Monday, October 24, 2011

Famous Places in Portugal For Your Holiday

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Famous Places in Portugal For Your Holiday
Travel tips for your trip to Portugal Hotel Maps Famous Places in Portugal helps you to make your trip to Portugal in the holiday a Splendid One




Usually when people talk about international vacation destinations, Portugal is one country that they never think of. Little do they know what they are missing out on. With it's beautiful landscape, culture and buildings, Portugal should be one of the must-see countries in your holiday itinerary.

Here are some of Portugal's famous tourist attractions that are bound to pique your interest:

Lagos: This town is a combination of magnificent cliffs and sandy white beaches. You can see many films and enjoy the beer that is sold in large amounts here. This Algarve town is the correct place for party lovers but you should not miss a chance to explore its beaches which can be done by renting a bike, moped or a horse.

Evora: This walled town is situated amidst vineyards, flowers and olive trees. The cathedral and the Roman temple are the main attractions here. But do not miss the ossuary chapel, which is made from thousands of human bones and skulls. Sound morbid but it is also fascinating.

The Rossio, Lisbon: Although the actual name of the Plaza is Praca D. Pedro IV, all the locals call it the Rossio. It is the heart of Lisbon and people are always found here doing something or the other. The plaza has recently had a facelift making it even more beautiful and presentable than before.

St George's Castle, Lisbon: The castle was used to defeat the invading Moor armies. It offers a fantastic view of Santuario do Cristo Rei, which is a 34-meter replica of the Christ the Redeemer statue located in Rio de Janeiro. The castle cathedral was destroyed in an earthquake in 1755 and today, there are just the ruins to see.

Madeira: Visit the beautiful volcanic island of Madeira and explore the mountains and the forests. There are some excellent trails that take you through lush green forest where you can see hordes of wild flowers blooming to full glory.


Dining: Fado is the traditional music of Portugal and there are many Fado-themed restaurants around Lisbon and other major cities. You can eat traditional Portuguese food while being entertained by Fado guitar players and singers.

Alfama Market, Lisbon: If you are looking for bargains, then this is the place to go to. Originally the market was named Diera da Ladra (Thief's Market) and it has been around for hundreds of years. The most sought after items here are hand painted pottery and lace, but you can also find exquisite jewelry, books, art and secondhand sailing gear. The market is open from Saturdays through Tuedays from 5 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Free Guide Lisbon City

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Free Guide Lisbon City
Travel tips for your trip to Portugal Hotel Maps Famous Places in Portugal helps you to make your trip to Portugal in the holiday a Splendid One


Lisbon

Visitors to Lisbon won't be disappointed with what the city has to offer. The capital of Portugal is a real surprise packet for those first time visitors and if you are on a Eurail pass it is well worth the journey to the edge of the Iberian peninsula.


History Of Lisbon

The city of Lisbon is known to have experienced a lot of earthquakes prior to the 18th century. In 1755, the whole Europe was placed in great disbelief as Lisbon's Royal Hospital of All Saints and the Royal Ribeira Palace were in complete ruin. It was then that the prime minister ordered that all remaining standing structures be demolished and to have the city rebuilt, complying with the then modern rules and regulations. Following the invasion of Napoleon Bonaparte's army during the early 19th century, Lisbon adhered to the liberation of the Portuguese society. Theatres and cafes thrived all over. In the 20th century, Lisbon remained neutral during the World War II making it a major refugee site. In 1994, Lisbon was named the European Capital of Culture.

Things To Do In Lisbon

There are a lot of things to do and see in Lisbon. At night, one can enjoy the central Bairro Alto or the High Neighborhood. The Cine Theatro Gymnasium is a place to go to for daily shows of at least 40 minutes. Then have a picnic at the beautiful Jardim Botanico. For shopping, the Avenida da Liberdade showcases branded shops with fancy hotels to stay in and restaurants to dine in. Malls are also usually open every day and the Feira da Ladra or the Flea market can make a bargain hunter drool over some new and used products. When in Lisbon, don't miss the Belem Tower and the Jeronimos Monastery, two of the most photographed sites in the city.

