When considering buying property abroad, one of the first concerns is how you will get there. And, once you are there, how easy it will be to travel home again, to visit friends or relatives.
There are a number of airlines which fly from the UK to Portugal, including British Airways, Monarch, MyTraveLite, and Flybe, among others. Flights from the UK to Portugal are fairly cheap, and are usually available for less than £50. Portugal national airline is TAP Air Portugal (TP). A flight from the UK to Portugal will generally take around two and a half hours, although this can very depending on the specific airports you are flying to and from.
Portugal’s main airports are in Lisbon, Faro and Porto. From the Portela de Sacavem in Lisbon, buses run from the airport to the city centre and major railway stations. The Portela de Sacavem is located approximately 4.5 miles outside of Lisbon. Taxis are available for your journey to the city, with a 20% surcharge between 9pm and 6am. Faro airport is located 3 miles west of the city of Faro, and buses link the airport with different parts of the city. Taxis are also available. Oporto Sá Carneiro airport, located approximately 7 miles outside of Porto. Underground trains, buses and taxis are available.
It’s also possible to reach Portugal by ferry. The main ports are Lisbon, Leixões in Porto, Funchal in Madeira and Portimão in the Algarve. All are served by major cruise lines.
Travelling to Portugal by rail may be another option, especially if you wish to visit properties in a number of countries. Travelling on the Eurostar through the channel tunnel to Paris will take around two hours and forty minutes, and from Paris there are a number of European train routes which can take you through Spain and into Portugal. There are a number of cheap rail passes available to citizens of countries within the EU, such as the Global Pass or One Country pass.
Finally, it is also possible to transport your own car to Europe by ferry, either travelling straight to one of Portugal’s harbours or entering France or Spain first and travelling across their borders. As a general rule you will need to have a driver’s license issued by an EU member country, as well as some other forms of ID and documentation. It is worth checking out the specific requirements for driving in and transporting a car into whichever countries you wish to travel through.