Porto Hire Car Tips, Experiences & Comparison

Discover Porto by Hire Car

Porto is a large city in northern Portugal, with 330,000 inhabitants in an area of 42 square kilometres.

It is the capital of the eponymous district of Porto and is the second largest city in the country after Lisbon.

Picturesquely situated at the mouth of the Douro River on the Atlantic Ocean, Greater Porto is home to as many as 1.26 million people.

The region has been settled since the first millennium BC and is great to explore by hire car. For rental and travel we have compiled a few tips.

Receiving the hire car

You will find numerous rental agencies directly in the airport terminal on level 0. However, you should make sure that your hire car agency is also there. If the rental company is only close to the airport, it can sometimes take a long time for a shuttle to take you to the station.

Choosing the right hire car

In the dense traffic of Porto, you are certainly best advised with a small and agile car. With it, you can also get into tight parking spaces. Just make sure the car is big enough to hold your holiday luggage.

Hire car prices

Even in low season, you can often get hire cars in Porto at surprisingly cheap rates. However, if the offer is too cheap, you should study the conditions of the rental company carefully before renting the car. Often there are hidden costs, which then have to be paid on the spot.

So the supposed bargain can become a really expensive offer. It is best to book at your leisure, well in advance of your trip. Take your time to study the conditions and use our price comparison. Offers, of which we are of the opinion that they offer the best price-performance ratio, we have marked with the note “Excellent offer”.

hire car price comparison Porto

Insurance

Even in the big city traffic of Porto, a small accident can happen quickly. You are well insured if you have a comprehensive insurance without deductible. And pay attention to the amount of coverage for liability. It should be at least one million euros. In the case of accidents involving personal injury or a pile-up, this sum can add up very quickly. If your rental company’s coverage does not seem sufficient, you can take out a Majorca policy for additional protection. Talk to your insurance company.

age limit

Drivers under 25 get a car from very few rental companies. And drivers under 25 are often charged an additional fee. Check with your rental company’s terms before renting the car.

Accessories

When it comes to finding your way around Porto, a sat nav can serve you well. Reserve the Navi in time, so that it is actually available at your station on the day of rental. The same applies, of course, to other accessories, such as child seats.

Language barrier

In Porto, it can happen that the employees of a hire car station speak only insufficient English. In this case, you are well advised to have the telephone number of the Portuguese head office of your rental company saved. There you can ask for help in an emergency.

Free kilometers

If you only want to explore Porto and the surrounding area in your hire car, you may be able to book a cheaper hire car with limited kilometres. However, if it is to go across the country, you should make sure that all kilometres are free with your hire car.

Tank control

Only book with rental companies where you pick up the car with a full tank and return it with a full tank. This is the most transparent solution for all parties involved.

Bail

It is annoying when the rental company deducts the deposit from your credit card and then takes its time to refund it after you return the car. Better book straight away with a rental company that just blocks the amount.

Customer Review Hire Car

Most of the customers are satisfied with the hire car in Porto. However, some complain about the exterior condition of the vehicles. If you notice any defects such as dents or scratches on your hire car, you should always get them confirmed in writing. This is the only way to avoid the rental company holding you liable for damage you did not cause when you return the car.

Safety hire car

Although most hire cars in Porto are roadworthy, you should test all the lights on the car before your first drive. And do a little brake test as well, preferably in the rental company’s parking lot.

Sights in Porto

Pittoresque old town
Porto has an enchanting old town, which has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1996. Narrow and steep streets stretch picturesquely in terraces from the banks of the Douro up the hills of the city. By day, shopping is plentiful here and the neighbourhood seems quite lively, but in the evening you have to be close to the Douro to get a taste of Porto’s nightlife. The rents and maintenance costs of the historical houses in the Ribeira, as the old town is called here, force many inhabitants of Porto to move to other parts of the city. The waterfront, however, is home to bars and restaurants, including “Chez Lapin”, considered the best in Portugal and the regular haunt of FC Porto.

Torre dos Clérigos: Impressive view
In addition to the numerous baroque churches in Porto, especially the “Torre dos Clérigos” is absolutely worth seeing. The tower, which is designated as a national monument of Portugal, is not only the tallest building in the country with a height of 76 meters, but also offers a sensational view of Porto and the surrounding area after climbing 225 steps.

Vila de Gaia: Home of Port Wine
With a hire car, it is also worth taking a detour across the fantastic Dom-Luis Bridge, which connects Porto with the neighbouring town of Vila de Gaia, the metropolis of port wine production.

Suggestion of a round trip

Guimarães: Visit the old capital
First destination of a round trip with the hire car could be Guimarães. You will be there in three quarters of an hour. In Guimarães, you could stroll through the narrow streets of the old town, which, like the old town of Porto, has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Guimarães is the first capital of Portugal and was European Capital of Culture in 2012. Especially beautiful corners can be found around the Praça São Tiago where also numerous restaurants and cafes invite you to linger.

Braga: Mighty church and modern stadium
The journey continues in half an hour to Braga. There, on the one hand, there are numerous churches to admire, but on the other hand, the cityscape is also shaped by the numerous students, which makes Braga very lively. Especially worth seeing is the mighty cathedral, which has a very special mix of styles, ranging from Romanesque to Gothic and Baroque. You can experience modern architecture when you visit the city’s football stadium after your visit to the church. It was built on the occasion of the 2004 European Championship. The architect Souto Mouro planned the stadium like an amphitheatre. On one long side it is bordered by a rock wall. On the other long side, the view sweeps over the surrounding landscape. The spectator stands are located on the two transverse sides.

Vila do Conde: Mighty Monastery and Telephone Museum
Before you drive the hire car back to Porto, you’ll have a chance to stop off in Vila do Conde. The drive takes a good half hour. In Vila do Conde, the Santga Clara Monastery awaits you, which was founded as early as 1318. The palace-like building can currently only be visited from the outside as there is a school inside. Instead, a bizarre museum has opened its doors. In the Museu Vivo da Comutação Manual you can learn everything about the beginnings of the telephone. The museum is open on Tuesday and Thursday from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm and from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm To finish the tour, you can then take a stroll through the city, where you will see some imposing mansions that bear witness to the city’s past glory.

conclusion

Porto is an excellent location for a trip by hire car. The city has a lot to offer and there are numerous delightful destinations in the surrounding area that can be easily reached by car. And our handy price comparison will help you find a great deal and a car that suits you.