What a great choice, Portugal, it's a smorgasbord of wonders with beaches as far as the eye can see and towns with history longer and richer than this sentence. The food is only a tiny step into the culture, the surfing is another and then you have the drinking then anything else you wish to do, quaint towns, historical buildings the list goes one, but this list is short so you can make the most out of your time,

1. Booking, depending on what you are after the time of year for this weather blessed country is all the time however it's best to book outside the peak season as the deals will make your wallet shake with anticipation. There is some rain coming into the end of the year and the beginning but it's no Ireland, also the regions are all so incredibly unique in their weather traits that you could easily find a beach adventure in April and a wandering wonderland in November.

2. Document Check, if you're flying in from the free travel borders of the EU then there's no problems for you, just ensure your passport has not expired in a drawer somewhere. Australian's, Canadian's, American's, New Zealanders all will be able to enter with a 90 day holiday visa, should be enough to see most of it. Other countries should check the Shengen Visa Info site.

3. Cash is appreciated, the country is up to date, it has ATM's and credit card facilities all over however some of the smaller towns shops and restaurants only take cash, also you could arrive somewhere and the cash point is out for the day which could mean no more Port for you.

4. Getting about, the countries options for transport are multiple with buses running within the towns, trains running interstate and around major cities, coaches getting the places the trains don't and also large amounts of car hire places which you can minimise the risk and get the best deal by using Enjoy Car Hire before you arrive or even when you have decided to move out of the picturesque city of Lisbon.

5. Learn a little, before you go just do yourself a favour and the locals by learning a tiny bit of the language to get you through, there's no need to learn gothic poetry but a few phrases to help both you and them out will be appreciated.

There's so many sides to Portugal and heading there for a few months would be ideal however if you only have a few days then choosing a city break or a beach one(surfing or lounging) is the best way to access the country.