Logistics
Things to bring with you to Portugal
Some people have asked what they should bring with them on the trip. First, there's no reason to pack clothing for a month. We'll have a washing machine in the excavation house! Other than that, here are some suggestions from past participants of the project:
Remember, anything you bring to the site WILL get extremely dirty! Don't bring anything to the site if you are worried about losing it, breaking it, or ruining it.
Flight Information
It's best to start looking for your flight to Lisbon sooner rather than later! Remember that most flights that leave from the U.S. are overnight. This means you should look for flights that depart on June 1st in order to arrive on the morning of June 2nd. We will be picking people up from the airport in the morning of our two arrival days. If you are coming for only the first session, we will drop you off early in the morning of June 16th. Please let us know your travel plans as soon as possible!
Once you have arrived in Lisbon, you'll need to pass through customs and collect your bags. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Once you've collected your bags, you'll pass into the arrivals lounge. The arrivals lounge is relatively small, but there are places to get food, a Portuguese cell phone, and cash out of the ATM. You'll need to wait for us at the Meeting Point -- it's a row of chairs situated behind the red Ola ice cream stand. There's a sign above it that says "Meeting Point" in English and Portuguese. Wait there for us! You'll probably be sitting with other people from the project, so say hello to your neighbors. If for some reason your flight is delayed and you arrive very late into Lisbon, it's easy to catch the bus to Redondo.
For departures from Lisbon to the U.S., be sure you look for flights that leave on June 18th or July 8 (depending on which sessions you attend). The project officially ends on July 6th, and we'll be taking students to the airport that morning. You can take the bus from Redondo to Lisbon on July 5th if you are concerned about missing an early flight the next morning. We can recommend some good hostels if that's the case.
Staying after the project
Some of you may wish to stay in Lisbon for a few days after the project. That's an excellent idea, and we highly recommend it. There's lots of stuff to do and see in the city (and elsewhere in Portugal!), and we're more than happy to give you some recommendations. Please note that if you arrive into Lisbon a few days early, we ask that you meet us in the Lisbon airport on the morning of the regularly scheduled pick-up day for ease of organization.
Cancellation policy
The Santa Susana Archaeological Project will NOT operate if there is an international crisis that makes travel to Portugal difficult and/or the State Department advises against it. This includes disease, unrest, and military conflict. In case the field school needs to be canceled last-minute, tuition that has already been wired to Portugal will be returned minus the cost of the wire transaction. To avoid this potential problem. you will see that our tuition deadline is only two weeks before the beginning of the project (in 2024, May 15 for a June 2 starting date). There is no refund if a student decides to leave the project early and/or has a change of plans.
Some people have asked what they should bring with them on the trip. First, there's no reason to pack clothing for a month. We'll have a washing machine in the excavation house! Other than that, here are some suggestions from past participants of the project:
- Work clothes that you don’t mind getting very dirty, torn, or ruined
- Dust mask or bandanna (the site can get very dusty, so you may definitely want this if dust bothers you)
- Clothes to wear while you are not working
- Hat (we dig beneath a large tarp, but the sun can still be oppressive without a hat, and all surveyors will need ample protection from the sun)
- Sturdy, comfortable, close-toed shoes or boots suitable for working in all day: old sneakers are FINE
- Work gloves
- Water bottle (you can purchase a 1.5 liter water bottle in Redondo for very little money)
- Jacket or sweatshirt for the mornings and evenings
- Small bag for carrying your notebook, water, and snack to the site daily
- Swimsuit
- Towel (you can buy one in Redondo if necessary!)
- Pillow (we provide pillows, sheets, and blankets, but many prefer to bring their own pillows)
- Any special soaps or toiletries
- Sunscreen (you can also get this in Redondo, but it is expensive)
- Any prescription or over-the-counter medications
- Powdered Gatorade or similar
- Passport - if you don't have one yet, apply for it as soon as possible!
- Laptop if you plan to use the public wifi
- U.S. to Southern Europe electrical adapter
- Some spending money (you can usually take out euros from the ATMs around Redondo or from those in the Lisbon airport)
- Comfortable walking shoes
- Knee pads (good quality knee pads can be a lifesaver, but please note that they cannot always be worn when excavating sensitive contexts)
- International calling/data plan on your phone, etc.
- Internationally valid bank or credit card
Remember, anything you bring to the site WILL get extremely dirty! Don't bring anything to the site if you are worried about losing it, breaking it, or ruining it.
Flight Information
It's best to start looking for your flight to Lisbon sooner rather than later! Remember that most flights that leave from the U.S. are overnight. This means you should look for flights that depart on June 1st in order to arrive on the morning of June 2nd. We will be picking people up from the airport in the morning of our two arrival days. If you are coming for only the first session, we will drop you off early in the morning of June 16th. Please let us know your travel plans as soon as possible!
Once you have arrived in Lisbon, you'll need to pass through customs and collect your bags. This can take anywhere from 10 minutes to 2 hours. Once you've collected your bags, you'll pass into the arrivals lounge. The arrivals lounge is relatively small, but there are places to get food, a Portuguese cell phone, and cash out of the ATM. You'll need to wait for us at the Meeting Point -- it's a row of chairs situated behind the red Ola ice cream stand. There's a sign above it that says "Meeting Point" in English and Portuguese. Wait there for us! You'll probably be sitting with other people from the project, so say hello to your neighbors. If for some reason your flight is delayed and you arrive very late into Lisbon, it's easy to catch the bus to Redondo.
For departures from Lisbon to the U.S., be sure you look for flights that leave on June 18th or July 8 (depending on which sessions you attend). The project officially ends on July 6th, and we'll be taking students to the airport that morning. You can take the bus from Redondo to Lisbon on July 5th if you are concerned about missing an early flight the next morning. We can recommend some good hostels if that's the case.
Staying after the project
Some of you may wish to stay in Lisbon for a few days after the project. That's an excellent idea, and we highly recommend it. There's lots of stuff to do and see in the city (and elsewhere in Portugal!), and we're more than happy to give you some recommendations. Please note that if you arrive into Lisbon a few days early, we ask that you meet us in the Lisbon airport on the morning of the regularly scheduled pick-up day for ease of organization.
Cancellation policy
The Santa Susana Archaeological Project will NOT operate if there is an international crisis that makes travel to Portugal difficult and/or the State Department advises against it. This includes disease, unrest, and military conflict. In case the field school needs to be canceled last-minute, tuition that has already been wired to Portugal will be returned minus the cost of the wire transaction. To avoid this potential problem. you will see that our tuition deadline is only two weeks before the beginning of the project (in 2024, May 15 for a June 2 starting date). There is no refund if a student decides to leave the project early and/or has a change of plans.
