Algarve Car Rental Questions Answered

Get to know the Algarve and know where we can deliver your rental car. We go wherever you want!

Portugal is a tourist destination known to all tourists around the world but the Algarve is undoubtedly the business card of Portugal in terms of tourism.
Tourists from around the world, mainly from the UK, Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden are traditionally frequent visitors to the Algarve, especially during the summer holidays. More recently the Algarve has been experiencing a significant increase in tourists from other nationalities such as France, Spain , Russia and the interest in the Algarve has also increased tourism from the United States and Canada.

The great tourist interest in the Algarve is easily explained. The Algarve has a mild climate all year round. It has magnificent beaches of transparent waters, without pollution, with very warm temperatures and limpid beaches of great extension.
The cost of living is quite cheap for tourists coming from other countries where incomes are higher, the Algarve's famous gastronomy is already legendary and here is the world's freshest fish. Apart from the Algarve, and Portugal in general, it is a peaceful tourist destination where all tourists feel cherished and welcome and where they can enjoy a calm and stress-free or fearful holiday.

Most tourists who visit the Algarve have a habit of renting a car for their trips, exploratory trips and views of places they wish to meet. A rental car is the best way to travel in the Algarve even because public transport is not practical for this purpose.

Although most of the tourists that rent a car in the Algarve wish to receive their rental car at Faro airport, where we are based and we deliver our cars directly at the airport park, there are also tourists who prefer to get their car rental at the hotel, villa or resort where they are lodged to spend their vacations.
For this reason AlgarveCarental has a service of delivery and collection of rental cars in hotels, villas and resorts throughout the Algarve prepared to deliver their rental cars where the customer needs them.

Get to know some of the most requested places for car rental deliveries for car rental locations all over the Algarve.
And get to know some of the stories of these wonderful places.

When you decide your next Algarve holiday, you already know that you can book your car rental online using our booking form where you have the possibility to write the exact location where you want to receive your rental car.
So when you arrive at Faro airport or your holiday accommodation the car you rented online in advance will be delivered on time.

Our cars are delivered directly at the Faro airport carpark 4. There is no need of taking a shuttle bus to remote depot.

When getting out from the luggage collection and out from the arrivals exit door, please head to the left to Carpark 4 a short walkway distance of about 50 meters.

Please look for an assistant identified by a logo of Yor Car Hire in his/her shirt that will be waiting for you at the "meeting point" on car park P4, a glass building, you will immediately see when you arrive to the car park.

Please show our rep the printed booking confirmation you bring and the contract will be quickly made so you can start your holidays immediatly.

At collection time you can arrange with our rep the location and time to where you will be returning the car.

In the case you can't find our rep at the airport car park you can call one of our phone numbers that you received in the confirmation message.

The park P4 parking can only be used to collect and return rental cars.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

DURING YOUR STAY

DRIVING IN PORTUGAL

GENERAL QUESTIONS

About A22 Tolls Electronic Payment

How to pay A22 tolls if you drive an Algarve Car Rental car

The payment of tolls on the A22 or Via do Infante in Algarve is a major concern and is not easy for non residents. That's why all the Algarve Car Hire cars delivered by Yor Car Hire in the Algarve and booked using our booking form for Algarve are equiped with the electronic transponders for automatic payment of the A22 tolls.

The transponder does not need to be pre-booked as it will be available on arrival for all the clients that wish to have it.

All rental cars have the transponders and are connected to the license car number. They can't be removed from the car.

How can I have a transponder to go legally into the A22 road?

The transponders are available on arrival for all the clients that wish to have them; they do not need to be pre-booked.

How much will cost the transponder?

The transponder will have a cost of 20 euros, cash payment, and it already includes 15 euros of passages in it. For minibus car models will have a cost of 30 euro, cash payment, and includes 25 euros of passages in it.

I know in advance, these initial 15 euros will not be enough for my journeys. How can I add more money?

On arrival should you choose to add more money to the transponder, our representatives can recharge it with a minimum of 10 euros and multiples of 10 euros, which will be added to the initial 15 euros.

I have started and finished my holidays and I did not spend the initial 15 euros. Will I get a refund?

Unfortunately no. Any amount left to use will not be possible to refund as we do not have that facility as well.

In case I decide not to use the A22, what will happen?

You need to provide the 20 euro for deposit, anyway, on collection. In case you did not use the A22, we will refund the 20 euro.

What happen if I lose the transponder or return it damaged?

The company will charge 57 euro + Vat for the replacement of the new transponder. You must not take the transponder from the car, as the cameras in the motorways will identify the car with the plate number, and will consider as a crime, punish by the European Law.

BEFORE YOU BOOK

DURING YOUR STAY

DRIVING IN PORTUGAL

In general, driving in Portugal is not much different from other western European countries, where you drive on the right-hand side of the road and overtake on the left.

WHAT DOCUMENTATION DO I NEED TO DRIVE IN PORTUGAL?

