Details

Frequently Asked Questions

Please click here to go to our general FAQ, which has essential information that applies to all of our programs.

Resources to Learn & Teach about Portugal

Visit our recommended reading page to see the list of books GEEO recommends reading before your program (this is not required reading). We also have lesson plans and Pinterest boards that may be useful for you as you learn about your destination and prepare to bring lessons back to your classroom.

Terms and Conditions

It is very important for you to visit our Terms and Conditions page before signing up for this program.

Cancellation policy

All cancellations must be submitted to GEEO in written form by emailing your request for cancellation to travel@geeo.org. If you do not receive a confirmation that we have received your written cancellation request, please call us at 1-877-600-0105. Verbal cancellation requests will not be honored.

• If you cancel 60 days or more prior to departure, all your program fee payments will be refunded besides your $350 deposit which is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel between 30 and 59 days prior to departure, you will receive a 50% refund and your deposit is kept on file for future use
• If you cancel within 30 days of departure, you will receive no refund, but your deposit is kept on file for future use

Trip Notes

1. ORIENTATION WALKS: The orientation walking tours on this trip are often on cobblestone roads at steep grades and can last several hours. Feel free to opt-out of these walking tours, if you wish to move at a slower pace. In some cases, on the other side of the coin, they may move a bit too slow for you. If you have a map, a travel app, or a guidebook, feel free to go off on your own. GEEO wants you to have the experience you desire, and sometimes that means separating yourself from the group.
2. GUIDES: In Europe, all guiding is based around local guides, all of whom are licensed to work only in a particular city. As such, our leaders are able to provide orientation walks that will show you the layout of each town and city, as well as the location of local services such as post offices and laundromats, but are unable legally to share historical facts and figures in public places. Your tour leader will be able to help you find a local guided tour in each location if you would like one.
3. LUGGAGE: In Europe it is very rare to find elevators in train stations, hotels or other public places. We use public transport on this trip, which means you will need to carry your luggage from platform to platform, in and out of trains and buses etc. and also possibly up several flights of stairs. You will also need to be able to stow your luggage safely on trains and buses. It is therefore essential that you pack light and bring luggage which is compact and lightweight, and which you can easily transport. The carrying of your luggage remains your responsibility at all times.

Group Leader Description

All GEEO/G Adventures group trips are accompanied by one of G Adventure’s group leaders, which they refer to as Chief Experience Officers (CEO). The aim of the group leader is to take the hassle out of your travels and to help you have the best trip possible. They will provide information on the places you are traveling through, offer suggestions for things to do and see, recommend great local eating venues, and introduce you to our local friends. Our itineraries often have plenty of free time to explore on your own. While not being guides in the traditional sense, you can expect them to have a broad general knowledge of the countries visited on the trip, including historical, cultural, religious, and social aspects. We also use local guides where we think more specific knowledge will add to the enjoyment of the places we are visiting – we think it’s the best of both worlds.

Fitness Level

This trip includes light walking and hiking that is suitable for most fitness levels. In the cities, you can split apart from the group to go at your own pace.

Single Travelers

Half of the people that travel with GEEO are traveling by themselves, so please don’t worry if you have no one who can join you on your trip. Our pricing is based on double occupancy or, in other words, two people to a room. You never have to pay for a single room unless you want one. GEEO can find you a roommate of the same gender. Most of our trips have a “My Own Room” option, also known as a “Single Supplement,” which is an extra fee that will allow you to have a room to yourself. If you want to room alone, please email travel@geeo.org. To see the price for the “My Own Room” option, please click here where you can look up your trip in the extra services spreadsheet.

