⚖️ Side by side
Portugal vs Spain
A side-by-side look at the practical essentials for Portugal and Spain — power, safety, money and getting around.
Quick answer
Traveling between Portugal and Spain, you likely won't need a plug adapter, and a voltage converter is generally not needed for dual-voltage chargers.
| Detail | Portugal | Spain |
|---|---|---|
| Power plug | Type C/F | Type C/F |
| Voltage | 230V | 230V |
| Frequency | 50Hz | 50Hz |
| Emergency (general) | 112 | 112 |
| Police | 112 | 112 / 091 |
| Ambulance | 112 | 112 / 061 |
| Tap water | Generally safe | Generally safe |
| Driving side | Right | Right |
| Currency | Euro (EUR, €) | Euro (EUR, €) |
| Dialing code | +351 | +34 |
| Time zone | UTC+0 (WET) / UTC+1 (WEST) | UTC+1 (CET) / UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Best season | April to June and September to October are comfortable for Lisbon, Porto and coastal road trips. July and August are warm and busy, especially in the Algarve, while winter is mild but wetter in the north. | April to June and September to October work well for Madrid, Barcelona and Andalusia. Summer is excellent for beach regions but can be very hot inland, especially in July and August. |
Full guide
Portugal travel essentials
Plugs, emergency numbers, tap water, tipping and more for Portugal.
Full guide
Spain travel essentials
Plugs, emergency numbers, tap water, tipping and more for Spain.