Why Rent?Not everybody is in an immediate position to purchase property. You may well have taken the decision to move to Portugal, and may possibly be imminently homeless if you have sold or rented out your own house in the UK. You may be sent to work in Portugal, or wish to move there to try your luck in the marketplace before settling on a more permanent basis. In any case, even if you are desperate to buy something, it is very worthwhile visiting on a number of occasions to check out locations and conditions at different times of the year.
There are various options for short-to-medium stays, from guest houses, to local lets, and in the Algarve, the more typical holiday let, which can be from a couple of
weeks to a few months. Your location will dictate what there is on offer, and to what degree you will need a working knowledge of the language in order to sign up to rental agreements. In the Algarve, for example, you will be able to get by with very little Portuguese, even for many of the private lets, whereas in the north or central regions, you may struggle to understand what is being offered and what are your rights and responsibilities. Having said that, on the whole, if you go through an estate agent, you will usually find someone who can speak English.
It is worth thinking about using a combination of different accommodations to start with. You might, for example, spend some time in a guest house, then find a short holiday let, and possibly then a longer let whilst you weigh up your longer-term options. Some people may just never manage to buy their own property (and with prices in the Algarve pushing ever upwards, that may well be true of a large number of visitors now), and may look on renting as the only means of having their desired life out there.
Hotels And Guest Houses
The range of commercial places to stay in Portugal rates from the ludicrously cheap, basic B&B (particularly away from the tourist areas), through a whole gamut of standard 1–5 star hotels and guest houses, right up to luxurious venues with price tags to match. Here is a general guide to accommodation in Portugal:
My husband and I once did a three-week train journey in northern Portugal, in August (peak season), just booking into guest houses as we arrived at wherever we decided to stop off for a night or two. We had a couple of nights in fairly grotty accommodation in Oporto (near the station and as it turned out a veritable passing point for a number of ladies and their partners for the day!), and in another couple of last-ditch places, as it was too hot to spend time
tramping around. These cost us only about £6 each a night so it didn’t really bother us. The most we spent (as a treat), was for a magnificent room with an en-suite as big as you can imagine, in a beautifully restored 19th century town centre property, up in the far reaches of the Douro valley, with a breakfast to keep you going for a week, all at a price of £21 each!
Our average nightly spend over the journey, for what were, generally speaking, very clean, well-kept rooms in friendly surroundings, was about £12 each. So, if you are on a tight budget, you can still eke out a good stay for a reasonable outlay, provided you look around and avoid main tourist hotspots.
One thing to remember in town centres is that many guest houses are situated on third and fourth floors above shops and other premises; therefore if you do not look for signs above you in the street, you may well miss some bargains. Don’t be put off by grubby entrances – often when you get up to the establishment, it is actually quite decent. On the other hand, you may just have picked the local knocking shop! You can usually tell by the types of clientele sloping around at different times of the day. You can always walk back out, or just spend a single night there (which can often be an experience in itself!).
Many of the main guide books to Portugal list ranges of accommodation to suit all budgets; try the Rough Guide, Dorling Kindersley, AA Guides, Michelin, etc. You can also request lists of hotels from the Portuguese Tourist Information Office: Tel: 020-7494-5720, and email tourism@portugaloffice.org.uk
Websites to check out:
www.ehstravel.co.uk
www.pousadas.pt
www.roteiro-campista.pt
www.pousadasjuventude.pt
Plus see Directory for more.
Most tourist information offices will book accommodation for you, and help you find something specific to your requirements. If it is high season, and they are busy, be prepared for a wait. See page 247 for a list of regional offices.
Another good-value option is to use some of the quality campsites around the country, especially if you are just aiming to get a feel for a region. From 2007, Eurocamp offers family holidays in the Silver Coast area in quality chalets. A family can stay for seven nights for as little as £245. Details from: Tel: 0870 336 7552. www.eurocamp.co.uk