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Cars 4 Rental Guide To Travel In  Portugal

International Airports Lisbon (LIS) (Portela de Sacavem) (website: www.ana-aeroportos.pt) is 7km (4.5 miles) north of the city (travel time – 35 minutes). Greenline Bus nos. 44, 45 and 83 run every 15 minutes from 0530-0100 to the city centre and main railway station. A special ‘Airbus’ departs to the city centre every 20 minutes. Taxi services to the city are available, with a surcharge after 2200. Airport facilities include bureau de change, banks, tourist information, post office, duty-free shops and car hire (Avis, Eurodollar, Hertz and Inter-Rent). Faro (FAO) (website: www.ana-aeroportos.pt) is 4km (3 miles) west of the city (travel time – 30 minutes). Bus nos. 17 and 18 go to the city; taxis are available. Oporto (OPO) (Oporto S Carneiro) (website: www.ana-aeroportos.pt) is 20 km (about 7 miles) from the city. Buses and taxis to the city are available. Faro and Oporto airports both have the following airport facilities: outgoing duty-free shop; bank/bureau de change; car hire and a restaurant/bar. Departure tax: None. Back to Top Air Travel Portugal’s national airline, TAP Air Portugal (TP) (website: www.tap.pt), operates direct flights to Faro, Lisbon and Porto from a number of countries, including Canada, France, Spain, the UK and USA. Portuglia Airlines (NI) (website: www.pga.pt) operates flights from Europe. Other airlines flying to Portugal from the UK are British Airways, GB Airways and Monarch Airlines. TAP Air Portugal and Portuglia run services between Lisbon, Faro, Madeira, Porto Santo, Oporto and the Azores. Charter flights are also available. The airline for the Azores is SATA (Sociedade Acoriana de Transportes Aereos) (website: www.sata.pt), which operates its Air Aores service between the various islands. Approximate flight times: From Lisbon to London is 2 hours 30 minutes and to New York is 8 hours. Back to Top Travel By Water The principal ports for international passengers are Lisbon, Leixes (Oporto), Funchal (Madeira) and Portimo (Algarve), served by Cunard, Italia, Linea C, Olympia, P&O and Union Castle. For details, contact shipping lines. Transport is available from all coastal ports and along the major rivers. For details, contact local ports. Back to Top Rail Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses (Portuguese Railways) (website: www.cp.pt) provides a rail service to every town. The tourist areas of Cascais and Sintra are connected to Lisbon by frequent express trains. High-speed Alfa trains run between Lisbon and Porto via Coimbra and Aveiro. Fertagus trains cross the River Tagus in Lisbon, operating between Entrecampus station to Fogueteiro (on the south bank). Cheap fares: On ‘Blue Days’, usually Monday afternoon to Thursday, special rates are available. There are also special fares (with 20 to 30 per cent reductions) for groups of 10 or more (Bilhetes de Grupo), travelling for a minimum distance of 75km/47 miles (single journey) or 150km/94 miles (return journey). Application should be made 4 days in advance by the group leader. Tourist Tickets (Bilhetes Turisticos) for 7, 14 or 21 days of unlimited travel are also available. The Rail Cheque (Cheque Trem), obtainable in four different values, can be in one name or a company’s name and has no time limit; it gives a reduction of 10 per cent and can be used both for purchasing tickets and many other railway services. An International Youth Ticket (BIJ) entitles those aged 12 to 26 to a discount (subject to certain conditions) in 25 countries for 2 months, including Portugal. Senior citizens are entitled to 50 per cent reduction on production of proof of age. Children under 4 travel free. Children aged between 4 and 11 pay half fare. Euro Domino, Family Card, Inter-Rail Card, Rail Inclusive Tours and Special Tourist Trips are amongst other offers from the Portuguese Railways (Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses), Calada do Duque 20, 1249-109 Lisbon Codex (tel: 2132 12900 or 321 5700; fax: 2132 15879; website: www.cp.pt). Rail information is also available from ICEP/Portuguese Trade and Tourism Office; see Contact Addresses section. Travelling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (travel time – 3 hours) and, from there, to Portugal. The Sud-Express runs between Paris and Lisbon, offering first- and second-class seats, sleepers and a restaurant car. