Lisa, I took my first trip to the Azores last year in July. We went to Graciosa (home island) and Terceira. Here are some of my tips: Finances:Get a credit card that does not charge foreign exchange fees. One that has a chip is also advisable. I got the Chase Saphire VISA and have been happy with it ever since. We did not use travelers checks and I would not recommend them. Also, do not buy "Euro" loaded VISA cards (pre-paid VISA). I researched them and found them very poorly reviewed (unable to be used and drained of funds). Be sure to talk to your bank. Ask them if your ATM card can be used in Portugal. Give them your travel dates to ensure you have no problems when traveling. Also do the same for your credit card. I found agriculture credit unions on Terceira and Graciosa which did not charge for withdrawals. Your bank or credit union may be able to help with ATMs which you could utilize without charge. Phone:We got our iPhones unlocked by Verizon. With them being unlocked and enrolled for global usage, we could use them in the Azores. This would, however, be expensive. We ensured data was turned off (cellular data off). Upon arriving, we went to a Vodafone store in Angra. We were able to buy a pre-paid SIM card and put it into one of our iPhones. This gave us a phone in the Azores with a local number from which we could call a taxi (we had our favorite drivers) and relatives. In many cases, you can call someone and hang up after one ring and they will call you back. This worked very well in Terceira. Accommodations:We used Home Away to book a great house on Terceira. It was only 70 euros a night. Here is a link to the house ( http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p1309665?flspusage=fl ). It was a great location out in the "country" in Porto Martin. Not the center of activity, but we liked the quiet and access to the water. Sata:Schedules are simply concepts of when a plane might arrive or depart. Be flexible and be sure to contact Sata directly checking for delays. The web site and phone can give quite different results. We were delayed on arrival and missed a connecting flight. We were then delayed by more than a day on departure. It all worked out, but staying flexible is key. Hope this helps! Bill in Northern California From: lisahbskt via Azores Genealogy <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2015 8:39 PM Subject: [AZORES-Genealogy] Azores Trip Hello, I am planning my first trip to the Azores in mid to late August for about 8-10 days. I am planning to go to Terceira for research and to visit the ancestral homelands on Sao Jorge (Calheta and Topo areas) and Pico (Lajes do Pico areas). I'd love to hear any suggestions on places to stay, places to eat, drivers to hire, renting a scooter, not to be missed sights or events, research tips, using the archives, wifi connection, cell phone tips, use of travelers cheques vs credit cards, gifts to take with me and recommended items to bring back etc. Also, if anyone else on the list is planning a trip around that time, it would be fun to meet up. Please feel free to post to the list or email me privately. Lisa Caetano HarleySouthern CALisaHBskt at aol dot com-- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores.
-- For options, such as changing to List, Digest, Abridged, or No Mail (vacation) mode, log into your Google account and visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Azores. Click in the blue area on the right that says "Join this group" and it will take you to "Edit my membership." --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Azores Genealogy" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/azores.
