Beja does have an international airport (the only one of its kind in the Alentejo), but as of 2017 it doesn`t offer any regularly-scheduled flights. You will be entering Portugal via air at Lisbon`s Humberto Delgado Airport (called Portela Airport by locals, IATA code LIS). Lisbon`s airport is about 110 miles northwest of Beja.

Many of you will be self-driving to Beja. Consult your reservation information and keep in mind the name of the company from which you have rented. The rental car companies are based in Terminal T1, in and around the P3 parking lot.

Driving directions to Beja: Turn left out of the airport and get on the E1 motorway. In less than half a mile, turn right at Exit 14 for the A12 motorway, which will take you across the Ponte Vasco da Gama. Take the A12 road down to the A2, heading east toward Montemor-o-Novo. The A2 will curve southward; take it until you see the sign for the IP8 motorway toward Beja. Get on the IP8 and head east. About 40 minutes after turning onto the IP8, you will see signs for Beja.

For those who are not reserving a car: Take the Aerobus (www.aerobus.pt, website in Portuguese and English) from Terminal T1 or T2 to the Sete Rios stop. This requires that you get on the #2 bus (dark blue, heading toward Lisbon`s financial center), which leaves every 40 minutes between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Aerobus tickets cost less than €5 one way.

Four trains leave Lisbon`s Sete Rios train station for Beja every day (one at 7:15 a.m., one at 9:15 a.m., one at 5:15 p.m. and one at 7:15 p.m.). After approximately 65 minutes on the Intercidades train, you will need to get off in the town of Casa Branca. Your connecting train to Beja will leave a few minutes after; Casa Branca only has two tracks so you can be assured that the train that arrives immediately after is the train you need to go to Beja. Ask the train employees before arriving in Casa Branca just to be sure. The second Intercidades train takes 51 minutes to travel from Casa Branca to Beja. Beja`s train station is located on Largo da Estacao, inside the city limits and northeast of the old town. Taxis queue outside the station until approximately 9 or 10 in the evening.

Fares cost between €15 and €20 one-way, depending on whether you ride first-class or second-class. To purchase tickets, visit venda.cp.pt (website in English).

Five taxi companies serve the area in and around Beja. One taxi company in particular, Taxis Antral de Beja, is located inside the old town on Rua Conde Boavista, adjacent to the Museu Regional. (Tel.: 284 322 474).

Considering how compact the city is, fares will never be expensive as long as you stay in and around the town. The meter will start at around €4; add €1 for every mile. The ride from Beja to the Villa Romana de Pisoes will cost approximately €10 one-way.

Unlike in other cities, taxis don`t queue at many places, apart from the train station and the Praca da Republica. If you are in need of a taxi, have your hotel call one for you; after 9 or 10 p.m., all the roaming taxis head home, meaning phoning ahead is essential if you want a ride late at night. Also make note that fares rise by at least 20% after 9 p.m., all day on weekends, and during holidays.

NOTE: Do not assume your taxi driver will know how to speak English. Write out your destinations on pieces of paper and give the paper applicable to that specific trip to your driver before departing.

We actually recommend that you rent a car and include it in your package during the reservation process. Not only is it suitable for exploring the surrounding countryside around Beja, it allows you freedom of movement in a city that offers little in the way of alternate transportation routes. If you are taking advantage of self-drive portions of your trip, you will be picking up your car at the airport upon entering Portugal, not in Beja.

If you do decide to rent a car on your own, Hertz operates a franchise in Beja on Rua do Progresso. Prices will range from €30 to €100 per day depending on the size of car requested.

Parking should not be an issue in Beja. Ten public parking lots are located inside the Beja city limits, with one situated inside the old town at Largo de Sao Tiago.

Apart from the city`s incline (a change in elevation of about 170 feet from Parque da Cidade up to Beja Cathedral), there are no reasons why travelers can`t walk around Beja. Nearly every sight mentioned by TripMasters for Beja can be seen while traversing the city on foot. In the old town, all sights are within a third of a mile of each other. The distance from the Al-Mu`tamid memorial in Parque da Cidade to the Praca de Touros is a little longer, at about half a mile.

To visit the Villa Romana de Pisoes, please consider hiring a taxi, driving a car, or finding an alternate form of transportation besides walking, as it is approximately six miles outside of Beja.

Beja is a quiet city. In our research, we found that complaints about Beja were few and far between, and TripMasters has concluded that the entire city is safe for tourists. We recommend you exercise caution at night, when parts of town can be deserted.

Be sure to take the necessary safety precautions just like you would at home. Take only well-lit and well-populated routes, keep your wits about you, and always look like you know where you are going, even when you may not. Be sure to keep your valuables on your person at all times, and never keep all of your money in one place; split up your cash into various pockets in your clothes.

There are two places in Beja that you must visit if you love shopping. First is the Praca da Republica, which is bordered by a number of shops selling local handicrafts such as hammered copper place settings and elaborate wood carvings. The second is Rua Capitao Joao Francisco de Sousa, south of the Museu Regional and the Teatro Pax Julia. This is the equivalent of Beja`s `high street`, and the shops lining this road sell merchandise that you can probably easily find at home.

The currency of Portugal is the Euro and US dollars are not accepted for payment. Please be sure to have the correct currency on hand or be prepared to exchange your dollars for euros upon arrival. Currency exchange desks and ATMs can be found at your arrival airport and at many hotels and banks throughout the city.

It is more common to find English speakers in Portugal than it is in other southern European countries, such as Spain. A recent European Union language survey found that 32% of Portuguese people over the age of 18 can speak English on a conversational level or better.

With that said, you may encounter some difficulty finding an English speaker away from tourist areas such as hotels, museums, and the bus station. It is recommended to brush up on basic Portuguese phrases before arriving, like basic pleasantries and numbers from 1 to 10. To ask someone if they speak English, say `Fala ingles?`

Note: Do not speak in Spanish to a Portuguese person, thinking they will understand you when you do so. Responses will range from stunned silence to outright hostility; the Portuguese people are proud of their culture and heritage, and such an act will cause nearly everyone to take personal offense. On another note, the vocabulary and pronunciation in Portuguese differs from Spanish more than you may realize.

The legal drinking age in Portugal is 18, whether you find yourself in a pub or a nightclub. Asking for proof of age upon ordering an alcoholic beverage or entering a nightclub is becoming more commonplace, especially if you appear younger. Keep your passport with you as it doubles as proof of age and identification.

If you are renting a car, do not drive after consuming alcohol. A blood alcohol content level of 0.05 is considered the legal limit; penalties can range from fines to a jail sentence of up to one year. Save yourself the potential trouble and heartache.