INTRODUCTION AND DEFINITIONS

1 These booking conditions and other essential information apply to all bookings made with Portfolio as agents of the property owner and you are deemed to have accepted them

2 'We', 'us', 'our' etc means Portfolio (The Portuguese Portfolio Ltd). 'You', 'your' etc means both the person making the booking and all other persons on whose behalf the booking is made

3 'Infant' or 'baby' means 3 years or less, 'child' more than 3 years to 12 years and 'adult' more than 12 years

GENERAL INFORMATION

1 Prices quoted in GBP (pounds sterling) are for payment by credit or debit card or by PayPal. GBP prices depend on exchange rates prevailing both at the time of booking (and payment of deposit) and on payment of balance. We will confirm the deposit payable on booking and re-quote the balance amount about one week before this is due. Payments of GBP balances may also be made by transfer to our bank in London, in which case a discount of 2% applies to the balance amount. We also quote prices in EUR (euros) for payment by transfer to our bank in Portugal. EUR prices are not subject to exchange variation. All prices are subject to confirmation and are E&OE

2 Prices quoted are per property or accommodation for the number of occupants shown under Rental Occupancy in the Features section of the relevant property page. The maximum occupancy allowable (assuming extra beds are available) is also shown. Any age restrictions applicable (see 1.3 above for definitions) are similarly detailed. Bookings are accepted subject strictly to these requirements and the party arriving at the property must conform with them

3 Supplements may apply at Carnaval, Easter, Christmas, New Year and other holidays or festivals

4 Services included In general, rentals include water, gas, electricity, pool cleaning, linen, towels (except beach/pool) and maid service

5 Additional services or facilities Extra beds, cots, high chairs and food/beverages packs on arrival may be available at extra cost, as may pool heating, air conditioning, central heating or other space heating facilities (see Features section of the relevant property page). Telephone service if offered is metered and/or may be restricted to local calls. Satellite or cable TV if offered provides a selection of preset channels according to service provider. Availability of all additional services or facilities is detailed in the property description

6 Times of rental Rentals start at 1600 on day of arrival and end at 1000 on day of departure (Ericeira 1400 and 0900). If you arrive before the due time you may find the property already prepared. If not please deposit your luggage and return later. Please vacate the property by the time specified for departure so it can be made ready for the next arrivals

7 Availability and Booking Availability is subject strictly to confirmation at date of booking. Please do not make any travel commitments until we have placed the accommodation on hold for you. To confirm the booking you must then send us the deposit within 24 hours

9 How to contact us Email. Voicemail 0560 366 2434. Fax 0870 762 6078

BOOKING CONDITIONS

1 Minimum booking
* Self-catering: unless specified otherwise in the property description, minimum booking 3 nights (7 nights in Peak season). Bookings spanning price bands are charged pro rata. Some properties are minimum booking 7 nights throughout the year. See Features section of the relevant property page for details
* Room and breakfast: unless specified otherwise in the property description, minimum booking 3 nights at any one property, 2 nights at each of 2 or more properties within the same booking. Bookings spanning price bands are charged pro rata

2 Payment
* Deposit on booking in most cases is 30%, with the balance payable 42 days before start of rental. Rental is payable in full on booking within 42 days of start of rental

3 Cancellation by you If you cancel your booking you will normally lose all monies paid. However we will always attempt to relet the property on the best possible terms to mitigate your loss but please be aware, particularly in the case of cancellations close to start of rental, that we may be unsuccessful in reletting even at a discount. If we are successful a refund will be made to you on the following basis:
* if at the date of cancellation you have paid the deposit only, this will be refunded less an administration fee of GBP 50.00
* if you have paid the full rental you will receive the rental we are able to achieve on reletting less an administration fee of GBP 75.00

4 Security deposit For most self catering rentals a security deposit (normally EUR 500.00) is required to cover loss or damage to the property. This is attached to your nominated VISA or MasterCard account 14 days before start of rental and released automatically without transaction 14-21 days following completion of rental unless the owner reports loss or damage. In this case we will discuss the report with you and where appropriate agree the amount of compensation in EUR. This will be charged to your credit card plus an administration fee of 7.5%

