Great video! We spent 4 days in Porto over Thanksgiving and made most of the mistakes you mentioned 😂. The video came out after our travels. We learned a lot and will be back. Tip - there is an escalator in Sao Bento train station, for late at night when the last climb towards the Se is difficult.
Biggest mistake you can make is standing in line forever at Conga when you could just walk 2-3 minutes up Bonjardim and have a bifana em pão at Churrasqueira Lameiras.
Nice vid with good advices which as a quasi-resident I totally agree. I thank myself for listening to local advice when I first visited Porto in 2017 and ended up in the lovely place of Matosinhos as my second home where the lifestyle, environment and property price growth has way exceeded expectations. Now gaining a property price of over 100% in 4 years, we managed to swap our apartment into an isolada or islolated house in the same municipal. It was the top 3 best decision I made in my whole life. Looking forward to seeing you guys make a video introducing Matosinhos. We will move in permanently in 1 year, hope to meet the Porto expat community soon!
I may have missed it but what is the best neighbourhood to stay for a one week March Porto visit? Prefer a tidy apartment to a hotel. Ideas? Do you have a favorite accommodation?
Great tips Josh and Kalie! Yuko Tavern has the best vegetarian francesinha! I thought for sure the number one mistake would be not watching where you’re walking. 😅💩
Thank you, Julia! You know, that's a great shout although it's really strange. We've noticed that the 💩💩 goes in waves. Sometimes it's like the city cleans it up right before an event and then the next month it's just as bad as ever. It's a Portugal problem we've noticed on our travels of the country as a whole. - Josh & Kalie
Its not a tipping culture cause salries are low making it hard for customers to tip and service employees by law are all on the books with full benefits.... they are not dependent on tips like in the USA
The vast majority of waiters in the USA make at least minimum wage, and in California this is almost $20 per hour. These facts have zero effect on tipping expectations. It’s only gotten worse.
Nice vid guys! We stayed near the Campanha train station at a great place that Im sure would be 25-35% more if it was located near São Bento or Ribeira. You weren't wrong about the area not being the nicest, but we just took an Uber to and from the areas we wanted to see.
Thanks for your videos! We've visited Portugal 3X (Porto twice, Lisbon twice, Obidos, the Douro Valley, the Algarve, and Madeira), and we're always clueless as to where to eat. Then, while walking around, we stumble across the best restaurants and bakeries! ❤Portugal
Great tips. I always get so stressed out for not buying enough fares for my trips and got stuck at turnstiles. Well, it happened recently in Lisbon. I love trains/metros and will heed your advice when I visit Porto again:). Thank you, my two favorite people😊♥️
Just got back last week from Portugal. My wife just couldn’t bring herself to not tip.However, she picked a fantastic Hotel, practically across the street from the crystal palace park, amazing park. Our hotel also had a restaurant called “jangle”(maybe misspelled”. Just by pure dumb luck we got to enjoy two fantastic events during our Porto time. Time out magazine hosted an event at the hotel restaurant that as guest we were invited to attend. But we also got the opportunity to walk around and hit people on the head with a sqeeky hammer. Finally I'm really bummed that I can’t get Super Bock anywhere near where I live. Counting the days until we return to Portugal.
Have you tried a francesinha at Casa de Pasto o Golfinho? My husband swears it's better than Yuko, but I haven't tested it out yet. You can't beat Yuko's atmosphere though!
Hi there, we have been watching you for over a year and we are finally coming to Portugal Porto 1/19 for 6 weeks. Staying by the river in Airbnb. We are so excited and we hope to run into you possibly. We are traveling with our cats so we need a pet store for essentials and an air fryer so I can cook. lol any suggestions on stores? Thx so much
You gave good advice. However, you've mentioned one restaurant (in your list) which native Porto consumers don't consider genuine: Londrina. This is a franchise restaurant from Guimarães, which serves a sub-standard sauce. The genuine francesinha from Porto is not served with a sweet sauce. It has to be slightly spicy, and with a slight taste of beer.
Londrina has a spicy sauce, which is more like the Braga spice level that you'd get at Taberna Belga. We also know plenty of Portuense that give Londrina a shout out as one of the big "franchised" restaurants that serve francesinha along with the little cafes that aren't on everyone's radar like Cafe Nelma. - Josh
@ - just to let you know that it was terrible but so fun at the same time. I travel by train up the Douro River and all the way to Valença but the coast. It was perfect! But than the strike happened while I was between Evora and Lagos, it was not plaisant and I survived by bus. Returned to Lisboa, by bus, 2 days. Thanks again! Next trip Vietnam - train again!
We are renting a car to travel around Portugal and Spain. The focus will be Porto, to Seville and then on to either Valencia or Algarve in May. Would you rent the car or use the train system?
It depends on what your goal is honestly. Both ways have their merits. The biggest thing is are you going to visit smaller places along the way or is the car just to get you from Porto to Sevilla and then you'll return it or park it? - Josh & Kalie
If you are starting with Porto, take public transportation and rent the car on your last day in the city centre. You will save a couple of days of car rental and parking. Also, streets are narrow, there are a few construction sites for the new metro line and traffic can be terrible. If you decide to bring the car, try to arrive between 9am and 12 or 2 to 5pm.
Great video! I'm a professional photographer who shoots concerts, architecture, and street photography. I travel to Liboa 3-4 times a year, and next May will be my first time in Porto. I'm staying at the Casa do Ofício on Rua dos Caldeireiros correct me if I'm wrong but are you saying these are not good areas to be based for 6 nights. With me travelling to Liboa often I've always stayed away from the obvious tourist eating traps and try and find places tucked away.
