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Car hire in Lisbon

Pick up a hire car at Lisbon Airport (LIS), with debit-card options on some cars, a deposit on every car, and price and cover shown before you pay.

Lisbon Airport cars to compare

Choose a manual or automatic for your Lisbon arrival. The price and the deposit are separate amounts, so check both.

Vehicle size, gearbox and model choice

Every class figure is its lowest daily price for a week’s airport hire. At that level a credit card is required and the deposit starts at €1,250, while half of the Lisbon offers run above €56 a day.

Lisbon Airport has automatics, manuals and larger cars. Choose the gearbox and seats first, then compare luggage space. With “Or similar” a comparable car may be supplied, so check the features you need.

Where do you meet the company at Lisbon Airport?

All arriving flights use Terminal 1. Your voucher gives the meeting point and the company’s phone number.

Flying home

Some low-cost flights leave from Terminal 2. Check your terminal before the return so you allow enough time.

Airport pickup

Keep your voucher and the company’s number handy, and follow its meeting instructions after landing.

Night pickup and return

Some Lisbon cars can be picked up or returned overnight, a few for an extra charge. Enter your real times.

Save the meeting point and phone number from your voucher before you fly. The Lisbon Airport page covers parking, terminals and the first drive.

Can you rent a car in Lisbon with a debit card?

Some Lisbon cars take a debit card for the deposit; others need a credit card. Paying by debit does not remove the deposit.

Bring the main driver’s own embossed card for the deposit. Debit must be allowed on your booking and voucher; paying the rental in cash does not mean the deposit can be cash.

Booking online takes 15 to 20%, and the company is paid the balance. Some firms hold on to the deposit for 21 to 30 days after return, in case tolls or fines come in later.

Airport drives to the coast and nearby towns

Times start at Lisbon Airport on clear roads, without the pickup, stops or parking. Several drives use toll motorways.

The yellow arcaded buildings and triumphal arch of Praca do Comercio in Lisbon, under a vivid blue sky
Lisbon Airport→Lisbon
15 min · 8.4 km
The red and yellow towers of Pena Palace on a wooded hilltop against a clear blue sky
Lisbon Airport→Sintra
30 min · 30.2 km
Aerial view of the Santa Marta lighthouse and white buildings on the rocky shore at Cascais, beside the blue sea
Lisbon Airport→Cascais
35 min · 36.7 km
White houses with red tiled roofs inside the old walled village of Obidos, under a blue sky
Lisbon Airport→Óbidos
1 h · 78.6 km
The long beach and town of Nazare curving along the bay in warm sunset light, seen from the cliff top
Lisbon Airport→Nazaré
1 h 30 min · 116.8 km
The granite columns of the Roman temple in Evora against a vivid blue sky
Lisbon Airport→Évora
1 h 45 min · 130.1 km

The Lisbon drive ends at Praça do Comércio. Comporta is 116.4 kilometres from the airport, about 1 h 45 min. Albufeira is 252.2 kilometres, about three hours, and Faro town 274.2 kilometres, about three hours fifteen minutes.

Tagus crossings and motorway payments

Both Tagus bridges charge only when heading into Lisbon. They work differently from electronic-only motorways, so ask how your company handles tolls.

  • Vasco da Gama charges northbound, at Montijo. Drives south to Évora and the Algarve are free; you pay on the way back into Lisbon.
  • The 25 de Abril bridge also charges towards Lisbon, from the Almada side. The limit is seventy kilometres per hour on the bridge and forty in the Via Verde lane.
  • The A1, A2, A5, A8, A12 and A16 have toll booth sections. The A33 south of the Tagus is electronic only. Follow the system on the road you join.

Rental cars in Portugal must carry a toll device. The company can charge a separate fee for it and ask for a deposit or card details. Agree how tolls are paid at pickup; they are not in the rental price.

Prepare for the first drive from the airport

Drive on the right, follow the signs and set your route before you leave the pickup point.

Passenger protection

Adults wear seat belts. Children under twelve and shorter than 135 centimetres need an approved child seat, with a few exceptions.

Phone and equipment

Use the phone hands-free only. At pickup, find the reflective vest and warning triangle so both are to hand if you stop at the roadside.

Mileage allowance

Check your car’s kilometre limit. Count day trips and the drive back before choosing a capped car for a trip towards the Algarve.

Reachable contact

Put a working number on the booking, with its country code, and answer it from the day before pickup to the return. Warn the company about any delay.

Can you return a Lisbon car at another airport?

Some Lisbon cars can be returned at Faro or Porto Airport. The one-way cost may be built into the price, so compare totals after choosing your return.

