Moving to Lisbon from the US

Hi Isabel,

If I had it to do over again, I would not have brought anything with me except my emotional items and my shoes (I've built an amazing collection over the years).

Having my things shipped here was so freakin' expensive and IMHO - not at all worth it. My friend Lisa said the exact same thing.

There are places where you can get less expensive clothing, but they won't necessarily be of great quality. I totally hear you about the jeans, but I still would have started over. If you are planning on moving to Lisbon, you can get pretty much anything you want (Amazon UK & ES both deliver here). Here's a breakdown on the items you asked about:

Cutlery - only if you have the super expensive amazing kind. We have Corte Ingles and Cesar Castro for high end culinary items - think Le Creusset & All Clad.

Pots and pans - Would buy those here.

Bedding - Don't. Sizes are different here, so replacing mattresses, sheets, etc is tough.

Tools - If they are electric - no.

Bring those things you can't replace - your yearbooks, family photos, etc...everything else I would get here.

Blanca

Hi Michael,

Depending on where you are coming from to Lisbon and how much you have to ship, I can tell you that a 2 bedroom costs about $9,000 plus unexpected fees. A friend from Paris got charged $10k for a 1 bedroom.

Do your research, make sure that you get as flat a fee as possible, ask if partners in Portugal need to be paid separately, and make sure that they help you fill out the certificado de bagagem way before hand.

Good luck & Bemvindo!

Hi Blanca,

You mentioned that moving costs were freakin' expensive. We're planning a move to Lisbon and am curious around how much was "expensive." I'm considering taking some furniture and some kitchen items (nothing electric, of course), since they're pretty high-end and probably would cost much more to replace once in Lisbon.

Thanks!

Michael