Car Hire Portugal

Lisbon

The lively and hilly capital of Portugal offers a city break with a difference. Lisbon showcases Portugal’s past and present. With its grand squares, fado music clubs, and vintage wooden trams, the city is full of charm. 

Pack up your Avis hire car and stroll the cobbled lanes and mosaic sidewalks that lead to busy outdoor cafes, exciting artwork and historic landmarks, including São Jorge Castle and the San Domingo church. 

Lisbon’s colourful neighbourhoods all offer something different. The Bairro Alto provides shops and a lively nightlife. Alfama is the place to go to listen to the best fado performances in Portugal. The lower town of Baixa has plenty of galleries, restaurants and the famous Elevador de Santa Justa – Lisbon’s eccentric version of Paris’ Eiffel Tower. 

If you want to learn more about Portugal’s unique culture, there are plenty of niche museums that focus on certain niche subjects, including fado, azulejos (Portuguese tiles), and port wine. 

A trip to the waterfront district of Belém provides a lesson in Portugal’s history. The Monument to the Discoveries symbolises the country’s golden age of exploration. Walk inside, and you’ll discover a museum and several exhibition halls. The expansive rooftop terrace offers breathtaking panoramic views over the district and Tagus River. Across the road is the Monastery of Jerónimos, an impressive World Heritage monument and resting place of explorer, Vasco da Gama. Of course, no visit to Belém would be complete without a trip to Antiga Confeitaria de Belem for some pasteis de nata (custard tarts).

Porto 

Porto is the capital city of the north and showcases Portugal’s old world charm. The UNESCO World Heritage Site is dotted with red-tiled houses situated on the Cais da Ribeira riverfront, mosaic-patterned streets beautiful buildings and churches. Visit São Francisco Church with its fantastic Baroque gold interior, or seek out the striking modern Serralves art museum to see some of the best examples of Portuguese and international contemporary art. 

This city is famous for its port wine. One of the most popular leisure activities is a tour around the cellars at the Port-Wine Lodges in Vila Nova de Gaia. Learn about how the area’s most famous product is produced. 

For a sense of Porto’s daily atmosphere, visit the lively market where you can find old fashioned produce and quirky souvenirs. Rua de Santa Catarina is the main shopping street where you can pick up both luxury and high street pieces. 

When leaving Porto and heading south in your rental car, you’ll drive along the majestic Atlantic coastline. It’s one of the best drives in Europe as well as one of the prettiest. Enjoy the open road and find long beaches with soft golden sand that spans the length of the coast. For the adventurous, there’s an opportunity for some world class surfing at Peniche where you’ll find some of the largest waves in mainland Europe.