1st time hiring a car abroad
23 Posts
Just looking for some honest advice. We have never before driven abroad, but as this will be our 4th visit to the Algarve, my husband wants us to hire a car for a few days. I am very nervous, but I suppose we have to give it a shot some time. So my question is, for a first timer, is driving around the Algarve a nightmare?? We will be staying in Cabanas for 3 days, before heading to Carvoeiro for 9 (by bus/train). Would we be better hiring a car for a day in Cabanas and see how we get on (I imagine this area would be quieter than the West)? I'd love for us to have the freedom of travelling wherever we want, as there are so many places we want to visit, it's just that I am terrified. This whole driving on the other side of the road has me freaked out
I know how you feel........we've been going to the Algarve for 20 years and still haven't driven!!!!!!!!!!!!!
You certainly don't need a car to drive around Cabanas........you can walk round it easily but in terms of driving to Tavira ( less than 10 mins) and to places like Castro Marim, Altura, Monte Gordo or Vila real de Santo Antonio ( varying from half an hour to 1 hour), the roads are certainly not too busy and would probably be ideal to start off with.
Hope this helps and just give a shout if you need any more info for Cabanas.
Are you staying at Cabanas Park?
When are you going again?
Pat
You certainly don't need a car to drive around Cabanas........you can walk round it easily but in terms of driving to Tavira ( less than 10 mins) and to places like Castro Marim, Altura, Monte Gordo or Vila real de Santo Antonio ( varying from half an hour to 1 hour), the roads are certainly not too busy and would probably be ideal to start off with.
Hope this helps and just give a shout if you need any more info for Cabanas.
Are you staying at Cabanas Park?
When are you going again?
Pat
Hi Annie,
I've just come back from Carvoerio and just a quick word of warning that parking in the village square can be a nightmare but if you're on a complex or something you should be OK.
Regarding driving abroad - I know exactly what you mean - I drove for the first time abroad a couple of years ago and although I was very nervous at first I grew in confidence quite quickly. Just take it slowly. Yes, it does feel strange on the 'wrong' side so to speak but actually it's surprising how quickly you get used to it
Plus I have to say, although we didn't have a car this time, the roads in Portugal didn't seem that busy and look to be well signposted.
You'll get a map and stuff from the hire car company and they'll show you all around the car etc.
Good luck.
I've just come back from Carvoerio and just a quick word of warning that parking in the village square can be a nightmare but if you're on a complex or something you should be OK.
Regarding driving abroad - I know exactly what you mean - I drove for the first time abroad a couple of years ago and although I was very nervous at first I grew in confidence quite quickly. Just take it slowly. Yes, it does feel strange on the 'wrong' side so to speak but actually it's surprising how quickly you get used to it
Plus I have to say, although we didn't have a car this time, the roads in Portugal didn't seem that busy and look to be well signposted.
You'll get a map and stuff from the hire car company and they'll show you all around the car etc.
Good luck.
AnnieK,
After half an hour you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. I find driving in Portugal really easy as the roads never seem terribly busy. Just concentrate hard at first, watch your right hand side for the kerb and remember go anti clockwise at roundabouts and give way on them to the left. After a wee while its a skoosh and its great to have the freedom.
Drive on M'lady.
Lummie
After half an hour you'll wonder what all the fuss was about. I find driving in Portugal really easy as the roads never seem terribly busy. Just concentrate hard at first, watch your right hand side for the kerb and remember go anti clockwise at roundabouts and give way on them to the left. After a wee while its a skoosh and its great to have the freedom.
Drive on M'lady.
Lummie
You will soon get used to it - it's others you have to be wary of like the Brit who I confronted going the 'British' way round a roundabout in Cala D'or! Just check the car carefully before you sign anything and note every dent and scratch on the form they give you. Take photos if you want. Pay for as much insurance as is offered. Don't forget to take both parts of your licence (if it's a photo one) and note what the fuel policy is. Some say bring it back the same, others full, others empty. Surcharges for filling an empty tank which should be full can be expensive.
We've just got back from our first time to the Algarve and picked our hire car up at the airport for the full 2 weeks of our holiday. Hubby did a lot of driving and he managed fine. It was even dark when we got there and we still managed ok no problems.
As has been said the roads are very quiet, we didn't encounter any heavy traffic in our whole 2 weeks. In fact most of the roads - even the major roads were very quiet.
I'm sure you'll be fine and we are so glad we had a car to get out and about and visit all the lovely small villages and out of the way beaches.
