The quickest route is to cross the French-Spanish border at Irún and then
take the E80 via Valladolid to Vilar Formoso in Portugal. To go to Lisbon or
the Algarve, turn off at Burgos, head for Cáceres and then on to
Badajoz.

Taking the car ferry to northern Spain from the UK reduces time on the road,
but crossings are extremely long: 24 hours to Santander and 35 hours to
Bilbao. Brittany Ferries  travel to Santander leaving from
Plymouth (March to November), and from Portsmouth (November to January). P & O ’s Portsmouth-Bilbao line runs all year
round, and all routes operate twice-weekly. There are no ferries travelling
to Madeira or the Azores.

Driving time may also be reduced by using the Motorail link from Paris Gare
d’Austerlitz to Lisbon, a twice-weekly service. Drivers load their cars one
day, travel by passenger train the next, and pick up their cars on the third
day. French Railways  in the UK will supply
information.

Car hire agencies may be found at Lisbon, Faro and Oporto airports and in
main towns. Local firms usually offer better rates than international ones,
but you should check the condition of the car more carefully before you
accept it, as well as the insurance coverage. You must have an international
driving licence, be over the age of 23 and have held a licence for at least
one year.

Major roads include EN (Estrada Nacional)  roads, many of
which have been upgraded to either IP (Itinerário
Principal)  or IC (Itinerário Complementar)  roads.
IP roads are much used by heavy goods lorries avoiding motorway tolls, and
can be slow as a result.

Always fill up with petrol in town before setting off, as petrol stations can
be scarce in remote areas. The best road maps are by Michelin or the
Portuguese motoring organization, the ACP (Automóvel Clube de
Portugal) .

Finding a parking space in cities can be difficult. Most parking spaces in
Lisbon and Oporto are now pay-and-display during the working week. A simpler
and safer, if more expensive, alternative is one of the many new underground
car parks. Follow the blue signs with a white P.

Petrol is relatively expensive and generally the same price countrywide.
Diesel (gasóleo)  is cheaper than petrol, both leaded and
unleaded. Some pumps are self-service and colour-coded: green for unleaded,
red for leaded and black for diesel.

Traffic drives on the right hand side, continental rules of the road apply
and the international sign system is used. Unless there are signs to the
contrary, traffic from the right has priority at squares, crossroads and
junctions. Cars on roundabouts travel anticlockwise, and have priority over
waiting traffic. There is very little advance warning of pedestrian
crossings.

Seat belts must be used and the alcohol limit is 0.05 per cent. Speed limits
are 60 kph in towns and 90 kph on other roads (37 mph and 55 mph), and 120
kph (74 mph) on motorways. Breaking the speed limit incurs an on-the-spot
fine.

Portugal’s expanding motorway network links Lisbon
with Braga and Guimarães in the north, and Oporto with Amarante. Another
section goes from Lisbon to Torres Vedras, and a cross-country stretch runs
east to the Spanish border at Elvas. Apart from some sections near Lisbon
and Oporto, all motorways have two lanes. Tolls are payable on motorways and
on Lisbon’s bridges, the Ponte 25 de Abril and the new Ponte Vasco da Gama.
Do not use the Via Verde (green lane) at tolls; this is only for the use of
drivers who subscribe to an electronic system allowing them to pay
automatically.

There is a reciprocal breakdown service between ACP  and
other organizations. To qualify, drivers should take out European cover with
their own organization. Motorways have SOS phones, and if you use them,
state that you are entitled to ACP cover. For drivers without cover, most
towns have a garage with breakdown lorry.

The south is the best area for cycling, but in summer the Alentejo can be too
hot. If you plan on doing a lot of cycling, Instituto Português
de Cartografia e Cadastro  sells good large-scale maps.