How To Get To Lisbon

As Lisbon is on the western edge of Europe, it doesn't get as many visitors as it deserves. Travelers with Eurail passes can make good value of their pass by traveling on the overnight services from Madrid and Paris. From Lisbon there are ddirect service to most of the major cities in Portugal.

Sunday, October 16, 2011

Money Exchange for Portugal -Services - Money

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Money Exchange for Portugal -Services - Money
Travel tips for your trip to Portugal Hotel Maps Famous Places in Portugal helps you to make your trip to Portugal in the holiday a Splendid One




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Currency information:

Euro (EUR; symbol €) = 100 cents. Notes are in denominations of €500, 200, 100, 50, 20, 10 and 5. Coins are in denominations of €2 and 1, and 50, 20, 10, 5, 2 and 1 cents.
Credit cards:

American Express, MasterCard and Visa are widely accepted.
Travellers cheques:

These are readily exchanged. To avoid additional exchange rate charges, travellers are advised to take traveller's cheques in Euros.
Banking hours:

Generally, Mon-Fri 0830-1500 (certain banks in Lisbon are open until 1800).
Currency restriction:

There are no restrictions on the import or export of local or foreign currency.
Currency exchange:

Many banks offer differing exchange rates depending on the denominations of Portuguese currency being bought or sold. It is common practice for banks to charge 0.5% commission with a minimum charge of approximately €10. However, some banks do not charge any commission on transactions of less than €25. Check with banks for details and current rates. Additionally, ATMs, identified by the symbol MB (MultiBanco), are widely available and only charge 1 to 2% commission. There are also many bureaux de change.

Friday, October 14, 2011

Health and Medical Information for Portugal

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Health and Medical Information for Portugal
Travel tips for your trip to Portugal Hotel Maps Famous Places in Portugal helps you to make your trip to Portugal in the holiday a Splendid One




If suddenly taken ill or involved in an accident during a visit to an EEA country or Switzerland, free or reduced-cost necessary treatment is available for European travellers - in most cases on production of a valid European Health Insurance Card (EHIC). Comprehensive insurance is advised for all other nationals


*A vaccination certificate is required for travellers arriving from countries where yellow fever is present.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Short History Of Portugal and Culture

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Short History Of Portugal and Culture
Travel tips for your trip to Portugal Hotel Maps Famous Places in Portugal helps you to make your trip to Portugal in the holiday a Splendid One


Modern Portugal's history starts in the 12th century when (with the help of a variety of Crusader types) the Christians in the north of the Iberian Peninsular finally began to evict the Moors. The new Portugal was anxious to be recognized as a proper Country by the Vatican, so to that end, the border between Spain and Portugal was ratified on the basis that Portugal agreed not to grab any Spanish land. It's now one of the oldest, and longest borders in Europe.

The Portuguese Empire was the first of 'global' proportions, and also the longest. Blessed with natural explorers and seafarers like Henrique the Navigator, Bartolomeu Dias, Pedro Álvares Cabral and Vasco da Gama, the country fast became very wealthy. During this period Portugal became a leading trading nation and experienced high levels of growth resulting in some fine 'Manueline' (late Portuguese Gothic) architecture incorporating maritime detail. But the disastrous earthquake of 1755 with it's severe damage to the capital wiped much of this away and marked a cardinal point in the slow decline of Portugal's trade and influence.

Although the Prime minister, Sebastião de Melo, later to become the Marquis of Pombal was the leading light in the rebuilding of Lisbon along farsighted, practical lines, he couldn't stop the slow decline of the country into poverty.