The Porto metro is the most confusing I have experienced, and nothing makes sense to me there...I have bene taking it for years, but I always get confused. I still loooooooove Porto though !!!!!
@@ExpatsEverywhere Hi Josh & Kalie. Yes absolutely, when I get to the machine, you have to know the zones ahead of buying the ticket, which does not make any sense. the machine should provide you the information while buying it...Thanks for sharing that great vdeo.
@@Nat007_ The machines usually have a table on them for you to look up the station that you're going to and it'll show z2, z3, and so on. It's not on the screen but next to the screen and it'll tell you what station you're at and then in alphabetical order from destination (destino) starting with Aeroporto then Aliados...it'll say the título (title) that you need to purchase. The problem is probably due to the fact that these so much going on, on and around the machine as well as the screen that you didn't notice or know what you were looking at or looking for! So truly once you know this, the only thing that you need to know when getting to the machine to buy a ticket is just your destination. Find the name of the destination on the table and look at the title number to the right of the name of the destination. You're welcome. Thanks for watching. - Josh
@@ExpatsEverywhere No no no, I have been travelintg to Porto since 2018 ans O even speak Portiguese now and for sure talking ghe transportation and smecofically the metro is far from being easy and I even think the while est up does not make sens at all. People are always confuses. When you get to the machine even knowing gère you want to go but not the zone.,if you are already in the queue reachong the machine then it's complicated and confusing to check again the map which drain very far from the machines. Its fottunate some agents are here to help. They also helped in the past with the tricky way the machine is set up for the card payments. Anyway I hope they will make an effort to modify or simplify the whole thing one day Glad I learned few things thanks to your vidéo.
Porto was fantastic!, except for the smoke from the fires that was there our whole stay! We walked everywhere in Porto. The number of tourists is large! Lisbon even more! Very crowded around Sao Bento train station. We had to train it from Campana train station to Lisbon so we took Uber to the station. Bring Euros or use your credit cards. Very cool city!! Not a port fan, but white port with tonic very nice! Not sure how Porto and Lisbon can keep increasing the amount of tourists? It's very busy right now! The amount of tourist gift shops in Lisbon is insane!!! Go once and enjoy! We would go to smaller cities if we returned. One Euro costs us $1.50.
We will be in Porto for four days in the fall, coming in from Lisbon and always stay in a VRBO. What neighborhood do you recommend to stay in with recent public rransportation good markets and cafes.
We're assuming you're looking at this from a strictly tourism point of view. Without naming hotels and just sticking to neighborhoods or areas; Cedofeita, just north of Trindade Station, lower half of Rua de Santa Catarina, or Rua de Sá da Bandeira. That should give you a good general area. - Josh & Kalie
Hey guys!! Thaks for the video. Me and my kids will be staying at the RVA Porto Central Flats in May. Any suggestions on where we can eat meals without getting ripped off in or around that area? Thanks
We don't have many recommendations for Ribeira and most of the places on Rua das Flores are at tourist prices. Tourist prices are fine for tourists but if you're wanting local prices, you've got to be discerning in that area or head to Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso or Bonfim. - Josh & Kalie
No problem at all, that is the town center, going to the river you have most tourist locations, but the around center still have many places to see and you are near the metro, so easy access to all other places
I am a Portuguese who lives in Canada, but I hope to return to Portugal, Porto. I go to Portugal on vacation every year. I have watched many of your videos, I am quite impressed with your knowledge of Portugal, I have learned about my country through you, your little girl is lovely. There is one thing I do not understand, about tipping, I see now more and more Americans saying do not tip, Portugal is not a tipping culture. Whenever I go to restaurants in Portugal my family and friends give a tip to the waiter and if I am the one pays they always tell me to leave a tip. Now that the prices in Portugal have increased so much with tourism and the number of expats that came to Portugal, I am not blaming them the tourist or expats, have been good for Portugal, but the locals have difficulty coping, so a tip should also be a personal thing, but as you say at least 10% helps. It is not a big mistake to tip as you state.
Tips is common in restaurants in Portugal, but they are usually between 1€ to 3€. In taxis is usually to make a round price to keep the low the amount of bills or coins required. For longer travels, 1€ to 5€ is ok, depending of the travel distance/time. Most of other places, we don't usually tip, but if we do is usually low value. Tipping is "i will buy you a beer/coffee" 10€ in a tip is usually way too much unless you really think that the service was way too cheap for the quality (hey, some business/people, specially older, don't like to ask higher prices, when they really should when looking to the quality)
Whaat?! I am a Portuguese citizen and I always leave a tip to the waiter/ waitress. The word for "tip" is "GORJETA". "Dar uma gorjeta" is "to give a tip". It certainly is an ancient yet contemporary Portuguese tradition. We give it from the bottom of our Portuguese heart, it is a personal decision, and we don't enforce it by law. This is our culture. In my case, I always make it to be proportional to the quality of the service. If I enjoyed the service and I even got a nice smile on top of that, I will leave an even bigger tip. A smile is everything. It can bring sunshine on rainy days and on rainy hearts. Now, let's say you can't afford to give a tip (because all you earn is a 750€ monthly, minimum, or waiter, wage), you are poor, you are a Portuguese local and you struggle everyday, nobody will blame you for not leaving a tip... but even those poorer people give smaller tips. I don't recall going anywhere and people not leaving a tip behind. Seriously!!!!!
