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Guide to Driving in Portugal

Portugal's road safety record is not the best, so you are probably wondering why you would want a hire car. However, huge improvements have been made over the past few years. We would still advise that you drive with caution though. When driving in the cities it can be a little bit stressful, especially during the morning and evening rush hours.

Hiring a car and driving around Portugal, namely the Algarve is simply the best way to discover it. There are lots of hidden beaches and beautifully set villages hidden in the Portuguese countryside that simply need to be discovered.

IMPORTANT
Drink Driving Limit in Portugal
50mg per 100 ml of Blood (Less than the UK)

Economy Car Hire recommend that you don't drink and drive!

Portugal Speed Limits
	KPH	MPH

Urban Areas	50	31

Major Roads	100	62

Motorways	120	74

Most of the motorways in Portugal are toll roads and they generally do accept all major credit cards, these are usually good roads and kept in good order with plenty of service stations and places to stop. The Mediterranean Coastal Motorway (A-7/E-15) toll road that runs from Lisbon all the way along the mediterranean coast to Monte Carlo, is a recently built 4-lane motorway that makes a very enjoyable drive along the Mediterranean Coast.

Useful Phrases

Fronteira	Border
Gasoleo	Diesel
Itinerario principal	Main road
Limite de velocidade	Speed limit
Portagem	Toll
Sem chumbo	Unleaded petrol

Essential Information

Seat Belts must be worn at all times, by all occupants of the vehicle.
Children aged 12 and under or less than 1.5m (4 feet 9 inches) are not allowed to travel in a car unless supported in an approved child seat or harness.
A reflective vest must be kept in the vehicle at all times and worn when examining/repairing a vehicle at the roadside.
A warning triangle must be displayed at the rear of the car if you have stopped at the side of the road as a result of breakdown or problems.
If you have held your license for less than 12 months then you must not exceed 90kph (55mph) and display a yellow "90" disc at the back of the car.

Do not worry if your hire car does not contain all of the required safety equipment. Although they should be present for your safety, sometimes it is not possible to provide these for every single vehicle. Fines that are issued by the police for the lack of safety equipment will be paid or refunded by the car rental company.

Fuel
Useful terms for when refueling your car.
Unleaded Regular - Gasolina Sem Chumbo
Diesel - Diesel

Mobile Phones
The use of a mobile phone in a car is only allowed if you have either a hands free kit or a headset.

Parking
You must park in the same direction of traffic, parking facing on-coming traffic is illegal. If you are visiting Lisbon, it is recommended that you get a Blue Zone parking disc which are available from the local police and are free of charge.

Economy Car Hire Ltd shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or organisation with respect to any loss or damage arising from information or the use of information within this website.

Economy Car Hire Ltd has taken considerable care in preparing information and materials which are displayed in its website. However, Economy Car Hire Ltd is unable to provide any warranty concerning the accuracy or completeness of any information contained herein.


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