Info & Advice - Bargain Hunters
Visit in Low Season: For some spectacular bargains, visit in January or February. Although some places may close
for the winter, accomodations can often be found at a discount of as much as 50% from the peak season
Take a Tent: This is the cheapest option in the Algarve, but you must use official campsites. Sleeping on the beach
is strictly prohibited and monitored carefully by the local police. There are dozens of campsites along the coast and
inland, and you can expect to pay
around 5 euros per adult per night for a small tent.
Stay in Youth Hostels: There are five hostels in the Algarve: Alcoutim, Vila Real de Santo Antonio, Faro, Portimao
and Lagos. If you don't already have a Hostelling International card from your national hostel association you can obtain
a "guest card." Advance booking is recommended in the summer.
Check out
http://www.pousadasjuventude.pt/edicoes1/pousadas/index.asp.
Rent a Quarto: Local homeowners often rent out quartos (private rooms) with shared facilities at reasonable rates.
Look out for quarto signs in windows, or on notice boards, or ask the local tourist office.
Get a Youth or Senior Discount Card: Popular youth cards such as Euro <26 and Go25/IYTC provide great discounts
on a wide variety of attractions and services. Senior citizens aged 65+ are eligible for a 50% discount on weekday rail
travel using the cartao dourado (senior card) which can be purchased at ticket counters.
Eat with Locals: Whenever possible, eat where the locals eat.
Freemaps features many of these restaurants.
The food will be much cheaper than a traditional tourist restaurant.
Use Public Transportation: The public transportation in the Algarve is run by EVA and it is quite cheap and efficient.
Buy Cheap Cinema Tickets
: On Mondays, cinemas across the Portugal offer discounted seats. Foreign films are
subtitled, never dubbed so you can enjoy all the Blockbuster hits from back home in English. Even on other days, you
will find cinema tickets cheaper here than back home
Find the local supermarket: Supermarkets such as the Intermarche offer reasonable prices on goods and a good
meal can be made simply.
Look at a handy Freemaps for the nearest one!
--
--
