Essentials
Language
Portugal's official language is portuguese. English is widelly spoken in turistical areas and by people under 35, as it is tought in schools. The older the people, the smaller is the probability they speak english. Due to the similarity to spanish (castelan) it is easily understood and spoken in Portugal (it's a sort of portuspanish...). Although seldomly, it is also possible to find some french and german speakers. Portuguese people are usually warm and will most of the times do an effort to help a lost traveller.
Money
Since 2001 Portugal has adopted the euro. Former currency was the escudo. In turistical areas, like Cascais and Lisbon, it is possible to find exchange offices on the streets. Cash machines are widelly spread and accept most of the card networks.