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Advices for Car Trips through Portugal

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37. Not all gas stations are open around the clock, so drivers are recommended to think about the purchase of fuel in advance. Round-the-clock gas stations can be found near highways, and in the central part of settlements.
38. The number of accidents on the roads of Portugal remains high. In a large part of accidents motorcyclists become participants and even the reason for an accident. This happens because they absolutely do not bother to follow the traffic regulations.
39. If there is a motorcyclist near you on a highway, then you can expect him to do virtually any maneuver. He can overtake a car on the right side or continue moving at high speed despite the red traffic signal – drivers should always be ready to such maneuvers.
40. Even 25 years ago, the quality of roads in Portugal horrified even most experienced drivers. Only roads that were laid in the central parts of settlements were more or less satisfactory. Large-scale road building in the country started in 2004. Currently, all the settlements in the country are connected by a system of high-quality and comfortable roads perfect for long distance rides.
41. Despite the fact that it is prohibited to use sound signals in settlements without a special need, drivers are used to pressing the honk without any particular need. This “sound” while driving is a vibrant national feature of local drivers, and it is as widespread as active gestures while speaking.

Renting a Car in Portugal - Recommendations

If you need a car with an automatic transmission, it is recommended to book it in advance. Cars with automatic transmissions are often sparse in Portugal, so the rental confirmation may take a longer period.

When selecting a specific model for traveling throughout Portugal, we recommend to take into consideration some practical apects. If you are going to drive mostly in the cities, then a car of a small size is preferable, while for long distance trips (and trips in the mountains) we recommend to choose a larger and more powerful car.

Prior your car retrun, please clean the salon from a garbage, and do not forget to take away all your belongings from the passenger compartment.

At the car return time, please ask the officer to make a visual inspection of the vehicle for defects and to sign the acceptance report. Keep the invoice and the acceptance report for next few months.

For a car rental options in Portugal, we advise you to check OrangeSmile.com actual offers in the orange search form at the top. We guarantee that you would not be able to find better rates anywhere else!
42. Foreign guests should drive confidently and calmly, and so not follow the example of local drivers who exceed speed and make other traffic violations. The behavior of local drivers should not be interpreted as aggression. If they honk persistently and ask you to increase speed, you simply need to give way to the drivers and continue driving in accordance with the speed limit.
43. It is worth noting that Portuguese drivers are somewhat stubborn. Even if they do not have the right to make a certain maneuver (for example, to overtake), they will still not give way to other cars until they make it. If a driver is moving at low speed, other cars can pursue him for more than one kilometer, honking constantly, until the driver doesn’t move to the right lane, so other cars can overtake him.
44. For Portugal residents, car is the main means of transportation. They use cars not only to go to work and on business, but also to make a family holiday or to visit relatives.
45. A large part of family trips are made on Saturday and Sunday. On these days of week traffic is always very slow. It will be very hard to get to the city center and find a free parking space there. This fact should be definitely considered when planning a trip.
46. Pedestrians are also distinguished by diligent compliance with traffic regulations. They may start crossing the road in the wrong place or at the red light, without paying any attention to multiple honking cars. When approaching a crossroads, it is better to slow down and take a closer look around.
47. The number of cars in Portugal is very large. This is connected with the fact that the Portuguese try to avoid group rides in everyday life, preferring private cars. Quite often, each family member has his own car. This is one of the reasons why there is such a shortage of parking spaces, and why the traffic is so heavy.
48. The rich choice of underground parking lots somewhat eases the situation. The number of underground parking areas increases every year in Portugal. You will find it almost impossible to find a free parking space on the street in the daytime.
49. Local people are quite liberal about the problem of parking. You will often see cars parked at a pedestrian crossing or even on the pavement. Leaving the car park on the street, you should be prepared to the fact that you might find small dents and scratches on the car on return. On parking lots, cars stand very close to each other, so small problems are simply inevitable.
50. Here we should definitely mention friendly attitude of local drivers and pedestrians to other drivers. For example, if an inexperienced driver tries to “squeeze” to a narrow parking space, people passing by or other drivers will surely help him. They will stop and will show the driver the best way to turn the wheels and how long it is possible to move backwards in order not to crash into a nearby car or rail.
51. In major cities, you may find so called “parking experts” who offer their services to drivers. As a rule, these are children and local jobless people. They are on duty along roads with heavy traffic, where they offer their assistance to drivers in search of free parking.
52. There are non-official “parking staff members” at large parking lots as well. They stand on a free space in the parking lot and wave their arms actively, drawing attention of motorists. If you have used the services of such assistants, make sure to leave a small tip. A tip of 0.5 - 1 euro will be sufficient. A greedy driver risks to find his new car scratched or without a mirror.
53. As right driving is a standard in Portugal, cars on the right have the advantage on street corners and at intersections. Many intersections have circular movement. Here the cars moving in the circle have the advantage.
54. Portugal is home to one of the most beautiful roads in Europe - São Vicente to Tavira road (253-1 and 261). It is laid along the coast of the Algarve; the length of the road is about 200 km. You will see many beautiful cities along the road - Lagos, Portimao, Sagres and Luz are definitely worth the attention of curious tourists. The road ends near the Cape of São Vicente, where you will see a beautiful lighthouse.
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