Posted on November 12, 2009 by Fiona Hilliard

So you’ve booked your Portugal car hire and everything’s looking hunky dory. But wait.  Before you go driving off into the sunset, you’ve got to remember that getting around town is not going to be exactly the same as driving and parking at home.  You might be eager to jump behind the wheel, but before you do, there are a few things you need to know about driving (and parking) in Portugal:

• You should always park on the right hand side.  Your vehicle should not face the traffic.
• Keep your eyes peeled for ‘No Parking’ signs, as clamping and on the spot fines are in operation in towns and cities.
• Make sure your car is parked safely, as you may be fined heavily for skewed parking.  I witnessed this myself in Lisbon. One afternoon, a dizzy blonde who parked her white Fiat Punto on the corner of a narrow terraced street held up my tram for over 30 minutes on a busy street in Alfama. She was completely oblivious to the chaos she caused until she emerged from her friend’s house to find a whole hill backed up with rush hour traffic and a ticked off traffic cop sitting on the bonnet of the car. So don’t do it.  Especially if you’re blonde.  You give us a bad name. 
• Look out for parking limits. During office hours, there is a 90-minute parking limit.  If you go over this, you could end up with a fine or clamping.
• Don’t throw rubbish out your window.  Litter fines are in operation in most cities. Always look for a bin and dump your wrappers and plastic bottles there.
• Ensure that your car has been provided with a reflector jacket. Not having one can result in a 600 euro (£540)fine. 
• Ok, so it’s an obvious one, but don’t drive while talking on your mobile (unless it’s hands-free).  Choose to ignore this law and guess what?,  you’ll get fined and/or will cause a nasty accident.