FAQ

Any doubt or question that you don’t find on this list, do not hesitate to contact us to info@portugalbside.com.

Why should I choose Portugal B’side for my travels?

Each person has their own desires and needs, and Portugal B’side is specialized in organizing custom-made trips to each client. We always try to design the perfect itinerary for you, so that you know the best places in Portugal and experience the true culture of this country. We also create exclusive trips for you, so you can see and do what you most desire. On each itinerary or trip created by you, we present you a set of extra services, so that your tavel is perfect with no worries. More importantly, we always offer with your trip the guarantee of a 24 hour support throughout your stay, and a guidebook with de description of the places you will visit, with suggestions of monuments, museums, monasteries, gardens and other points of interest so you don’t miss anything in each place. Just tell us what you want, and Portugal B’side will organize, book and deal with all the paper work inherent to your trip.

What is my Personal Area and how I access it?

Your Personal Area is where you can organize your Favorites, access your Trip plan, edit and send it, and track the Booking status of your Itinerary or Trip plan. Also in your Personal Area you can communicate with Portugal B’side through the OnTrip field. To access your Personal Area, please Login by clicking the button at the top right corner of the website, then click on your name that will appear on the same button.

What are the Experiences?

So you can enjoy the best that Portugal has to offer, Portugal B’side designed Itineraries that make you live the true culture of Portugal. Yet we know that each client is unique and often likes to decide what to explore in the country that will be visiting and to choose the Experiences they want to live in Portugal. As such we have created an innovative platform that allows you to get to know a little more about what you can see and do in Portugal, and create your own Trip by adding the Places you want to see and the Activities you want to do. The Experiences are just that, Places (like cities, towns and villages), and Activities to explore on your travel to Portugal. Use our search engine, which you find on the left column, to generate results of Experiences that match your preferences.

How to add or remove a Place or Activity on a trip created by me?

To add a Place or Activity in a trip created by you just put your mouse over the symbol  of the Place or Activity you want to add, and in the box that opens, choose the trip in which you want to add. To remove it, the same the procedure, put the mouse over the symbol  of the Place or Activity you want to remove and in the box choose the trip from which you want to remove.

How to plan a trip made by me?

A trip plan done by you, where you have the complete freedom to choose the Places and Activities you want to see and do, and the services you want to include. Don’t worry about anything else, as soon as Portugal B’side receive your trip plan we will organize it for days and make all the necessary reservations for the services and activities you choose. How to plan:

1) Start by exploring our Experiences that can be found in the Explore Menu, use the search engine “Explore experiences” on the left column to generate results of Experiences that match your preferences.

2) Login and create your Favorites list - select the symbol  on the appropriate Place / Activity - to later on create your trip; or start adding the Experiences to your trip - select the symbol  on the desired Place / Activity and choose to add to New trip or add to an existing trip already created by you.

3) In your Personal Area, selecting your name in the top right corner, you can manage your Favorites, Trip plan or create a New trip. To view or edit the information of a trip you created, select the name of that trip in the left menu of your Personal Area. Within the trip, the pencil symbol next to the name allows you to edit the trip data.

4) Just to finish, complete the trip you are planning: confirm the "1| Places" and/or "2| Activities" you want to experience in Portugal; choose the "3| Services" which you want to include in your trip; review on the "4| Plan" your trip plan and send it to us by clicking the button "Want this trip!". After sending it, the trip goes automatically to the "Bookings" submenu, and this is where the Portugal B’side team kicks in.

How do I book a trip?

- Itinerary - Access the Itineraries from the "Explore" menu and select the Itinerary you want to do – at the right column review it and add or change the services of your interest, at the end of the page enter the dates of your trip and the number of people who will participate and send it to us by clicking the button "Want this trip!" Your Itinerary automatically will appear on the "Bookings" submenu of your Personal Area and this is where the Portugal B’side team kicks in.

or

- Trip plan created by you - follow the steps in the previous question "How to plan a trip made by me?" to send us your Trip plan. After we receive it we will start to organize it for days and if applicable we will make suggestions of Places or Activities that may be interesting to you. You can track this process in the "Bookings" submenu of your Personal Area, choosing the trip that you sent us. Don’t worry we will contact you by email so you don’t miss anything.

or

- Wish List - If you don’t know what Itinerary or Experiences you want for your trip to Portugal, or you simply want us to draw an exclusive trip for you, fill out the Wish List so we can get to know you better and plan your custom-made trip.

Then Portugal B’side team will organize all the logistics of your trip and check the availability of services and activities included. We will contact you by email when everything is ready, at the end of your trip page the fields you need to fill out to proceed to the trip payment will pop-up.

How do I know if my trip is effectively booked?

Your Itinerary or Trip plan is only effectively booked after we confirm the payment of at least 25% of the total value of the trip. The remaining 75% must be paid 15 working days before your arrival. You can check if your trip is actually booked in the "Bookings" submenu of your Personal area, selecting the name of your Trip plan or Itinerary and checking its status - . The   Booked status confirms your reservation. You will also receive an email confirmation of your booking and respective data.

How do I know the final price of a trip?

The prices shown for Itineraries may vary whether you do the trip in low or high season, and may suffer some changes if you add or change services or choose a different trip length than the one programmed.

The price of a trip created by you will appear only after you send us your Trip Plan, and after we review and organize it.

Final prices will be displayed only after checking the availability of activities and services you selected.

Why the Activities don’t show a price?

We have different partners for each Activity, from north to south. The prices may vary depending on where you will perform the Activity, its duration and the availability of the Partner for the date that you want to do it. As such only after receiving your Trip Plan we can say the Activity price.

What are the available means of payment?