Choose Faro or Porto

Choose Faro or Porto Airport as your return place, not a town address.

Compare final totals

Compare the full price; no drop-off fee does not mean the same price.

Arrange the handback

Allow time for fuel and the return check, and agree any later changes first.

When should you compare Lisbon rental dates?

The lowest daily price for week-long rentals through the year. N/A marks a month with no price; search your own dates.

Lisbon Airport · seven-day prices

Even a few hours is charged as a full day, and part of another day can add a day, so enter both times. Agree any extension before your rental ends.

Passengers, luggage and useful extras

Child equipment

Choose the right child seat, baby seat or booster, and see it in the car before you set off.

Another driver

Add the second driver to the agreement. Their age and licence years must meet your car’s rules.

Larger parties

Larger Lisbon cars have seven, eight or nine seats. Check the seat count and luggage room with all the seats in use.

Small pets

Only small pets are allowed, in a carrier for the whole trip. Check the carrier fits with your passengers and luggage.

Protection attached to the selected car

Compare the cover level with the deposit and what you pay after an accident. Not every Lisbon car offers every level.

Minimum coverageIncluded as standard
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Damage to your hire car (not included)
Basic coverage
  • Limited collision cover (CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
  • Glass and tyre damage (not included)
Full Coverage
  • Limited driver liability (Super CDW) (included)
  • Damage to other vehicles (TPL) (included)
Full Coverage Plus
  • Full damage cover (included)
  • No driver liability for accident damage (included)

Standard exclusions: Standard cover excludes the interior, wheels, windscreen and underside. Check what an upgrade adds.

Incident procedure: Call the company the moment an insured incident happens, and get a police report unless it says otherwise. Without both, the cover does not apply.

Permitted conduct: Negligence and deliberate vandalism void the cover. More cover still rules out unpaved roads and trips abroad that were not agreed.

Available upgrades: Full Coverage Plus is not usually offered on Lisbon cars. Choose from the levels your car offers.

Licence and driver checks for Lisbon collection

Bring your original licence, in Latin script and valid until return. Scans, digital versions and photocopies are not accepted.

Licence validity

With a domestic-only licence, an IDP is strongly recommended. Show it together with your national licence.

Age and experience

Check the age and licence years for your car. They can differ even between matching models, and the company can refuse pickup if you do not qualify.

Vehicle condition and permitted use

Stay on paved roads

  • Keep to paved public roads and carry ID when driving. Fuel, parking and fines are yours to pay.

Match the starting fuel

  • Return it with the same fuel level. Any shortfall is charged at the company’s rate; extra fuel is not refunded. If dirt blocks the check, you pay for washing.

Agree a journey into Spain before reserving

Before you drive out of Portugal, tell the company so it can do the papers. The cross-border extra names no countries, so check your route with the company.

With permission, Badajoz is 223.1 kilometres from Lisbon Airport, about two hours thirty minutes plus any border wait. That does not mean you can return the car in Spain, so plan to bring it back to Portugal.

The car cannot take a ferry to or from the islands. If you fly on to an island, book a separate car there. On Madeira, cars can be collected at Madeira Airport or delivered to your address.

Cancellation and reservation changes

You can cancel up to 7 days before pickup, 30 for luxury cars and convertibles, or 24 hours ahead with the cancellation option.

Request and refund

Cancel by emailing support with the voucher. The refund comes within 14 days of asking, with 6% of the advance kept for payment processing.

Late changes

Miss the deadline or the pickup and the advance is lost. To change anything, cancel and book again, which follows the same rules.

Lisbon booking questions

Where do I meet the rental company at Lisbon Airport?

At the meeting point on your voucher, which also gives the company’s phone number. Meeting points differ between companies.

Does debit mean no deposit?

No. Debit is just how the deposit is taken; your car can still need a deposit.

Is the one-way fee always listed separately?

No. Lisbon companies can build it into the rental price. Enter your return airport before comparing. Some Lisbon cars can be returned at Porto Airport, the pickup point for Porto car hire.

How long is the drive from Lisbon Airport to Faro?

About three hours fifteen minutes to Faro town (274 km) on clear roads, mostly on the tolled A2. If you would rather fly south, car rental in Faro starts at the airport.

Can I book a Lisbon car for next summer?

Yes, on cars already listed for your dates. Companies add cars for later dates over time, so search your own dates and check again if few are shown.

More destinations and rental guidance

Compare Lisbon Airport rentals

Enter your arrival and return times, then check the car, card rules and full price.

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