Senior drivers

The age is enforced when they look at your driver's license or passport. If they have the policy of not renting to 70 then they will not rent when you show up for the car. So double check when you make the reservation. Remember, at our age, the accident rate begins to approach that of a teenager.

Most car rental web sites I've seen ask the driver's age pretty early in the booking process. Do you remember answering that question already?

My cousin owns a rental car company in the Azores. I asked her a while ago about this issue and this was her answer.

“There is no law in Portugal preventing anyone of any age from renting a car. As long as you have a valid driver’s license, you are all set. Each agency has its own rules and regulations. An agency can impose a surcharge if you are younger than 25 or older than 65, and this is legal. Every agency is different with these surcharges, and not all of them do this. When reserving a car, and after you enter the age you will be when picking up the car, the charge could show up on the bill. Read the contract and cost breakdown carefully to see what you are being charged. Print out a copy of the rules and regulations with your confirmation in case the rules change after you have your reservation. Remember, not all agencies impose this surcharge, so shop around.”

I use Auto Europe when I rent here in Portugal. They have a box on the first page of the process to check if over 70. As I had my 70th birthday last summer, I started checking that box. I saw no increase in rates for the car I rented in October. No one at the pickup office mentioned my age.
No worries! Especially if you use Auto Europe, which I highly recommend.