How Does Scams to Avoid Work in Portugal?
Last verified: 2025-06 · Europe
1The Quick Answer
The main scams to watch for are Tram 28 pickpockets, couvert charges at restaurants, and fake monks.
2What You Need to Know
Portugal is generally safe and honest, but tourists in Lisbon face a handful of recurring scams. The most common is 'couvert' — bread, butter, and olives placed on your table at the start of a meal that are automatically added to your bill; you have the legal right to refuse and send them back. Pickpocketing on the crowded Tram 28 is well-documented. Individuals dressed as monks soliciting donations are widely reported as fraudulent.
3Practical Tips
Practical Tips
- 1If you do not want couvert, say 'Não obrigado' (No thank you) immediately when it is placed on your table and the waiter will remove it at no charge.
- 2Keep bags zipped and in front of you at all times on Tram 28 and in crowded Alfama streets.
- 3Always check your restaurant bill line by line — small unauthorised additions are rare but do occur in very touristy spots.
Important Warning
Couvert (bread and olives placed at the table) is legal and will be charged unless you refuse it — always check your bill.
How does this compare?
Scams to Avoid rules in nearby and similar countries:
Germany has very low scam activity — fixed prices are universal and tourists are rarely targeted, though a few low-level schemes exist in major city centres.
The UK has a low scam culture overall, but London tourists should watch for ticket touts, fake gold rings, aggressive charity collectors, and pickpockets on the Underground.
Paris has well-known tourist scams including pickpockets at major sights, the petition clipboard scam, friendship bracelets at Sacré-Cœur, and overcharging restaurants near Notre-Dame.
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