It's a rare day in Porto to see a local leave a tip. There's not even a tip blank for credit card payments, you'd have to tell them to enter it in before paying, which our Portuguese friends do not do. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere "you'd have to tell them to enter it in before paying" ... bc it is a personal decision of yours, that's why you'd have to tell them to enter it in. As I said: not enforced by law. No pressure, It has always been and remains something cultural that comes from the heart. "There's not even a tip blank for credit card payments..." I don't know how things happen in your country, do you need to fill up a form or something? I didn't get it. Well let's say perhaps more sophisticated procedures are required for a simple tip, in your country of origin. Now, would I travel anywhere and draw certain conclusions about local social and traditional practices elsewhere based on the 'administrative' procedures and expectations of my own country of origin? No. Here, people are still attached to cash. More often than not, when Portuguese pay with credit card, they tip with coins. People always carry some cash. So much so that sometimes we're out of cash, it can happen. Not only do we tip our fellow citizens for food and beverage services, but also in cabs, or when they bring us a gas cylinder at home. Whaaat! a gas cylinder ? Yes many people still use those here. It takes just a second to grasp a general view of a Porto landscape, It takes a lifetime to get to grasp Its essence. People's eyes are trained to see what they want to see. People tend to notice and focus on things that align with their interests, beliefs, or expectations. This is tied to selective perception, where individuals unconsciously filter information and give attention to details that confirm their preconceptions or desires. In essence, our experiences and biases, they shape what we pay attention to and how we interpret the world around us. I communicate from my standing point of view and you from yours. And I do beg to disagree with you: It is not a rare day in Porto.
Great advice video! I still have to check Porto on my list (off or on?)😂 ( please don't remind us of wearing masks please) 😢😂😅😊, thnx for the video guys 😂
Thanks! Yes, you def. need to get your fill of Porto. Yea, we feel ya. Although crazy enough, one of the clips with someone wearing a mask was from yesterday (Friday Dec 1 2023)! - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere hey, about 4 month ago i got sick and had to go to one place... i put a mask when i left home... at least covid educated many of us how to better behave when we are sick! :D And it was actually Covid (again) , as i found 2 days later when my wife also got sick and did the test.
Try Francesinha at Bonaza Restaurant, without the f... egg, I´ll promise you not make a mistake! ... and is not a mistake dress FC Porto;-) . Believe me!
@@ExpatsEverywhere Yes! Indee, you guys gonna love it! Its close to the Stadium of Dragon... almost! The guy that suppost serve is very kind, Mrs. António, he´s there since my father was a young boy client, can you emagine how long is? So of course the taste, the choice pass to me, 🙂
@@ExpatsEverywhere When guess what, the name was inspire in on of your American serie "Bonanza", you guys must go there... you are americans god dam! 😘 Is the perfect combination, and share to your country! Say to Mrs António that was Carlos that goes usually with this parents eating that advise you to go there, he´ll love it to know!
THE biggest mistake there is buying illegal substances EVEN ONCE. Once you do that, you WILL be expected to buy every day they see you. It is like "paying a tax". Tell them "NO" all you want after that but they will wait outside restaurants and follow you around causing a scene. Don't buy even once if you don't want to deal with that. In fact, I recommend you don't. Porto is a gem, but don't drop your guard around the "Migrants"
Simply say no to drugs, that is always a bad decision, not only because of drugs (duhj!) , but people selling those just want money, they don't care about you, so that substance can be anything, even something that can kill you
@@DanielMotaLeite They offer to take you on a side street or alley and try it, they go first. But they have a 'slight of hand' trick where they distract you and try to switch the product you just tried with something else. They are well known for selling white he.roin instead of blow. Nasty migrants
I think these observations are biased towards the budget traveler. If you want a view and high end experience, you will want to stay in this area on a high floor luxury building. These are not cheap by PT standards, but they offer much nicer experiences.
If someone wants an exclusive, high end tourist option, they probably should not be looking to youtube but special travel agencies and personalized soluctions
@@susanneschmidt6159 I can't say what they do to women because the comment would be deleted. They just lock the doors and drive off, the rest I can't expand. But just so you know, the pattern is that they're not European. To be clear, some women are never even seen again. So what happens to them is not just "the big R" (if you know what I mean), in cases they're actually taken who know where.
We were disappointed to see Jamaicans have taken over the riverfront by Ribeira Square. We did enjoy dinner at a place with a view of the river and Gaia. Food could've been better, but can't beat that view.
Thank you although, don't you think that it's hyperbolic to say absolutely horrible? Often times, our audio issues happen in post and it's not about investing in better recording equipment. We're trying to improve with each video. Take care.
Do you guys sincerely like Portuguese food? I have lived in Portugal for nearly 3 years as well and I hate the food. Bacalhau com natas is passable and many of the cheeses are indeed good. However, on the whole I would leave Portuguese cuisine rather than take it if I have the choice. When I get invited out, I beg people not to choose a Portuguese restaurant. It's never great and in all honesty I would rather go to the canteen in Pingo Doce than pay triple in a restaurant to be equally disappointed. The francesinha is a case in point. It is a whole new level of vile and essentially a heart attack on a plate. I am not a vegetarian, but I rarely eat meat. Portuguese food really does not cater for that. It is a meat (and bone) intensive cuisine where potato chips somehow count as a vegetable. Hard pass.
The “Portuguese food is amazing!” sentiments always seemed to me a bit like Stockholm syndrome. These same people would likely never choose a Portuguese restaurant if they were in a different country with a variety of cuisines available. Portugal has some nice aspects, but the food by and large is not more than OK.
that is a weird comment... True it’s for everyone’s taste, and it’s not the most vegetarian friendly, but it seems you probably haven’t experienced that much of Portuguese cuisine considering that only a few dishes make use of potato chips and there is so much more beyond meat. Take a look at the enormous variety of soups, fish and seafood dishes.
