Driving is on the right with overtaking on the left and you can be fined more than 1,000 Euros for passing a driver on the right. On the motorways there are three lanes with the middle one being for overtaking.
Give priority to traffic from the right unless otherwise stated. Vehicles in roundabouts have priority over those which are about to enter. There is also a large fine for failing to stop at a stop sign.
Roads and some cars are not that well lit at night so you should drive carefully. Should you break down and attempt to carry out repairs you are supposed to wear a reflective jacket to do so. It is also necessary to put out a warning triangle if you have broken down. If your hire car does not have this equipment and you get a fine then the rental company should be able to pay it for you. At night in rural areas look out for horse drawn carts. When a tram stops and there is no island for passengers to disembark at, drivers must give way to them. Avoiding rush hour traffic in the cities is to be advised.
/drive-smart/Portugal-Road-Sign.aspx)
A fine of 600 Euros can be imposed on anyone found to be using a mobile phone while driving, as can a 300 Euro fine for littering while driving. Fines can be collected on the spot. It is also possible to lose your licence if you ignore a policeman, cross a white line or jump a red light. It is safest to drive defensively in Portugal, which has one of the less impressive driving safety records in Europe. You can find interactive online maps of the country at http://www.travelportal.info/western-europe/portugal/maps.
Wait for the police to arrive and get the other driver's names, address and insurance details. Drivers must return to the scene of any serious accident or road death until the police arrive.
It is mandatory to for all passengers to wear seatbelts in the front seat and back seats. Children under the age of 12, or less than one and a half metres tall, are not allowed to sit in the front and must have baby or booster seats in the back.
Motorways have the prefix A, as in A1 or A2.
/drive-smart/Portugal-Motorway-Sign.aspx)
1.377 Euros for 98 unleaded, 1.258 for 95 unleaded and 0.996 for Diesel. Although credit cards are accepted for paying, there can be a surcharge for using them. It is illegal to carry spare fuel with you.
A driver's blood alcohol level may not exceed 0.5% and there are large fines of more than 1,000 Euros and possibly jail time for doing so.
Documents relating to the car and its insurance. Old style EU licences must be accompanied by an international driving permit.
You need to have an international driving licence or an approved translation of your existing driver's licence.
- Rental car – Aluguer
- Motorway – Auto Estrada
- Thank you – Obrigado
- Portagem – Toll Road
- Police - Guarda Nacional Republicana
- Breakdown - Avaria
- Fire service – Bombeiros
- Border - Fronteira
- One way – Sentido Unico
- Stop – Pare
- Itinerario principal – Main road
- Unleaded Petrol – Gasolina sem chumbo/ Gasolina sin plumbo
- Gasoleo - Diesel
- I don't understand - Nao Percebo
- What does this cost? – Quanto Custa?
- Speed Limit – Limite de Velocidad
- Brakes - Breques
Most of the highways in Portugal have tolls. There are also tolls on the south bound side of the 25 de Abril Bridge which links Lisbon with the south bank of the Tagus River. You will find the standards of toll roads to be good, with the E15 Mediterranean Coastal road being particularly pleasant in terms on scenery.
- 50 kilometres per hour in built up areas
- 90 kilometres per hour on rural roads
- 120 kilometres per hour on motorways (with a minimum speed of 40km per hour)
Speed limits are enforced by unmarked police cars and radar traps. Cars towing trailers can only travel at 70/80km per hour.
/drive-smart/Portugal-Speed-Trap-Sign.aspx)
The conversion from kilometres to miles per hour is one kilometre = 0.62 miles per hour. Therefore the speed limit in Portuguese towns is 30 miles per hour.
The minimum age to drive is 17 but the minimum age to hire a car is 23. If you have had your licence for less than a year you must obtain a yellow disc with the number 90 on it which indicates that 90km is the maximum speed you can travel.
The emergency services are on 112. The British embassy in Portugal is at Rua de São Bernardo 33, Lisbon, 1249-082, and the main switchboard number is 351 21 392 4000. The US embassy is at United States Embassy, Avenida das Forças Armadas , 1600-081 Lisbon, and their phone number is 351-21-727-3300.
If you park on a pavement in an undesignated spot you can have your car impounded for anywhere between one month to one year. It is illegal to park cars which face against the flow of traffic. Although the locals may do it, switching on your hazard warning lights does not make it OK to park wherever you want. In Lisbon, Portugal's capital, you must get a Blue Zone parking disc which is free of charge and can be obtained from the police.