Portugal is the perfect country to rent a car and embark on a small road trip. Especially in the Algarve, renting a car is highly recommended. It allows you to explore all the beautiful coastal spots at your own pace. With a rental car, you experience the ultimate freedom to go wherever you please. Curious about what you should consider when renting a car in Portugal? In this article, you’ll read about our experience and receive tips for renting a car in Portugal!
Driving in Portugal
Driving in Portugal is really doable, as the traffic rules are easy, and the roads are in good condition. Some highways require toll payment. It’s advisable to use Google Maps for navigation, as it also offers an alternative route without tolls. Sometimes, you may exit the highway just after paying the toll. Routes without tolls are often less well-maintained or include many roundabouts, which can make your journey longer.
Activate Easytoll when picking up your rental car
On some toll roads in Portugal, you can pay at a booth, but sometimes, there are only cameras above the road scanning license plates. Since you’re not the owner of the car, you’ll need to settle the toll fees at a post office at the end of your trip. This can be quite cumbersome, and if you forget to do it, you’ll face a substantial fine because the rental company won’t pay the bill for you, as you haven’t made an agreement with them for this. That’s why Portugal has introduced ‘Easytoll.’ When picking up your car, indicate that you want to activate it, and the rental company will charge the toll fees to your credit card. It often costs a one-time fee of around $15 to activate this service. You don’t need to contact the rental company in advance; you can arrange this when picking up your rental car.
Avoid major cities with a rental car
Parking in Porto and Lisbon is expensive and not worthwhile because you probably won’t even use the car in these cities. If you plan to travel to the Algarve or another destination after visiting the city, pick up your car on the last morning in the city and continue your journey. You can easily travel from Porto to Lisbon or vice versa by train, which costs about $25 and takes 3 hours.
Minimum Age for Renting a Car in Portugal
The minimum age for renting a car in Portugal depends on the rental company. In most cases, it’s 21 years old, but some rental companies allow you to rent a car from the age of 18. Often, you’ll have to pay a ‘young driver fee’ until the age of 25. This fee is specified under the ‘specific terms and conditions’ section during the booking process.
Make sure you have your credit card with you
When picking up the rental car, it’s mandatory to have a credit card for the deposit. This credit card must be in the name of the main driver. A credit card in another name will not be accepted, and you won’t be able to get the rental car. Make sure there’s enough balance on the credit card to cover the deposit. If you don’t have a credit card yet, we recommend this credit card.
Additional Tips for Renting a Car in Portugal
- Pay close attention while refueling to ensure you’re using the correct fuel type. In Portuguese, the words for diesel and gasoline are similar. Gasolina is gasoline, and gasóleo is diesel.
- You need a valid driver’s license to rent a car, and you must have had it for at least 1 year, sometimes even 2 years.
- When you visit a tourist attraction and leave a backpack or bag in the car, make sure it’s out of sight in the trunk. Don’t open the trunk again once you’ve parked. This way, no one will know what’s in your trunk.
What does it cost to rent a car in Portugal?
When renting a car in Portugal, prices can vary depending on the season and how early you book. Booking a rental car through Rentalcars.com is highly recommended for Portugal. With a rental car, you always have a chance of damage and problems along the way, which is why it’s smart to book with a reliable party. At Rentalcars, you can always take out a Full Protection Insurance, you can change your booking for free and all conditions are clearly indicated. So you don’t have to worry about snags and if something goes wrong on your trip, everything is always reimbursed and taken care of. This is totally worth it as far as we are concerned, especially on holiday.
Note: Sometimes the local rental company will try to sell you extra insurances. These are absolutely unnecessary as everything is covered with Rentalcars’ Full Protection Insurance. So don’t be fooled because you are 100% covered, even your excess will be refunded in case of damage.
Price hikes due to shortage of cars: There is currently a huge shortage of rental cars worldwide. To survive the corona crisis, car rental companies have had to sell a large portion of their cars. Since demand is rising fast, there are not enough chips for new cars and prices are skyrocketing due to the shortage. As a result, many rental cars are double the price or even fully booked. It’s best to book as early as possible to be sure of a rental car that is still somewhat affordable. At Rentalcars.com, you can currently cancel or change your booking free of charge up to 48 hours in advance, so you are not stuck with anything but still be sure of a rental car.