Driving licence:
If you are a citizen from the EU, your regular licence is also valid in Portugal. But if you are coming from any other non-EU country, both in Europe and abroad, your driving licence must be accompanied by an International Driving Permit, which is basically a multiple language translation of your own driving licence.

WHAT VEHICLE DOCUMENTATION DO I NEED TO DRIVE IN PORTUGAL?

Vehicle documents – you should either have both the Registration Document (a blue paper named Título de Registo de Propriedade in Portuguese) and the Vehicle Registration Certificate, known as the log book (a green one called Livrete in Portuguese), or just the all-in-one document (Documento Único Automóvel), which comprises all the necessary information about the owner and the vehicle.
If you are driving a rental car these documents should be in the car.

WHAT INSURANCE DO I HAVE IN A RENTAL CAR?

Rental Cars have Third Party insurance and Collision Damage Waiver with a low excess. The excess can be waived by buying the usually called Super CDW which excempts you of any extra payment in case of accident.

WHAT ITEMS OR DEVICES THE CAR MUST HAVE?

Apart from the documentation, there are a few other items the car must have:
Reflective warning triangle – In case the vehicle breaks down or is involved in an accident, you should place this triangle behind your vehicle, to warn other drivers passing by.
Reflective safety vest – which you must wear in emergency situations when you are forced to leave the car.

ARE SEAT BELTS MANDATORY?

Yes. All the passengers must use a seat belt, which is compulsory both in the front and in the back seats.

WHAT ARE THE RULES FOR TREVELLING WITH CHILDREN?

If you are travelling with children under the age of 12, be advised that they cannot sit up front, unless they are taller than 150cm, and should be accommodated in appropriate child car seats.
The Right Carseat for Your Child:
Up to 1 year old and up to 20-22 pounds: Rear-facing Infant-only, Convertible or 3-in-1 seat
Ages 1-3 and 20 to 40 pounds: Rear-facing car seat until the top height and weight limit allowed by the manufacturer.
Ages 4-7 or until 4'9" tall: Forward-facing car seat until the top height and weight limit allowed by the manufacturer.
Age 8-12 or at least over 4'9": Booster Seat with lap and shoulder belts until the top height and weight limit allowed by the manufacturer.

WHAT ARE THE PENALTIES FOR DRIVING AFTER DRINKING?

Portugal is known by its excellent wine and if you want to taste the excellent and still cheap portuguese wines you should consider not to drive.
However, you might want to keep the intake of alcohol limited to a glass or two if you want to avoid being fined or, even worse, causing an accident. If you are stopped by the police, they may want you to take a breath alcohol test, which may result in one of the following:
- under 0.5 g/l (grams of alcohol per litre of blood) – you are within the law and will be able to continue your journey without further inconvenience.
- from 0.5 g/l to 0.8 g/l and from 0.8 g/l to 1.2 g/l - you will face a fine and suspension of licence, which will be determined by what range you fall in.
- above 1.2 g/l - you will be detained and taken before a judge. Penalties in this case include up to one year imprisonment and a three year driving ban.

WHAT ARE THE DRIVING SPEED LIMITS IN PORTUGAL?

Portuguese roads have different speed limits:
– 50 km/h for roads located in residential areas - 90 km/h in open roads
- 120 km/h in motorways.

CAN I PHONE WHILE I DRIVE?

Mobile phones may be used while driving but only can be used with a hands-free system.

CAN I LISTEN MUSIC WHILE I DRIVE?

Yes, but the sound volume should not interfere with the sounds around you and it is illegal to drive with headphones connected to a sound device.

TOLL ROADS IN PORTUGAL AND HOW TO PAY THEM?

You can drive troughout Portugal by the Nacional Roads that are free. However, if you decide to take one of the many motorways that cross the country, it is likely it will be a toll road. To pay for it, there are three possible systems:
- Toll booths – at the start of the route there will be a dispensing machine from which you should collect a ticket. As you are leaving the road, hand the ticket over at the toll booth and pay the fee, which varies from road to road and depends on distance travelled.
- Frequent user system – if you are a frequent user, which is probably not the case if you are just here for a quick visit, you can subscribe to the Via Verde system which allows drivers to avoid stopping at the toll booths and instead pay a monthly fee via ATM. For this, you will need to have an electronic device attached to your windshield, which then identifies your car.
- Electronic tolls – this is a relatively new system and, so far, has only been introduced on a few motorways and main roads – A28, A29, A44, A4, A41, A42, VRI – Via Regional Interior and parts of A25 and A17. On these roads, identified as “electronic toll only”, there is an overhead electronic system that reads information from a device located in the car’s windshield, much like the Via Verde system. To pay for the toll, you must either buy a permanent electronic device or get a temporary one, which can be leased from certain motorway service stations or post offices for use in foreign-registered vehicles. These may be used for stays of up to 90 days and will be either prepaid or charged to your credit card.
The major part of the rent a car companies in Portugal and Algarve have installed transponders for electronic payment on the electronic tolls.

GENERAL QUESTIONS