Area:
300 square miles

Time Zone:
Greenwich Mean Time plus one hour: Time in Lisbon is 5 hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time in New York. (6 hours ahead of central time in Chicago, etc.)

Area:
1000 sq. km (300 sq. miles)

International Dialing Code:
All numbers for Lisbon and the outskirts of the city begin with 21 and have 6 or 7 additional digits. The country code is 351. (use the country code only when calling Lisbon from another country). There are five different types of pay phones in Lisbon. Four use coins; one uses cards and one type uses both. Calling cards can be purchased at tobacco stores, post offices, news stands and Telecom outlets. For local directory inquiries dial 118. For long distance directory assistance, dial 098.

Emergency:
police: 346 61 41
fire: 342 22 22
ambulance 112.

Currency:
Portugal's currency is escudo($) (pronounced shkoo-doo) which is divided into 100 centavos.. The denominations of escudo bills are 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000 and 5,000. Amounts of money are usually expressed with the escudo sign written before the centavos, so 1,000 escudos and 0 centavos would be written as 1,000.00. However, 1,000.00 is usually referred to as a conto. Thus, 1,000.00 would be read as "one conto" and 12,000.00 would be called 12 contos.
It is advisable to carry bills and coins in small denominations in Lisbon, as merchants may be reluctant to change large bills when a purchase is made. At present and until July 1, 2002, Portuguese currency is still being accepted during the transition time following the introduction of euro currency... The easiest method of securing cash at the best exchange rate is to make withdrawals using a US credit card from the ATM machines found at the major banks and stores. As in the U.S., some banks charge a fee and a transaction tax, so check with the banks to find the best value.

Customs Regulations:
Telephone Tourist information at 346 33 14 for information. Daily. 9-8.

Lisbon has an Atlantic climate with some Mediterranean influence. The result is that sunny days prevail even during the winter. The weather is pleasant throughout the year.

Email retrieval:
Internet Web Café 12, Rua do Diário de Noticias, 1200 Open daily 2pm-2am.

Useful measurements:
1 cm - 0.39 inches
1 meter - 3.28 feet / 1.09 yards
1 km - 0.62 miles
1 liter - 0.26 gallons
1 inch - 2.54 cm
1 foot - 0.39 meters
1 yard - 0.91 meters
1 mile - 1.60 km
1 gallon - 3.78 liters

National Holidays:
Jan. 1 - New Year's Day
Feb. (date varies) - Carnaval
Good Friday (date varies - March or April)
April 25 - Dia 25 de Abril (commemorationg 1974 revolution)
June 6 - Feast of Corpus Christi
June 10 - Camões Day
August 15 - Feast of the Assumption
October 5 - Republic Day
November 1 - All Saints' Day
December 1 - Dia da Restauracão (commemorating independence from Spain, 1640)
December 8 - Feast of the Immaculate Conception
December 25 - Christmas Day

Public rest rooms:
Restrooms are difficult to find in most places. Men's rooms are marked H and women's are marked S.

Electricity:
The electrical current in Portugal is 220 volts, 50 cycle AC, and outlets are two round prongs. American appliances will need a plug adapter and will require a transformer if they do not have a dual voltage capability.

Visitors with disabilities:
Portugal is attempting to accommodate the needs of travelers with disabilities, but so far progress has been slow. Telephone 213-632-044 two days in advance to reserve disabled parking spaces. Contact Secretariado Nacional de Rehibilitacão Avenue Conde de Valbom 63, 1000 Lisbon telephone: 217-936-517 for information in Portuguese regarding transportation facilities and Lisbon access.

Children:
Children under 4 travel free on Portuguese railways and children 4-12 pay half price. Adults over 60 receive a 30% discount.

How to get around:
Lisbon is well equipped in the area of public transportation which is run by the state owned company, Carris. The easiest way to get around Lisbon is by the metropolitano (subway) which runs daily from 6:30am-1:00am. Transportation maps are available at subway stations. Tickets can be purchased for a single ride, in sets of 10 or as a 7 day pass. Tickets are available at the stations and from tobacconists and must be validated in a machine in the station before boarding. It is also necessary to have the ticket available at the end of the journey. The best buy is a Lisboa card which is valid for 1-3 days and can be used interchangeably on the subway, bus and rail service to some destinations as well as for admission to museums. Tourist passes for 4-7 days are also available. Either can be purchased at Carris kiosks at Praca da Figueira, Elevador de Santa Justa or Sete Rios. Buses run daily from 6:30am-midnight. Trolleys (eléctricos) are a very pleasant way to travel, but they operate only in a limited area of the city. Funiculars and elevator cars are a popular means of getting from the river level to the upper parts of the city. It is more expensive to travel by bus than by metro (on a single ticket), but the buses cover the most territory They have frequent stops, making them more accessible to tourist attractions. Tickets can be purchased in books of ten at half price.

For information in English:
21 363 20 44

Transportation Links:
Buses

Ferries:
Ferries run by Transtejo link the city with the south side of the Tagus and offer magnificent views of Lisbon. 5am-10pm every 15 minutes. Ferries also run from Belém to Trafaria where passengers can catch buses to the beaches at Caparica. Daily 7am-9pm.

Taxis:
Taxis can be hailed from the street or, for an additional cost, called on the telephone. An illuminated green light on the roof indicates that the cab is available. One green light means that the taxi is charging normal rates; when two green lights are lit, a higher weekend and public holiday rate is being charged.

Air Travel:
Flights arrive at Portela de Sacavém International Airport which is only 4 miles northeast of the city. Express bus #91 shuttles between downtown and the terminal. 7am-9pm every 20 minutes. Taxis are also available around the clock. The trip takes 15-20 minutes depending on traffic. There is an extra charge for luggage.

Note: Traffic drives on the right side of the road in Portugal. Driving in the city center is not advised. There are few parking places (though large underground car parks are being added); traffic signs and warnings (including many one-way notices) are not clearly displayed. Local drivers can be intimidating, and police, while helpful with directions, etc. are strict in applying the rules and will ticket violators. Confusion will not serve as an excuse to avoid a fine. Some roads have three lanes, further adding to the confusion. There is an excellent system of public transportation that is usually preferred over driving by visitors.