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: (0870) 6000 792 (travel agents) or (08705) 186 186 (public; within the UK) or (+44 1233) 617 575 (public; outside the UK only); website: www.eurostar.com); or Rail Europe (tel: (08705) 848 848). Travel agents can obtain refunds for unused tickets from Eurostar Trade Refunds, 2nd Floor, Kent House, 81 Station Road, Ashford, Kent TN23 1PD, UK. Complaints and comments may be sent to Eurostar Customer Relations, Eurostar House, Waterloo Station, London SE1 8SE, UK (tel: (020) 7928 5163; e-mail: new.comments@eurostar.co.uk). Rail travellers from the UK not using the Channel Tunnel link need to cross the channel via some form of sea crossing, usually by ferry or catamaran; for details on sea crossings, see also the Sea section above. The cost of the crossing is usually included in the price of the rail ticket. There is a daily service between London, Paris and Lisbon, taking approximately 26 hours. Back to Top Travel By Road Traffic drives on the right. Every town and village can be reached by an adequate system of roads. Petrol stations generally open 0700-2000, although some are open 24 hours. Travel by motorway is subject to a toll according to distance covered and type of vehicle. A small tax may be added to petrol bought with a credit card. Bus: There are frequent coach services between all Portuguese cities. For further information, contact Rede Nacional de Expressos (website: www.rede-expressos.pt). Taxi: Charges are according to distance and taxis are all metered. Taxis are usually painted beige (although some taxis painted in the old colours of green and black still exist). In the city, they charge a standard meter fare; outside the city limits they charge per kilometre and are entitled to charge for the return fare. There is a surcharge for carrying luggage in the cities. Car hire: Available from main towns and airports, with or without driver. Regulations: Minimum age for driving is 18 (but might be older if hiring a car). Cars may be imported for up to 6 months. Traffic signs are international. Headlights should be dipped in built-up areas and side lights used when parking in badly lit areas. Children should not travel in the front seat. Seat belts should be worn. Warning triangles are compulsory. It is forbidden to carry cans of petrol in vehicles. Speed limits are 50kph (30mph) in built-up areas, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 120kph (70mph) on motorways. Visitors who passed their driving test less than 1 year previously must display a yellow disc with ‘90’ on it on the rear of their vehicle and must not go faster than 90kph (56mph) (or lower where appropriate). Permitted speeds will vary if trailers are being used. Documentation: International Driving Permits or foreign driving licences are accepted. Third Party insurance is compulsory and a Green Card must be obtained. Under the requirements of the Portuguese Road Code, those wishing to drive a car must possess a valid national/international driving lience, other official documentation with photograph, log book or rental contract and adequate car insurance. Failure to produce, on request to the authorities, any of the above will result in an on-the-spot cash fine. A Carnet de Passage is needed for a van. URBAN: Lisbon has an underground (Metropolitano) (website: www.metrolisboa.pt), which is currently being expanded. Trams also operate in major Portuguese cities. A tram ride in Lisbon also provides a good opportunity to see the city. There is also an extensive bus network in Lisbon (website: www.carris.pt). Cheap fares: In Lisbon, a Tourist Pass is available for either 4 or 7 days travel on trams, buses and the underground. The Lisboa Card (for sightseeing) is valid for 24 or 72 hours and offers unlimited bus, tram and underground travel as well as entry to 26 museums and 50 per cent discounts to other cultural attractions. TRAVEL TIMES: The following chart gives approximate travel times (in hours and minutes) from Lisbon to other major cities/towns in Portugal. Air Road Rail Faro 0.35 4.00 5.00 Oporto 0.45 5.00 3.00 Funchal 1.30 - - The only land border is shared with Spain, and there are seven frontier posts in the north and six on the western and southern border. Major border posts are now open around the clock, but smaller ones may close earlier in winter. From the UK, the quickest routes are via the ferry links from Plymouth to Santander and from Portsmouth to Bilbao in northern Spain (which obviates the need to drive through France). Cars can be imported for up to 6 months. For information on documentation and regulations, see the Travel - Internal section. Travelling from the UK, Eurotunnel operates trains 24 hours per day through the Channel Tunnel between Folkestone in Kent (with direct access from the M20) and Calais in France. All vehicles, from motorcycles to campers, can be accommodated. For further information, contact Eurotunnel Reservations (tel: (08705) 353 535; e-mail: callcentre@eurotunnel.com; website: www.eurotunnel.co.uk). For further details, see also Travel – International in the France section. For information on required documentation and traffic regulations, see Travel – Internal section. Coach: Eurolines operates an extensive network of coach services to many destinations throughout Europe, including Coimbra, Faro, Lagos, Lisbon and Oporto. For information on timetables and fares, contact Eurolines, 4 Cardiff Road, Luton, Bedfordshire L41 1PP, UK (tel: (08705) 143 219; fax: (01582) 400 694; website: www.eurolines.com or www.nationalexpress.com). Back to Top

Car Hire Portugal

Cars 4 Rental can provide car hire vehicles in all the popular locations throughout Portugal.

Whatever your requirements Cars 4 Rental will be able to provide a car to meet your needs. Our hire cars can be equipped with many optional extras including child seats so that your car rental is ideally suited to your needs.

Hire a car in Portugal