Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
For an additional fee you can get personal insurance through the rental company, unless you're covered by your home
policy. A minimum of third-party coverage is compulsory in the EU.
Rental cars are especially at risk of break-ins or petty theft in larger towns, so don't leave anything of value visible in
the car.
Motorcycles and scooters can be rented in larger cities, and all over coastal Algarve. Expect to pay from €30/60 per
day for a scooter/motorcycle.
Road Rules
Despite the sometimes chaotic relations between drivers, there are rules. To begin with, driving is on the right, overtak-
ing is on the left and most signs use international symbols. An important rule to remember is that traffic from the right
usually has priority. Portugal has lots of ambiguously marked intersections, so this is more important than you might
think.
Except when marked otherwise, speed limits for cars (without a trailer) and motorcycles (without a sidecar) are
50km/h in towns and villages, 90km/h outside built-up areas and 120km/h on motorways. By law, car safety belts must
be worn in the front and back seats, and children under 12 years may not ride in the front. Motorcyclists and their pas-
sengers must wear helmets, and motorcycles must have their headlights on day and night.
The police can impose steep on-the-spot fines for speeding and parking offences, so save yourself a big hassle and re-
member to toe the line.
The legal blood-alcohol limit is 0.5g/L, and there are fines of up to €2500 for drink-driving. It's also illegal in Por-
tugal to drive while talking on a mobile phone.
Hitching
Hitching is never entirely safe anywhere, and we don't recommend it. In any case it isn't an easy option in Portugal. Al-
most nobody stops on major highways, and on smaller roads drivers tend to be going short distances so you might only
advance from one field to the next.
Local Transport
Bus
Except in Lisbon or Porto, there's little reason to take municipal buses, as most attractions are within walking distance.
Most areas have regional bus services, for better or worse.
Metro
Both Lisbon and Porto have ambitious underground systems that are still growing.