It shows a lot of insecurity on your part that you cannot come to terms with the fact that people dislike the cuisine of your nation. Live with it. It is reality. As for the references to bygone ages and past glories. Yes, Portugal was significant about 4-5 centuries ago and not really since then. Your take on the culinary impact of Portugal is exaggerated. Italian and Chinese food is still fantastic for me, so any Portuguese influence would have to be negligible. @yourt00bz
Unfortunately, I have experienced too much of it not too little. I have never been much of a soup person, the fish is full of bones here (plus I rarely eat fish being a near vegetarian) and seafood (aside from fish) is an absolute no from me. I'm sorry, but I feel Portuguese food is one of the worst aspects of living in Portugal. Too much meat, too many fried dishes and mostly badly cooked vegetables. Potato chips are pretty common on plates here. It is far from a rarity. @@ppietrap3876
you both never had it so good. i think in my view give yourselves a chance if you can and keep away from USA.for now at least politics and politicians and other big cigars smokers are suffering from fever like greed ignorance and wars dominance .but i.hope happier days willcome with peace for all of us keep safe
i haven't watch the entire video but will i stopped on the part that you said not to leave more than 10% for tips, i disagree i work on a restaurant on ribeira and we are usually almost underpaid and the tips help the employees make their living, we restaurant workers most of the times rely on tips to make up the "under paiment" for our suffering and difficult job, living in portugal isn't easy for natives the prices are to high for the money we recive so please don't listen to this part please not being gready if you have , can and want to give more than 10% please do so you don't know how much it will help us. Thank you. im not saying that leaving 10% or less it's not ok we'll still be greatfull if you leave anything behind as i said before leave what you want and can give.
I made that mistake at Ribera in Porto. The view was beautiful, the food I ordered was so bad, it cost around 24 euros.🫤 I saw some people desiring to come in to eat and I actually motioned to them with my hand and face (secretly) not too. It was so funny. They actually made the choice to not enter.
Great video!
We spent 4 days in Porto over Thanksgiving and made most of the mistakes you mentioned 😂.
The video came out after our travels.
We learned a lot and will be back.
Tip - there is an escalator in Sao Bento train station, for late at night when the last climb towards the Se is difficult.
Thank you!
Sorry that the video got to you too late. - Josh & Kalie
I’m shocked you didn’t mention what I think is the number 1 (tourist) mistake: using the Euronet ATM machines. Avoid that ripoff like the plague.
🤣 That's for everywhere internationally. It's not Porto specific. - Josh & Kalie
I forgot about that! When I first moved here my friends in the know were adamant about not using the Euronet ATMs!
@@DeclanOceguera which one to use,then?
@@richardwyse7817 There are plenty of banks with ATMs. Use one of those instead.
Why are those a mistake?
I'm Portuguese and I live in Porto. A very good restaurante in Ribeira is Casario, good food, amazing view.
Biggest mistake you can make is standing in line forever at Conga when you could just walk 2-3 minutes up Bonjardim and have a bifana em pão at Churrasqueira Lameiras.
You weren't in that line last night were you?! Yea, we really like Lameiras as well. It's a super solid churrasqueria. - Josh & Kalie
Conga's bifanas are the best! We stood in line but then realized we could eat at the counter.
I loved the instant gratification of this video. Super high tempo, super fun, and jam packed with great info !!! Thanks guys 🙌🏼✈️🫶🏼🙌🏼✈️🫶🏼
Glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the support, Adam! - Josh & Kalie
I'll be in Porto in May of 2024 for my second visit....and your travel tips will certainly be helpful! Muito obrigado!
Nice! May is a busier time for sure so these things apply even more. We're glad to help. 😁 Have an awesome time in Porto! - Josh & Kalie
Nice vid with good advices which as a quasi-resident I totally agree. I thank myself for listening to local advice when I first visited Porto in 2017 and ended up in the lovely place of Matosinhos as my second home where the lifestyle, environment and property price growth has way exceeded expectations. Now gaining a property price of over 100% in 4 years, we managed to swap our apartment into an isolada or islolated house in the same municipal. It was the top 3 best decision I made in my whole life.
Looking forward to seeing you guys make a video introducing Matosinhos. We will move in permanently in 1 year, hope to meet the Porto expat community soon!
I may have missed it but what is the best neighbourhood to stay for a one week March Porto visit? Prefer a tidy apartment to a hotel. Ideas? Do you have a favorite accommodation?
Born there in the 70s every single day i climbed the 247 stairs from ribeira to Batalha to school eheheh
Perfect... heading to Porto for a day trip on Monday... a hat-tip & obrigado to you for the francesinha recommendations. Love the channel... Cheers!
Awesome! Have a great time here. Hopefully the weather will be dry!. Enjoy the Super Bock and francesinhas. Thanks for the love. - Josh & Kalie
We are headed to Porto for the FAWCO event in March for the first time, and this was so helpful!
Great tips Josh and Kalie! Yuko Tavern has the best vegetarian francesinha!
I thought for sure the number one mistake would be not watching where you’re walking.
😅💩
Thank you, Julia! You know, that's a great shout although it's really strange. We've noticed that the 💩💩 goes in waves. Sometimes it's like the city cleans it up right before an event and then the next month it's just as bad as ever. It's a Portugal problem we've noticed on our travels of the country as a whole. - Josh & Kalie
Fun video, narrated very well! Great info!
