Soul Campers are based in Faro on the south coast. You can either pick up the cars there yourself or order a pick-up in Porto, Lisbon, or Seville for a fee. Passport: Can in some cases be needed to identify yourself. Rental agreement: If you want to be sure you have everything in order it can be a good idea to print out the rental agreement. In our case, we got a copy when signing it when picking up the car. Good to know is that if you plan to drive more than 100 km per day, be more than one driver or want to visit Spain you may have to extend the insurance. If you plan to road trip with your own car, you can register for a Via Verde transponder and have it sent to your home before your holiday. This site provides a full description of how it works if you drive a foreign-registered car. My suggestion is to avoid the toll roads where possible. The smaller, more scenic routes, are much more rewarding! Besides, the toll roads are quite expensive and could add another €100–500 to your travel budget, depending on the length of your vacation. If you want to take only the scenic route, just click the avoid tolls check button on Google Maps. Portugal is divided into different regions: Northern Portugal, Central Portugal, Lisbon and around, Alentejo, and Algarve. Visit Portugal can give you a proper description of what the different regions have to offer. During our time in Algarve, we tried (and recommend) the following campsites:
Parque de Campismo Orbitur SagresCamping Albufeira
There are plenty of websites and apps to help you find a good campsite. Both Visit Portugal and Siesta Campers list great campsites. The app Park4Night also lists places to stay for the night (everything from wild camping to car parks and campsites), uploaded and reviewed by other campervan users. Tips! If you want a unique experience, you should take a look at Portugal EasyCamp. Here you can book camp spots at remote farms and vineyards and in return you buy a welcome package, often consisting of wine and other good stuff. However, it is still illegal with overnight stays on lands belonging to the Natura 2000 Network, protected areas, and areas covered by the Coastal Zone Management Plans. It can be hard to find up-to-date information about the permitted camping areas. Siesta Campers have some information, but make sure to ask your campervan rental company for the latest updates. The fine for staying overnight where it’s not legal is between 60 and 300 euros, except in the case of Natura 2000 Network areas, protected areas, and areas covered by the Coastal Zone Management Plans, in which case the fine is between120 and 600 euros. This section was written based on information from November 2022. Make sure to stay updated on the rules and regulations as they could have changed since then. If you plan to road trip to more countries in Europe you must check the rules for each country. The Portuguese tap water is drinkable and can be filled on campsites and some gas stations. Since our water tank was limited we stayed every third night at a campsite to fill the water and empty the grey water tank. We used our electrical devices a lot during our road trip, including both of our laptops around 4 hours a day, so it’s safe to say that we really tested the system. Our campervan was equipped with an outdoor shower with hot water that was really welcomed after a semi-cold surf session in the Atlantic. Sleeping was a breeze with blackout curtains, a roof hatch with a mosquito net, and sunrises of your own choice. When driving you can connect your phone to the speakers and enjoy your favorite music or podcast.
