Tips on traveling smart and on a budget
We’ve been making it a point to get to know the cities that are within a 30-minute drive from Lisbon. Sa far, we’ve visited Setúbal, Cascais, Meco, Mafra, Quinta do Anjo, and Ericeira. Our latest recon mission was over to Seixal. It’s a quiet and quaint fishing town just 27 minutes from Lisboa by car. …
As a pizza snob (I’m a New Yorker and Totonno’s in Coney Island is the standard by which all other pizza should be measured) never in my life have I seen a more atrocious crime against pizza than what Telepizza is attempting in Portugal. They are now selling a “Lasagna Pizza”. It’s topped with salted …
Since we’re planning on staying in Portugal, we figured it would be smart to switch our US driver’s license to a Portuguese License. It’s good we did so. In Portugal, you must make this change within 90 days of getting your residency (so 90 days after you go to your first SEF appointment). I suggest …
How to Change your USA Driver’s License to a Portuguese Driver’s License Read More »
When we first moved to Portugal, we were stoked at the price of things in Lisbon. The cost of living in Lisbon is a mere fraction of what we paid in NYC. Everything here costs about 1/5th of what we used to pay. When we first got our EDP bill for electricity, we were pretty …
Understanding Your EDP Bill (or How Not to Pay €500 for Electricity) Read More »
Lisbon is awesome. It’s beautiful, it’s safe, it has culture and it is tons of fun. When friends say they are coming, I usually recommend that they come for a minimum of 14 days. However, I know most people only get 1-2 week vacations and that they want to get the most out of it …
We recently adopted a puppy named Santino (Yell the name like SANTINO from Godfather) from a great rescue up near Coimbra called Pegadas & Bigodes (they are wonderful – highly recommended – Natasha really cares). He was abandoned by locals and thrown over the fence of the farm. We took him in and he’s getting …
Bang, you smacked your head against a wall one night while you are on holiday and need emergency help immediately. Or maybe you decide to eat some mystery meat shawarma after a night of drinking in Bairro Alto and your tummy doesn’t feel so well. Now you’re wondering how to get healthcare in Portugal and …
As a metro-sexual, I like my outfits to be fashion forward. Do I wear velvet, every so often? Yes. How many pairs of shoes do I have? More than 40. Do I shop at the Goodwill? Yes! It’s the best place to snipe the best deals. I am a modern man and I am comfortable …
It took me a long time to finally visit Sintra. Not sure why. Every time I spoke with a Portuguese person, they’d reply in shock when they learned how many times I had been to Lisbon without visiting Sintra. When I finally relocated here, I decided that I must go. Should you go to Sintra? …
One way to become a U.S. expat in Portugal is to apply for your Portuguese D7 residency visa (also known as the Portugal Schengen Residence Visa). Once it is granted, you will be approved for 4 months. When you go to the Portuguese Embassy at your US city of residence to pick up your passport with the …
What to Expect at Your First Portuguese D7 Residency Visa Appointment Read More »
You’ve probably been hearing tons of great things about Portugal and Lisbon in particular. You’ve heard about the great weather, prices, and if you have been following Madonna’s Instagram account (or mine), you know that it’s “the” place to live. Now you’re starting to research how to get your Portuguese residency and you’re really starting to …
Do I Need to Speak Portuguese When I Come to Lisbon? Read More »
Portugal means long lines. Portugal means slow walkers who don’t move out of the way. People speak quickly, but take their time in their conversation with the cashier when you’re in a rush and waiting on line. As a New Yorker, (this is who this blog is meant for…did you not know?) this is going to …
If you were to ask me if you should bring anything with you when you relocate to Portugal, my answer would be just to bring those things that have emotional value. Everything else – furniture, electronics, kitchenware…just sell all that crap and buy new when you arrive in Portugal. The moving process is not the …
Taxes, taxes, and more taxes. I am not a fan of over taxation. Fair taxation I am totally cool with (taxes pay for public services, roads, lights…not all taxes are bad). One of the benefits of moving to Portugal is that they offer the Portuguese Non-Habitual Tax Residency program aimed at retirees, startups and the self-employed. …
How to get Portuguese Non-Habitual Tax Residency Read More »
Europe is a very diverse continent. Because of that, in this article, I will cover how to properly walk the streets, alleyways, hilltops, and promenades of some of Europe’s major cities. I will generalize greatly in this piece, but it is 100% correct in my opinion. Most of this article is me venting my frustrations …