5 Travel insurance You must effect comprehensive travel insurance immediately on booking. In the event of cancellation by you the deposit and any balance paid may be lost and the insurance will indemnify you in most cancellation circumstances. It will also protect you and your belongings during your stay. Property owners provide public liability cover only at the properties we offer

6 Cancellation by us We reserve the right to modify or withdraw any booking due to circumstances beyond our control, for example where fire, flood, theft, damage or any other occurrence renders the property uninhabitable or incapable of providing the facilities or services we offered. In such an event a comparable substitute property will be offered or a full and immediate refund of monies paid

7 Complaint In the unlikely event that you feel cause for complaint during rental you must inform both the owner or property manager and Portfolio immediately or as soon as is reasonably possible, whereupon we will do our collective best to rectify matters as necessary or appropriate. Please be aware that notifying a complaint only after completion of rental will compromise our ability to consider it

8 Notes All information in our promotional media of any kind and as amended from time to time forms part of these Booking Conditions, including the maximum number and any minimum age of people who can be accommodated and any other conditions stipulated in property descriptions. Distances and measurements are approximate. Facilities are notified by property owners and are offered in good faith. No responsibility can be accepted for the climate, the natural or built environment, local conditions, traditions or practices, interruption to or breakdown of any public service and any consequential effect thereof

FOR YOUR PROTECTION

1 Property owners warrant that the property complies with all relevant laws, regulations, health and safety certifications or any other requirements in Portugal for holiday accommodation and that an insurance policy covering third party liability is maintained

2 Medical Treatment in Portugal If you are resident in the UK you should carry a European Health Insurance Card (EHIC, which has replaced form E111) as this confirms your entitlement to the same medical benefits as a Portuguese resident during your stay in Portugal. You may have to make a contribution to medical costs for items not provided freely as in UK (for example, you may have to pay for an ambulance in Portugal). Please obtain receipts for reimbursement of any applicable items on your return. Application forms for EHICs are available from UK Post Offices. The EHIC applies throughout all member countries of the European Union. Similar benefits may be available to residents of other countries

COMPANY INFORMATION

The Portuguese Portfolio Ltd is registered in England & Wales, number 3304567, registered office 53 Lampton Road, Hounslow, Middlesex TW3 1LY. Our principal bankers are HSBC Bank plc, London W2 3PY, sort code 40-05-19

PASSPORT & CAR DRIVER INFORMATION

1 Passport A full passport valid for minimum 3 months or EU identity card is required for entry into Portugal and generally entitles the holder to a stay of 90 days. Non-EU residents should check passport and visa requirements with their local Portuguese Embassy or Consulate. It is your responsibility to ensure that you comply with all current requirements. If in doubt please contact your local Embassy or Consulate

2 Driver's Licence Drivers must carry a valid driver's licence and photographic identity (ie passport or identity card) in addition to the following relating to the vehicle (these are supplied with hire cars but if you are using your own car you must have them with you):
* Registration document
* Ownership registration document (where applicable)
* Insurance certificate and if insured outside Portugal the green card valid in Portugal
* Vehicle inspection certificate (where applicable)
* Written permission to drive if you are not the owner (car hire contract or owner's declaration)

3 Child Passengers Children under 12 years are not allowed to sit in the front

4 Car Seat Belts Car seat belts must be worn (front and rear)

5 Portuguese Road System Roads throughout Portugal have been improved and extended over recent years and the main routes are now of excellent standard. Many motorways (designated A) have modestly-priced toll sections (portagem). The latest road map (the Turinta series is widely available at fuel stations) will help you take full advantage of the system

USE OF CREDIT CARDS IN PORTUGAL

VISA, MasterCard and other credit cards are widely accepted in Portugal. In most cases they will work only if you key in your PIN when requested to do so on the terminal provided