To pay your trip you can do it via PayPal, with your debit or credit card, or by wire transfer (the payment’s data will be sent to the email address you gave on your registry, after you send us your trip).

How early should I pay my trip?

After confirming your Booking request, you need to pay 25% or 100% of your trip. If you opt to pay only 25% at the moment of your booking, the remaining 75% must be paid 15 working days before your arrival. In the eventuality of you fail to do this, your trip will be cancelled. If your trip is booked with less than 15 working days before your arrival date, it will be necessary the full payment of the trip at the booking time.

How early should I book a trip?

There is no deadline to book your trip. However we advise you to always book well in advance, especially during the high season, because bookings are subject to the various services availability. We want you have an experience as authentic as possible and as such we always seek the best services, including the best accommodation according to your desire. In order to do that, we need to know it in advance to ensure the availability.

Itinerary availability is guaranteed?

All trip availability is always guaranteed, however some services or activities may not be available if you make a reservation at short notice in relation to the day of your arrival, therefore we may have to find other solutions. Make your bookings in advance so we can ensure you will have the trip you always dreamed.

What is included in my trip?

In all of your trips with Portugal B’side is included:

- telephone support line through your stay, so you have a free worry trip.

- Portugal B'side exclusive guidebook with a description of the places you will visit and a suggestion of monuments, museums, monasteries, gardens, restaurants and other points of interest to visit in each Place as well as other useful information for your trip.

- a detailed program of your trip that includes your trip itinerary for days so you always know where you're going and what you will see and do.

If a problem occurs during my trip in Portugal, who should I contact?

You’ll receive a guidebook with useful phone numbers that you can use during your trip, including emergency numbers and the Portugal B'side telephone number. If some problem occurs while using one of the services or activities, whenever possible try to solve the problem with its representative customer service because they have more possibility to act quickly and find the best solution. If this is not possible, please contact us at the time of occurrence and leave a complaint with the service provider so we can help you.

When will I receive the trip documents and what does it include?

When your trip is booked and the payment confirmed you will receive an email with the necessary documents in digital format for your trip. When you arrive in Portugal a team member of Portugal B’side will meet you at the airport to give you the same documentation in paper format. The documentation includes the voucher for accommodation, car hire, activities and other services applicable for your trip. In addition to this documentation, you will also receive your trip program and our guidebook.

What are the necessary requirements to enter Portugal?

- Identification document - if you are resident in a European Union country you must bring a valid identification document of your residence country. If you reside outside the countries that belong to the European Union you must bring your passport that must have at least six months of validity.

- Visa - if you live in some country outside the European Union you need to apply for a tourist visa to enter Portugal. However if your country doesn’t appear on the list of countries whose citizens are subject to visa obligation to enter Portugal, and if you travel as tourist, you don’t require a visa, and can remain for a 90 days period. For more information check the Consulate or Embassy of Portugal in your area of residence.

- Vaccinations – there aren’t any specific diseases or infections that require vaccinations before coming to Portugal, but you may have to take that measure if you come from a country that has some potentially contagious disease or infection. Contact your Embassy or Consulate for more information on this subject. The International Certificate of Vaccination against Yellow Fever may be required in Portugal if you came from an infected area and when the traveler is more than one year old.

I intend to drive in Portugal. Is my driving license enough?

If you are resident in a European Union country and have a valid driving license in that country you can drive freely in Portugal, you only need to bring your valid driving license and your identification document valid in your country of residence.

If you reside outside the European Union make sure your license is within the validity period and is recognized in Portugal with the Embassy or Consulate in your residence area. For some countries it may be necessary to apply for the International Driving License, and you must bring it with your valid driving license. Also you should always carry your passport with more than six months of validity.

In addition to the requirements listed above, whenever you drive in Portugal always have the vehicle documents and the document that proves your rental.

What are the implications if I decide to cancel my trip after booking it and paying it partially or fully?

The implications for cancel your trip varies, depending on the advance that you do. Check the corresponding section in our Policies and Conditions - Booking Conditions.

How can I cancel a trip?

To cancel a trip you should contact us by email or phone.

I am interested in one Itinerary but I would like to make some changes. Is it possible?

Yes, all our Itineraries are 100% customizable by you and for you. Submit us the Itinerary you want to do and write in the comments box, at the end of the Itinerary page, what you want to modify.

The Place/Activity I would like to know/do on my next trip doesn’t appear in your Experiences list. Can I still count with Portugal B’side to organize it?

Yes, we are specialized in designing trips custom-made to each client and we know Portugal like the back of our hand. If you desire to visit some place or do some activity in Portugal that isn’t on our Experiences page send us an email to info@portugalbside.com, or create your trip plan with the remnant Experiences you want to experience and state in the comments box of your Trip Plan, that appear at the end of "4|Plan" page, the Place and/or Activity you also like to see and/or do.

I don’t know which trip to book. How can I make the right decision?

Especially for you we have created a Wish List, so that the Portugal B’side team could get to know you better and be able to design your exclusive itinerary. On the menu Explore select Wish list and complete the form we show you, and our team will design a custom-made itinerary.

I would like to offer a gift voucher that can be converted into your services. Is it possible?

Yes and we are sure it will be a gift that will please a lot the lucky person. Contact us to purchase a gift voucher at info@portugalbside.com. There are two kinds of gift voucher:

- if you intend to give complete freedom in the choice of Experiences or Itinerary that the voucher can be converted into, the voucher offer has a value set by you and it is valid for two years after the purchase.

- if you intend to offer an Itinerary already designed or a Trip plan done by you, the voucher will mention that Itinerary or Trip plan or will just mention a surprise, and not its cost – in this case is valid for one year and is subject to services availability, which will be confirmed when the person who received the gift voucher contact us to do a reservation.