Algarve Road Trip Itinerary
Portugal‘s southernmost region is famous for its dramatic limestone cliffs, fresh seafood, and white-washed fishing villages. With more than 100 beaches, Algarve is a premier beach holiday destination in the summer. And in spring and fall, there’s no better place for coastal walking.
To help you discover the best of the Algarve, we’ve put together this road trip itinerary, which combines our top experiences from two trips to the region.
This one week Algarve itinerary is designed as a road trip because a car is very helpful in getting around the region. However, it’s a means to an end, not the end itself.
Who’s this itinerary for? Our Algarve road trip route is for anyone who loves uncovering hidden gems, relishes walks by the sea, and seeks peaceful places to stay.
How to Get to Algarve, Portugal
We recommend flying to Faro Airport. Faro is the capital of the Algarve region. The airport has many connections to Lisbon and other cities in Europe.
Driving in Algarve, Portugal
Driving in Algarve isn’t difficult. The temperament on the road is quite friendly (nothing like driving in Italy, or Germany).
One thing to be aware of is the electronic toll roads. Portugal has a wholly electronic system that records your use of and payment for using a toll road. Because we rented our car in Portugal, the rental car company was able to activate (with our request) an automated method of payment (using a transponder device) for whenever we drove the A22.
If you’re traveling with a foreign license plate vehicle, you can purchase and activate a prepaid toll card, or purchase pre-defined journeys online. For more info on toll roads and payment, read this article.
Renting a Car in Algarve
We recommend using the Discovercars.com car rental reservation platform to search for and book car rentals in Portugal. This easy-to-use booking platform compares car rental deals from 500+ trusted providers, so that you can choose the best option for your trip.
Tip: If you can only drive automatic transmission cars, as opposed to manual transmission cars (stick shift), book your car rental as early as possible.