Can you get pay as you go mobile phones as well as contract ones in Portugal, as you can in the UK?
I wanted to get one next time I am out there but it is pointless getting a contract phone as I will mostly be in the UK until we move, but I still need a phone.

Yes. If you have Vodaphone simply go to one of their centres (Algarve Shopping is convenient) and ask for a sim card, 20 euros including 15 euros of calls, and transfer it to your own phone. Then change back on your return to UK.
Other phone companies I do not know about.

Yes you can get pay as you go phones with a range of different tariffs but if you get your English phone unlocked - ie not dedicated to one service provider - you can simply buy a SIM card here - again with a choice of tariffs and if you go back to England for short periods you can use an English SIM card again to avoid the huge cost of using a Portuguese card abroad.

This works equally well for holiday makers coming here since the SIM cards usually cost perhaps 20 to 30 euros but with 15 euros free call credit. You don't pay to receive calls from the UK and the cost of calls to the UK is not excessive. You can top up the cards at the many phone shops or if you have a local bank account you can do it via the ATMs. Some cards lose the credit on them after 3 months but others retain this indefinitely but at the cost of a slightly higher charge per minute for calls.

Unfortunately I have an Orange phone (several of them) but I didn't know Vodaphone were in Portugal so I could just buy a complete new phone package from them.

Thank you

Debs G tried to email you on the email address you have on your advert, head to toe - bounced back at me. Do you have another one?

Thanks Steve, you muct have posted just as I did, that's worth knowing too.

Hi guest, my website is awaiting a re-vamp and the email doesn't work at the minute.

My email address should be in my profile, but its debsguthrie@aol.com anyway.

Thank you !

I have a Nokia phone which I bought from TMN. It is a pay as you go phone I normally put credit on it with my Multibanco card as I find that easier. If you do not have a Portuguese bank account you can pay over the counter at a TMN shop instead.