Car rental in Lisbon

Picking up your car at Lisbon airport

Lisbon's Humberto Delgado airport is inside the city, a few minutes from the center. It's the most convenient pickup point, whether you head straight out onto the road or go to your hotel first.

Depending on the rental company, the desk is in the arrivals area or at a nearby office you reach by free shuttle. Your voucher shows exactly where it is and how to get there.

If you're spending the first few days exploring Lisbon, you don't need the car yet. Pick it up on the day you leave the city and save rental days and parking.

A question we get often: we don't offer meet-and-greet at the terminal door. We only work with official rental companies, which is what guarantees the car is there, the contract is right and you have support if something happens.

What you need to pick up the car

There are three things, and all three are mandatory. Without any of them the rental company won't hand over the car.

A credit card in the main driver's name. The rental company blocks a security deposit. Debit cards, cash and someone else's card are not accepted.

A physical, valid driver's license. A license on your phone, photos or copies won't work. It has to be the plastic card, valid for the whole rental.

A valid passport. The minimum age is usually 19, though it can vary by rental company and category, and drivers under 25 pay a young driver fee. There is no maximum age. That's why we ask your age before quoting.

In Portugal an International Driving Permit may be required: if the rental company asks for it and you don't have one, they may not hand over the car. Get it in your home country before you travel and bring it with your license.

Tolls in Portugal: the most confusing part

Almost all motorways in Portugal have tolls, and there are two systems. Some have booths where you pay as you go through. Others have no booths at all: tolls are electronic only, with gantries that read your plate or a device stuck to the windshield.

For a rental car, the simple way is the electronic toll device (Via Verde) the rental company offers. With it you use the marked lanes and tolls are recorded automatically. It's an extra you sign for and pay at the desk, and it isn't refundable.

Without the device, paying electronic tolls is complicated for a visitor, and if they go unpaid the fine reaches the rental company. You pay tolls and fines even if they arrive after you return the car, and the rental company adds an admin fee.

If you're planning a long drive, for example to the Algarve or Porto, the device is almost always worth it. The bridges over the Tagus into Lisbon also have tolls.

Manual or automatic: decide before you book

In Portugal the vast majority of rental cars are manual. Automatics are scarce, cost more and sell out first, especially in summer.

If you don't drive stick, ask for an automatic from your very first message. The desk can't switch you if none are available, and Lisbon's hills, with traffic lights halfway up a slope, are not the place to learn.

Driving and parking in central Lisbon

The historic center, such as Alfama, Bairro Alto or Chiado, has steep, very narrow streets, cobblestones that get slippery in the rain, trams sharing the road and areas with restricted car access. It's not a place to explore by car.

On the street, most of the center has paid parking with a time limit. To leave the car for several hours or overnight, a public car park is the easiest option. If your hotel is in the center, ask beforehand whether it has a garage.

Lisbon is easy to explore on foot, by tram and by metro. The car is for everything around it.

Day trips and road trips from Lisbon

Less than an hour away you have Sintra, with its palaces in the hills, and the coast at Cascais. You can combine them in one day, coming back along the coast road. Parking near the palaces in Sintra is limited: arrive early.

The Algarve, with its beaches and cliffs, is about three hours south, and Porto roughly the same to the north. On the way to Porto you can stop at towns like Óbidos or Nazaré.

If you want to end your trip in another city, you can drop the car off there. The rental company charges a one-way fee, higher if it's in another country, such as Spain. We include it in your quote.

To cross into Spain, tell us when you book: the advisor confirms the rental company allows it and has it written in the contract.

Which category suits your trip

For two people, a compact is ideal: easy to park, low on fuel and it fits the narrow streets of Lisbon and the villages.

For four people with large suitcases, ask for an intermediate or a station wagon, which has a longer trunk. Small European cars have smaller trunks than people expect, and it's the most common surprise at pickup.

For groups, a 7 or 9-seat minivan. We guarantee the category, not the exact model: the rental company assigns that at pickup.

The most expensive mistakes

Using electronic-only motorways without a device. There's no booth to pay at, and the fine reaches the rental company after you're back home.

Filling up with the wrong fuel. Pumps in Portugal say gasolina (petrol) and gasóleo (diesel). Before filling up, check the fuel cap to see which one your car takes. If you get it wrong, the repair is on you.

Returning the car without a full tank. The rental company charges missing fuel at a much higher price than a gas station. Fill up near the airport and keep the receipt.

Signing without reading. Extras such as the toll device, roadside assistance or GPS are offered at the desk; they're paid there and aren't refundable. Check what was added before signing. If something doesn't match your booking, message us before you sign.