Hi!

I was in Portugal last week and was charged £1.00 for using the ATM and £1.77 commission each time I used my debit card at a Multi Banco ATM. They don't even tell you you will be charged this! So be aware. What I discovered on this trip is Portugal is not the UK. This does not only apply to their banks. If they can rob(well cheat really) you, many of them will. So always check for addition charges etc. and get a full quote for anything you plan to buy to avoid getting a shock at the end.

But all in all I had a good experience and made some very Portuguese friends Oh if you use the trams in Lisbon please please keep your wallets/purses secure. I saw pick-pockets in operation on two thirds of my tram journeys. One of the pick pockets was a visibly pregnant woman. :S

Best wishes to you all!
Beardie

I take it you were using a UK card. The charge is standard for all the banks now. Nationwide used not to charge for withdrawals within the EU but now they do. In fact Nationwide charge less for withdrawals outside the EU than the PT banks.

Yes, I was. Thanks for the heads-up. I'll have to sort myself a Pt bank account soon..

Yes a PT bank account is a good idea but also is a euro travel card. You buy these in the Uk say through FairFX . You know exactly what rate of exchange you are getting and they are cheap to use.

Hi HurstC,
Hope you are well. Thanks fro the heads-up on the Travel Euro Card. I'll look into it. I am still pressing on with Byki
Best wishes,
Beardie

Hello Blackbeardie. Yes I am very well thankyou. After spending June in the UK catching up with all my commitments I am returning to Portugal for 6weeks next week. If ever the budget airlines put up the costs of flights I do not know what I will do. I hope that you are enjoying being a jetsetter

Carol

Hi Carol,

Glad that you are well. I'm hardly what you'd call a jetsetter . I flew with TAP last time out, pricey but the service was good. I'll try and head back during winter. I want to see what it's liek then. I am sure you'll have a lovely 6 weeks, it was warming up nicely whilst I was there
Best wishes,
Beardie

Thanks this is quite useful!

As for the MB, well at least there are so many in Portugal I don't need to walk miles searching for one I also miss the fact that we can do everything online and in the Multi Banco

I applied to my Portuguese bank for a a debit card for two reasons:

1. Nationwide's decision to charge. Initially I was disgruntled but not seriously unhappy because it was cheaper than other cards, and I always used it on an "as required" basis rather than exchanging and keeping large sums of cash. However, I also forgot there were two charges, one for the foreign exchange plus one for each time it's used. That additional charge of course encouraged me to exchange large sums of cash to reduce the cost

2. Some businesses, including several restaurants, have become reluctant (i.e. refuse) to take non-PT cards.

I now make a great deal of use of my PT debit card, and only carry around small sums of money which I withdraw at no charge when I need it, so I'm a happy bunny again!

I also agree about keeping your wits about you in Lisbon. A couple of years ago a very attractive young lady stood very close to me on the metro, and fiddled around in the pockets of my shorts for several minutes, before I grabbed her as she made a dash to leave the train with my wallet. She dropped it and suddenly there were people all around me as she struggled, and I realized I was in a potentially dangerous situation. She may have had accomplices, and I could have found myself being accused of assault (or worse) and the person who picked up my wallet could have run off with it in the confusion. Luckily none of that happened, my wallet was returned to me and everyone was very sympathetic. Funny thing is, it was the only time I had the wallet in my shorts, instead of a bag, the whole time I was there - my ticket was in it, and I was only going a couple of stops. A lesson learned, however!

NOTE: The "fiddled around in the pockets of my shorts for several minutes" was my little fantasy, it is not true, and I hope nobody takes offence.

I had a similar experience in Madrid - having had my wallet nicked from my back pocket in Barcelona I always keep it in my side pocket with my hand on it or in my jacket pocket. This time in Madrid two attractive young ladies came towards me flapping a map and 'looking for directions'. Fortunately the second girl fumbled the snatch from my inside jacket pocket and dropped my wallet on the ground in full view. They then had the cheek to point out to me that I had dropped my wallet!!

Wow! It seems that the Spanish police/Authorities haven't nailed this problem 10 years on. Yes, these women are so bold, that it beggars belief.

Having a Portuguese bank account will be really useful as a lot of payments are done in Portugal via 'os multibancos' . A lot of retailers and government institutions e.g fisheries for fishing licences use the multibancos as their means of accepting payments. I guess in a way this is good as it moves the power away from Visa and Wall Street. But I am not sure whether Portuguese bankers are any more altruistic.