Thank you very much. We're glad that you liked the narration. - Josh & Kalie
Its not a tipping culture cause salries are low making it hard for customers to tip and service employees by law are all on the books with full benefits.... they are not dependent on tips like in the USA
The vast majority of waiters in the USA make at least minimum wage, and in California this is almost $20 per hour. These facts have zero effect on tipping expectations. It’s only gotten worse.
@@O1012-u7q restaurant server minimum wage is lower than state and federal minimum wage.
@@christobarmost US states either require servers to make real minimum wage, or require employers to make up the difference.
Nice vid guys! We stayed near the Campanha train station at a great place that Im sure would be 25-35% more if it was located near São Bento or Ribeira. You weren't wrong about the area not being the nicest, but we just took an Uber to and from the areas we wanted to see.
Thanks for sharing your take. Yea, taking Ubers can be really easy and relatively cheap. - Josh & Kalie
Thanks for your videos! We've visited Portugal 3X (Porto twice, Lisbon twice, Obidos, the Douro Valley, the Algarve, and Madeira), and we're always clueless as to where to eat. Then, while walking around, we stumble across the best restaurants and bakeries!
❤Portugal
Glad you like them! - Josh & Kalie
Best tip just go in the darkest smallest and dirtiest places in Portugal to get the best food!
Stayed in a lovely apartment across the road from Sao bento station.apartment was lovely and so central for most things to do.
Great information
Thank you. - Josh & Kalie
Nice haircut Josh! ;) Great vid guys!
Very good RUclips video. You both are so articulate and have ggod insight, and you are sooo young! Ya for adventure.
Great tips. I always get so stressed out for not buying enough fares for my trips and got stuck at turnstiles. Well, it happened recently in Lisbon. I love trains/metros and will heed your advice when I visit Porto again:). Thank you, my two favorite people😊♥️
How do you know if the Francesinha will have lunch meat in it BEFORE you order it?
You go to good places that are highly recommended and don't choose them at random. - Josh & Kalie
Just got back last week from Portugal. My wife just couldn’t bring herself to not tip.However, she picked a fantastic Hotel, practically across the street from the crystal palace park, amazing park. Our hotel also had a restaurant called “jangle”(maybe misspelled”. Just by pure dumb luck we got to enjoy two fantastic events during our Porto time. Time out magazine hosted an event at the hotel restaurant that as guest we were invited to attend. But we also got the opportunity to walk around and hit people on the head with a sqeeky hammer. Finally I'm really bummed that I can’t get Super Bock anywhere near where I live. Counting the days until we return to Portugal.
Thank YOU!!!🙌
Have you tried a francesinha at Casa de Pasto o Golfinho? My husband swears it's better than Yuko, but I haven't tested it out yet. You can't beat Yuko's atmosphere though!
Never say you think house is cheap in Porto when you gain foreign wages. It is highly inappropriate and unconsiderate for the residents.
Hi there, we have been watching you for over a year and we are finally coming to Portugal Porto 1/19 for 6 weeks. Staying by the river in Airbnb. We are so excited and we hope to run into you possibly. We are traveling with our cats so we need a pet store for essentials and an air fryer so I can cook. lol any suggestions on stores? Thx so much
Hey Suzie! It's nice to hear from you. Feel free to shoot Kalie an email at info@expatseverywhere.com - Josh & Kalie
Hi Josh,
Nice to meet you yesterday 😁
Hey Hossam! It was nice meeting you too. Thanks for saying hi 👋 We hope you enjoyed Porto. Safe travels back to Guimarães. See you around. 😃 - Josh
You gave good advice. However, you've mentioned one restaurant (in your list) which native Porto consumers don't consider genuine: Londrina. This is a franchise restaurant from Guimarães, which serves a sub-standard sauce. The genuine francesinha from Porto is not served with a sweet sauce. It has to be slightly spicy, and with a slight taste of beer.
Londrina has a spicy sauce, which is more like the Braga spice level that you'd get at Taberna Belga. We also know plenty of Portuense that give Londrina a shout out as one of the big "franchised" restaurants that serve francesinha along with the little cafes that aren't on everyone's radar like Cafe Nelma. - Josh
"College is fun, but that's in the past." 🤣 Loved that line, Kalie!
Going to Porto in 10 days and guess what! I found a beautiful little place by the São Bento Station🤭 Oh well! 🤷🏼♀️
Likely the same place I am going next month apartments! Travelling two out of my 4 days in Porto to Braga and up the Duoro River
@ - just to let you know that it was terrible but so fun at the same time. I travel by train up the Douro River and all the way to Valença but the coast. It was perfect! But than the strike happened while I was between Evora and Lagos, it was not plaisant and I survived by bus. Returned to Lisboa, by bus, 2 days. Thanks again! Next trip Vietnam - train again!
Great video..!!!!
Thank you! - Josh & Kalie
We are renting a car to travel around Portugal and Spain. The focus will be Porto, to Seville and then on to either Valencia or Algarve in May. Would you rent the car or use the train system?
Hope you have at least a month for a trip like that.
It depends on what your goal is honestly. Both ways have their merits. The biggest thing is are you going to visit smaller places along the way or is the car just to get you from Porto to Sevilla and then you'll return it or park it? - Josh & Kalie
If you are starting with Porto, take public transportation and rent the car on your last day in the city centre. You will save a couple of days of car rental and parking. Also, streets are narrow, there are a few construction sites for the new metro line and traffic can be terrible. If you decide to bring the car, try to arrive between 9am and 12 or 2 to 5pm.
FlixBus might be a great option too (I used it from Algarve to Lisbon and it was pleasant and very affordable)
it would be helpful to say which areas ARE good to stay in...
