5 disadvantages of living in Portugal

February 15, 2017

This year, we’re going to Portugal every month to prepare ourselves little by little to live there permanently from September 2017. When I think about it, two feelings come to mind: the excitement of living our dream life and the fear of this change that will turn our lives upside down.

It may sound contradictory, you might say… but it’s true and yet, after thinking about it, they’re very closely linked. When we touch our dream, that’s when our thoughts come to make us doubt, scare us and distract us from what we really want. So being afraid is a good sign, it shows that I’m on the right track and that I just need to let go of those fears that are just a figment of my imagination, isn’t it?

This is going to be my^2nd experience abroad, my^1st was over 3 years ago when we decided to leave Strasbourg and move to England! And my feelings of excitement and fear were similar to those I have today for Portugal.

To prepare for moving to England, my husband and I made a list of all the disadvantages and advantages of this change of life. I’ll give you an example to simplify things: one of the disadvantages for me was being far from my family and friends, so we decided to set aside a budget to visit them at least 4 times a year, and to keep in regular contact with them via Skype, Facetime..

And the advantage of living in another country is that our family and friends have actually come to visit us. That’s how you make an inconvenience less inconvenient 😉 I really recommend this simple and reassuring exercise to anyone who wants to take the plunge and live in another country 🙂

So if you’ve decided to live in Portugal, you also need to take into account what you might not like about it, and maybe you don’t have enough information today to make up your mind. So I’m taking advantage of this blog to share with you my misgivings, which may not be shared by everyone, but I want to be honest with my readers. It’s not all blue skies, beaches and grilled fish.

1. Little heating in public places

You’re going to tell me there’s no need for heating in Portugal: the weather is always fine…yes, most of the year, but some days are cooler than others. From December to February, temperatures are lower (between 10° and 15°), and without heating, well, it’s freezing in a house or apartment, or in a restaurant! And yes, even in some restaurants, there are no heaters, so people eat with their jackets on.

We experienced this twice during our last stay (mid-February). Eating out is no longer a pleasant experience, the food gets cold very quickly, we eat with our coats on and we’re cold!

In short, avoid restaurants or communal parties in winter, stay at home and make yourself a nice meal…at least if you have heating.

For the record, the Portuguese use auxiliary heaters and very often only heat the room they’re in. It’s true that they can’t necessarily afford to pay the heating bills, as energy is expensive (0.228€/Kw in Portugal vs. 0.162€/Kw in France. Source: Eurostat).

2. Contrasting road conditions and nervous driving

In Portugal, you’ll be surprised by the contrast in road conditions. The freeways are well maintained, as they are financed by tolls, which is not the case for the secondary roads, which are in rather poor condition. There are lots of cracks and bumps, and some roads aren’t even tarred, so the car takes a beating! Of course, this is due to the high cost of road construction and maintenance, and as we all know, Portugal’s finances are pretty tight.

In addition to the state of the roads, you’ll have to contend with the frantic driving habits of the Portuguese and their lack of respect for the highway code! Exceeding speed limits, ignoring road signs or overtaking on any side at full speed – this is the behavior of some Portuguese on the road… not very reassuring, you might say… I agree. The only recommendation I have for you is to keep your eyes wide open, and to be cautious, concentrated and vigilant. You’ve been warned!

Ginny in Portuguese streets

3. A time dimension different from our own

Just as every country has its own culture, every country has its own notion of punctuality. In France, we talk about the “French quarter of an hour”, which is the “accepted” delay for an appointment. Well, except for important appointments like job interviews or weddings, when it’s better to be 5 minutes early. If you arrive in Portugal with this notion, you’re likely to be disappointed, angry, frustrated, offended…and you may even take it as a lack of respect.

And yes, in Portugal, it’s not a “French quarter of an hour” but rather an hour, even an afternoon, or even the cancellation of an appointment without warning. I’m speaking from experience, whether it’s waiting for our furniture to be delivered (all day without even a phone call), our internet service provider being late or waiting for responses to our invitations to tender…nothing arrived on time!

At first, I must admit I was annoyed and wondered how we were going to open our business in Portugal. But then I accepted that it’s up to me to adapt to the country I’ve decided to live in, and to show anticipation, patience and clear communication. The beauty of mixing cultures is that you learn from each other and can become better at it. So let go, that’s why you come to Portugal 😉

4. Garbage management in need of review

Garbage management is not one of Portugal’s strong points. I speak from personal experience. We live in a popular area in the south of Lisbon in a new building. Everything is beautiful and well-maintained…until you get to the garbage cans, and then it’s a disaster!

The system is as follows: large garbage cans are provided in the city, but they’re not enough for the number of inhabitants…the result is garbage outside the garbage cans, there’s anything and everything (sinks, boards, furniture…).

As far as I know, there are no waste disposal centers in Portugal, so people put their bulky items next to the garbage cans. It’s quite a change from our individual garbage cans, which are collected twice a week.

5. A first glance that’s sometimes a little “cold

The first few times I went to Portugal, I said to my husband: “The Portuguese don’t seem very nice, they seem cold, they don’t smile”. He replied, “Go further than that and talk to them, you’ll change the way you look at them.

So, yes, at first sight, Portuguese people don’t smile much and seem closed-minded, but if you just say a few words to them, they’ll open up and be warm and welcoming. So the key is to take the plunge and dare to “break the ice”. Using a few words in Portuguese helps, even if it’s just “Bom dia” or “Por favor” 😉

In conclusion

Now that you know all this, you can better prepare yourself for living in Portugal and anticipate these little inconveniences. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this article and for you to share your own experience of the disadvantages of living in Portugal and how you overcame them. I hope I haven’t hurt the pride of Portugal’s protectors too much, and I look forward to hearing from you!