Everything You Need to Know About Renting a Car in Portugal (if You’re an American)

I traveled through Portugal for two weeks, by car, and it was one of the most incredible ways to see the country.  Sure, train travel and bus travel are popular in Portugal, cheap, and readily available… but there’s nothing like having the freedom that comes with renting a car.  You can change your itinerary at the last minute, stop in a town along the way just “because”, and explore a country much more in depth than if you choose to travel by bus or train.  As an American, renting a car in Portugal was easy, and something I  hope to do again in the future.  Here is everything that you need to know about renting a car in Portugal as an American traveler.

 

Renting a Car in Portugal With a U.S. License

If you’re a short-term visitor in Portugal (you’re visiting for less than 6 months) and have a US drivers license, you can rent a car.  To do so, you must be 21+ and drivers from the age of 21-25 might be charged with an additional “young driver” fee.  With a valid U.S. license, you do not need an international driving permit in Portugal.

There are a few companies who will rent to drivers at 18, but this is not every company.

 

BOOK YOUR RENTAL CAR HERE!

 

Before reading further, if you plan to visit Portugal, don’t miss…

• The Ultimate Portugal Travel Guide

 

What You Need to Rent a Car in Portugal

As an American, you don’t need an international drivers license to rent a car in Portugal.  All you need is a valid, U.S. drivers license, to be over the age of 21, and a passport.  (Pst, if you do find that you need an international drivers license for something/somewhere else, you can get a license here.  If you’re planning to drive in Spain, you will need an international license.  Read more about renting a car in Spain here).

 

How to Rent a Car in Portugal

When renting a car, I prefer to use a search engine like Discover Cars where I can search through multiple booking platforms at once.  With Discover Cars, you’re able to filter through different options (i.e. automatic or manual, how many doors you prefer, etc) to choose the car that suits you best.

Another reason I like to book with Discover Cars, is because you can book your car and receive a full refund as long as you cancel within a certain timeframe.

 

Where to Rent a Car in Portugal

If you are thinking about traveling through Portugal by car, I highly recommend booking ahead of time to avoid last minute fees and to search around to find the best option for you.  I like using Discover Cars to compare prices across multiple different rental companies.

As far as what city to rent a car in, pretty much everywhere in Portugal will have car rentals.  You don’t need a car in Lisbon or Porto, so if you’re starting in one of those cities, I suggest picking up the car when you plan to leave the city instead of when you arrive to save money.  It’s also important to know that while you can pick up the car in one city and drop it off in another, you’ll typically save money by picking up and dropping off the car at the same place.

In my experience, I used Discover Cars to compare prices, and ended up renting from the most affordable option.  I chose to pick up and drop off at the Lisbon airport.  I spent four days in Lisbon before heading to the airport to pickup my car, drove north to Lamego, Porto, Coimbra, and Obidos, before heading back to Lisbon, returning the car at the airport, and flying out.

 

EXPLORE PORTUGAL BY CAR

 

RENTING FROM THE LISBON AIRPORT

While renting from the Lisbon airport is convenient, it can be confusing.  Next to the airport, you’ll notice a parking garage where you can pick up your rental.  However, you’ll first need to enter the airport (near the red awning), where you’ll receive a slip from your rental car company.  That slip is then taken to the rental car garage (next to the airport), where you’ll hand it over to whoever is working, and they’ll fetch your car for you.  If you go to the rental car garage without your slip, you’ll be turned away.

 

Should You Rent a Car in Portugal?

Driving through Portugal has been one of my all time favorite trips.  The country is beautiful and there is truly no better way to see and experience it than by car.  I will say that Portugal is also easy to get around with public transportation, but if you want flexibility and the ability to explore in-depth, a car will allow you to do that more easily than public transportation will.

 

Don’t miss…

• The Best 8 Day Northern Portugal Road Trip Itinerary

 

Should You Get Car Insurance?

The car rental companies in Portugal provide car insurance with each rental.  However, the insurance usually doesn’t cover much.  You’ll either want to take your chances or purchase additional “collision damage” to ensure insurance will cover any damage.  While you can purchase a collision damage waiver through the rental company, I encourage you to take out your own to save money.  Some credit cards even cover this (DM me on Instagram so I can share my favorite travel rewards credit card with you); so make sure to check with your credit card company to see if your policy covers car insurance.

Another thing you should be doing is looking at the car with an employee, before taking off.  All marks, dents, and scratches should be closely documented so that you’re not charged for them when returning your car.  Make sure to take photos and agree upon all damage before leaving the rental company.

