- When parking in cities and beach resorts, you may be guided to a parking spot by someone offering to ‘watch’ your car. A tip of €0.50 is adequate in such circumstances.
- Compared with the rest of Europe, the price of petrol (gasolina) in Portugal is high, ranging between €1.39 and €1.47 per litre. Unleaded is called sem chumbo and diesel is gasóleo. Most petrol stations accept credit cards.
- By law you should carry a red warning triangle and a fluorescent yellow jacket in your car. All reputable rental companies provide these as standard. If you are stopped by the police, meanwhile, you will be expected to show your ID or passport, driving licence and car hire papers. Police can levy on the spot fines for speeding, wrongful parking and other offences, so it pays to be polite.
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Search for the best car hire deals in Portugal
Whether you plan to explore the vineyards of the Douro Valley, the historic hinterland north of Lisbon or the windswept beaches and tiny fishing villages of Estremadura, hiring a car in Portugal is a great idea.
Like most other popular holiday spots, car hire in Portugal is cheap and hassle-free, while the country’s highways are also pleasantly clear of traffic most of the time.
Like most other popular holiday spots, car hire in Portugal is cheap and hassle-free, while the country’s highways are also pleasantly clear of traffic most of the time.
Travel Information
Language: Portuguese | Currency: Euro (€) | Local time: UTC+00.00 | Avg. Flight time: 3 hrs
Fast facts about hiring a car from the airports in Portugal
Cheap car hire in Portugal is best arranged online and in advance. Large multinational chains and smaller local car hire companies are represented at Portugal's main airports: Lisbon Portela (LIS), Porto (OPO) and Faro (FAO), also known as Algarve Airport. You’ll see desks for companies including Avis, Hertz, Sixt and Europcar.
Picking up your car at the airports in Portugal is easy when you,ve booked in advance. It also saves you time at the desk, as you can check out the vital terms and conditions at home before you travel.
Car rental companies at Lisbon Airport include:
- Avis-Budget (Tel: +351 218 435 550)
- Europcar (Tel: +351 218 401 176)
- Goldcar (Tel: +351 218 413 768)
- Guerin (Tel: +351 218 486 191)
- Hertz (Tel: +351 219 426 300)
- Sixt (Tel: +351 255 788 199)
Car rental companies at Porto Airport include:
- Avis-Budget (Tel: +351 229 436 900)
- Europcar (Tel: +351 229 482 452)
- Goldcar (Tel: +351 961 192 943)
- Guerin and Enterprise (Tel: +351 229 415 939)
- Hertz (Tel: +351 219 426 300)
- Sixt (Tel: +351 222 076 725)
Faro Airport car hire companies include:
- Avis-Budget (Tel: +351 289 810 120)
- Sixt (Tel: +351 289 247 595)
- Hertz (Tel: +351 219 426 300)
- Goldcar-Rhodium (Tel: +351 289 800 670)
- Europcar (Tel: +351 289 889 447)
- Guerin and Enterprise (Tel: +351 289 800 883)
Driving in Portugal
The minimum age for car rental in Portugal is 21, although this may vary depending on the company you choose, and up to the age of 24 you’ll have to pay a supplement. Moped, scooter and motorbike rental is also popular in Portugal, particularly in the coastal resorts – you need to be at least 18 years old (or 23 for bikes over 125cc) and must have held a licence for a year.
Car hire in Portugal is also widely available within resorts and cities, as well as from car rental companies at airports in Portugal.
Recommended day trips in Portugal
Portugal is a small country, but you can see a huge variety of landscapes and sights if you have your own wheels. Northern delights include the green rolling hills of the Douro Valley and the picture-perfect landscapes of the Minho, the most northerly province in Portugal.
In the central region, the landscape flattens out and becomes hotter, drier, and dotted with historic towns such as Coimbra, Elvas and Évora. Even the popular Algarve hides some pretty off-the-beaten-track surprises for adventurous drivers.
These include the historic spa town of Caldas de Monchique and the market town of Loulé. With your own set of wheels, you’re also free to scout out the very best surf spots and beaches in Portugal, many of them strung along the Atlantic coast at Nazaré, Galapos and Porto Covo.