Currency exchange offices in Portugal. Currency of Portugal. Where to change money in Lisbon

Portugal is a member state of the European Union. The monetary unit is the euro, equal to 100 euro cents.

Until January 1, 2002, Portugal's cash currency was escudos, equal to 100 centavs. The nominal series of the national currency of Portugal was represented by banknotes in denominations of 500, 1000, 2000, 5000 and 10,000 escudos.

Portuguese word escudo means shield. The same word denoted monetary units in the former Portuguese colonies - Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Macau, Mozambique, Cape Verde Islands, Sao Tome and Principe, East Timor. Currently, only Cape Verdean escudos remain in use.

In 1854, the gold standard and currency unit milreis, divided into 1000 flights, with a gold content of 1.62585. After the liquidation of the monarchy, on May 22, 1911, instead of milreis, an escudo with the same gold content was introduced.

During the First World War, the escudo depreciated sharply. In 1924, exchange controls were established. Since June 9, 1931, as a result of the devaluation of the escudo by 96%, its gold content dropped to 0.066567 g of pure gold. On September 22, 1949, the escudo was devalued again.

Since March 19, 1973, the exchange rate of the escudo against the US dollar began to fluctuate without limiting the limits of its changes. Since August 25, 1977, the escudo exchange rate has been set on the basis of a basket of currencies.

Escudo banknotes depict notable figures from Portuguese history. The final series of banknotes is dedicated to the Age of Discovery, with portraits of: Joao de Barros (historian and writer), Pedro Alvares Cabral (the navigator who discovered Brazil), Bartolomeu Dias de Novaisa (the navigator who discovered the Cape of Good Hope), Vasco da Gama (the navigator who who reached India for the first time by sea) and Henry the Navigator.

Escudo banknotes can be exchanged at the Central Bank of Portugal and converted into euros until February 28, 2022.

Today in Portuguese shops, cafes and entertainment centers Euros are calculated. Although the history of money in Portugal is much older than the introduction of the euro into circulation upon joining the European Union. What do we know about national currency Portugal?

Portuguese money: historical background

After the revolutionary year of 1911, the escudo currency came into circulation among the Portuguese. One escudo was then equivalent to 100 reals, and replaced them as a constant currency until the introduction of the euro in 2002.

The new monetary unit was distributed not only in Portugal itself, but also in the country’s colonies. The denomination of the banknotes was as follows:

• 1, 2, and 5 escudos;
• 10, 20, and 50 escudos;
• 100, 500 and 1000 escudos.

The final series of paper money was decorated with portraits of historical figures who had accomplished great things. geographical discoveries. Di Barros, Cabral, Dias and da Gama were chosen to grace the latest editions of the escudo.

Later, a 5,000 escudo banknote appeared in circulation. The coins of this currency were called centavos. Escudos and centavos were issued in both “iron” and paper equivalents.

Euro in Portugal today

Having joined the European Union, Portugal launched money circulation new currency– euro. Now the coins there are euro cents, and banknotes are equivalent to money in all EU countries.

Tourists note that prices for housing, food and entertainment in Portuguese lands are significantly lower than in all of Europe.

Cards are accepted almost everywhere in Portugal. Tips are usually included in the bill, and ATMs are found in all major establishments in big cities.

The most favorable exchange rates for foreign currencies can be found in state banks and large exchange offices. It is also profitable to exchange money at Portuguese airports, as in banks.

The country's central banking institutions are open from 9 am to 3 pm. IN holidays they serve customers until 12 noon. Sometimes in small state markets and in small shops dollars are accepted for payment.

Portugal is a country where tourists feel great. There are many ancient attractions in the Portuguese territories, and hotels with a good number of stars have truly European service. Arriving in Portugal, it is enough to have some cash in euros; all other payments can be made by bank card, even in rural areas.

For almost sixteen years now local currency In Portugal the euro is considered the euro. As in any other European country, you can use any euro coins and banknotes issued either in Portugal or in another Eurozone country.

What money should I take with me?

For those who prefer to pay in cash, I would advise buying euros in Russia and traveling with them, so as not to run around and look for an exchanger that is ready to accept rubles. I remember that on our very first trip to Portugal we tried to exchange rubles for euros in , it was not easy: the banks did not accept our domestic currency, but in the end we found an exchange office near the Sau Bento station (this is the same famous one with luxurious azulejos ), where they changed money for us.

If you have a supply of dollars, then in principle you can travel with them, there will be no problems with the exchange. But deliberately changing rubles into dollars at home in order to later buy euros with them is, of course, pointless and unprofitable.