We left a 50 deposit for the half tank of petrol rather that CC details and had it returned to us as the keys were handed over in the airport car park. So no problems there either.
All cars have to carry a fluorescent vest (ours was in the glove compartment) which must be worn if you were to break down. (We didn't thank goodness
)
As has been said the roads are very quiet, we didn't encounter any heavy traffic in our whole 2 weeks. In fact most of the roads - even the major roads were very quiet.
I'm sure you'll be fine and we are so glad we had a car to get out and about and visit all the lovely small villages and out of the way beaches.
We left a 50 deposit for the half tank of petrol rather that CC details and had it returned to us as the keys were handed over in the airport car park. So no problems there either.
All cars have to carry a fluorescent vest (ours was in the glove compartment) which must be worn if you were to break down. (We didn't thank goodness
)
Ah, thanks so much everyone, you've made me feel a lot more at ease with your advice.
There's so much of the east that we want to visit, and as we only have 3 days there, getting a car seems like the best option for us. And the fact that it will be quieter, would certainly make it easierin terms of driving to Tavira ( less than 10 mins) and to places like Castro Marim, Altura, Monte Gordo or Vila real de Santo Antonio ( varying from half an hour to 1 hour), the roads are certainly not too busy and would probably be ideal to start off with.
Are you staying at Cabanas Park?
When are you going again?
Yes that's right Pat, staying in the Cabanas Park Resort. Hopefully we will be heading off on the 26th August, but dh has a hernia that needs to be sorted first, so we will know next week if we need to postpone for a couple of weeks. We've booked independently, so there's no problem changing dates tg.
In Carvoeiro, we are staying on the hill, in the Mirachoro Praia, which has private parking afaik, so parking shouldn't be a problem.
Can anyone recommend a car-hire firm, or tell me who to avoid
So looking foward to returning to the Algarve. We both really need the break. So much to see and do. I'll be celebrating my 30th birthday over there, which is nice.
Thanks again to all for your help.
Pat, I'm sure I'll have a couple more questions on Cabanas and the surrounds areas before we leave
Hi Annie, Try http://www.economycarhire.com they are excellent and based in the UK, we use them all the time. No excess on your insurance, 2 drivers and exit into Spain is also included in your hire cost. They only take your credit card details for petrol, but if you fill the tank back up to its original then they will give you your card details back. Well recommended. They use a company called travel rent in Faro but also use other companies but we have found travel rent are fine. Cheers Jayan
We used the company that Jayjan is recommending (got the details from her when we were looking) It was a Travel Rent car booked through Economy cars that we used and they offered to let us pay the €50 deposit in lieu of CC.
Everything went very smoothly. We found their pitch at the airport and then there was a person on hand within the car park to show us to our car. On return it was even easier. We went back to the row where we set off from and the companies people were there waiting. They quickly checked the petrol gauge and handed over the €50 without any problems.
Everything went very smoothly. We found their pitch at the airport and then there was a person on hand within the car park to show us to our car. On return it was even easier. We went back to the row where we set off from and the companies people were there waiting. They quickly checked the petrol gauge and handed over the €50 without any problems.
Yep, I'll agree on that. Economy Car Hire (Travel Rent) have always been great for us. Good cars etc and never have I collected and dropped off a car so quickly. They never even check the petrol when you drop off!!.
Will defo use again
Lummie
Will defo use again
Lummie
Yep, we can confirm all that too. We've had a couple of "incidents" (both when we were out of the car!!) and there was absolutely no problem at drop-off.
i'm by no means an expert but have driven to spain twice and hired cars for 4 years. Even when you get confident you still have to be aware, like home really.
My nephew in the front seat yelled as I was entering a junction the wrong way. He saved us by being aware. Would still hire a car but don't get too confident it can have disasterous consequences, not least an undewear change after my nephew bellowed out at a great number of decibels
My nephew in the front seat yelled as I was entering a junction the wrong way. He saved us by being aware. Would still hire a car but don't get too confident it can have disasterous consequences, not least an undewear change after my nephew bellowed out at a great number of decibels
Hi we have been abroad many times and always hire a car.
Portugal is really easy to drive in and a very good car rental company is Auto jardines.
You cannot really get lost in portugal
Portugal is really easy to drive in and a very good car rental company is Auto jardines.
You cannot really get lost in portugal
Went to the Algarve earlier this year and hired a car via an internet booking company. We were quoted a good price which was meant to be all inclusive, covering two drivers, all insurance (with no excess) and ability to go accross the border to Spain.
