Cruising Through Bureaucracy: A Step-by-Step Guide to Buying a Car in Portugal
Moving to Portugal is an exciting adventure, but it often comes with a crucial decision: whether to buy a car. While Portugal boasts charming cities with decent public transportation, having your own set of wheels can open up a world of possibilities. This comprehensive guide will walk you through everything you need to know about buying a car in Portugal, from assessing your needs to navigating the purchase process. Do You Really Need a Car in Portugal? It’s a question …
10+ Expat Supermarkets & Online Shops For That Essential Taste of Home
No matter how much you try to deny it, and no matter how much you love Portuguese food, there are always things that you miss from home. It could be strong tea bags (British), Vegemite (Australians), Tayto crisps (Irish), sausages (Germans), or BBQ (Americans). Although you can find some of these things in the Portuguese supermarkets, particularly the larger supermarkets, you probably won’t be able to find the majority of things that you’re looking for. Thankfully, there are an ever-increasing …
Are there Costco Stores in Portugal?
Costco doesn’t have a store in Portugal, at least currently. There are, however, Costco stores in neighbouring Spain. Although Costco has stores in a handful of locations in Spain, the most popular store for people living in Portugal is the Seville store. If you live in Faro, the drive time to Costco in Seville is just a little over 2 hours. If you live in Lisbon, the drive time is around 4.5 hours, depending on traffic. For those living in …
How Much Do Groceries Cost in Portugal?
Groceries are one of the biggest day-to-day costs that most people have and so you may be wondering how much it’ll cost you to do your weekly shopping in Portugal. Most people assume it’ll be cheaper – after all, wages are lower in Portugal – but that often depends on where you’re coming from and where you shop. Groceries are cheaper when compared to the US and Canada, but that’s not necessarily the case when you compare grocery costs to …
How Liz Sharma from Talk the Streets Fell in Love with Portugal
Liz Sharma spotted a need for more engaging content for people learning European Portuguese. She set up Talk The Streets, which has become one of the most popular YouTube channels, and later set up her own very popular course. Check out her 7 tips for sounding like a local and free lesson for beginners. In this interview, we discuss how she learned Portuguese and where she thinks language learners should focus when learning European Portuguese. James: You have been studying …
Where to Buy Electronics & Appliances in Portugal
If you’re planning on moving to Portugal, you may be wondering where you buy electronics and appliances and what the cost is likely to be. For those coming from the UK or US, the cost may be more than you’re used to paying, but due to the cost of shipping, the challenges of getting your stuff through Portuguese customs, and the differences in power, it can often make more sense to sell your stuff and buy afresh once you move. …
Arranging a Funeral in Portugal – 13 Questions Answered
Unfortunately, death is something that affects us all, both in terms of loved ones dying and ultimately us passing away as well. Even if you’ve lived in Portugal for a long time, the whole area surrounding funerals, Portuguese customs, and what options are available to expats can be confusing. Thankfully, former funeral director Fernando Mendes has been able to answer some of the most commonly asked questions. What types of funeral services are available in Portugal? There are lots of …
From Idaho to the Algarve – An interview with Stacy Ennis
Stacy Ennis is a best-selling author, coach, and speaker on a mission to help leaders clarify their ideas and harness their unique story to make an impact. Originally from Idaho, Stacy has spent most of her adult life exploring the entire world, and has lived in the Dominican Republic, Vietnam, Thailand, and now Portugal. In this interview, we discuss what made her move to Portugal and some of the challenges she faced along the way. Tell me a little bit …
Is there Walmart in Portugal?
If you’re moving to Portugal from the US, you may be used to certain supermarkets like Walmart, Trader Joe’s, Target, and Whole Foods. Generally speaking, most of these stores don’t have outlets in Europe and that includes Walmart – although there are Costco stores in Spain. Is there a Portuguese equivalent of Walmart? Not really. The nearest is probably one of the larger Continente stores, one of the main supermarket chains in Portugal, as the larger stores tend to have …
11 of the Best Places to Retire to in Portugal
Have you heard about the D7, sometimes known as Portugal’s retirement visa? If you’re reading this article, you probably have and you’re wondering where should I retire to in Portugal? In theory, you could move anywhere in Portugal. Yes, there are some parts which are more popular with retirees (like the Algarve and Silver Coast, for example) but that doesn’t mean you have to move there. You could move to somewhere more remote like the far north of Northern Portugal …