Transport - Portugal - page 1034

Car & Motorcycle
Of more than 30 roads that cross the Portugal-Spain border, the best and biggest do so near Valença do Minho (E01/
A3), Chaves (N532), Bragança (E82/IP4), Vilar Formoso (E80/IP5), Caia (E90/A6/IP7), Serpa (N260) and Vila Real de
Santo António (E1/IP1). There are no longer any border controls. Petrol is cheaper in Spain.
LICENCES & INSURANCE
Nationals of EU countries, the USA and Brazil need only their home driving licence to operate a car or motorcycle in
Portugal. Others should get an International Driving Permit (IDP) through an automobile licensing department or auto-
mobile club in their home country.
If you're driving your own car or motorcycle into Portugal, you need the following:
» vehicle registration (proof of ownership)
» insurance documents
» motor vehicle insurance with at least third-party cover.
Your home insurance policy may or may not be extendable to Portugal, and the coverage of some comprehensive
policies automatically drops to third party outside your home country unless the insurer is notified.
If you hire a car, the rental firm will provide you with registration and insurance papers, plus a rental contract.
UK
The quickest driving route from the UK to Portugal is by car ferry to northern Spain. Brittany Ferries ( www.brittany-
ferries.com ) runs three routes, each of which depart twice weekly from mid-March through October:
» Portsmouth to Santander (24 hours; from £1088 return)
» Portsmouth to Bilbao (24 to 32 hours; from £1128 return)
» Plymouth to Santander (20 hours; from £1008 return)
From Bilbao or Santander it's roughly 1000km to Lisbon, 800km to Porto and 1300km to Faro.
An alternative is to catch a ferry across the Channel - or the Eurotunnel ( www.eurotunnel.com ) - vehicle train be-
neath it) to France and motor down the coast. The fastest sea crossings are between Dover and Calais, and are operated
by P&O Ferries ( www.poferries.com ) .
Train
Trains are a popular way to get around Europe - comfortable, frequent and generally on time. But unless you have a rail
pass the cost can be higher than flying.
There are two standard long-distance rail journeys into Portugal. Both take the TGV Atlantique from Paris to Irún (in
Spain), where you change trains. From there the Sud-Expresso crosses into Portugal at Vilar Formoso (Fuentes de Oñoro
in Spain), continuing to Coimbra and Lisbon; change at Pampilhosa for Porto. The other option runs from Irún to Mad-
rid, with a change to the Talgo Lusitânia, crossing into Portugal at Marvão-Beirã and on to Lisbon. For trips to the south
of Portugal, change at Lisbon.
Two other Spain-Portugal crossings are at Valença do Minho and at Caia (Caya in Spain), near Elvas.