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Car Rental / Car Hire in Portugal

Accommodation I Flights I Car Rental I Tours I Ferries I Buses I Trains

Portugal - Spain Car Rental

To rent a car in Portugal drivers must be over 25 and have held a licence for over 12 months. EU nationals need only their country's licences to drive in Portugal as do US and Brazilian licence holders. UK holders of the pre-EU green paper licence should have an International Driving Permit (IDP).

A minimum of Third Party insurance is obligatory within the EU. Lisbon, Faro and Porto airports offer a wide choice of car hire companies - choose from our recommendations below. Sixt and Holiday Autos

offer good car hire packages in Portugal and Spain.

Take extra care of your valuables and do not leave them in your car unattended.

Car rental is available throughout Portugal and usually it is not a problem to leave a rental car in a different place from where it was originally rented.

Seat Belts Law in Portugal

Seat belts are compulsory in front and back seats; children under 12 must travel in the rear. All vehicles must also carry a red warning triangle, please make sure your rental vehicle is provided with one prior to departure.

Taxis in Faro and the Algarve may be cheap by UK standards but do not compare with the price and flexibility of car hire

Speed Limits in Portugal

Highways - 120 kilometers per hour.
Normal roads - 90 kilometers per hour.
In towns and built-up areas - 50 kilometers per hour

Drinking & Driving in Portugal

The blood/alcohol limit allowed for drivers in Portugal is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood.

Portugal - Spain Road Connections

For Porto and northern Portugal:
Viseu (Portugal) from Salamanca (Spain) - via sometimes hazardous IP5 highway.

For Lisbon and central Portugal:
Elvas (Portugal) from Badajoz (Spain) - via route E90.

For Faro and the Algarve:
Beja (Portugal) from Seville (Spain) - via E1/IP1 highway.

Distances & Highways

Lisbon-Porto 317km; Lisbon-Faro296km; Lisbon-Setubal 47km; Lisbon-Coimbra 202km.

Portugal's highways (motorways) are known as auto-estradas in Portuguese and all charge a toll. The main routes are Lisbon-Porto and Lisbon-Faro

Breakdown Assistance

Automovel Club de Portugal (Tel: 808 502 502) can provide assistance for members of other national automobile associations that are members of FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile) or AIT (Alliance Internationale de Tourisme) including the AA and RAC in the UK.

Car hire in Germany

Holiday Autos

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