FAQ's - Frequently Asked Questions...

If your question is not answered in the page below, please feel free to contact us and ask us directly.

...about bookings and enquiries

...about our houses

...about checking in

...about money

...about eating out

...about health care

...about checking out

Q. Do I have to pay a 'booking fee' to eastoffaro.com for any services I book through the site ?
A. NO. You only pay the quoted price for the service provided.

Q. How do I pay for an accommodation booking ?
A. When you have made a booking, we will send you payment instructions by email.

Q. Do I have to pay in £'s sterling or can I pay in Euros ?
A. You can pay in either. Full details are provided in the payment instructions sent you on booking.

Q. Can I pay by credit card ?
A. YES. You can pay by credit card through PayPal.

Q. How do I pay for a hire car booking ?
A. You pay for you hire car when you collect it, direct to the representative of the hire car company. You can pay in euros cash or all major credit cards.

Q. How soon can I expect a reply to my enquiry ?
A. You can normally expect a reply within 24 hours.

Q. What if we have to cancel our holiday with eastoffaro ?
A. Please see THE SMALL PRINT .

Q. Are bed sheets and towels provided ?
A. In all of our houses, all bed linen and towels for use in the house are provided and changed each week. This is included in the price. Towels for use at the pool and on the beach are NOT provided.

Q. What about cleaning ?
A. All of our houses will be clean on arrival and are cleaned at the end of each week. This is included in the price.

Q. What about catering ?
A. All of our houses are offered as self-catering accommodation and are appropriately equipped. Buying food and drink is up to you – and is very enjoyable.

Q. Can we drink the tap water in Portugal ?
A. That depends on the water source in the house (mains, agricultural, bore hole, well, river). Mains water you can drink, if you like the taste. However, we always advise guests to drink bottled water, just to be on the safe side.

Q. Is any local information provided ?
A. All of our houses have a file of local information which includes: things you need to know about the house, where best to shop, where best to eat, where the beaches are and what they are like, medical and emergency information and, of course, some basic Portuguese to practice ! In houses where the owners live on site, you will find the owners to be an invaluable source of information.

Q. Who can help us if we have any questions or problems during our holiday ?
A. There is always an English-speaking person available on mobile and not far away to answer any questions or help sort out any problems if you have any. In some houses, the owners live on site and can respond to your questions. We are there if you need us, otherwise we leave you to your own devises. You will also find the Portuguese friendly and helpful, especially if you are in a tight spot.

Q. Does a representative of eastoffaro meet us at the airport ?
A. NO. If you have booked a hire car through eastoffaro, the representative of the hire car company will be expecting you at the hire car stand in the arrivals hall. If you have booked a taxi transfer with eastoffaro, the taxi driver will be waiting for you in the arrivals hall.

Q. Does a representative of eastoffaro meet us at the house ?
A. A representative will not meet you at the house when you check in – we let you do that yourselves. However, a representative of eastoffaro will come to visit you during your stay, usually the day after you arrive. In houses where the owners live on site, they will usually meet you when you arrive.

Q. What time can we check in ?
A. Check in is usually 15.00 hrs (3.00 p.m.) or 16.00 hrs(4.00 p.m). We will let you know by email. If there is the possibility for you to check in earlier if you have an early flight, we will let you know this also.

Q. How do we find the house ?
A. We will send you, via email, written directions and a specially drawn local map which will guide you to the house. Our directions are very good, even in the dark. If we book a taxi transfer for you, the taxi driver will know where the house is.

Q. How do we get into the house ?
A. We will send you, via email, information about where to pick up the keys. In houses where the owners live on site, they will usually meet you on arrival.

Q. Is a welcome pack provided ?
A. NO. Our holidays are self-catering, so shopping is up to you. We give you directions to supermarkets in your driving instructions and in the information file in the house.

Q. What is provided in the house ?
A. You should find some survival basics: water, washing up liquid and sponges/brush, toilet roll.

Q. If we are arriving late at night, will the supermarkets be open or can you put a welcome pack in the house ?
A. Supermarkets open late, especially in the summer (some until midnight) so shopping is usually possible. However, if you are arriving later than this, you can request that we put a breakfast in the house for you (for which we charge you).

