PORTUGAL | Travel | Transport

The Portuguese Republic is situated in the southwest of Europe. The country’s territory is composed of the mainland Portugal located on the Iberian Peninsula, and the archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira in the Atlantic. It is the westernmost country of the European Continent. It is bordered by Spain to the north and east and by the Atlantic Ocean to the south and west. Even though Portugal is a small country, its landscape is quite diverse from highlands to green valleys in the north and east to rolling plains in the Alentejo and long stretches of beach along the coast from north to south.

Travelling to Portugal

Depending on where you are coming from and on your choice of transportation, you can travel to Portugal by plane, train, boat, bus or car. There are over 15 low-cost airlines operating in Portugal, making it fairly accessible to fly from most major European cities to Portugal.

Travelling within Portugal

Plane: Flying within the country is also an option. On the mainland Portugal, there are daily regular flights between Lisbon, Oporto, and Faro. The national airline companies are SATA, TAP Portugal and Portugália Airlines, a regional airliner belonging to TAP. To travel to the Azores and Madeira, flying is the best option. Both TAP Portugal and SATA Internacional operate daily regular flights to both the Azores and to Madeira.

Train: The railway system in Portugal was modernised and connections between various cities and towns across the country have greatly improved. The various services available are Alfa Pendular (fast train), Intercity, Regional and Suburban trains.

Bus: Rede Nacional de Expressos is the major bus network in the country providing services from north to south.

Car: Portugal has an extensive network of motorways expanding from north to south and east to west, making it easy to travel by car.

Speed limits and driving rules

• 30 km/h in residential areas and near schools,
• 50 km/h within town and city limits,
• 70-90 km/h on highways,
• 120 km/h on motorways.
  Toll
  Motorways are subject to toll payments.
  Attention: At the tolls, there is a fast passage lane called Via Verde, so that drivers don’t have to stop in order to pay. Payment is made automatically through bank transfer. However, this fast lane can only be used by drivers who have adhered to this service. If you pass through Via Verde without the appropriate automatic scanning device, you will have to pay the maximum amount of the toll applicable to that specific motorway route. The Via Verde fast lane is visibly identified by the colours green and white.

Car rental: There are many international car rental agencies across the country. To rent a car, you must be at least 21 years old and have a driver’s licence for at least 1 year. If you’re an EU-citizen, your national driver’s licence is valid in Portugal. If you’re a citizen from outside the EU, it’s recommended that you apply for an international driver’s licence, which is valid for 1 year.

Taxi: In every city, town, and village there are taxi services available.

Cycling: Cycling as a means of travel is not very common in Portugal. Some cities have cycling paths but in restricted areas, thus it’s not very safe to cycle just anywhere. Caution is required when cycling.

Walking: In city centres, there are walking zones exclusively for pedestrians with the exception of cargo vehicles for loading and unloading within a restricted time period. Pedestrian crossings without traffic lights are frequent in urban areas, thus caution is required when crossing the street. You should wait for cars to stop before crossing the street safely.