Hi, my husband and I are flying into Lisbon in Sept for 13 days coming home from Madrid. What is the best way to get from Lisbon to the Algarve, Sevilla ending in Madrid. We are thinking of renting a car when we are leave Lisbon, and return it outside of Madrid. But would it be better to get rid of it outside Sevilla and take the train into Madrid? Or just take the train around?
Posted by
Seattle, WA, USA ☔️
6788 posts
You'll be nailed with a crushing "drop off" fee if you rent in Portugal and return the car in Spain. IIRC, like 600 Euros (a few years ago). Check what they want, you probably won't like it. We a rented a car in Lisbon, drove around the Algarve for a few days, then drove the car as close as we could get to the Spanish border, dropped it there, took public transportation (a bus, a ferry, another bus) to the nearest town in Spain that had a car agency, picked up another car there, and drove on to the white hill towns. It was a hassle (although also a minor adventure) and consumed most of a day, but saved a bundle. Once you reach Sevilla, you probably won't need (or want) a car - a car is great for the Algarve and the Pueblos Blancos, but just a headache for Sevilla/Madrid and the rest of the major cities.
Posted by
Whittington
984 posts
Ditto with car rental repatriation drop off fees. Ditto for no requirement for a car in Seville, (in any city), where it will be a burden and extra parking fee expense. And no, you cannot train from the Algarve to any point in the south of Spain as the rail networks do not connect.
see - http://www.algarvebus.info/001.htm The 'best' way between Seville and Madrid is certainly train - http://www.renfe.com/ and purchase in advance for hugely discounted tickets.