Great video! I'm a professional photographer who shoots concerts, architecture, and street photography. I travel to Liboa 3-4 times a year, and next May will be my first time in Porto. I'm staying at the Casa do Ofício on Rua dos Caldeireiros correct me if I'm wrong but are you saying these are not good areas to be based for 6 nights. With me travelling to Liboa often I've always stayed away from the obvious tourist eating traps and try and find places tucked away.
Thank you. You should be good, Andrew. East of Av. Dom Afonso Henriques is the area to avoid. - Josh & Kalie
Staying in the ribiera area in 10 days haha will have to go do some exploring to get away from the touristy bs
The Porto metro is the most confusing I have experienced, and nothing makes sense to me there...I have bene taking it for years, but I always get confused. I still loooooooove Porto though !!!!!
Is it the zones that confuse you? What is it about the metro that's confusing? - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere Hi Josh & Kalie. Yes absolutely, when I get to the machine, you have to know the zones ahead of buying the ticket, which does not make any sense. the machine should provide you the information while buying it...Thanks for sharing that great vdeo.
@@Nat007_ The machines usually have a table on them for you to look up the station that you're going to and it'll show z2, z3, and so on. It's not on the screen but next to the screen and it'll tell you what station you're at and then in alphabetical order from destination (destino) starting with Aeroporto then Aliados...it'll say the título (title) that you need to purchase.
The problem is probably due to the fact that these so much going on, on and around the machine as well as the screen that you didn't notice or know what you were looking at or looking for!
So truly once you know this, the only thing that you need to know when getting to the machine to buy a ticket is just your destination. Find the name of the destination on the table and look at the title number to the right of the name of the destination.
You're welcome. Thanks for watching. - Josh
@@ExpatsEverywhere No no no, I have been travelintg to Porto since 2018 ans O even speak Portiguese now and for sure talking ghe transportation and smecofically the metro is far from being easy and I even think the while est up does not make sens at all. People are always confuses. When you get to the machine even knowing gère you want to go but not the zone.,if you are already in the queue reachong the machine then it's complicated and confusing to check again the map which drain very far from the machines. Its fottunate some agents are here to help. They also helped in the past with the tricky way the machine is set up for the card payments. Anyway I hope they will make an effort to modify or simplify the whole thing one day
Glad I learned few things thanks to your vidéo.
Porto was fantastic!, except for the smoke from the fires that was there our whole stay! We walked everywhere in Porto. The number of tourists is large! Lisbon even more! Very crowded around Sao Bento train station. We had to train it from Campana train station to Lisbon so we took Uber to the station. Bring Euros or use your credit cards. Very cool city!! Not a port fan, but white port with tonic very nice! Not sure how Porto and Lisbon can keep increasing the amount of tourists? It's very busy right now! The amount of tourist gift shops in Lisbon is insane!!!
Go once and enjoy! We would go to smaller cities if we returned. One Euro costs us $1.50.
What is the best neighbourhood to stay in april for 5 nights and not expensive
The sunglasses thing happens in Lisbon too. I’m like dude I’m wearing Oakleys! 😎
Yea, same. It's hilarious and annoying at the same time. - Josh & Kalie
We will be in Porto for four days in the fall, coming in from Lisbon and always stay in a VRBO. What neighborhood do you recommend to stay in with recent public rransportation good markets and cafes.
Kalie has input if you'd like to email her at info@expatseverywhere.com - Josh
So if staying near train station is not good, what is your tip on what neighborhood to stay in?
We're assuming you're looking at this from a strictly tourism point of view. Without naming hotels and just sticking to neighborhoods or areas; Cedofeita, just north of Trindade Station, lower half of Rua de Santa Catarina, or Rua de Sá da Bandeira. That should give you a good general area. - Josh & Kalie
Hey guys!! Thaks for the video. Me and my kids will be staying at the RVA Porto Central Flats in May. Any suggestions on where we can eat meals without getting ripped off in or around that area? Thanks
We don't have many recommendations for Ribeira and most of the places on Rua das Flores are at tourist prices. Tourist prices are fine for tourists but if you're wanting local prices, you've got to be discerning in that area or head to Cedofeita, Santo Ildefonso or Bonfim. - Josh & Kalie
What would you say is the best hotel to stay at? Going next month
It depends on what you want to do and price range. - Josh & Kalie
What is wrong with staying in liberty square area?
Nothing they are tight arses cheap people
No problem at all, that is the town center, going to the river you have most tourist locations, but the around center still have many places to see and you are near the metro, so easy access to all other places
Great tourist selfies! Always interesting seeing people visiting filming themselves. I guess city itself maybe not interesting enough?
It's the times we live in. 😊 - Josh & Kalie
I am a Portuguese who lives in Canada, but I hope to return to Portugal, Porto. I go to Portugal on vacation every year. I have watched many of your videos, I am quite impressed with your knowledge of Portugal, I have learned about my country through you, your little girl is lovely.
There is one thing I do not understand, about tipping, I see now more and more Americans saying do not tip, Portugal is not a tipping culture. Whenever I go to restaurants in Portugal my family and friends give a tip to the waiter and if I am the one pays they always tell me to leave a tip. Now that the prices in Portugal have increased so much with tourism and the number of expats that came to Portugal, I am not blaming them the tourist or expats, have been good for Portugal, but the locals have difficulty coping, so a tip should also be a personal thing, but as you say at least 10% helps. It is not a big mistake to tip as you state.
