Survival Guide Porto SC 11

Transcription

1 Porto SC 11

2 Index 1. What you should send us if you are accepted 2 2. General Information Date: 30th August 13th September Accommodation Meal Before you leave 3 3. Portugal 4 4. City Of Porto.5 5. FEUP Life in Portugal Public transportation Time Banking hour Some current prices Shopping Electricity Telephone Weather and climate Vocabulary How to reach us Plane Bus Train Car Hitch Hiking 12 8 Useful Contacts 13 2/13

3 1. What you should send us if you are accepted Please send us a message telling: Where it is possible to contact you just before the event; When will you arrive in Porto? How? Departure day and time; If you are vegetarian or allergic to something. 2. General Information 2.1. Date: 30st August 13 th September The first activity for the group will happen on Wednesday (31th) and the last one will be on Monday (12th). We will be ready to welcome you from Tuesday morning! 2.2. Accommodation You will be hosted at a youth hostel Meal - Breakfast in a coffee-house or at the university; - Lunch and Dinner in the canteen, except the days when we have something else planned Before you leave Before all the fun starts, there is a little paper work that needs to be done: Visa If you need one, don t forget to ask us to send your official invitation Passport If needed, check if it is still valid Travel plan Let us know about it as soon as possible. This will be of great help to us in case of delays or other problems. 3/13

4 Travel & health insurance This is very important for you. When you arrive, you will sign a discharge document. You must bring E111, health insurance, or something similar What to bring with you Of course, you re old enough to pack your own suitcase, but just so that you won t get surprised, please check this list: A personal insurance; Clothes for every kind of weather. With the problem of Global Warming we never know how the weather will be! Sleeping bag; Toothbrush + necessary accessories; Medicines (if you need it); Pen & papers; Alarm clock (if you have one); This survival guide; Bring also (It s important for the activities!) CD and tapes with your favourite music; Songs from your country; A music instrument, if you play one; Any special and/or traditional dish from your country. Our shops have a lot of stuff, but Some Whisky, Vodka, Alcohol, Wine, Beer, a bottle of a typical drink from your country; Your enthusiasm and funny ideas. 3. Portugal Portugal is a nation in southwestern Europe, occupying the western portion of the Iberian Peninsula. It is bordered on the north and east by Spain, with which it shares the Iberian Peninsula, and to the south and west by the Atlantic Ocean. The Azores (Açores) and the Madeira Islands, both located in the Atlantic, are autonomous regions of Portugal. 4/13

5 Portugal is a rapidly urbanizing country, although more than one-third of the population is still rural. The population is densest along the northern and central coastal areas and in the far south. Lisbon, the capital and largest city, is the leading administrative and services center of Portugal. It is also the nation s principal port, a crossroads of road and rail routes, an international air hub, and home to many industries. Other important cities include Porto, the second largest city, a seaport, and industrial center, Coimbra, an educational and administrative center, Setúbal, a seaport and industrial center; Funchal, the capital of the Madeira Islands; and Faro, in the Algarve resort area. The official language of the country is Portuguese. The monetary unit of Portugal is the single currency of the European Union (EU), the euro. Portugal s former national currency, the escudo, ceased to be legal tender in City Of Porto The city of Porto ("Oporto" in English and in some more languages), with its centuries of rich and unique history, can be described as a big cosmopolitan city with a heart of a small town. In fact, in spite of its over one million inhabitants (including the surrounding areas) the city keeps an atmosphere of cosines common to the small villages and towns all over the country. Porto is well known all over the world, thanks to the Port wine, a rich, generous wine produced on the banks of the River Douro. You can visit the web site of the Port Wine Institute at In 1996, UNESCO classified the historical area of Porto as "World Heritage", without a doubt due to the history and beauty of the city, as well as the social and urban renovation being undertaken in the oldest and most degraded areas through support 5/13

6 programmes destined at the local populations, sport and culture. This fact demonstrated the cultural and social vitality of the city, also certified by the existence of several Universities, art academies, conservatories, museums, etc. The privileged location, facing both the river Douro and the Ocean; the old city; the 5 bridges that unite the two shores of the river (including one designed by Alexandre Gustave Eiffel); the two new football Euro 2004 stadiums; the thousands of small cafes at each corner. all makes of Porto an unforgettable city!!! Porto on the Net: A lot of nice photos and a little bit of history can be found at: A thorough city guide with useful travel tips, available in English and Spanish, can be found at Another interesting website about Porto: 5. FEUP This College dates back to 1762, when the Nautical School was created. In 911, it is founded as an Affiliated School to the College of Sciences. In 1915, it became a Technical College and, in 1926, it was attributed the statute of College of Engineering. Today, it is one of the largest College of the UP, with about 7000 students and more than 400 lecturers, of which more than half hold a doctoral degree. The College new facilities are three times larger than the oldest. With incomparably superior conditions and quality, it allows us to look confidently towards the future. As you can see in the following picture. 6/13

