Porto, Portugal was the first stop on my three-month European backpacking adventure. It was an obvious starting point for the journey because its location in northern Portugal, international airport, historic background, and collection of interesting sights.
How do you plan for a three-month backpacking trip?
It took three connections to get to Porto from Orange County, California. The first flight was from Santa Ana’s John Wayne Airport to Newark, New Jersey. I killed four hours in the United Lounge at Newark, since access is one of the perks of having the United Miles Explorer Credit Card and I purchased the flight with miles. Unfortunately, United’s facility in that terminal of Newark was a temporary “Pop Up” lounge, it was smaller and did not have as many amenities as they usually do. The receptionist was nice enough to watch my bags when I left to use the bathroom. They also had a small selection of complimentary snacks and drinks which the loungers obsessively devoured, as if they would never eat again.
After watching planes take off over the New York skyline for a few hours, my next flight was from Newark to Brussels, Belgium. Although the flight was only 6 hours, by the time I arrived at the modern airport I was sleep deprived and lost. The Brussels airport is a maze, as if he interior designers put more focus on commerce than helping travelers find their gate. Instead of straight, well-marked walkways leading passengers to their next flight, meandering paths funnel passengers through the angled isles of duty free shops and convenience stores.
From Brussels, the trip to Porto was only about two hours. The airline gave me too much for breakfast, so I ate the yogurt and saved the chocolate croissant and cheese sandwich for later. The coffee was somewhat offensive, I’ve never been a fan of Nescafe and do not understand Europe’s obsession with that freeze dried crap.
After arriving in Porto, I took a train from the airport to the center of the city. It was easy enough to find using the internet and Google Maps on my phone. After about 45 minutes I arrived at Porto’s central train station, and my hostel was only about a 10-minute walk from there. It was all uphill (of course) but I did walk past some of the finest sights and monuments in Porto on my way.
It was too early to check into my room, so I put my luggage in the hostel storage, cleaned myself up a bit and took a walk around town. Although I tried to regulate my sleep, I was passed out back at the hostel by 4:00 pm.
The next morning I joined a free walking tour promoted by my hostel. In the 3-hour tour, we walked past pretty much everything I had found using my own instinct the day before. The tour guide did provide more information about the town and its history, but I found the tour a bit boring as the detailed descriptions were too long-winded for my taste.
The Basics: Porto, Portugal
Currency: Euro
Thank you: If you are a man say, “Obrigado.” If you are a woman say, “Obrigada.”
Water: Tap water is ok to drink, bottled water tastes better.
Local Coffee: “Bica” is small back espresso. “Garoto” is half espresso, half milk.
Restaurant Customs: Say “No” to the cover (bread, olive, snacks, etc… that the waiter puts down without ordering them) if you don’t want to pay for it.
Tipping: Round up for a sandwich or coffee. 5-10% tip in restaurants if a service charge is not included on the bill.
Accommodations: Yes! Hostel Porto