Joining Instructions

Day 1 is an arrival day, and no activities have been planned. Hotel check-in time will be in the afternoon. Once you arrive at the hotel, look for a note at reception from your tour leader. This note will give the details of your Welcome Meeting on Day 1, usually between 6:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., at which you will get a chance to meet your tour leader and other travelers, as well as learn more about how the tour will run. If you don’t see a note, please ask reception for details! If you miss the Welcome Meeting, your tour leader will leave a note at reception for you with any information you may need and with instructions for the next morning. When you arrive at the airport you can either take a taxi or use public transportation. Via Taxi A taxi costs €20 EUR during the hours of 7:00 am to 9:00 pm from Lisbon Airport to Lisbon City Center. During the hours of 9:00 pm to midnight, the cost is €25 EUR. Journey time should be roughly 20 minutes, give or take. Note that prices are estimates only. A surcharge can apply on weekends, bank holidays, and per piece of luggage. *If you need a taxi in order to visit the city during your stay, you can ask the hotel how much it should cost and then deal with the driver. This way, no bad surprises occur with less-than-honest drivers! Via Aerobus Shuttles run every 20 minutes, every day of the week, from 7:45 am to 8:15 pm. The Aerobus (Carris n. 91) runs between the Airport and the city center. Tickets can be purchased on board. Fare is €1.20 EUR for one ride, €3.10 EUR per 1-day ticket, and €2 EUR for a 1-day TAP Voucher. Journey time is roughly a 35-40 minute ride. Use Google Maps to figure out where you should get off the bus. We often use Residencial Florescente hotel. If that is the case, get off the bus at the “Restauradores” stop. Cross the square to the red “Correios” (post-office) building and take the street next to it. This will lead you directly to Rua Portas de Santo Antão. Turn left and you will find the hotel on your left.

Emergency Contacts

Should you need to contact G Adventures during a situation of dire need, it is best to first call their local G Adventures office. If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, so they may return your call and assist you as soon as possible. EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS G Adventures UK office (Weekdays 9:00 a.m.-5:30 p.m. GST) +44 20 7243 9870 For absolute emergencies after office hours please contact: +44 7817 262 559 If you are unable for any reason to contact the local office, please call the numbers listed below, which will connect you directly with the 24-hour Sales team, who will happily assist you. Toll-free, North America only: 1 888 800 4100 Calls from UK: 0344 272 0000 Calls from Germany: 0800 365 1000 Calls from Australia: 1300 796 618 Calls from New Zealand: 0800 333 307 Outside North America, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and the UK: +1 416 260 0999 If for any reason you do not receive an immediate answer, please leave a detailed message and contact information, and your call will be returned as soon as possible.

Packing List

Please read this article on GEEO’s blog for our staff’s suggestions on the best gear to pack for your upcoming travels. You must be prepared to carry your own bags and be comfortable carrying them up and down stairs, on and off transportation, and to hotels. As a rule, we try not to have to walk more than 15-20 minutes with your bags, which is why we recommend keeping the weight of your bags between 22-30 lb. Most travelers carry a backpack or rolling bag of small to medium size. No XXL bags, please! A daypack is also essential for carrying everyday items. Space is limited on transportation, so there is a limit of one main piece of luggage per person plus a daypack per person. Health & Safety (Required!)

• N95/KN95 Face masks (At least three per week)
• Hand sanitizer
• Pen (Please bring your own pen for filling out documents.)
• Quick Covid Test/Antigen Tests (At least 5, and for longer trips, 3 per week of travel)

Suggested Checklist

• Raincoat and/or umbrella
• Personal clothing for warm to hot weather (lows in the 50’s, highs in the 60’s) – we recommend packing 7 days of outfits so you don’t have to laundry
• Sturdy walking shoes
• Daypack
• Sunblock
• Sunglasses
• Sun hat
• Water bottle
• Watch or alarm clock
• Toiletries – Important: Some hotels do not give you soap and shampoo
• Camera
• First-aid kit, including: lip salve, aspirin, bandaids, anti-histamine, Dramamine, Imodium or similar tablets for mild cases of diarrhea, electrolyte powder, insect repellent, extra prescription drugs you may be taking

Optional Checklist

• Travel pillow
• Money belt
• Phone/Tablet for internet – most hotels have WiFi
• Chargers for electronics as well converters/adapters, if needed
• AirTags or Tile trackers
• Packing cubes
• Earplugs
• Snacks – packing a few granola bars is a good idea; you can also buy snacks when you get there too, so don’t go crazy here
• Ziplock bags
• Reading/writing material
• Hand sanitizer/Baby wipes
• Light fleece top

Document Checklist

• Passport (with photocopies)
• Travel insurance (with photocopies)
• Airline tickets (with photocopies)
• EUR/USD cash
• Credit or debit card
• G Adventures vouchers, pre-departure information, and dossier
• Any entry visas or vaccination certificates required
• GEEO Classroom action plans for your group – this is sent 10-30 days before departure

Laundry

Laundry facilities are sometimes offered by the hotels. You can also use a local laundromat if need be.

