To Drive or Not to Drive in Portugal?

[paul10]

I'm starting to plan a Portugal trip for next year, and I'm stuck on the whole transportation issue. Part of me wants to rent a car for the freedom, but I've heard some wild stories about driving there, such as a Reddit thread from a few years back where expats shared experiences and advice: https://www.reddit.com/r/PortugalExp...g_in_portugal/

The discussions left me questioning if road conditions and driver behavior are really as challenging as depicted. I'm quite torn, as renting would allow greater flexibility to explore coastal roads and secluded villages off the beaten path. However, relying on trains and buses could spare me potential hassles.

For those who have personally traveled through Portugal by vehicle, I'd appreciate any insights or anecdotes you may care to share. In particular, perspectives on what the driving environment is truly like from a safety and navigational standpoint would be most helpful as I weigh my transportation options. Any tips for navigating Portuguese roads with ease would also be welcomed.

[MagnetON]

I love how they call themselves "expats" rather than what they are: "immigrants"

[Mike Harte]

I have holidayed in Portugal a few times in the past, and have always hired a car for the duration of the visits. I never found the local driving any worse, or better, than I did in France, Spain or Italy; you just have to be prepared and anticipate that the locals may do some thing that you didn't expect them to do.

And I was always able to return the hire cars in exactly the same condition as when originally picked up from the airport.

[Gerard C]

Originally Posted by MagnetON

I love how they call themselves "expats" rather than what they are: "immigrants"

I feel your pain here… its just a matter of what kind of boat they sailed. Expats sail large units and migrants inflatable boats…

As to the experience of driving in Portugal as Mike reports I had absolutely no issue driving there, bike, personal car or car of rental and I did it quite a few times. I just appreciated that the police cars are really slow…
My experience of cars of rental slightly differs though, Mikes stated: "And I was always able to return the hire cars in exactly the same condition as when originally picked up from the airport."When I can write "in exactly the same position!