7 The College has a department structure that is legal since 1990: Civil Engineering, Mine Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management, Electro-technical and Computer Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Metallurgical Engineering. The Departments have their own administrative organs and when their dimension and the plurality of the scientific fields included require, they are divided into sections. Besides teaching, the Faculty develops research activities and renders services through research centers and interface institutes. These organizations have as their main goal the utilization of the scientific, technical, human and material resources of the FEUP in the development of fundamental or applied research. These centers also give an important assistance to the accomplishment of Master s and Doctoral thesis. 6. Life in Portugal 6.1. Public transportation Tickets bus/subway (Andante) Subway areas Limite Travel time 1 Ticket cost 10+1 Ticket 24h Ticket Z2 1h 00m 1,00 10,00 3,60 Z3 1h 00m 1,25 12,50 4,45 Z4 1h 15m 1,50 15,00 5,40 Z5 1h 30m 1,80 18,00 6,30 Z6 1h 45m 2,05 20,50 7,30 Z7 2h 00 m 2,35 23,50 8,20 Z8 2h 15m 2,60 26,00 9,10 Z9 2h 45 m 2,85 28,50 10,00 7/13

8 The bus tickets for travelling everywhere in the city network costs minimum 1.00 if you buy it beforehand and 1.50 if you buy it in the bus. Check charge Ticket must be shown upon request. There is a substantial fine to pay if you are travelling without a ticket Be aware!! Currency The currency used in Portugal is since 2002, the Euro ( ) Time The local time is one hour less than the Central European time Banking hour Monday to Friday 08:30 h to 15:00 h 6.4. Some current prices The cost of living in Portugal is considered one of the lowest in Europe, even though some goods can be considerably more expensive than elsewhere. The estimated prices for certain articles are as follow: - 1 Lt milk - between 0.40 and 0.70; - 1 bottle of water (1.5 l.) between 0.50 and 0.75; - 1 bread roll 0.10; - 1 cup of coffee (express) between 0.45 and 1,00; - 1 beer between 0.45 and 0.60 at shops; between 0.75 and 1 in a café; between 1.5 and 4 in a bar or disco; - 1 meal (in a canteen); between 5 and 10 (in an economic restaurant); - Newspapers 1 (daily); between 2 and 3 (weekly); - Cinema - between 3.50 and 5.80, depending on the day and time; - A packet of cigarettes (20) between 3.30 and 3,80; - A CD between 20 and 25; - An EU stamp, for a postcard 0.50; - A condom 1. 8/13

9 6.5. Shopping Traditional shops (clothing, footwear and book shops) are usually open in the morning (09:00 h/09:30 h to 12:30 h) and in the afternoon (14:30 h to 19:00h/19:30 h) from Monday to Friday. On Saturday, these shops are usually open from 09:00 h to 13:00 h and are closed in the afternoon. They are also closed on Sunday, except on special holidays (such as Christmas) and in the City center during summer. Shopping Centers are open everyday from 10:00 h to 23:00 h. The opening times of small shops (such as butcher s, baker s, grocer s, etc.) are similar to the opening times of traditional shops. Usually, the supermarkets are open until 20:00h and the hypermarkets (where you can buy almost everything) are open from 10:00 h to 23:00 h. Many shops in Portugal have already added to the Tax-free system, which is available to every citizen outside the EU. Most international credit cards, especially VISA, are widely accepted. Porto is a commercial city par excellence, Santa Catarina, Boavista and Cedofeita are some of the streets in the city center, which are especially well known for their intense commercial activity, apart from many Shopping Centers throughout the city. In several locations around the city, open-air markets are set up in a more or less organized manner. There are some permanent markets in several locations and cities Electricity 50Hz. Like almost every European countries also Portugal have a voltage of 220V and 6.7. Telephone System We have numbers of 9 digits. The numbers in the area of Porto start with 22 and then the next 7 digits. Mobile phones start with 91, 93 and 96, each one for one of the three operators that exist in Portugal. Numbers starting with 800 are free numbers. International call 00 + country code + phone number Public phone There are a lot of public phones, both for coins and phone cards, which are paid on time unit basis. You can buy cards for 50, 100 and 150 units. Each unit costs around On weekends, to European Union the prices go around 0.25 and 0.35 on a public phone. You can also make a phone call in a coffe but it is much more expensive. Emergency phone number: 112 9/13