And when, during the Peninsular Wars, Napoleon Bonaparte's tyranny over-ran Europe, Portugal was where the British came to beat him on land; from the Duke of Wellington's defensive lines that take their names from the town of Torres Vedras the country is full of the memories of this conflict.

The early years of the twentieth century saw a global rise in tension, resulting in World War One; Portugal was firmly aligned with the Allies. Subsequently, weak governments and a revolution in 1926 resulted in the rise of Antonio de Oliveira Salazar. He remained in power, as a virtual dictator from 1932 until 1968

During the Second World War Portugal assumed a Neutral status, this resulted in Lisbon becoming a hotbed of intrigue as the Embassies and spies from the combatant countries vied for information, trade and raw materials from Portugal.

Despite alleged difficulties over the issue of Nazi-looted gold, Portugal became one of NATO's founding members, finally gaining admission to the United Nations 6 years later in 1955. During this and the next 20 years, Portugal's colonial policies, criticised both internally and internationally were to result in the revolution of 1974. Political, social and economic upheavals continued until 1986 when Portugal both joined the European Union and elected a civilian government, marking the beginning of a much more stable era.

Portugal has been at the forefront of renewable energy development in Europe in recent years, with roughly 20% of its energy coming from renewable sources. Recent initiatives include the opening of an enormous solar energy station in 2008 that powers 30,000 homes, numerous hydropower plants and a growing assortment of wind energy farms that bring green energy to over 750,000 households.

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Portugal Accommodation. Hotel Guide. Details

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Portugal Accommodation. Hotel Guide. Details
Travel tips for your trip to Portugal Hotel Maps Famous Places in Portugal helps you to make your trip to Portugal in the holiday a Splendid One




Hotels in Aveiro

Once you reach the quaint little Portuguese town of Aveiro, you will face no difficulty in finding an ideal accommodation base for yourself. There are a number of Hotels in Aveiro that comprise an extensive range of hotel types and categories. Hotels in Aveiro range from expensive luxury hotels to affordable budget hotels and everything in between.

Aveiro in Portugal is best known for its picturesque lagoon and is criss-crossed by a number of canals that serve as model waterways to enjoy a boat ride. Many colorfully painted moliceiro boats sail here and offer boat rides to visitors at very reasonable rates. Most of the Hotels in Aveiro offer a panoramic view of these canals and can also arrange for a boat ride for their guests upon their request. You can always enquire at the front desk of your hotel about the boat tours in Aveiro and other city attractions.

Some of the major attractions of this city are its numerous Cathedrals, some of which date back to 15th century, the Gothic cross, Misericórdia Church and São Bartolomeu Chapel and the 18th-century churches of Santo António and São Gonçalo. Another must visit site in Aveiro is its Regional Museum that is housed inside the ancient Convento de Jesus. Some Aveiro Hotels offer guided city tours to their guests, wherein they cover all the above mentioned places of interest.

Most Popular Hotels in Aveiro

Some of the top rated hotels in Aveiro are Best Western Hotel Imperial, Melia Ria, Mercure Aveiro, Hotel Arcada, Hotel da Barra, Afonso, Hotel as Americas, Quinta Do Eden, Hotel Moliceiro, Residencial Jose Estevao, Hotel Meia-Lua, Hotel Joao Padeiro and Casa do Sol Nascente. The warm hospitality, excellent services and high quality standards of these hotels have made them some of the most coveted lodging options in the city for both traveling businessmen and leisure tourists.

Many of these hotels in Aveiro offer a host of additional facilities to their guests in an attempt to win over their loyalty so that they return to the same address, the next time they come to this city.

Hotels in Coimbra


Coming to the beautiful and the exotic destination of Coimbra, you will never find any dearth of Hotels in Coimbra. There are large numbers of hotels in this city, awaiting your cordial presence to serve you with the best. You can make your base at any of these Coimbra Hotels to make your trip a successful one. All these hotels provide optimum comfort and pleasure to the guests. Large number of travelers from worldwide visits this place to enjoy the beauty of the place. To accommodate the growing number of travelers to this beautiful destination of Coimbra, wide array of Hotels in Coimbra have cropped up.