Passports and Visas

All GEEO trips require that the participant have a valid passport. Please see our general FAQ for information on obtaining a passport. As with all of our trips, we try to provide the most accurate information we can, but governments sometimes change visa rules. It is your responsibility to double-check the information we provide below by searching here. Americans do not need a visa to travel to Portugal. Non-American participants should check with their government or nearest Portuguese Embassy to find out if they need a visa.

Money Exchange

As currency exchange rates fluctuate, we ask that you refer to the following website for daily exchange rates: www.xe.com. ATMs are also widely available that distribute the local currency, and this is what we recommend as your primary source of cash while traveling. Please make sure you bring at least $200 USD in cash as emergency money just in case you have trouble with the ATMs or lose your bank card. Major credit cards are accepted in most shops, but they may charge a 2-4% transaction fee. Visa and MasterCard are useful for cash advances in an emergency situation. Please note that if you are carrying U.S. Dollars, they should be in good condition (i.e., not torn, wrinkled, or marked on in any way) and printed recently.

Tipping

It is customary in Europe to leave a small tip for service providers, such as waiters, if you are pleased with the service (€1-2 EUR for snacks or 10% of a meal bill). Tipping is an expected – though not compulsory – component of your tour program and an expression of satisfaction with the persons who have assisted you on your tour. Although it may not be customary to you, it is of considerable significance to the people who will take care of you during your travels. Also at the end of each trip, if you felt your G Adventures Tour Leader did an outstanding job, tipping is appreciated. The amount is entirely a personal preference. As a budgeting guideline, $35-$45 USD per person per week can be used.

Flights

We find the best prices for flights are often available 60 days before departure, but of course this varies greatly from route to route and year to year. We advise that you wait until this trip is confirmed before booking non-refundable and non-changeable flights. GEEO and G Adventures bear no responsibility for any flights purchased before the trip is confirmed. Your trip begins in Lisbon and ends in Porto. Please double-check our itinerary for the date by which you must arrive in Lisbon. You can arrive at any time of the day you choose, however, we strongly urge you to arrive by 6:00 p.m. on Day 1 for our group meeting. You can depart from Porto any time on the final day of the trip.

Plugs and Converters

There are two components to provide external power to your device: adapters and transformers. The adapter is the plug, adapting the prongs on a standard U.S. two to three-pronged power cord to match the prongs required by the local outlets. The transformer changes the local voltage to that required by your device. Portugal uses a type F two circular prong plug. This socket also works with type C and type E plugs. Their voltage is 230 Volts. U.S. outlets are 120V. Most new devices (phones and laptops) can handle the different voltage rates, but some devices only work on the U.S. standard of 120V. Check your device to see what voltage range it handles. Most transformer blocks will have an “Input” line that defines their voltage capacity. For example, “Input: 100-240V” means that it will work on voltages from 100V to 240V. If your transformer can’t handle the different voltage, you’ll need to purchase a voltage converter. You can find world regional voltage converters power packs at various vendors.

Expectations

Before you decide on traveling with GEEO, it is important that you read all of the information about the program you are considering. Remember, our programs are quite adventurous.

• The purpose of the accommodation is to provide a safe, well-located place for you to sleep. Sometimes you will be pleasantly surprised, but do not expect luxury as we are trying to keep these trips as inexpensive as possible.
• You must be able to easily carry or roll your luggage, so do not over-pack.
• We recommend always carrying snacks with you. Meals can sometimes be far apart.
• Please make sure you understand the role of your tour leader on this trip as they are not the traditional “guide” you may be expecting. While our trips are educational, they aren’t study/lecture trips. We want you to learn through exploring, and much of your experience will be based on how active you choose to be in acquiring knowledge and interacting with locals.

Hopefully this is the kind of adventure you are interested in!

Itinerary Disclaimer

While it is our intention to adhere to the routes described on our website, there is a certain amount of flexibility built into the itinerary and on occasion it may be necessary, or desirable, to make alterations. The itinerary is brief, as we never know exactly where our journey will take us. Due to our style of travel and the regions we visit, travel can be unpredictable. The information on our website is a general guide to the tour and region, and any mention of specific destinations or wildlife is by no means a guarantee that they will be visited or encountered. Additionally, any travel times listed are approximations only and subject to vary due to local circumstances.

Weather

The entire country of Portugal basks in the sunshine in the summer, with only slight temperature variations from one region to another. In July, cooling breezes off the Atlantic Ocean buffer the heat (highs in the 80s F) in the coastal towns of Lisbon and Porto, especially at night.