Hi,
I have been researching car rentals and the reviews for many car rental companies is not good. Renting from Lisbon after visiting the city/returning to Lisbon. Any advice appreciated.
Posted by
Chattanooga, TN USA
643 posts
I went through AutoEurope and rented with Enterprise. The counter agent at the airport tried to charge more for the one-way drop fee (we returned in Coimbra) but when I showed him what was in my AutoEurope contract he quickly changed it. Document all dings and dents with your phone and make sure an employee marks it on your paperwork before you leave. The most stressful part of the rental was finding the drop point in Coimbra, lots of one-way streets.
Posted by
15 posts
We rented through Guerin at LIS airport. It was incredibly fast and kiosk-based. We were in our car within 30 minutes of arriving to the stand.
No issues with damage scamming, etc. We took video as we checked out the car and got an accurate pre-rental damage report in our email before we even drove away. I'd use them again.
Posted by
35 posts
I always go with Sixt. Just rented with them from Lisbon airport last month. Good prices and service and cars are always in great shape.
Posted by
OP
70 posts
Here is the feedback from TA. This is a very popular topic.
Car rental selection in Portugal seems more complicated than other European destinations.
To summarize the gist of these threads:
Many posters report good experience using either Zest or AutoEurope -- which are brokers, not rental companies -- for car rentals.
There is a strong consensus to avoid Gold Car, Guerin, Tangerine, and Surprice.
There are positive reports of renting from MasterKings, typically through Zest.
There are many posters who warn against Sixt. But not me; that's who we booked with (from the airport in Porto for a roadtrip to the Duoro). We were completely satisfied with Sixt.
There are many posters who report positively on booking with the major international companies -- e.g., Hertz, Avis, etc.
Posted by
15 posts
Interesting. I booked Guerin due to the price. On their sign at the Lisbon airport, they are listed as Guerin/Enterprise. However, you must do what you feel comfortable with. I'd use them again as the price was right and I had plenty of insurance coverage through my credit card and then the extra I added on at check in.
We spent 2.5 days in Lisbon and then went back to the airport via Metro to collect the car and go on to Evora. The journey away from Lisbon was easy. On the way back from a week a the coast, the return of the car was the worst part of the drive but only due to the crowds of people returning cars at the same time. However, the car companies have a clear process and handled everything quickly for returning, so it wasn't that bad.