Accommodation in Coimbra can never be a problem in this place for the tourists. At this city, you can find a wide array of Coimbra Hotels to suit your taste, needs and budget. At your service, you can find wide range of hotels, which include 5 Star hotels, 4 star hotels, 3 star hotels, business hotels, budget hotels, cheap hotels, discount hotels and other categories of hotels. Some star hotels also offer a range of packages for the tourist. You can take advantage of the various honeymoon packages, sightseeing packages, business packages and many others.

All these Coimbra Hotels are designed to fit the needs of both the leisure travelers as well as the business travelers. It is because of the various facilities offered by the hotels, they are boarded by both the national as well as international travelers. Some of the major Hotels in Coimbra includes Monte Rio Aguieira Hotel, Hotel Oslo, Coimbra, Hotel Astoria Coimbra, Tivoli Coimbra, Braganca Hotel, Dona Ines, Best Western Hotel D. Luis, Hotel Quinta Das Lagrimas, Tivoli Coimbra, Mira Villas Aparthotel and many others.


The Hotels in Coimbra offer wide array of rooms that are complete with all modern facilities and services. The hotels also offer various business facilities to facilitate the corporate guests. For the smooth running of the business, the meeting rooms are properly equipped. Take advantage of these meeting rooms wherever available. The restaurants at the hotel will surely give you a gastronomical bliss. The recreational facilities and fitness facilities will keep you healthy and refreshed.


Hotels in Funchal

Hotels in Funchal are located amidst the fantastic locales of the country. All the hotels provide magnificent sea views. As Funchal is not very large, most hotels are located very close to the important landmarks of the place. A stay in the hotel is always an exercise in comforts. The amenities available in the Hotels in Funchal make a stay in these hotels quite comfortable and an altogether memorable experience.

Accommodation in Hotels in Funchal:

The hotels of Funchal have airy and spacious rooms and suites. The rooms are provided with good furnishings and useful furniture. The windows and balconies of almost all the hotels provide mind blowing views of the crystal clear waters of the Atlantic. The rooms of the hotel are well appointed with modern amenities. The suites are lavishly decorated. The interior of the suites can be compared to the royal grandeur of palaces. The room facilities available in one of the most renowned hotels of Funchal are:

Air conditioning
Telephone facility
Satellite color television
In room safe
Hair dryer

The suites of the hotels are well-equipped with kitchenette has and rooms include fridge, electric rings, crockery and cutlery. The bathrooms of the suites have a marble lay out boast of bath tub shower, hairdryer and make-up mirror. The suites also have double bed rooms and separate dining space. The seating area have sofas and arm chairs.

Dining in Hotels in Funchal:

Most hotels in Funchal have an in-house restaurant. The restaurants specialize in western and international dishes. The ambience of the restaurants of all the hotels in Funchal is very soothing. Many restaurants serve food on terraces with tables laid out for a grand view of the surroundings while dieting. All the hotels in Funchal also have a well stocked bar.

Business and Conference Facilities in Hotels in Funchal:

Many hotels in Funchal offer conference facilities. The conference hall is equipped with excellent facilities which ensure perfect meetings for the business class. The meeting rooms of the hotels are well equipped to conduct smooth meetings. Many hotels also offer banquet facilities.

Health and Recreation at Hotels in Funchal

All the hotels in Funchal offer excellent health facilities. These vary from availability of indoor and out door swimming pools to children’s pool. Sauna, steam bath facilities and massage rooms are available in many hotels. Games room along with libraries is also part of the hotels. Sporting facilities like tennis and football is also available.

Other Facilities in Hotels in Funchal:

All the hotels in Funchal provide the following facilities

Laundry services
24 hour front desk
Baby sitting facilities
Concierge facilities
Elevators