10 6.8. Weather and climate Porto has a climate typical of the temperate Atlantic regions: damp but temperate, with cooler nights. In Winter, rainfall is high, but it hardly ever snows and frost is rare as well, seeing as the temperature almost never falls below 0 C, ranging between 2 C and 16 C. In Summer, the temperatures rise, and the warmest months of the year are June, July and August: temperatures range from 20 C to 35 C. Of course we expect to welcome you with the legendary sun of Portugal, but Porto is unpredictable, especially in November. You can find wonderful sunny or cold days and lots of rain. be prepared! You can check the weather in Porto just before leave your country at Vocabulary Portuguese is the official language. It is said to be very hard to learn but let s see how well you do it! Hi! How are you? My name is What s your name? Good morning! Good afternoon! Good night, see you tomorrow! Goodbye Yes No What time is it? Glad to meet you See you later Thanks You re welcome Olá! Como estás? O meu nome é Como te chamas? Bom dia! Boa tarde! Boa noite, até amanhã! Adeus Sim Não Que horas são? Prazer em conhecer-te Até logo Obrigado De nada 10/13

11 Bathroom May I have the menu, please? Casa-de-banho Podia dar-me o menu, por favor? How much is it? Quanto é? Do you speak English? I don t speak Portuguese. I don t understand. Bus Train I would like a ticket/card Is it the bus for? Beer Can you help me? Departure Arrival Direction Fala inglês? Não falo português. Não compreendo. Autocarro Comboio Queria um bilhete/cartão É este o autocarro para? Cerveja Pode ajudar-me? Partida Chegada Direcção 7. How to reach us Please let us know about your travelling plans. There are 5 possible ways of coming to Porto: 7.1 Plane Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is located in an important industrial and business region, 11 Km away from Porto. There are direct flights to Porto from the major cities of Europe. In case you take a flight to Lisbon, then you have to catch an internal connecting flight or take a train/bus to Porto. The train/bus journey from Lisbon to Porto lasts a minimum of 3 hours. You can check here the bus timetables: 11/13

12 Train timetables: F3A419E.tomcat1 Connections from the airport to the center of Porto: - Wait for one of the BEST members if you are a lucky person (don t forget to tell us the time and the date of your arrival). - Take the subway end change line in Trindade to yeallow line end go to Aliados. - We strongly advise you not to take a taxi, because that might cost you a fortune. The price varies between 10 and 20, or even more. 7.2 Bus There are also some bus lines coming directly to Porto, from the nearest major cities of Europe (namely: Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, etc ). There are three stops of international buses at Porto. If you come by bus, please let us know the exact address of the bus stop and we will pick you up. 7.3 Train All the international trains stop at Campanhã Station. We can pick you up there, but you have to let us know the time of arrival. Your ticket will allow you to take any train to S.Bento railway station, which is in the center of Porto. Once in S.Bento you can phone us. There is also the possibility to reach the center by bus 35 (it takes about 30 min, the price is almost 1. There is one each 20 minutes). See train schedules and prices in the web site of Car If you have a great spirit of adventure, you can come by car and enjoy driving among the Portuguese drivers (well known around Europe). When travelling by car you will find many ways to get at Porto. From the North you have the highway from Braga and also from Vigo (Spain). From the East you have the road from Bragança, Vila Real and the main border Vilar Formoso. From the South you have the highway, which connects Lisbon and Porto. 7.5 Hitch Hiking Hitch hiking is not a common costume in Portugal, but you can try your luck in the road! ;) Anyway, in case you would be in trouble, just give us a call. 12/13

13 8 Useful Contacts Summer Course Main Organisers: Guilherme Chainho: guilherme.chainho@bestporto.org - msn/gtalk: guilhermechainho@gmail.com Raquel Reis: raquel.reis@bestporto.org - msn/gtalk: raquelcmreis@gmail.com LBG President: João Fernandes - joão.fernandes@bestporto.org Or contact us at: BEST-Porto Faculdade de Engenharia da Universidade do Porto Rua Dr. Roberto Frias, Porto PORTUGAL sc2011@bestporto.org URL: 13/13