Tips is common in restaurants in Portugal, but they are usually between 1€ to 3€. In taxis is usually to make a round price to keep the low the amount of bills or coins required. For longer travels, 1€ to 5€ is ok, depending of the travel distance/time. Most of other places, we don't usually tip, but if we do is usually low value. Tipping is "i will buy you a beer/coffee"
10€ in a tip is usually way too much unless you really think that the service was way too cheap for the quality (hey, some business/people, specially older, don't like to ask higher prices, when they really should when looking to the quality)
lol I literally just made the biggest mistake and booked an accommodation near that train station. Oh well it’s only for one night
Google maps say my hotel is 15 min walk from Sao Bento in Trinidade. Is this area a bit better or just as bad?
Likely good. Trindade is a very central area with a lot of tourist and local buzz. It's the heart of the metro. - Josh & Kalie
Lol I get annoyed too with the people trying to sell me cheaply made sunglasses while I'm wearing high quality sunglasses.
It's a thing, isn't it? - Josh & Kalie
Can you tell us about the 50euro/month full travel ticket that Portugal just launched? Many thanks
Whaat?! I am a Portuguese citizen and I always leave a tip to the waiter/ waitress. The word for "tip" is "GORJETA". "Dar uma gorjeta" is "to give a tip". It certainly is an ancient yet contemporary Portuguese tradition. We give it from the bottom of our Portuguese heart, it is a personal decision, and we don't enforce it by law. This is our culture. In my case, I always make it to be proportional to the quality of the service. If I enjoyed the service and I even got a nice smile on top of that, I will leave an even bigger tip. A smile is everything. It can bring sunshine on rainy days and on rainy hearts. Now, let's say you can't afford to give a tip (because all you earn is a 750€ monthly, minimum, or waiter, wage), you are poor, you are a Portuguese local and you struggle everyday, nobody will blame you for not leaving a tip... but even those poorer people give smaller tips. I don't recall going anywhere and people not leaving a tip behind. Seriously!!!!!
It's a rare day in Porto to see a local leave a tip. There's not even a tip blank for credit card payments, you'd have to tell them to enter it in before paying, which our Portuguese friends do not do. - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere "you'd have to tell them to enter it in before paying" ... bc it is a personal decision of yours, that's why you'd have to tell them to enter it in. As I said: not enforced by law. No pressure, It has always been and remains something cultural that comes from the heart.
"There's not even a tip blank for credit card payments..." I don't know how things happen in your country, do you need to fill up a form or something? I didn't get it. Well let's say perhaps more sophisticated procedures are required for a simple tip, in your country of origin. Now, would I travel anywhere and draw certain conclusions about local social and traditional practices elsewhere based on the 'administrative' procedures and expectations of my own country of origin? No. Here, people are still attached to cash. More often than not, when Portuguese pay with credit card, they tip with coins. People always carry some cash. So much so that sometimes we're out of cash, it can happen. Not only do we tip our fellow citizens for food and beverage services, but also in cabs, or when they bring us a gas cylinder at home. Whaaat! a gas cylinder ? Yes many people still use those here. It takes just a second to grasp a general view of a Porto landscape, It takes a lifetime to get to grasp Its essence.
People's eyes are trained to see what they want to see. People tend to notice and focus on things that align with their interests, beliefs, or expectations. This is tied to selective perception, where individuals unconsciously filter information and give attention to details that confirm their preconceptions or desires. In essence, our experiences and biases, they shape what we pay attention to and how we interpret the world around us. I communicate from my standing point of view and you from yours. And I do beg to disagree with you: It is not a rare day in Porto.
The tip here is optional. End of discussion. You want give a tip okay..you don t want? no problem at all. Stop this ridiculous tthing
Great advice video! I still have to check Porto on my list (off or on?)😂
( please don't remind us of wearing masks please) 😢😂😅😊, thnx for the video guys 😂
Thanks! Yes, you def. need to get your fill of Porto. Yea, we feel ya. Although crazy enough, one of the clips with someone wearing a mask was from yesterday (Friday Dec 1 2023)! - Josh & Kalie
@@ExpatsEverywhere hey, about 4 month ago i got sick and had to go to one place... i put a mask when i left home... at least covid educated many of us how to better behave when we are sick! :D
And it was actually Covid (again) , as i found 2 days later when my wife also got sick and did the test.
@@DanielMotaLeite Sorry to hear that you go sick. We hope that you're completely recovered. - Josh & Kalie
Lello bookstore is worse than São Bento. As a Portuguese I knew that place as an actual bookstore. Now that place actually infuriates me! 😤😡🤬🤮
Try Francesinha at Bonaza Restaurant, without the f... egg, I´ll promise you not make a mistake! ... and is not a mistake dress FC Porto;-) . Believe me!
We'll check it out. Thanks. - Josh & Kalie
Is this the one? www.bonanza.pt/
We didn't find a "bonaza restaurant".
@@ExpatsEverywhere Yes! Indee, you guys gonna love it! Its close to the Stadium of Dragon... almost! The guy that suppost serve is very kind, Mrs. António, he´s there since my father was a young boy client, can you emagine how long is? So of course the taste, the choice pass to me, 🙂
@@ExpatsEverywhere When guess what, the name was inspire in on of your American serie "Bonanza", you guys must go there... you are americans god dam! 😘 Is the perfect combination, and share to your country! Say to Mrs António that was Carlos that goes usually with this parents eating that advise you to go there, he´ll love it to know!
these are all beginners mistakes bit of click bait...you wouldnt do these things in your own city what did you expect moving to a different continent
THE biggest mistake there is buying illegal substances EVEN ONCE. Once you do that, you WILL be expected to buy every day they see you. It is like "paying a tax". Tell them "NO" all you want after that but they will wait outside restaurants and follow you around causing a scene. Don't buy even once if you don't want to deal with that. In fact, I recommend you don't. Porto is a gem, but don't drop your guard around the "Migrants"
Simply say no to drugs, that is always a bad decision, not only because of drugs (duhj!) , but people selling those just want money, they don't care about you, so that substance can be anything, even something that can kill you
@@DanielMotaLeite They offer to take you on a side street or alley and try it, they go first. But they have a 'slight of hand' trick where they distract you and try to switch the product you just tried with something else. They are well known for selling white he.roin instead of blow. Nasty migrants
I think these observations are biased towards the budget traveler. If you want a view and high end experience, you will want to stay in this area on a high floor luxury building. These are not cheap by PT standards, but they offer much nicer experiences.