 

I HIGHLY RECOMMEND TRAVEL MEDICAL INSURANCE WHEN TRAVELING ABROAD; SOME PLANS COVER CAR INSURANCE TOO (DEPENDENT ON PLAN) – I USE AND RECOMMEND SAFETYWING

 

Road Rules to be Aware of When Driving in Portugal

Driving in Portugal is pretty straight forward for Americans.  Roads are typically well marked, speed limit signs are posted, and the same rules that apply in American apply in Portugal.  You’ll drive on the right side of the road, you’ll pass cars going slower than you on the left, and you’ll follow stop signs, stop lights, and speed limits.

One thing to note, is there are many toll roads in Portugal.  While you can map out routes to avoid these tolls, your drive will generally take much longer so I wouldn’t suggest it.  Instead, you can ask the rental company if they can include an electronic device that registers any toll fees so that you can go through the left hand lane without stopping to pay.  This will save you tons of time!  The electronic device will cost an extra €1.50 to €2 per day, capped at about €20.  When you request the device, make sure that the rental company activates  it so that you’re not going through the tolls illegally.  To pay the tolls you can either have the rental company prepay for you, which may cost more but it’s also more convenient.  Or you can collect the toll fees from your credit card once you turn the car back in.  Lastly, you can pay the fees yourself at a post office, which will only work if you’re staying in Portugal 2+ working days after driving through your last toll.

 

Driving from Lisbon to Porto

One of the most popular routes when roadtripping in Portugal is to make the drive from Lisbon to Porto (or vice versa).  When you do this, you’ll drive north from Lisbon on the A1.  The fastest route (just under 3 hours) does have toll roads, and if you want to avoid tolls you can take the A8 and A17 which only adds on a few minutes of time.

When making this drive, I highly urge you to stop along the way!  My favorite town in-between Lisbon and Porto was Obidos – the most charming fairytale town.  It’s located just one hour north of Lisbon so it’s a great place to get out and stretch your legs.

If you’re a foodie and would enjoy stopping for an incredible lunch, drive two hours north to Coimbra to eat at Refeitro da Baixa.

 

IS THERE FREE PARKING IN PORTO?

If you plan to spend the night in Porto, your best bet will be to stay in a parking garage in town – which does cost money.  However, my Airbnb host gave me something that got me in and out of the garage for free so I suggest asking your host or hotel if this would be an option for you too.  Also know that if you stay at a hotel and you use a booking platform, you can toggle on “parking” and you’ll be shown hotels that offer free parking.

 

Don’t miss…

• A Guide to Visiting Obidos – A Fairytale Town in Portugal
• How to Spend One Day in Coimbra, Portugal

 

Misc. Tips

Below you’ll find some helpful tips when renting a car in Portugal.

• Rentals are charged for 24-hours, so if you pick up your car at 8 am and return it the next day at 9 am, you’ll be charged for two days
• Remember to inquire about parking where you stay
• You can use Google Maps or Waze to get around
• If you don’t have cell service, make sure to download maps ahead of time or consider renting a GPS device
• Your car should come full of gas, if not, make sure it’s documented so that you can return with the gas at the same level
• You have to be 18 to rent a car in Portugal, but some companies don’t rent to people under 21 and some companies charge a “young driver fee” to drivers under 25
• There’s usually an extra fee if there’s more than one driver

 

FAQ

Q:  “Is it easy to rent a car in Portugal?”

• A:  Yes!  Not only is it easy to rent a car, but it’s also easy to drive in Portugal.  The roads are well paved and for the most part, drivers follow the rules of the roads.

Q:  “Do you need an international drivers license to drive in Portugal?”

• As an American driver, no you do not need an international drivers license to drive in Portugal.  However, if you plan to drive in Spain as well you do.  You can get one online here.

Q:  “What do you need to rent a car in Portugal?”

• A:  A valid U.S. driver’s license + passport

Q:  “Is it safe to rent a car in Portugal?”

• A:  Yes, it is safe to rent a car in Portugal.  As far as my experience, I did not have any issues or deal with anything that would be considered spammy.

Q:  “What is the speed limit in Portugal?”

• A:  The speed limit ranges from 50-120 km/hr depending on what type of road you’re driving on.  Note that this is different from MPH that we use in America.  I suggest familiarizing yourself with km/hr compared to mph so you know about what speed you’re driving.

 

Portugal Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting Portugal

 

As I mentioned earlier, seeing Portugal by car is a great way to slow down, travel at your own pace, and be spontaneous!  Plus with experience driving around America, Portugal is easy to navigate and get around.

 

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For more information on things to see and do in Portugal, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinportugal” or under my highlights for “Portugal”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “Portugal” highlight

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