Car Hire in Portugal - Best Rates Guaranteed

Relax on the sunny beaches and enjoy the warm, Mediterranean climate of Europe's westernmost country with a car hire in Portugal! Choose from a wide range of cars through our excellent car rental services at Auto Europe. We have pick-up points in all major tourist destinations around the world. Book your car hire in Portugal online now or call our rental specialists on +49 89 412 09 786.

With a car rental in Portugal you can discover every corner of the country at your own pace. Hire a car in the World Heritage city of Porto and drive south through the Dão wine region (the home of Port wine) to Coimbra, the capital of Portugal during the High Middle Ages and home to one of Europe's oldest universities (The University of Coimbra, established in 1290). Pick up a car in the capital city of Lisbon and travel south to Faro or Lagos and discover peaceful villages, countless beaches, and historic castles along your journey. Or begin in Madeira and snake along its mountainous roads and savour the verdant, flourishing natural landscape of the archipelago. Whatever your itinerary, Auto Europe provides you with the very best service to suit your driving needs!

Traffic Rules and Driving Tips

• Cars in Portugal must drive on the right side of the road.
• Overtaking manoeuvres are done on the left side.
• All passengers in the vehicle and the driver must wear a seat belt.
• Children under the age of 12 or are less than 135 centimetres tall are not permitted to sit in the front seats of a vehicle. They must also wear child restraints that are appropriate for their size.
• Speed limit signs in Portugal are displayed in kilometres per hour (km/h). 1 kilometre = 0.621371 mile.
• The average speed limit in built-up areas is 50km/h (31mph). The minimum speed limit on motorways is 50km/h (31mph) and the maximum speed limit is 120km/h (74mph).
• It is illegal to drive with a blood alcohol level over 0.05 BAC. Do not drink and drive.
• Fines issued by the traffic police must be paid in euros (€). ATMs are fitted on most traffic police vehicles.
• Bicycles may not be carried on the back of the vehicle.
• Drivers in Portugal must carry a valid form of photo identification.
• It is recommended for visiting drivers to carry a reflective jacket and a warning triangle in the vehicle for use in accident situations or in the case of vehicle immobilisation.
• You may not use the horn in built-up areas during the night except for emergencies.
• Areas where parking is forbidden are indicated by a white or blue sign with a diagonal red line going across the front.
• It is prohibited to park 25 metres before a bus stop, or 5 metres after it. It is also prohibited to park 5 metres from a junction.

Road Tolls

There are two types of toll roads in Portugal: auto-estrada ('motorway') and electronic toll roads formally known as SCUT (Sem Custos Para o Utilizador, "With no costs for the user"). Motorway tolls can be paid at toll booths by cash or by card. Older motorways dispense tickets to drivers at the starting point of the toll road. This ticket must be given back at the toll booth at the exit along with the toll fee.

SCUT roads were formally free to use, but nowadays they are electronic toll roads. Signs for electronic toll roads are white on a blue background, depicting the front half of a car facing towards the left, with a euro symbol above the roof of the car and an electronic wave emitting from the top left. Electronic toll booths read the licence plate of the vehicle that passes by them. The main electronic toll roads are: A28, A29, A44, A4, A41, A42, and parts of the A17 and A25.

The supplier of your car hire in Portugal may fit your vehicle with a transponder that will allow you to use electronic toll roads. The toll charge is sent to the supplier and paid by you at the end of the rental period. Without such a device, drivers must pay the toll at public post offices (CTT: Correios de Portugal). Their logo is a courier blowing a trumpet on horseback, usually on a red background. If you have any doubt, ask your supplier how to best arrange toll payments. More road rules for Portugal can be found here.

Age Restrictions

The minimum age for driving a car in Portugal is 18. The minimum age for renting a car is 21 and you must have held a licence for one full year. It is possible that drivers under the age of 25 are required to pay a surcharge to the car hire supplier.

Currency

Portugal uses the euro (€) as it is a member of the Eurozone. Money can be withdrawn from an ATM or cashpoint. Consult your bank on whether there are possible charges on foreign money withdrawals with your account. Payments in Portugal can be made with debit and credit cards. It is possible that smaller towns and villages only allow cash payments.

Time Zone

Portugal lies in the same time zone as Ireland (UTC/GMT). The archipelago of Madeira is also in Ireland's time zone. In the western islands of Azores, the time is one hour behind Ireland (UTC -01:00).

Language

Portuguese is the official language of Portugal. The language branches out into several dialects around the country. These include Northern (Galician influences), Southern (Estremenho, spoken in Lisbon, Algarve and Alentejo), Açoriano (spoken in Azores), Madeirense (spoken in Madeira), Nortenho (regions of Braga and Porto), and Central (In the region of Beira).

English is the second most widely spoken language in Portugal, with nearly three million speakers. You may also be surprised to find that more people in Portugal speak French than Spanish.

Electricity

Portuguese outlets have a voltage of 220 to 240 Volts at 50 Hertz, which alternates 50 cycles per second. If your appliance or device does not accept this voltage, you must use a voltage converter. Plugs in Portugal have two round pins. To use Irish and UK appliances in Portugal, you must use an adaptor plug.

Visa Requirements and Embassy

Irish visitors do not require a visa to enter Portugal, as it is a member of the European Union. A national identity card would suffice to enter the country.

Embassy of Ireland in Portugal
Embaixada da Irlanda
Avenida da Liberdade No 200
4th Floor
1250-147 Lisbon
Telephone: +351 213308200

Motorhome hire in Portugal

Portugal is one of the major tourist attractions in Europe. With its warm climate and sunny days throughout the year, the Portuguese mainland and the coast can also be explored with a campervan hire. Pick up a motorhome in Lisbon, Ponta Delgada or Porto and enjoy traversing the westernmost part of the Iberian peninsula at your own pace.

Useful Links

Motorway Rules and Luxury Cars

Car Hire Lisbon Airport

Car Hire Faro Airport

Fleetguide Portugal

Driving information Portugal