Where can I change money?

If you are still determined to bring currency other than the euro, then you should contact either banks or exchange offices.

• banks, as a rule, are open from 8.30 to 15.00 on weekdays, closed on weekends, in the capital some branches open in the evening - from 18.00 to 23.00, but you will have to look;
• exchangers work from morning to evening and, as a rule, seven days a week.

The rate is usually more favorable in banks; commission is charged in both places, but in exchange offices it is usually slightly lower.

Bank cards

Most travelers prefer to use a card when abroad. This method also seems convenient to me, especially if the bank offers a more or less decent rate.

Credit and debit cards They are accepted almost everywhere, even in small towns in shops and restaurants you can pay with a card without any problems. Difficulties can arise in very tiny shops, taxis and public toilets. Therefore, it is better to have some change and some large cash with you.

You can withdraw money from any ATM; as a rule, they are transferred to different languages(English is always available), I didn’t notice any fundamental differences in using ATMs, so I think it will be easy to figure out. A touching detail: many ATMs in Portugal have a nice interface with all sorts of cute characters who tell you what to do next.

Please note that some banks charge a fee for withdrawing cash abroad, so it is best to check with your bank before traveling.

In addition, some banks require you to first open access to the card from the country you are traveling to; it is better to do this before leaving, otherwise you will spend a lot of money on telephone conversations with the bank.

Money transfers and precautions

On one of our trips, we had an unpleasant experience: just before leaving Spain for Portugal, our wallet was stolen in Madrid, which contained almost all the cash we had and every single card. It’s an idiotic situation, and, of course, the fact that we were young and stupid doesn’t even justify us.

Then our parents helped us with money - they sent us an instant transfer, to receive which you only need a passport and a transfer number. Thus, we can say that similar translations exist in Portugal and work great.

While I was shedding tears at the Lisbon airport, my mother blocked all my cards. As a result, nothing was taken from our cards, and we got away with about a hundred euros.

But that experience taught us several important lessons:

Traveler's checks

I have never used traveler's checks and, to be honest, I do not personally know people who have used them. But if you suddenly buy them, then in Portugal everything is quite simple with them: they can be cashed in every bank, all you need is a passport. True, as experienced travelers in this matter write, banks charge a decent commission.

Portugal – how much money to take for a vacation and how much did a trip to Portugal for a week in October 2017 cost me.

Portugal is a very pleasant country for inexpensive travel. Food prices are low here, and housing is on average cheaper than in other European countries. In addition, Portugal has free beaches, natural beauty and stunning ocean views.

All calculations are given for one person at the average rate of 1 euro = 70 rubles.

Plane tickets to Portugal

The first step was to plan the route and buy tickets for Cologne-Porto and Lisbon-Hamburg with Ryanair.

Today you can fly to Cologne from Russia very cheaply using the services of Pobeda airline. Just be sure to read the airline rules to avoid unpleasant situations and unnecessary expenses - low-cost airlines are strict about this.

According to my plan, I was moving from Porto to Lisbon. I compared all the options and prices and came to the conclusion that the best way to get from Porto to Lisbon is to buy train tickets in advance.

Find detailed price comparisons and instructions for buying cheap tickets from Lisbon to Porto.

• train ticket Porto-Lisbon: 9.5€.

How much money to take for travel on public transport

In both Porto and Lisbon, to pay for travel on public transport you need to buy a travel card (0.5-0.6 €), and then put money on it or buy travel tickets.

• travel to Porto: 2.55 € (card + trip from the airport) + 4.15 € (24-hour pass) = 6.7 €;
• travel in Lisbon: 5.5 € (card + 1 metro trip + Cascais round-trip) + 5 € (1 metro trip + Sintra round-trip) + 6.15 € (24-hour pass) = 16.65 €.

Intercity travel (from Porto to Lisbon): 9.5€ (665₽).

City transport (Porto+Lisbon): 23.35€ (1635₽).

How much money do you need for housing in Portugal?

As I already noted, you don’t need a lot of money for housing in Portugal. It all depends, of course, on personal preferences and the required level of comfort, but on average, housing prices here are quite pleasant.

• in Porto, a room on Airbnb near the center using a bonus, 3 nights: 2410₽
• in Lisbon, a bed in a 3-bed female room with breakfast in the City Hostel Lisbon, 4 nights (1000₽ discount on booking.com): 4100₽
  • Find best price for housing in Lisbon you can

Can return 1000 rubles, having booked accommodation on Booking using my link.

