Portugal offers stunning medieval coastlines, vibrant cities, and a rich history. Known for its delicious pork dishes, Pastel de nata, ports, and beautiful beaches, it's a popular destination for both tourists and expats. Thanks to your smartphone, getting the best experience is easy as you can find helpful apps for things like learning Portuguese, journey planning, or filling out forms for housing for expats.


CP (Comboios de Portugal) — Using the Trains


When you're looking for hassle-free train travel in Portugal, the CP app is essential, as it makes checking schedules or buying tickets online easy. In fact, you'll have the convenience of planning your whole journey with just a couple of taps.

The app allows you to buy tickets for various train types, including:

  • Alfa Pendular

  • Intercidades

  • Regional

  • InterRegional

  • Coimbra urban trains

  • Oporto urban trains

Furthermore, you can choose your preferred seat, add travel companions, and access an offline timetable. You can even “geo-reference” to receive updates and alerts about CP services.


SNS 24 — Your Digital Health Companion


For those of you looking to spend more time in Portugal, SNS 24 is an app that's designed to simplify your healthcare management. For a start, all your prescriptions, vaccinations, and healthcare records are stored in one place. SNS 24 also offers a range of extra benefits. These include booking consultations, setting medical reminders, and being able to access essential health information.

The app can be considered a form of public health insurance for expats that also keeps you informed and grants peace of mind. Although the app is readily available for Android and iOS devices, you can also access the SNS 24 website to perform the same functions.


Google Maps — Your Essential Travel Companion


Google Maps is a fantastic tool for travelers and expats in Portugal. With its comprehensive coverage of almost every destination, detailed information, and convenient features, having Google Maps on your phone is invaluable.

It has extensive maps and features landmarks, businesses, and any location you're searching for. These might be shops, restaurants, and hotels. Thanks to its ratings and real-time reviews, you can make more informed decisions, save locations, and plan your trips more efficiently. Better still, all maps are available even when offline, meaning you're able to navigate in locations without a phone signal.


PDF Guru — The Online Tool for all your PDF Needs


Thanks to PDF Guru, storing all our most important information in one location on our trusty mobile is made that much easier. It's a versatile web tool that helps organize many document-related aspects of your busy expat life in Portugal. When planning your travels or arranging documents for applications, you can use this online PDF creator to convert, sign, and edit files like itineraries, forms, tickets, IDs, etc.

PDF Guru also allows you to merge various files into one. For instance, you can copy all your important documents, like your passport, visa, and driver's license, directly into one PDF. As such, you’ll have all your things in one place, making them much easier to find.


Uber — A Convenient Option in Select Cities


There may be times when getting around by public transport isn't the best option. Provided you're in a major Portuguese city, Uber should be your first choice. It operates in Lisbon, Faro, Braga, Porto, and other cities and beach towns up and down the Algarve. Yet, it may only have limited availability in rural areas.

As for pricing, Uber tends to be cheaper than regular taxis, though much depends on factors like the time of day and traffic conditions. Always check the exact price before hailing a cab on the app. With its real-time transparent pricing, it's easy to compare them to local taxi rates to make an informed decision.


Duolingo — A Fun and Effective Way to Learn Portuguese


Whether looking for love, reading a menu, or finding jobs for expats, the essential skill of learning a new language can be taxing. Thanks to the rewards-based and gamified system employed by Duolingo, getting to grips with Portuguese is easier than ever. In particular, the Duolingo Stories are a great way of developing reading and listening skills and improving your comprehension and vocabulary.

The app's social features allow you to connect with other language learners and participate in Duolingo classes. It also helps increase your motivation through friendly competition. If you're looking for a beginner-friendly and fun option to learn Portuguese, Duolingo is your go-to app.


Xe Money Transfer — A Reliable Option for International Transfers


Many expats living in Portugal find that taking care of their money abroad can be a headache. Yet by letting Xe Money Transfer do the heavy lifting, we can rest easy. Accepted in over 130 countries, including Portugal, the user-friendly app lets you make transfers with virtually no upfront fees. Once you've downloaded the app, you'll need to set up an account and get it verified. If you have any problems, there's friendly 24/7 live chat customer support in over 100 languages.

In addition, the platform offers data on exchange rates across a huge selection of currencies, as well as rate tracking tools. If you need to have money in your new bank account to pay Portugal taxes for expats, this could be a great solution.


Conclusion


Thanks to its blend of history, culture, and natural beauty, Portugal offers expats an amazing lifestyle. By using the services we recommended, living in Portugal becomes much easier. They offer valuable services in healthcare, transportation, language learning, and banking transactions. As a result, you can have an even better expat experience in the land of Bacalhau à Brás and Vinho do Porto.