LIS · Lisbon and the centre
Car hire at Lisbon Airport
The busiest place in Portugal to hire a car, with the widest choice of companies and the lowest prices outside summer.
Picking up the car
The big brands have desks in the Terminal 1 arrivals hall and keep their cars in the airport car parks. Many budget companies work off-site: a rep meets you or you take a free shuttle to their lot, which adds 15 to 30 minutes. Terminal 2 handles a few low-cost flights; allow time to get across to Terminal 1.
Tolls
Motorways around Lisbon (A1, A2, A5, A8) have toll booths that also take card, and a Via Verde lane for cars with a transponder. The 25 de Abril and Vasco da Gama bridges charge only northbound, into Lisbon. More on tolls
Driving times from the airport
| To | Distance | Time | Road |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon city centre | 8 km | 20 min | |
| Sintra | 30 km | 30 min | |
| Cascais | 35 km | 35 min | A5, tolled |
| Óbidos | 80 km | 1 h | A8, tolled |
| Comporta | 120 km | 1 h 20 | A2, tolled |
| Évora | 140 km | 1 h 30 | A2 and A6, tolled |
Approximate, outside rush hour.
Tips for Lisbon
- If you are spending the first days in Lisbon, collect the car on the day you leave the city. Parking in the centre is scarce and expensive, and the old districts are steep and narrow.
- For Sintra, park at the edge of town and walk or take the bus up: the roads to the palaces are one-way loops with very little parking.
- Petrol stations near the airport are busy at peak return times; fill up on the way rather than at the last one.
Other airports
Checked 2026-11-05.