First the good news, we got a free car upgrade from the local company in Portugal and were delighted to have a brand new Ford Focus with A/C.
Bad news 1, no second driver allowed.
Bad news 2, we could not take the car into Spain.
Bad news 3, had to provide C/C details and sign a credit card slip "only as a gaurantee for the petrol". If I refused to sign they would not release the car to me and so we would be stuck at the airport, having already paid for the hire via the net.
I signed the slip after much reasurrance that it would only be for the petrol.
Guess what? At some time during the week the car suffered some very minor 'parking' damage on the rear bumper. I don't know how or when or by whom, it could have been me, but I wasn't aware of hitting anything, it was more likely by someone else whilst the car was parked.
We returned the car at the airport at the end of our holiday and reported the damage, the car hire rep asked if we had reported it to the police, but we had not, as we did not really know what to report. Anyway she said not to worry, she would speak to her boss and he would ring me later if there was a problem.
I said that surely the repair would be covered by our "all-inclusive" insurance and she said no, not for sure without a Police report.
I recieved no call from her boss I so assumed all was OK, until two weeks lated when I got my credit card bill and had been charged £125 by the hire company in Portugal.
I complained to the internet booking company, but they didn't want to know, and referred it on to the company in Portugal. The car hire company said it was because they had no Police report to make an insurance claim on.
I asked my credit card company for help, but they could not because I had signed the C/C slip.
So beware, I have learned an expensive lesson!!!
P.S. The car hire company's terms and conditions said to call the Police if someone was injured in an accident or if the other driver admitted liability for the accident - my situation did not fit either case.
First the good news, we got a free car upgrade from the local company in Portugal and were delighted to have a brand new Ford Focus with A/C.
Bad news 1, no second driver allowed.
Bad news 2, we could not take the car into Spain.
Bad news 3, had to provide C/C details and sign a credit card slip "only as a gaurantee for the petrol". If I refused to sign they would not release the car to me and so we would be stuck at the airport, having already paid for the hire via the net.
I signed the slip after much reasurrance that it would only be for the petrol.
Guess what? At some time during the week the car suffered some very minor 'parking' damage on the rear bumper. I don't know how or when or by whom, it could have been me, but I wasn't aware of hitting anything, it was more likely by someone else whilst the car was parked.
We returned the car at the airport at the end of our holiday and reported the damage, the car hire rep asked if we had reported it to the police, but we had not, as we did not really know what to report. Anyway she said not to worry, she would speak to her boss and he would ring me later if there was a problem.
I said that surely the repair would be covered by our "all-inclusive" insurance and she said no, not for sure without a Police report.
I recieved no call from her boss I so assumed all was OK, until two weeks lated when I got my credit card bill and had been charged £125 by the hire company in Portugal.
I complained to the internet booking company, but they didn't want to know, and referred it on to the company in Portugal. The car hire company said it was because they had no Police report to make an insurance claim on.
I asked my credit card company for help, but they could not because I had signed the C/C slip.
So beware, I have learned an expensive lesson!!!
P.S. The car hire company's terms and conditions said to call the Police if someone was injured in an accident or if the other driver admitted liability for the accident - my situation did not fit either case.
Hi we have been to portugal several times and Auto jardines is a great car hire company.
Always a new, or 6 months old car never had a problem any times we have been.
I would say they are one of the best in Portugal
Always a new, or 6 months old car never had a problem any times we have been.
I would say they are one of the best in Portugal
Jyros who was the internet company you booked with? . We always book with http://www.economycarhire.com (Portuguese agent being Travel Rent ) which is all inclusive no excess apart from petrol which you have to put on your credit card in case you dont put back in the tank which was originally in when picking it up at the airport. We have never had a problem with them yet & have had 1 or 2 scrapes and scratches from inconsiderate parkers. Regards the exit to Spain & 2 drivers you have to tick the box on your internet booking to make this valid.Many folks on this forum have used this company and rate them highly. Quite a few companies on Algarve say all inclusive insurance and am intruiged to know which one you booked with. Cheers Jayjan
I booked with Economy Car Hire after it was recommended on here. We pick up our car next Friday - do I need to call anyone to confirm anything or just bring my confirmation email? I booked online from US.
Hi Bry, Just take your email confirmation with you and hand it in to the rep. They have a stand, around or facing the vodofone shop. Does your email tell you the car hire company in Portugal is Travel Rent or another company? economycarhire use a few different companies at Faro airport but they are all mainly based within the same area. Cheers Jayjan
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