Iwan2go

We’re planning a trip to Sintra and Lisbon in a few months, and usually withdraw some cash when we arrive in country. However, Bank of America doesn’t have a formal relationship in Portugal like they do in France/UK/Italy, where we’ve used ATMs at BNP Paribas, Barclay’s, etc.

I have some Euros saved from a prior trip but don’t know if most restaurants and stores accept credit cards (the hotels are covered already). What would you suggest? Purchase some Euros here prior to leaving, pay the additional fee at a non-BofA partner ATM, or something else.

Thank you so much for sharing your experience.

Maribel

Iwan2go,
With rare exceptions, bars, restaurants and stores readily accept credit cards. We use our credit cards for practically all purchases to avoid the ATM fees.

scrb11

Haven’t been to Portugal.

some smaller places may not take credit cards or prefer cash to avoid card fees that merchants pay.

might be a good idea to open an account at another institution to have flexibility with ATMs.

one of the best cards for ATMs is the Schwab debit card where they refund you all ATM fees at the end of each month.

my Schwab Investor Checking account doesn’t have any maintenance fees though I keep about $1000. I transfer funds there before trips and then use their debit cards for atm withdrawals.

janisj

You will likely want a little cash but most places will take cards. No need to pre-purchase € or open another bank account. Just use any ATM you find while out and about. Be sure to not fall for the 'dynamic currency conversion' where the machine offers the 'convenience' of charging your account in $. That is a rip off. Have the machine calculate the withdrawal in €. Or -- you can just buy $100 worth of € at your departure airport.

Either way the small amount you'll be charged isn't worth jumping through hoops. Would be different if you needed hundreds or thousands of €

mlgb

I don't think you will need more cash at all if you have some leftover Euros. I can't recall anyone that didn't take a credit card, certainly not a sit down restaurant nor the Metro. If there was, it would have been something miniscule or possibly a museum (which you can research ahead of time). Or in the event that their computer network is down, but I bet they'd take some USD cash in that case.

You can even Uber in Portugal on your existing account.

At many airports you can pay in USD and get local currency back in change. Can't swear that it would work in Portugal, but I did that in Barcelona at the beginning of that trip. It does avoid some of the often hefty airport ATM fees. No way would I do it at a departure US Airport, which are usually the worst exchange rates anywhere.

BTW the Lisbon Metro station is a good place to buy a card if you are going that route. Not all of the small stations are staffed 24/7 and the vending machines can be problematic.

scrb11

I agree in general you don't need as much cash. On some recent trips, I've hit the ATM maybe once or twice in two weeks, withdrawing 50 Euros at a time.

I have booked some vacation rentals where they ask for cash though, so unless you go through Airbnb all the time, the landlord may ask for cash.

Iwan2go

Thank you all so much! It helps to know that most places accept credit cards (we usually eat at sit-down restaurants so that should work out fine). I do remember the dynamic conversion trap but the reminder is appreciated! I have about 250E so maybe that will be just fine for the trip; if not I’ll try a non-network ATM and pay the small fee.

mlgb

I assume that the OP knows already how they are paying for lodgings. I stayed at smaller places, not big chains and all of them took credit cards.

You will have lots of Euros left over!

janisj

"I have about 250E so maybe that will be just fine for the trip; "

Oh -- heck -- if you have that much € cash that's probably all you'll need. If you go crazy and start throwing cash around willy nilly then you can hit an ATM as needed.

Iwan2go

hahaha thanks Janisj, good to know.

Yes, we’ve reserved hotels with credit cards. I was thinking more like cabs, smaller stores and markets, places like that. Sounds like we’ll be fine. Thanks everyone.

mlgb

Uber probably works better than cabs in Lisbon. I did use a cab in Sintra and can't remember how I paid, probably cash.

Maribel

Some taxis accept credit cards but not all. Most all you need to know about the current lisbon taxi scene can be found here:

https://lisbonlisboaportugal.com/lis...axi-guide.html

And uber,as referenced above, works in Lisbon, Cascais, Sintra and Porto, at least it has for us.

scrb11

Do Ubers pick up and drop off at LIS airport?

Maribel

Yes, but they need to be picked up in a different area rather than where passengers catch licensed taxis.

Iwan2go

We are going directly to Sintra for a few nights from the airport, and I was planning to book a transfer. We land around 6:00pm. Would you recommend that, and if so, any company you have used?

scrb11

Do you plan to have a car in Sintra and Lisbon?

I haven't been to Portugal yet but when I planned a trip, it looked like the best place to rent a car was at the airport.

But there also appears to be train service to Sintra as well.

Iwan2go

No, scrub, we’ll use the train to get from Sintra to Lisbon (those are the only two places we are going).

scrb11

No Cabo da Roca?

Cascais?

Iwan2go

I don’t think so, scrb, at least not now. We don’t want to rent a car, and only have one full day in Sintra, then six in Lisbon. But I will look into it! 👍

mlgb

A car in Sintra isn't a great idea.