Rental Cars at Lisbon Airport

Lisbon Airport is the main air gateway for Portugal, and is one of the largest airports in Southern Europe. It is located between Loures and the capital city of Portugal, Lisboa, and serves over 29 million passengers per annum. The airport is international, with a large variety of airline carriers, such as TAP Portugal, Easyjet, SATA International and White Airways. Lisbon Airport is also a major hub for these airline companies. At the airport, passengers will find a number of transport options and a well equipped terminal building. There are also several Lisbon Airport car hire companies from which to choose, should a rented car be your ideal form of transport. Car rental services at Lisbon Airport are provided by a variety of internationally recognised companies.

Lisbon Airport consists of two terminal buildings, referred to as Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. Terminal 2 was more recently constructed to handle the increasing passenger numbers at the airport, and is used for scheduled domestic flights. Terminal 1 is the larger and main terminal of the airport, and is the area in which international passengers will arrive. The car hire companies at the airport are found in the arrival areas, and are easily accessible from all parts of the buildings. The companies present include Hertz, Europcar, Budget, Avis, Sixt, Dollar, Goldcar, National, Thrifty, Alamo and Auto Europa. The majority of these car rental companies have many years of experience in the industry, and offer their customers a wide choice of vehicles for hire, and excellent rental rates.

Car Rental Companies at Lisbon Airport:

• Alamo: +351 218 486 191
• Auto Jardim: +351 289 800 881
• Avis: +351 218 435 550
• Benerent: +351 936 548 900
• Bravacar: +351 219 405 350
• Budget: +351 218 435 550
• Cael: +351 215 989 740
• Carwiz: +351911920767 / +351912437675
• Centauro: +351 211 303 540
• Dollar: +351 210 413 314
• Drivalia: +351 217 818 296
• Drive4less: +351 218 486 191
• Drive & Go: +351 963 661 824
• Drive On Holidays: +351 962 247 402
• Enterprise: +351 218 486 191
• Europcar: +351 218 401 176
• Europcar Premium Pickup: +351 21 8401163
• Firefly: +351 213 711 660
• Flizzr: +351 225 788 199
• Global Rent A Car: +351 910 628 505
• Goldcar: +351 211 451 595
• Green Motion: +351 927 529 579
• Guerin: +351 218 486 191
• Hertz: +351 219 426 300
• Hertz Dream Collection: +351 219 426 300
• Interrent: +351 211 451 381
• Keddy By Europcar: +351 218 401 176
• Klass Wagen: +351 707 502 656
• National: +351 218 486 191
• Ok Mobility: +34902360636
• Payless: +351 218 435 550
• Rent A Star: +351 913 013 327
• Rhodium: +351 211 451 595
• Sadorent: +351 217 818 296
• Sixt: +351 255 788 199
• Surprice: +351 912 389 853
• Tangerine Rent: +351935741201
• Thrifty: +351 219 426 300
• Turisprime: +351 210 410 374

Customers with a tighter budget may consider hiring one of the smaller cars offered by the Lisbon Airport car rental companies, found in the car groups of Mini, Economy or Compact, as these vehicles usually come with lower rental rates. They are also easy to drive, light on fuel and still come with many extras, such as air conditioning and power steering. Cars can be as small as the Smart For Two, or ideal for four passengers, such as the Fiat Panda, Renault Clio, Opel Corsa, and Peugeot 107. Customers must be careful though to not rent a car which is too small for their needs, as mini vehicles often do not offer much room for luggage. Larger sedan models may be similar to the Opel Insignia and VW Passat, while vehicles for larger groups of passengers include the VW Caddy Maxi Life, Peugeot 807 and Mercedes-Benz Viano for seven, as well as the VW Transporter, Renault Trafic and Peugeot Expert ideal for nine travelers.

Car rental at Lisbon Airport may include options of hiring additional equipment, for example, child seats, satellite navigation systems and hand controls for disabled drivers. All items except hand controls will add a few extra Euros per day of hire, but may also greatly contribute to a safer and easier journey in Lisbon. Hand controls are a free service offered by many of the car hire companies, and are ideal for individuals with a lower limb deficiency. Another possible service from Lisbon Airport are one way hires, whereby the vehicle can be returned to a different rental location of the car hire company concerned. A one way hire is most convenient for a passenger who is not returning to the airport, but may be a bit more expensive.

In order to rent a car in Portugal, the primary renter must be at least 21 years of age, and be able to present a valid drivers license and credit card upon collection of the vehicle. The minimum age requirements do vary between the car hire companies, but all companies will charge an additional young drivers fee for customers under the age of 25. Younger renters may also not be permitted to hire a car from some of the categories available, in particular those which contain larger or specialty type vehicles. The major credit cards generally accepted include American Express, Diners Club, Eurocard, Mastercard and Visa, and some of the companies offer their own Charge Cards. It is also the primary renter’s responsibility to arrange adequate insurance for the rented car, although sometimes insurance such as collision damage waiver and theft protection is included in the rental quote. Third party liability insurance is always part of the agreement.

A rented car from Lisbon Airport is not always recommended for driving in the center of Lisboa, as traffic can be rather heavy, with the tendency to congest. It can even take over an hour just to get across the Ponte 25 de Abril bridge at times, when traffic is at its worst. Although, another option is the A12, or the Vasco da Gama bridge road, featuring the longest bridge in Europe. Traffic is usually better on this road, but there is a more expensive toll to pay. In the city center of Lisbon, drivers may also find parking spaces to be rather scarce, as the ‘pay and display’ bays fill up quickly. However, there are a few parking garages available, which can be found along the Rua Marques de Sa da Bandeira and the Avenida Engenheiro Duarte Pacheco.

A rented car is ideal for those who would like to explore areas on the outskirts of Lisboa, and perhaps travel to the lovely beaches found in areas such as Almada, Cascais and Estoril. The A5 can be taken to Estoril and Cascais, while the de Abril bridge will have to be crossed to reach Almada. Other important roads include the A1, the main access road of the airport, and this road leads from Lisbon to Santarém, Fátima, Leira, Coimbra, Aveiro and Porto while the A8 heads for Torres Vedras, Caldas da Rainha, Alcobaca and Leiria. Always obey all road rules in Lisbon, including the speed limits of 120 km/h or 74 mph on motorways and highways, 90 km/h or 55 mph on open roads and 50 km/h or 30 mph in urban areas.

The Lisbon Airport car rental companies are open from 06:00 to late in the evening, and since that the airport is rather a busy location, passengers are recommended to make an advanced reservation.