Places to exchange currency in Portugal

I exchanged £100 at Lisbon Airport once and instantly regretted it after seeing the rate difference in the city. Now I only use ATMs. Caixa Geral and Millennium BCP machines worked fine with my UK debit card. I withdrew €80 and it covered me for taxis, coffee shops, and tram rides. In Sintra, I needed coins for bus fares, so I was glad I had cash. Everywhere else, even small restaurants, accepted card. Lesson: skip the counters, just use ATMs.

Airport exchange desks in Lisbon and Porto charge high fees. Better option: use ATMs - Caixa Geral, Novo Banco, and Millennium BCP are the main ones. They dispense euros at the official rate. Portugal is largely card-friendly, though small restaurants, bakeries, and rural markets prefer cash. Withdraw €50-150 depending on your needs. If carrying foreign currency, exchange in Lisbon city center for better rates. The airport counters should only be used for emergency small amounts.

I never bother with exchange counters at Portuguese airports. ATMs from Millennium BCP and Caixa Geral de Depósitos are right inside arrivals, and they work well with foreign cards. In Lisbon, you’ll also find plenty of ATMs in the city center. Portugal is very card-friendly, but I usually keep €100 for taxis, tips, and smaller cafés. If you bring USD or GBP, it’s better to exchange them in city exchange shops than at the airport, where fees are high.

Lisbon and Porto airports both have exchange counters, but they’re very overpriced. I just grab cash from ATMs. Millennium BCP, Novo Banco, and Caixa Geral de Depósitos machines are reliable and everywhere. Portugal uses the euro, so if you’re coming from the eurozone, just bring some with you. I usually withdraw €50-100 on arrival for metro tickets and snacks, then pay everything else by card. Small cafés and kiosks sometimes prefer cash, so keeping a few coins handy is useful.