Web Summit Survival Guide - From a Lisboner

Hi techie!

As a Lisboner, I am happy to see you here for the Web Summit =) Lisbon has its own way of being and with a few tips, I hope I can make your life easier here and help you avoid “faux-pas” that could make lisboners dislike you.

·????? Transportation - Buy your tickets accounting for a return when going to the major places for web summit (Parque das Na??es, Night Summit areas, etc). You can put more than 1 ticket in the cards you get on the metro (and they are rechargeable) and having the return ticket beforehand will help you avoid the long lines in the metro during return times. Believe me they are long.

·????? Learn Some Portuguese Expressions ?- Golden Rule in Portugal: ?Do not speak Spanish at first with a Portuguese person! ?Our language is Portuguese and we’re pretty proud of it so we get annoyed when people assume we speak Spanish. Instead practice some simple phrases in Portuguese that will make you get a smile out of most Portuguese people

o?? ?Bom Dia - Good Morning

o?? ?Boa Tarde - Good Afternoon

o?? Boa Noite - Good Evening/Night

o?? Por Favor - Please

o?? Obrigado - Thank you

o?? Perd?o ?- Excuse me

o?? Olá – Hello

o?? Adeus - Bye

These simple expressions (we know Portuguese is hard) show that you are making an effort to speak our language and we will reciprocate in kindness.

·????? Be mindful of Portuguese Workers - If someone on public transportation is on a rush, allow them to move before you. 70k web summit attendees can make the public transportation quite crowded. Be kind and allow the workers to not be late. You can wait, they can’t.

·????? Wear Comfortable Shoes - I am not kidding, Portuguese sidewalks are merciless and Lisbon earned the epitaph of “city of the 7 hills” for a reason. This is not the place for stilettos or uncomfortable shoes. Flats, trainers and other comfy shoes are ok. And you’ll be walking a lot these web summit days so spare your feet some pain and go for comfortable over fashionable.

·????? Politeness Always - Politeness is highly appreciated in Portugal, specially amongst the elders and when using public services. When asking for a coffee, the "por favor" and "obrigado" above will be very useful.

·????? Be Mindful of Sound at Night - At night have in attention the places designated for parties. Outside of those places please keep low levels of noise to let the people sleep. Outside specific designated areas, high levels of noise between 11pm and 7am is prohibited by law.

·????? Souvenirs? Ask Portuguese People - When looking for souvenirs ask Portuguese people for ideas. Most of us will have some places in mind where you can buy truly Portuguese souvenirs to take back to your country. It will help local companies and you will have an authentic portuguese souvenir on your hands;

·????? Wanna Avoid Tourist Traps? Ask Portuguese People - Want to see Lisboa through the eyes of a Lisboner? Ask people for ideas. Most of us have a lot of pride on our country and city and will lead you to appreciate the city outside of the typical "tourist traps”.

Last but not least, if you find yourself in any problems just ask for help. Most portuguese will be able to understand you and if not, indicate someone who does. Portugal does have pride in our hospitality and most of us are friendly :)

Have a great Web Summit!

Web Summit (feel free to use it if you guys like it =) )