Car Hire in Portugal - Getting to Portugal

Lisbon’s international airport has direct flights from a number of destinations, including England, France, Spain, the USA and Canada. There are also international flights to Porto and Faro, cheap deals can be had on charter flights to the Algarve from selected European cities.

Trains arrive in Lisbon from Madrid and San Sebastien, though it’s an ardous ride, often packed in the summer with European students. No rail connects Southern Spain with the Algarve.

Buses also run from several Spanish cities to Lisbon, Oporto and the Algrave. Regular departures ply the route between Faro and Seville.

If you're driving from England, the quickest route is via the Plymouth-Santander or Portsmouth-Bilbao ferries to northern Spain and then on to Portugal. The major entry points are found at Valenca do Minho (north), Braganca (north east), near Guarda (east), Badajoz (south east), and villa real on the southern coast. Major posts open 24/7, and schengen visa arrangements make border crossings easy.

Portugal’s road network is reasonably well developed around major centres but journeys can be longer than expected and the road safety recorld is woeful, so be vigilante.