USING YOUR MOBILE PHONE IN PORTUGAL

Portugal's mobile phone infrastructure offers good reception almost everywhere. Before you travel please ensure that you have arranged with your domestic network to TURN ROAMING ON (this is the default setting in most cases). This will enable your phone to find a Portuguese network and you can then just dial the local number. People 'phoning you from within Portugal will still have to dial your mobile using your full home number. You might consider buying a Portuguese Pay As You Go SIM card for your phone at the VODAFONE/TELECEL shop at your arrival airport, assuming your phone is not blocked from accepting a new card. You will then have a Portuguese number and will find this much cheaper if you intend to make many calls within Portugal. In this case people 'phoning you from outside Portugal must use the +351 prefix

Mobile Internet Access If you need this for your laptop (presuming your phone can talk to it via Bluetooth or some other connectivity) then arrange with your UK provider to enable GPRS or better (UMTS or 3G) and make sure this works properly to collect emails before you leave home. Sign up to a specialist provider like AuthSMTP so you can use their relay service to send emails wherever you are and however you've connected to the Net

If you use wireless access there are numerous hotspots throughout Portugal. Either your UK service provider or Vodafone/Telecel in Portugal will have more information on using these

Setups change and you are strongly advised to make all the necessary arrangements with your UK network before travel. O2 and 3UK have consistently provided us with seamless services and we have always found Vodafone/Telecel to be very helpful, whether at the airport shops or those in virtually every major town throughout the country

TO HELP YOU ENJOY YOUR STAY

1 Water Water quality is fine in most parts of Portugal but we recommend you drink or make ice cubes from bottled water rather than tap. Most properties have potable mains water but in rural parts it's common to pump water from a borehole or have it brought in and stored in an underground tank (cisterna) and this is better used for washing or bathing only. Whatever the main supply, it is both precious and expensive. Please do not waste!

2 Insects There are mosquitoes in Portugal as in most other countries and their presence varies according to location, season and weather. Many properties have insect screens fitted to windows and doors and some have mosquito nets in bedrooms. It's a good precaution to take some form of insect killer with you for immediate protection. Then when convenient after your arrival you can buy the liquid plug-in type (widely available, reasonably priced and in our experience the most effective)

3 Gas and Electricity Gas in Portugal is propane or other LPG and is used mostly for oven-top cooking and water heating. Electricity is increasingly taking over for the latter (especially solar powered). The main voltage is 220 volts AC and the plug type European 2-pin. Please extinguish the burners before attempting to close the lid covering the hob and turn off the gas supply altogether when not in use. If the gas appears not to work, the gas bottle is likely to be empty and the supply needs to be changed to the spare bottle. If the electricity fails this may be due to tripping of the circuit breaker at the distribution board rather than a general supply problem. If you have difficulty changing the gas bottle or resetting the breaker, or if neither of these appears to be the cause of the problem, please contact the owner or property manager immediately

4 Fire risk Extreme care must be taken against accidental fire as this will spread quickly. Large areas of Portugal have been devastated by forest or brush fires in recent years. Bonfires of any kind are illegal in most areas except in the winter months

5 Refuse There is no refuse collection from individual properties. Large metal rubbish (lixo) bins at intervals along the roadside are provided for you to deposit refuse and are emptied regularly by the local council

6 Banks Banks are normally open weekdays from 0830 to 1500. ATM machines can be found in all main populated areas and will usually accept your domestic bank card provided you can key in the PIN

7 Health If you are unwell try a pharmacy (farmácia) first. These have a green cross outside (illuminated if open, otherwise look for the notice detailing the nearest duty pharmacist). The system is well developed as a paramedical service alongside health centres (centros de saúde) and hospitals. The emergency services number is 112 and English and French are commonly spoken. See Medical Treatment in Portugal above

8 Safety All properties are warranted to comply with safety requirements covered by legislation. In return we ask you to behave reasonably and with common sense, properly supervise children and respect the property, its facilities and contents at all times

9 Contact Your Accommodation Voucher will show the address and telephone number by which you can be contacted during your stay. Please provide us with a mobile number when we request it so that we can contact you whilst you are in Portugal