In this city great amount, it’s just nice to walk along it. Therefore, I personally don’t see any point in buying a tourist card in Porto.

• boat trip: 10€;
• Serralves Museum and Park: 10€.

Entertainment in Porto = 20€ (1400₽).

If you plan to visit a lot of museums and similar establishments in Lisbon, it is better to purchase a Lisboa card. First, I advise you to familiarize yourself with my selection, where you will also find a calculation of how profitable it is to buy a Lisboa card.

• park in Sintra: 6€.

Entertainment in Lisbon = 6€ (420₽).

Total money for entertainment in Portugal (Porto + Lisbon): 26 € (1820₽).

To be honest, I'm a little shocked. 🙂 After all, before writing the article, I didn’t even think that I had to pay so rarely for entry tickets in Portugal. At the same time, I was not bored at all and was on the move all the time!

How much money do you need for food in Portugal?

I didn’t have any problems with food in Portugal at all! Cheap and tasty.

I deliberately did not write a general figure, but described what the amounts were made up of. Smaller numbers mean trips to the supermarket, higher numbers mean trips to restaurants.

• food in Porto: 5€ + 0.22€ + 4.14€ + 1.5€ +1.9€ + 8€ + 4.5€ + 1.52€ = 26.78€
• food in Lisbon: 1.96€ + 7.2€ + 1.94€ + 11€ + 1.54€ + 11.15€ + 13€ + 6.91€ = 54.7€

Cost of food in Portugal for a week: 81.48€ (5700₽).

A trip to Portugal for a week cost me 21,770₽

So how much money should you take to Portugal? For 7 days in Portugal, I spent approximately 142 € (9940), another 93 € (6510 RUR) for housing, and the cost of plane tickets from Europe and back was 76 € (5320 RUR).

A trip to Portugal for a week cost me 21,770 rubles turnkey (including housing and air tickets)! And, believe me, the impressions from such a trip are much greater than from reclining on the territory of a hotel in Turkey or Thailand.

Thus, the cost of staying in Portugal for one person was approximately 2,350 rubles per day (including accommodation). Naturally than more people travels, the lower the average cost per day will be due to lower housing costs.

– the search engine will select and compare everything possible options moving between cities.

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I hope now you have an idea of ​​how much money you need in Portugal and what the price level is in Lisbon and Porto. If the article was interesting to you, please share it with your friends on social networks using the special button below.

Happy travels!

Since 2002, Portugal has been part of the EU. The European Union has a common currency for all states - the euro. Therefore, today the current Portuguese currency is similar to all other European countries. Previously, escudos were the currency in circulation in Portuguese territories. This currency was in use until all other money was replaced by the euro.

History of currency in Portugal

Only 1 escudo once consisted of 1000 reais. After the Portuguese revolution in 1911, the change of money was officially recognized. The escudo, as the new Portuguese currency, has experienced several inflations and denomination changes. So, after a sharp drop in the exchange rate, coins of 0.50 and 0.25 escudo were removed from circulation.

Today, the escudo still exists in monetary circulation. The currency is preserved in Cape Verde.

Since the escudo did not fit into the plan for Portugal to join the European Union, since 1999 such money began to be gradually exchanged for the euro.

Euro and eurocents in Portugal

Euros are represented in Portugal in the following denominations:

• And 100 euros.

There are also banknotes of 200 and 500 euros. Coins in Portugal range in denomination from 1 euro cent to 2 euros. Since all EU money is the same on the front side, countries have the opportunity to decorate only the inside of the coins.

Portugal eurocents are decorated with an inscription with the name of the country, as well as engravings of ancient castles.

Reals, escudos and centavos are no longer accepted for exchange, but all other current currencies are easily exchanged throughout Portugal.

Features of money circulation

A foreign tourist can find a favorable exchange rate at the airport. It is also profitable to exchange your native currency for the euro at state banks in Portugal. Any tourist can bring no more than 10,000 euros into the country at a time without a declaration.

When exchanging money in Portugal, it is advised to pay attention to the commission charged by the intermediary. It is believed that the lowest fees for money exchange are charged at the exchange offices of each Portuguese airport.

Cards are widely accepted for payment in Portugal. Thanks to the financial reform of the European Union, the Portuguese can finally say with confidence that their economy has emerged from a protracted crisis and acquired long-awaited stability. Sometimes in Portuguese stores you can find the option of paying in dollars, but this option is very rare and is not in demand.