Tips for Portugal Car Hire
Posted on November 10, 2009 by Fiona Hilliard
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Hi Fiona
We’re planning a two-centre trip to Portugal next summer. We’ll be visiting Lisbon and its coastline. We’re renting a car at Lisbon Airport. Any tips?
Mark
Hi Mark
Thanks for your email. A few months ago I did exactly the same thing, so I feel I must warn you that driving in Lisbon can be a stressful affair. Hills like roller-coasters and trundling trams mean you end up spending most of your time in the city getting nowhere fast (usually to a chorus of beeps and Portuguese expletives).
Lisbon is a beautiful city made for walking, not driving, so I’d advise you to leave the car parked firmly at your accomodation for a few days. This will give you the freedom to roam the lofty heights of the Bairro Alto, shop ’til you drop in the Chiado and Baixa and live it up in the restaurant and bar-filled warehouses of the Docas.
When your feet are tired out, it’ll then be time for a trip to the coast. Demand for holidays, and indeed rental cars on the Lisbon Coast may not be as great as Faro car hire or car rental in the Algarve, but I’d definitely recommend the resort of Cascais, especially if you have the luxury of your own set of wheels to take you there. It’s a straight run really – you’re guided by the Tagus, then the Atlantic the whole way out.
On the way you pass Belém (a historic town where many a Portuguese explorer set sail) and Estoril (golfing heaven), you can even visit the fairytale town of Sintra. Finally you reach the twinkling bays of Cascais. Stepping out of the car, it’s easy to see why so many flock here from the city. It’s like “Lisbon-lite”. You’ve got the hills and cobbles (in this case adorned with a fetching wavy pattern), but you’ve also got the sea. It’s rocky but clear- surfers love it, the beaches are clean and sandy, it’ s the type of place where you can spend hours just looking out at the local fishermen in the bay.
The town itself is charming in appearance. Cafés and bars line palm-fringed streets and there’s a sleepy decadence about the place. That’s not to say the town is in any way retiring. Far from it in fact. Throughout the summer, a funky evening-time book market (complete with DJ) takes up residence just off the main square, while jazz and classical performers entertain al fresco diners. Cascais’s noisier nightlife really only gets going from 1 am on. You can take your pick from upmarket Karaoke bars like Baluarte to Irish pubs such as O’ Neill’s.
Then of course, there’s the marina – a haven for night-owls looking for an upmarket pub-crawl. Cocktail bars such as Hemingways are the perfect starting point for a night on the tiles, offering live music most nights. Meanwhile, if you’re looking to dance ’til dawn, you’ll find Tamariz club (on the beach in Estoril) to be located just a short taxi-ride away.
About the Author: Fiona likes to travel – especially to cities. Her favourites include: New York, London, Copenhagen, Madrid and Lisbon.
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