We are going to Portugal in June. I'm looking to rent a Hertz car in Sintra and drive to the Algarve and then into Spain for a few days before returning the car to Sintra. Has anyone done something like this? The car is supposed to have a transponder for the toll roads in Portugal but the area we are going to in Spain (Ayamonte, just over the border) also has a toll road. Will the transponder work there as well?
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15794 posts
I don't know (I doubt it), but it's easy enough to pay cash.
Posted by
Cascais, Portugal
1826 posts
The transponder from Portugal will not work in Spain. I did a trip two years ago from Portugal into northern Spain then back. There was no trouble doing the trip with a car rented in Portugal. But, I did have to pay the tolls in Spain each time. The nice thing is you can use a credit card.
I have read (after I made that trip) that one should tell the car rental company about going into Spain with the car. But, I did not. And, actually had to call for roadside assistance while in Spain (to autoeurope people). No one said anything about me being in Spain when I asked for help.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I have hired a car in Portugal and taken it into Spain a few times. Sometimes we have been charged extra for this and sometimes it has been included.
Getting a transponder for Portugal is far easier than trying to arrange payment at the end of the trip. If you are driving from the Algarve to Ayemonte, then you can take the N125 rather than the toll road. There are no tolls between the Portuguese border and Ayamonte.
Posted by
OP
7 posts
Thanks for the input. I like the idea of taking the non toll road from Portugal into Ayamonte. Has anyone been to Ayamonte? We are planning to stay 3 nights there and I'm wondering if we should only stay 2 nights and add another night to our 1 night stay in Evora.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
I have visited Ayamonte as a day trip from the Algarve. I spent a few hours there and had lunch before driving elsewhere. It’s nothing remarkable, but a small, pleasant town and it has a slightly different feel than Portugal. The main square is pleasant.
Personally, I would add more time to Evora, which is much bigger and there is more to see.