Car hire in Faro from $2/day

Which hire car suits the Algarve roads?

Faro's roads are the EN125 along the coast and the IC4, which leads in from the A22 motorway. Compacts among the 72 Faro offers start from $1.82 a day and minivans from $22.08, and the cars we checked include Ford Focus, Fiat 500, Opel Corsa, SEAT Ibiza, BMW Series 3.

The EN125 coast road and the ways into Faro

Infraestruturas de Portugal describes the Algarve Litoral subconcession as made up mainly of the EN125, which runs from Vila do Bispo to Vila Real de Santo António through Lagos, Portimão, Lagoa, Silves, Loulé, Faro, Tavira and Castro Marim.

The old town and municipal car parks

The municipality's forms page lists a special authorisation for driving and parking in Faro's Cidade Velha and an exceptional circulation authorisation for the pedestrian zones of the Baixa, so leave the car outside and walk in through a gate such as the Arco da Vila, a National Monument that houses an interpretive centre on the history of Faro.

Praia de Faro: the bridge and the external car park

The bridge to Praia de Faro was rebuilt with two traffic lanes and two footways, replacing the old single-lane crossing, so cars and buses now pass in both directions. The beach lies on the Ancão Peninsula inside the Ria Formosa Natural Park and can be reached on foot, by bicycle, by car or by boat.

The municipality recommends public transport, the cycle paths or the external car park, and urban buses and a year-round river-transport service also serve the beach.

Picking up your hire car at Faro Airport (FAO)

The pick-up point you select in the search decides whether the car is handed over at Faro Airport (FAO), at an office or at an address. A one-way return in Lisbon or Porto is a separate search with its own return point.

Collecting at Faro Airport and getting into Faro

An offer at FAO can mean a counter in the terminal or a supplier that serves the airport without premises of its own. The airport operator, ANA, lists a counter at the terminal for the rental companies based at Faro and publishes a separate regulation for rental companies without airport facilities, so read the pick-up point named in each offer before you book.

Cheap car hire in Faro: models and mileage on the EN125

Fiat 500 sit near the bottom of the Faro list, and unlimited mileage is listed on 89% of the offers, a term that suits drives along the EN125 east and west of the city. Free cancellation is listed on 57%.

Car hire companies in Faro: airport desk or hotel hand-over

A Faro hand-over can happen at the airport, at a hotel or at a villa, and 55 of the Faro cars are newer ones, so the car's age is worth reading next to the cover.

Automatic or manual: the gearbox on Faro offers

The gearbox is a field of its own in each Faro offer, separate from the car class, and 47% of the 72 offers list an automatic, so a compact or a minivan can be either.

Excess, insurance and deposit before you book

A deposit is the security a supplier holds for the rental, separate from the booking payment. Passenger insurance is an extra on 3 Faro offers, and the excess and the level of cover differ from offer to offer, so read both for the supplier you pick.