If you plan to park your rental car in Portugal, you will need to look out for the "blue zone" parking. These parking spots are available in most Portuguese towns, and you can obtain a parking disc free of charge from either the police or from local motor club offices.
Renting a car in Portugal is ideal if you plan to visit more than one area of the country. If you fancy city driving, rent a compact car and discover Lisbon. Or you could opt for a comfortable saloon model and enjoy the short, 33 km (20 mi) drive out of the capital and to the Atlantic coastline at Cascais, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage-listed town of Sintra.
If you want to cross the Portuguese border in your rental car, you will need to put in a request with your car hire agency. You will be able to cross over to certain European countries, including France, Germany, Great Britain, and Spain. Fees for taking your car over the border will cost anything starting at 9 € ($10) per day.
It is against Portuguese law for children under the age of 12 and shorter than 1.50 m (5 ft) in height to travel in the front passenger seat of a car. Children must sit in rear seats in a suitable child restraint. If a child is younger than three, they may be transported in the front seat in a child car seat if the airbag is deactivated. You will need a car seat even when you are leaving the airport, so rent one for around 6 € ($7) per day from your car hire agency.
25% of our users found rental cars in Portugal for ₪139 or less
Book your rental car in Portugal at least 1 day before your trip in order to get a below-average price
Off-airport rental car locations in Portugal are around 219% more expensive than airport locations on average
Mini rental cars in Portugal are around 42% cheaper than other car types, on average
FAQs about renting a car in Portugal
On average a rental car in Portugal costs ₪204 per day.
Standard (Class Commercial Truck or similar) is the most frequently booked rental car type in Portugal.
In the past 72 hours, the cheapest rental cars were found at Klass Wagen (₪20/day), Turisprime (₪22/day) and SURPRICE CAR RENTAL (₪33/day).
Based on ratings and reviews from real users on KAYAK, the best car rental companies in Portugal are Sixt (7.6, 129 reviews), Hertz (7.4, 64 reviews), and Budget (6.8, 86 reviews).
Based on car searches on KAYAK, the most popular cities to rent a car in Portugal are Lisbon (88% of total searches of users looking to rent a car in Portugal), Ponta Delgada (8%) and Funchal (2%).
On average a rental car in Portugal costs ₪1,258 per week (₪180 per day).
On average a rental car in Portugal costs ₪5,393 per month (₪180 per day).
When you rent a car in Portugal, you will need to drive on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left. You will find that the country has a brilliant network of highways and that traffic in Porto and Lisbon’s city centers is light. Most highways are toll roads, so they require payment by cash or credit card. On the Algarve highway, an electronic toll pass is required.
If you plan to rent a car in Poland, the minimum age for drivers is 19 years old, although this varies according to car size. Drivers must have held a license for at least a year, and those younger than 25 years old will incur a surcharge. Both EU licenses and international driving licenses are accepted.
When you fill up your rental car’s tank in Poland, you will find that the average price of petrol is 1.52 € ($1.72) per liter, which equates to $6.50 a gallon. You will find a good choice of petrol stations around the country, which are open from 7:00 am to 10:00 pm. Some petrol stations on highways and in major cities are open 24h.
Before you drive in Portugal, you will need to know the speed limits. In residential areas, the speed limit is between 30 km/h (18 mph) and 50 km/h (31 mph), and on national roads, you can travel up to 90 km/h (56 mph). On highways, the maximum speed limit is 120 km/h (74 mph), with a minimum speed of 50 km/h (31 mph).
The rates displayed include all taxes and fees for car rentals for the class listed and were found by KAYAK users in the last 48 hours. Offers are subject to change and may not be available on all car rentals listed or dates of travel. Some car rental providers charge additional fees for other services (GPS, infant car seats, etc.). Please check the car rental providers' sites.