Monthly Rental of Car for Touring Spain/Portugal

I can't help, but (in case you've not already found this), hiring a car in one of the two countries and dropping it of in the other generally incurs a large extra fee. So you may want to plan your trip so that it is "circular" getting back to the original country. Or choose a route where you can drop the initial car in the same country, cross into the other by bus/train/aeroplane then hire a new car.

Most kind to reply and yes did plan just as suggested a circular itinerary. Thank you!

Look into leading a car for that length of time.

The one-way drop off fee has varied for us, so I would price it out first before committing to the circular trip. Another way we've done it is to drop the car off at the last city on the border and then train into the next destination, rather than circle all the way back. We've generally used Avis/Budget or Hertz for our rentals, though I'll forewarn you that it never runs smoothly (for us) whether it's the pick up or drop off, as compared to what you experience in the US.

Suki meant leasing (autocorrect? :-)

For a month or more, folks here have reported that it's cheaper than a rental and you avoid the drop-off charge.

You will still need a toll reader for Portugal. If you lease, look into how to purchase and activate it.

If you rent, I suggest you do round-trip Portugal so you'll have the toll reader installed in the car when you get it. Bear in mind that the cost is often calculated per diem (€2-3/day) for the entire rental period. Without a toll reader, I believe the rental company is charged and then they bill you. The tolls are higher without a toll reader (maybe twice as much?) and the rental company will tack on a handling/billing fee.

Another possibility is to do separate rentals in Portugal and Spain and fly or bus between the countries. In Spain whether and when you need a car depends on where you are planning to go. Much of Spain is well-connected by high-speed rail which is much faster than driving. The main cities of Portugal are connected by high-speed train.

Hello- all good feedback thank you!