We've never been to Portugal before (usually we go to France and Spain) and are considering it as a possibility for next year, my friend has just been there and said it was fabulous but she has never been abroad before Portugal so dosn't have anywhere else to compare it to!? So can anyone advise if Portugal is expensive? You know the usual stuff you buy if you are self catering, cost of food, eating out etc paricularly in comparison to Spain where we think it is quite cheap to eat out? Any advice about anything for a first time hol to Portugal is appreciated as we don't know much about it and I am just begining to do a bit of research before we decide for sure where to go next year, Thanks Oh my friend said the sea was freezing, its the Atlantic so does it ever warm up enough to go swimming?

I managed to download it no problem and it's a really good course for someone just starting out.
Hope this doesn't sound bad (I'm not boasting.....honestly) but it's too basic for me
I am at the stage where I can hold a reasonable conversation with the Portuguese people. They all seem to say that I speak really well......but I think it's just that they don't often come accross tourists who can speak in sentences (not just one word or the odd phrase).
Maybe I haven't gone deeply enough into this course (not had much time), so if I'm wrong and there is more than just saying and recognising a word or phrase, then I apologise!!!!

Roseweb, I hope you have a brilliant time when you go on Sunday....boa viagem!!!!
Pat

Im going to albufeira on tuesday for 11 nights, staying at the vila petra!

Hip Hip Hoo Ray I managed to download it successfully, Went into Internet Explorer 7 browser and it dowloaded no problem. Will have a look at it later on tonight. Cheers Jayjan

Twinkletoes.
the recent thread Click here discusses prices. Portugal is quite reasonably priced.

Hi Twinkletoes,

The sea is cold but very refreshing! Once you're in, it's lovely ..... honest! We've been in the sea well into the Autumn and the beaches are fabulous - some of the best in Europe, if not THE best.

Pat, I agree with you that the course is quite basic and with the free version it's mostly vocabulary based. The constant repetition, particularly in the last exercise where you have to actually type in the Portuguese, does help you remember and indeed spell the words. I warned people that it is addictive, and looking back at the original post I see the Turkey forum members are getting right into it, but the point is that it is fun to do in a masochistic kind of way. It's the fact that it grips you so much that you just have to start another list as soon as the last one is finished, no matter how late it is - you just know that this time you're going to go right through it without any mistakes and it will therefore only take a few minutes - haha! I would love someone to have a go at the deluxe paid-for version so I can find out whether there is any more to it apart from a lot more words to learn.

Well done you, being able to converse with the locals - I can manage to "talk" to builders using a combination of sign language, some Portuguese phrases (can't guarantee the verbs are quite in the correct tense) and facial expressions. But as for anyone else, well they always answer my efforts in English!

Come on, Jayjan, have you started it yet?

Not yet Roseweb, Ive just scanned through it but need to have my conscentration head on and at the moment it aint in the mood. Maybe this coming Monday when Bernard goes to the house and i'm on my own I can get into it then. Cheers Jayjan

It's the spelling part that gets me !!-I can speak a fair bit, understand a bit less, but have never ever tried to write Portuguese ( with the exception of a short 'thank-you' note to chambermaids and, as the saying goes,- a euro paints a thousand words, so they probably don't bother to read it !! )I know what the word means,know how to pronounce it but, just because I miss out a cedilla, it's back to square one !!
I suppose that's what you have to put up with when you use a free program, but I would say that the learning concept of b.y.k.i. grabs my attention far better than my Linguaphone course.

Like SAGRES, I am illiterate in 6 languages!

Two weeks

Dave

Three days.

Four weeks, three days.



Doe

Not that I'm counting but 3 days, 2hrs and 20 mins till we're there

Hi,

5 weeks and 6 days........



Cant wait!!

Kelly

Hi Twinkletoes

I was looking back over this thread for other reasons & realised we didn't give you much of a reply. Not sure when you want to book, but I am going to Lagos, as soon as schools break up, for a fortnight with 2 kids?

If you can wait that long I will be able to give you some detailed info on how I find it for a family holiday. ie Lagos supermarket prices, stuff to do with kids etc.

Not sure where you usually go, but I did extensive research & if on a budget there are many family apartments to book at good prices. (although I then booked just about the most expensive one I could find ). You can also get cheap flights if you book as soon as they release, mine were easyjet, 65 quid each.

Booking via an accommodation only site seemed cheaper to me than direct with owners and you tend to pay balance 4 weeks before departure & no CC fees.

Are you still thinking of Algarve for next year? We went twice when kids were much younger, and I think it's ideal for a family holiday, but it will be interesting to see how we get on now they are young teens.

As ever, IMHO
Doe.

Hi doepsmc, thanks very much for your reply, yes we are considering the Algarve for next year (2008), we usually prefer campsites as we feel the kids have more freedom on them and a company called camping life do chalets at camping turiscampo near Lagos so if we went to the Algarve it would be to this place. We usually holiday in Spain and France (we just returned a week ago from 18days in Salou, North Spain), this was our first time in Salou and the kids thoroughly enjoyed it, plenty to keep them busy all day and night! But we are not ones to repeatedly return to the same place and therefore are looking for other ideas for next year but not too far from home if you know what I mean. So yes please, any info on what to do in the Algarve would be greatly appreciated, our kids by next year will be 12, 11 and 9. We possibly would go in the late May early June time like we did this year(to fall in with kids half term) Also do you know what the weather would be like that time of year? I've checked out the current temp at Faro and its only 21 whereas Southern Spain (which is just around the corner from the Algarve) is 27?? Thanks for any info and I hope you have a brilliant holiday

No expert, but I think that the temps on the Western Algarve, where Lagos is are slightly cooler than the Eastern Algarve and Costa del Sol. Infact I would imagine they would be similar to the Costa Dorada where you have just been (and I am going at end Aug ).

Not sure how it would be at Whitsun, you might have to risk a couple of cooler days. When we went in 1999 & 2000 it was last 2 weeks July, both times the weather was wonderful, 14 perfect days . The sea was cold, kids managed to swim despite this, although we spent much time round the pool. First time we stayed in the Ocean Club at Praia de Luz, which of course is now tinged with sadness .

The campsite sounds good. As a guide, 1 bed apartments were coming up for about 500/600 per week when I looked and that was for peak season. May/June should be less.

All being well, I will let you know supermarket prices etc. on return. Although we do intend to eat out a fair bit.

Doe

Hi Doe, You lucky thing having two great hols within a few weeks of each other I'm sooo jealous We have to wait a whole year for our next one!! But thanks for your help and I will look forward to reading your posts when you get back, have a lovely time