Renting a car in Portugal – Everything you need to know

Renting a car in a foreign country is always a complicated affair, especially with a language barrier. These are the things you should look out for when renting a car in Portugal and get your options and a rental agreement in English.

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Important things to consider when renting a car in Portugal

Tolls

To access the highways in Portugal you have to pay a toll. The system has both manual and electronic toll booths in most areas of the country. Some places only have the electronic toll booth which you can only use with a Via Verde Go Toll sensor in your car. If you book with Sixt it will atomatically be included in your vehicle and the toll amount will be booked from the same credit card you used to rent the car with.

Mileage

Some rental cars come with limited milage. Know your routes and book accordingly, because the price increases every kilometer above the limit. Or go for unlimited milage, then you are always safe.

Insurances

Loss Damage Waiver (LDW) without deductible

Covers damages you do to the vehicle (you ram another car) and damages others do to the vehicle (a car rams you)

Theft Protection (TP)

Insures you to not be liable if the car (or parts of it) gets stolen.

Liability Insurance

You won’t go to jail if something happens to the car.

Tire and glass insurance

Exactly as it say, it insures damages on the glass and tires that weren’t caused by you or someone else (nails on the road, stone hits the windshield, etc.)

Cross/Multi Insurance Packages

Some liability insurances already cover LDW and TP, some LDW insurances cover tire and glass, TP and liability. Read the options carefully and don’t book things twice. But also don’t under insure your car. To cover for damages will always be more expensive than the insurance.

Pre-Buy a full tank or give it back full?

That depends on where you’re giving back car. Both times now I handed the car back at Sixt Rent a Car Lisboa Av. Liberdade. It is located relatively central in Lisbon, which also means a good distance from petrol stations. And when the traffic is bad the tank will not be full-full anymore by the time you reach it, which means extra costs. That’s how they get you.

Pre-pay for a full tank (63€ in November 2024) and give it back as empty as you possibly can. That is pretty much what a full tank of petrol will cost you anyway and you save yourself the hassle.

Don’t take it to Spain

This seems logical, but you’d be surprised how many people, especially when driving north of Porto or east of Faro, still drive across the border. If you do and do it on a highway (so it’s registered in the electronic toll system) it will cost you!

Don’t rent it at the airport!

Renting a car and picking it directly at the airport will cost more. Simply for the convenience of being able to pick it up immediately after landing. Just take the metro into the city, no matter if you pick up a car in Porto or Lisbon.

Where to rent a car in Portugal?

Always compare prices and options. You don’t want a VW Up or a Smart when driving into the mountains. You don’t want an e-car if you aren’t close to any charging stations. Do you need a trunk to transport luggage?