How to rent a car in Portugal? The guide to help you.

You’d like to rent a car in Portugal, but you’re lost in the steps, the sites, the choices… This article will help you!

I’m going to be very clear with you: if your stay is just a few days and you’re staying in a big city like Porto or Lisbon, I’d advise you not to rent a car. It will be more of a hassle than anything else: traffic, parking, narrow streets, the stress of not knowing where you’re going, not understanding all the signs in Portuguese… So, if you’re staying in a big city, opt for public transport: tramway, funicular, metro … but also scooters, bicycles, tuk tuk… In fact, if you can, I’d advise you to use your little legs to explore the Portuguese city of your choice.

On the other hand, if you’re planning to visit the outskirts of a large city, or even better, to discover several towns / villages in Portugal, renting a car in Portugal will be an essential option to optimize your stay and make sure you don’t miss out on any of the beauty of this lovely country.

But renting a car in Portugal … like anywhere else for that matter, isn’t always easy. There are many different rental companies, different prices, multiple options… It’s easy to get lost! Here are the essential points you need to know before renting a car in Portugal.

When, where and how to rent a car in Portugal?

1 – WHEN TO BOOK

The first thing you need to bear in mind, and I’m not going to teach you anything, is that, just as with house rentals or plane tickets, car rental prices in Portugal vary according to the time of year. During the school vacations, and especially in summer, prices skyrocket. This is the famous law of supply and demand. Rates in July and August are up to 5 times higher than in the off-peak period. So the earlier you book, the more choice you’ll have, and the more affordable the rates.

2 – WHERE TO BOOK?

It’s best to book in advance via the Internet. Booking through a travel agency is often more expensive, as they charge a commission.

3 – HOW TO DO YOUR RESEARCH?

First of all, do your research via a car rental comparison site. Even if you don’t end up renting your vehicle via this platform, it’s still a good idea to get an overview of all the rental companies’ services and rates. Comparators include(but are not limited to) :

• autoeurope.fr
• rentalcars.com
• autoportugal.fr
• bcp-auto.com
• kayak.fr
• liligo.fr

Once you’ve chosen your comparator, how do I proceed?

1. enter your pick-up and drop-off location, date and time (check the box if you are under 26),
2. the comparator will activate and suggest various car rentals in Portugal from a wide range of rental companies : Hertz, Sixt, Goldcar, Budget, Alamo, Europcar, Guerin …. So many to choose from, it’s easy to get lost.
3. in that case, use the filters provided by the comparators, so that only the searches that match your needs come up. These filters vary considerably from one comparator to another, but roughly speaking, you’ll find: the category of vehicle you want, the mileage you want, the options you want (automatic or manual), the price range you want…
4. once you’ve entered these filters, you’ll be presented with a new selection that includes only those cars that match your filters. It’s at this point that you’ll need to take a close look at a number of points that we’ll cover in this article.

Example of a car rental comparison site, here rentalcars.com

What you need to know to rent a car in Portugal

1 – CHOOSING THE TYPE OF VEHICLE

The type of vehicle you choose depends on a number of factors:

• the number of people in your party,
• the amount of luggage you have,
• your budget,
• the city or cities you’ll be visiting.

I’d like to draw your attention to the last point. As mentioned in the introduction, if you’re going to the centers of big cities like Lisbon or Porto, traffic and parking can quickly become complicated in historic centers, so I advise you to choose a small car if you can so as not to have too many constraints. I’d also recommend choosing accommodation with a parking lot, as finding parking can be complicated in some areas, and the cost of parking can quickly mount up, especially as EMEL, the company that controls parking payments, is everywhere and very often.

Also, bear in mind that when you reserve a car, you’re choosing a category of vehicle, not a specific model. For example, your reservation photo might be of a FIAT 500, but you end up with a TWINGO. It’s on the day of your rental that you’ll find out which vehicle you’ve been offered.

Car rental parking

2 – FILLING UP

The three most common fuel policies are

• tank full – return tank empty,
• tank full – tank full (the most common and recommended),
• return with same fuel level, you pick up the car with XX fuel level and you have to return the car with the same level.

I strongly advise you to choose the Tank full / Tank full option, the most common. This means that you pick up the car with a full tank of fuel and return the car with a full tank (you fill up just before returning the vehicle at a gas station – many gas stations are located near Portuguese airports)

Why choose this option? It’s the simplest option, and choosing full tank/empty tank means that when the rental company collects the vehicle, it will charge you for a full tank, often at an exorbitant price.

3 – MILEAGE

When you rent a car, you’ll be offered 2 mileage options:

• unlimited mileage (most common),
• mileage limited to xxx km

Make sure you have opted for unlimited mileage. Choosing limited mileage can be restrictive. If you exceed it, you’ll be overcharged for every kilometer, and that can quickly add up.

