbon that we can actually live in, because they're all being rented by tourists! also this make the rental prices go up like crazy, like there are people who can't afford to live in their city anymore! PLEASE STAY IN HOTELS/HOSTELS it's really nice I promise:)

[mitchwagner]

I visited Lisbon last week! What an amazing city. I think what shocked me the most was the diversity of the tourists and locals in the same place. Here in Spain, you really don't see tourists outside La Plaza Mayor. In Lisbon, it is totally different. There are travelers and locals all mixed and mingling together. This also applies to the night life as well! Even though I spoke English and Spanish, I ended up meeting people from the USA, Brazil, and France! We all got drinks and it was an awesome time. Definitely recommend Portugal for those who are considering traveling.

[jorgevaladas]

Very good point about the fake drug selling!
Around two weeks ago even the Police made a social media post warning (in a fun way) people to not buy overpriced oregano herbs in the streets of Lisbon.

[clmm]

I was shocked by the incredible quality of canned food there. we think of canned seafood as pretty much just tuna, but they had the most extrodinairy clams, mussels, fish pates etc. get one of those, a good piece of bread, maybe some wine. and youre set for lunch, easy picnic

[rutemota]

You :So it is affordable.
Me: *cries in Portuguese wallet*

[globalfire]

If you are a tourist I think is better to use uber instead of taxi because some can trick you to pay more money by going for a longest route since you don't know the city

[pestana]

The wine is not quite good, is the best!!!
What’s shocking is the low wages that people get here and the high cost of life.
So next time you say cheap holidays it might not be the same for the people who actually live here.
Another shocking things is the bureaucracy everywhere, the services are shockingly slow and full of red tape...
Etc, etc...

[bellafernandes]

Dude don't tell everyone about Portugal!!!! Way to many tourists invading the country! LOL

[lustauflol]

Dude, we're Tugas, our licences let us drive submarines caralho!

[columbannon]

Love Portugal great country lovely people, I'm going for the third time this September. 🇵🇹🇮🇪

[towers]

things that will shock you:
-free healthcare
-low crime rates
-everyone speaks English (or at least they try!)
and the worst for americans:
-you can't buy guns!

[raultabu]

things that will shock you in Portugal:
- Maria Leal
-Toy
-Zé Cabra
-Fc Porto fans
-Renato Seabra
- Jose Castelo Branco