Q. What currency should I bring to Portugal ?
A. Euros

Q. Can I use my UK cash card to take money out of ATM’s/autobanks in Portugal ?
A. Yes. When you insert your card, you can choose to follow instructions in your own language.

Q. How much cash can I withdraw with my cash card at one go ?
A. There is usually a 200 euro limit to each transaction, but depending on your card, you may be able to conduct several transactions in one day - one after another - up to the daily withdrawal limit on your card.

Q. Are major credit cards accepted everywhere ?
A. No. Much of the economy is still cash based, though Portugal has been using debit cards with pin numbers for years. Credit cards are accepted in some restaurants and shops, so are worth while bringing. You can pay for your hire car by credit card.

Q. Are traveller's cheques good to bring ?
A. We wouldn't bother, it means queuing up at a bank. Use the autobank - multibanco - instead.

Q. Can we pay for meals by credit card ?
A. In some restaurants (the smarter ones), ‘Yes’. In many (the more interesting ones), ‘No’.

Q. Should we tip in restaurants ?
A. If the food and service is good, YES ! - the staff don't earn a fortune. If the food and service is bad, NO! The Portuguese are mean tippers in their own restaurants, between 0 - 5 %. The British are therefore thought generous, tipping at about 10 %. The UK scam of 'service charge' being automatically included on bills does not happen in the Eastern Algarve.

Q. Are the snacks served at the start of a meal free ?
A. No. They are served automatically, but they are priced on the menu and charged on the bill if you eat them. If you don't eat them (it hasn't happened yet) they are not charged.

Q. Are restaurant menus in English as well as Portuguese?
A. Yes, in most restaurants.

Q. Is vegetarian food available in restaurants ?
A. Portugal is mainly a meat and two starch and one veg country. Most restaurants will be willing to make you omelettes or whatever they can. Some restaurants have a vegetarian option. There are several restaurants that cater to vegetarians, and these we highlight in our house guide books.

Q. Is vegan food available in restaurants ?
A. NO. But as you are self-catering, there is plenty of vegan food available in the markets and supermarkets.

Q. Is emergency health care available ?
A. YES. Several health centres have A&E departments, as does the main hospital at Faro. In our experience, the emergency health care is very good.

Q. Do we have to pay for emergency health care ?
A. YES and NO. If you produce a European Union country passport, you pay only what the Portuguese pay, currently 2.15 Euros per consultation (just over £2 at the moment).

Q. Does that mean we do not need holiday medical insurance ?
A. NO. As an emergency, you will be treated on the above basis. However, medical insurance will give you private options if you wish to take them and also pay for you to be flown home or air-ambulanced if necessary, so we advise you always to come with holiday medical insurance.

Q. Is emergency dental care available ?
A. YES. There are many dentists of many nationalities. However, dental care is private, so you will need to pay.

Q. Do doctors, nurses and dentists speak English or other European languages ?
A. If you speak no Portuguese, they can usually speak reasonable English, or French or German. Spanish is understood. Also, we speak Portuguese and here to help you if necessary.

Q. What time do we have to check out ?
A. Usually by 10.00 hrs (10 a.m.) or 11.00hrs (11 a.m.).

Q. What if we have a late flight ?
A. If you have a late flight, ask us if you can check out later. If this is possible, we will always say ‘Yes’. If other guests are coming in and you have to check out, we can make suggestions about how best to organize your day.

Q. Does eastoffaro check the house before we leave ?
A. NO. We trust you to leave it in the tidy and well maintained state in which you found it. If you don’t, we will either charge you a damage deposit next time, or you will simply not be welcome back again.

Q. What if we have broken or damaged something ?
A. We ask you to let us know during your stay so that we can replace or repair the item while you are there. Otherwise, please leave a note telling us of the damage and please leave us some money to cover the repair or replacement. Again, we trust you to be honest.

Q. What do we do with the keys ?
A. We will leave you information in the house file about how to lock up and what to do with the keys.