4 – DRIVER

If you have several drivers, be sure to add them to the rental contract when you collect the vehicle. The first additional driver is often free. All drivers must have their driving licenses with them.

Please note that if you are under 21 (and sometimes even under 26), you are often considered a “young driver”. Some rental companies refuse to rent vehicles to drivers under 21, or charge higher rates if the driver does not have a certain number of years’ driving experience.

5 – PAGES

Don’t forget to take out the “Via Verde” option with the rental company. This costs around €2 per day, up to a maximum of €18 for long-term rentals. The Via Verde is a box that allows you to pay both normal and electronic tolls in Portugal (more on this subject in my article 5 ways to pay your tolls in Portugal). It allows you to pay all tolls in Portugal, as well as passing through VIA VERDE lanes at toll booths, without stopping. You pay all tolls when you return the vehicle to the rental company.

Tolls

6 – VEHICLE CONDITION

You’re going to tell me that “this is the basics”, but both rental company and customer don’t always do it very well. Checking the condition of your vehicle before you start your rental is essential. Pay attention! Hirers tend to be very quick, and you, on the other hand, are so anxious to explore the city that you don’t spend much time on it either. And yet this “check-in” is important to avoid any unpleasant surprises on return. So take the time to examine your vehicle from every angle, and ask the rental company to indicate this on the vehicle condition report.

7 – WHERE IS MY RENTAL COMPANY LOCATED?

If you’re renting your car at an airport, I’d advise you to check where the rental agency is located. Very often, rental companies are not located in the airport. They’re often located in a nearby area, so you’ll have to wait for the shuttle, then the shuttle, then the queue to pick up your vehicle. The two options you’ll often see on comparators are :

• “shuttle service”, which means that the rental company is not located at the airport but a few kilometers away.
• “in the terminal” or “at the airport”, which means that the rental company is located at the airport.

Above, one of the rentals is directly in the airport but the second driver is not free, while the other rental is not directly in the airport but offers a free 2nd driver.

8 – INSURANCE

When renting a car in Portugal… or anywhere else for that matter… you need to think carefully about insurance. Don’t forget to include the cost of insurance in your budget: you should expect to pay around €10 a day for a no-deductible policy that you take out locally. So your rental budget can quickly climb.

If you pay with a Visa Premier, Gold Mastercard or black Visa Infinitecard , your card’s insurance usually covers the deductible. But be sure to check your bank’s terms and conditions beforehand.

If you don’t have this type of card, it’s advisable to take out no-deductible insurance, which means you won’t have to pay the deductible in the event of a problem. You can choose to take out this insurance:

• directly via the broker (= the comparison site on which you rent, for example). The advantage is that the price of this insurance is 2 to 3 times less expensive than if you take out the rental company’s insurance directly on the spot, but the disadvantage is that in the event of a problem, you’ll have to ask the broker’s insurance company for reimbursement, and this can take a long time.
• on the spot with the rental company on the day of rental: the cost is higher, but reimbursement is quicker in the event of a problem.

In both cases, bear in mind that the excess is blocked on your credit card when you pick up the vehicle, and this deposit can vary from €1,000 to €3,000. So be sure to check your credit card limit before you leave.

Last but not least, it’s very important to check your bank card, as I often see people with this problem on the Amoureux du Portugal Facebook group. Make sure you have a bank card with embossed numbers (= credit card). This is how rental agencies can take your credit card imprint. Debit cards (those without embossed numbers) will not be accepted, and you won’t be able to collect your vehicle on arrival if you don’t have a credit card (the one with the embossed numbers).

Insurance option

In conclusion

We’ve given you an overview of the things you need to know before renting a car in Portugal. Of course, this article is not exhaustive, and it may be relevant to pay attention to some other small items such as :

• the cleanliness of your rental car on return,
• respecting the drop-off time to avoid the rental company charging you for an extra day,
• customer reviews to give you an idea of the rental company’s quality,
• any options you might want to consider: child seat, GPS, wifi, etc.

Once you’ve found a rental that appeals to you via the comparator, I advise you to go directly to the brand’s website to see if the price is better if you book via the comparator or on the brand’s website directly.  Example: A quick trip to sites like Europcar, Sixt or Budget to make sure you pay the best price, may be worth it.

Join us on social networks!

• Facebook group “Lovers of Portugal”,
• Facebook page “Living in Portugal”
• Instagram  “Living in Portugal”

Receive the latest blog articles and our selection of properties every month.

* required fieldFirst name * *Last name Telephone E-mail address * *Current city of residence Interest: *

• Buying a property in Portugal
• Renting a property in Portugal
• Nothing special in sight

Date of arrival in Portugal How can we help you? * * Contact me: *

• Quickly please
• Later please

Region of interest *

• Almada
• Aroeira
• Seixal
• Setubal
• Other

Here you can consult our Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions.