Driving In Portugal

Portugal is one more European country where drivers do not meet the rules on roads. They prefer quite chaotic and unpredictable driving style. An abundance of motorcycles and agricultural vehicles complicates the situation on the roads. Headlights do not work in many cars, which also contributes to the randomness of traffic.

In all cities, paid parking lots are represented. Fee per hour is about 0.8 – 1 euro. For a day of using parking you need to pay about 8 – 10 euros. There are also small parking lots along some streets, but finding a free spot is quite difficult.

Foreign drivers can use a driver’s license got in the country you live in, but it must be translated into English. Tourists who plan to stay in the country for more than 3 months must obtain local lisence.

Part of the roads in Portugal is toll. Tolls on some bridges are also charged. The exact fare depends on the type of vehicle.

You can pay for travel on such roads in cash or by credit card through the operator. To do this, you must overcome the checkpoint in the lane marked with an orange sign. The strip marked with a red sign also allows payment in cash and by credit card, but, in this case payment, is done through the ATM.

The bar marked with a green sign is available only to users of ViaVerde electronic payment system.

Since 2010, travel on some of the country’s roads can only be paid electronically. On the map, such sections of roads are marked in red, and the sign “Electronic toll only” or “Lanço com portagem electrónica” is set directly at the entrance.

Foreign tourists whose car is registered in another country have the opportunity to rent ViaVerde electronic devices for up to 3 months. You can also pay using TOLLCard or EASYToll systems.

The toll on the Vasco da Gama bridge is also paid, this beautiful cable-stayed bridge is located north of Lisbon and passes through the Tagus River. The length of this bridge is more than 17 km, in different sections of it the speed limit is different and ranges from 100 to 120 km/h.

The suspension bridge 25 de Abril is also paid, the total length of which is nearly 2.3 km. The speed limit on the bridge is 70 km/h; for a regular passenger car, the fare will be about 1.5 euros.

When choosing a parking place, motorists should be especially careful. Do not leave your car near the No Parking sign, or less than 5 meters from the intersection. Park at least 5 meters from a bus or tram stop.

Parking is allowed on some one-way streets. It should be noted that parking a car on such a street is possible only in the direction of movement.

It is noteworthy you can park a car only with the prior consent of local residents on weekdays from 8:00 to 18:00 in the territory of residential areas. If parking is located on the territory of a company, then you should also contact its representatives for permission.

In the residential locations, the maximum speed should be 50 km/h. Outside the city/town/village, you can move at a speed of 90 km/h, and on the road – 100 km/h. It is allowed to increase speed up to 120 km/h on highway. Regardless of the road type, be sure to pay attention to the signs, on some routes the permissible speed limit may vary.

Drivers whose experience is less than a year should adhere to different rules. The maximum permissible speed for them is 90 km/h, even on those roads where, according to generally accepted rules, the maximum allowed limit is greater.

Allowed blood alcohol level is 0.2 ‰. If, after passing the test, the level is from 0.2 ‰ to 0.8, then the driver should pay a fine of 250 to 1,250 euros, as well as a deprivation of a driver’s license for a period of 1 to 12 months. If the blood alcohol level exceeds 1.2 ‰, then the driver faces a deprivation of rights for 3 years, as well as imprisonment for up to 1 year.

In conditions of poor visibility in the daytime, the driver must always turn on the dipped beam. The use of fog lights is allowed only in case of heavy fog, the penalty for violation is from 30 to 150 euros.