If someone wants an exclusive, high end tourist option, they probably should not be looking to youtube but special travel agencies and personalized soluctions
@ exactly!!! There are actual law firms in Switzerland which specialize in this
No one says homie anymore. Lol
I'm visiting Porto in a month and I'm stopping next to Trindade metro. I'm so glad I'm not (by chance) stopping in the main square of Porto 😅😅
By stopping, do you mean, staying the night? - Josh & Kalie
Don't get Uber or Bolt if you value your life. Unsafe. I'll leave it at that. That would be the biggest mistake nowadays.
Omg but I may need to use them. Tell me more
@@susanneschmidt6159 I can't say what they do to women because the comment would be deleted. They just lock the doors and drive off, the rest I can't expand. But just so you know, the pattern is that they're not European.
To be clear, some women are never even seen again. So what happens to them is not just "the big R" (if you know what I mean), in cases they're actually taken who know where.
Just use Bolt or Uber who cares about metra
We were disappointed to see Jamaicans have taken over the riverfront by Ribeira Square. We did enjoy dinner at a place with a view of the river and Gaia. Food could've been better, but can't beat that view.
The women gabbles and is difficult to understand.
The Biggest mistake is acually going there ......horrible place
Porto?
I really hate this video
Ok - Josh & Kalie
As good as your videos are, your audio is absolutely horrible. Please invest in better recording equipment.
Thank you although, don't you think that it's hyperbolic to say absolutely horrible? Often times, our audio issues happen in post and it's not about investing in better recording equipment. We're trying to improve with each video. Take care.
Do you guys sincerely like Portuguese food? I have lived in Portugal for nearly 3 years as well and I hate the food. Bacalhau com natas is passable and many of the cheeses are indeed good. However, on the whole I would leave Portuguese cuisine rather than take it if I have the choice. When I get invited out, I beg people not to choose a Portuguese restaurant. It's never great and in all honesty I would rather go to the canteen in Pingo Doce than pay triple in a restaurant to be equally disappointed. The francesinha is a case in point. It is a whole new level of vile and essentially a heart attack on a plate. I am not a vegetarian, but I rarely eat meat. Portuguese food really does not cater for that. It is a meat (and bone) intensive cuisine where potato chips somehow count as a vegetable. Hard pass.
The “Portuguese food is amazing!” sentiments always seemed to me a bit like Stockholm syndrome. These same people would likely never choose a Portuguese restaurant if they were in a different country with a variety of cuisines available. Portugal has some nice aspects, but the food by and large is not more than OK.
I completely agree. @@O1012-u7q
that is a weird comment... True it’s for everyone’s taste, and it’s not the most vegetarian friendly, but it seems you probably haven’t experienced that much of Portuguese cuisine considering that only a few dishes make use of potato chips and there is so much more beyond meat. Take a look at the enormous variety of soups, fish and seafood dishes.
It shows a lot of insecurity on your part that you cannot come to terms with the fact that people dislike the cuisine of your nation. Live with it. It is reality. As for the references to bygone ages and past glories. Yes, Portugal was significant about 4-5 centuries ago and not really since then. Your take on the culinary impact of Portugal is exaggerated. Italian and Chinese food is still fantastic for me, so any Portuguese influence would have to be negligible. @yourt00bz
Unfortunately, I have experienced too much of it not too little. I have never been much of a soup person, the fish is full of bones here (plus I rarely eat fish being a near vegetarian) and seafood (aside from fish) is an absolute no from me. I'm sorry, but I feel Portuguese food is one of the worst aspects of living in Portugal. Too much meat, too many fried dishes and mostly badly cooked vegetables. Potato chips are pretty common on plates here. It is far from a rarity. @@ppietrap3876
you both never had it so good. i think in my view give yourselves a chance if you can and keep away from USA.for now at least politics and politicians and other big cigars smokers are suffering from fever like greed ignorance and wars dominance .but i.hope happier days willcome with peace for all of us keep safe
i haven't watch the entire video but will i stopped on the part that you said not to leave more than 10% for tips, i disagree i work on a restaurant on ribeira and we are usually almost underpaid and the tips help the employees make their living, we restaurant workers most of the times rely on tips to make up the "under paiment" for our suffering and difficult job, living in portugal isn't easy for natives the prices are to high for the money we recive so please don't listen to this part please not being gready if you have , can and want to give more than 10% please do so you don't know how much it will help us. Thank you. im not saying that leaving 10% or less it's not ok we'll still be greatfull if you leave anything behind as i said before leave what you want and can give.
Biggest mistake in Porto is using public transportation.
Buses maybe. The metro is great. - Josh & Kalie
I made that mistake at Ribera in Porto. The view was beautiful, the food I ordered was so bad, it cost around 24 euros.🫤 I saw some people desiring to come in to eat and I actually motioned to them with my hand and face (secretly) not too. It was so funny. They actually made the choice to not enter.