Driving in Portgual

It's pretty easy outside of Lisbon, but the roads right around the airport are pretty chaotic. The toll roads are expensive but great and be sure your rental has a transponder (or whatever they are called) to make paying for the tolls easy. To me the biggest thing I had to adjust to was all the round-abouts. But they are easy once you do them a few times. The Portuguese have a reputation of being crazy drivers but that hasn't been my observation.

All that said - it's very easy and inexpensive to take the train to Lagos and rent a car there. I just did a house sit in Lagos and took the train and it was very easy. You can go one stop on the metro from the airport and catch a train to Lagos. Having a car once you get there is pretty essential but the train is likely cheaper and definitely less stressful.

There are two options for driving south. Taking the motorway takes half the time of the A roads c 2.5 hours vs 4 hours and they are relatively quiet, but these are toll roads and you will need a car transponder to log your journeys to facilitate payment at a post office or pay the car hire company. The train takes about 4 hours.

Portuguese driving has either improved over the past decade or British driving that I am used to has got worse!

Thank you both for the feedback. I like the idea of taking the train to Lagos. I have a few more questions.

Are people helpful at the Lisbon airport with directing us to the metro? And then at the metro is it easy to find the train station for Lagos?

Is there a car rental at the Lagos train station?

If we stay in Lisbon for a few nights, is it easy to get into the city. Can you recommend a place to stay?

I really appreciate the help.

Just watch out for those brainless, fearless, gormless young guys on motorcycles. They are a constant hazard, especially on Sundays, when surely they should all be in church.

If you're used to driving in Metro DC, you're prepared to drive in Lisbon but I agree that taking rail to Lagos to pick up and return the car is the easiest way to go. In Lisbon I've stayed Brown's Boutique Hotel & Apartments, R. da Vitória 88. Trendy modern decor in spacious rooms with kitchenettes. Easy walk from Baixa-Chiado metro stop, convenient to all trolley lines, the waterfront and Rick's three walking tours of Lisbon.

It is very easy to get to the metro at the airport. There is an information booth right after you come out into the main part of the airport, but the metro is in the airport and there are signs.
At the Oriente station, there are also signs pointing you to the trains and, again, the trains and metro are at the same station.
I would encourage you to seriously think of spending some time in Lisbon. It's a lovely city and very, very different than the Algarve.

Thank you both for the info.

Do you think 2 nights is Lisbon is enough time?

We will definitely check out Brown's Boutique Hotel & Apartments.

I'm sure I'll be back with more questions.

On my trip to Portugal, I spent two nights in Lisbon, arriving early on a Saturday, leaving very early on Monday. Although this allowed enough time to take the 3 neighborhood walks in Rick's guide as well as visit Belem and the wonderful Gulbenkian Museum (free admission on Sunday), I felt a bit rushed. If you can, I would advise another night to discover more of the intimacy of this beautiful city.

Hi,
Driving in February and March out side of Lisbon is a snap. The roads are mostly empty. Now come June or August...I have no idea. There a four lane highways for the quick moves from one area to another. The N roads (national) are fine and take you through every little town, village and podunk. We enjoy those roads but they do tire you out. No maps that I have been able to get my hands on before or since coming to Portugal reach the level a person REALLY needs once off the big roads. This is not the British Isles where maps are an art.

I wouldn't be afraid of driving in Lisbon. It is like any big city. You try not to hit their car and they try not to hit yours. But a good map and planning session to know where you want to go andhow you plan to get there. As in any city, good idea.

As for two days in Lisbon...my wife and I have the luxury of time...we spent five days at the beginning of our trip and will spend 5 more days at the end in Lisbon. It is a lovely city, friendly people, and has a inter-war ambience that feels great.

wayneiNVIseu

Several decades ago, Portugal had a well-deserved reputation for bad drivers. In my opinion, the primary reason for that problem was lack of experience. - there were a lot of inexperienced drivers on the road. In the 80's and 90's there were many dreadful accidents, and it is hard to find an older Portuguse driver who has not either been in a serious accident, or has lost friends or family members in a traffic accident. As a result, the average driver there is a lot more cautious.