Car Hire Portugal|Cheap Portugal car hire

In these difficult financial times it is important to save every cent. Here a few tips which you may find useful during your stay in Portugal.

1. When you hire a car in Portugal be sure to always fully check the condition of the car for any scratches or other damage. Some unscrupulous car hire companies may try taking advantage of this situation.

2. If you plan on visiting Porto you can avail of a boat trip from Porto to Pinhao for around 70 euro from www.douroazul.com

3. Use price comparison sites whether you are looking for accommodation or Portugal car hire. This can save you time and money. The travel industry is very competitive at the moment so there are plenty of bargains out there.

4. Lisbon hotel rates are cheapest in July and August. If you book early enough you may be able to grab a luxury hotel room at low cost.

5. Lisboa cards are available at the airport for €31. With this card you are entitled to unlimited city transport and admission to lots of free tourist spots such as museums.

6. Train travel in Portugal is cheap for senior citizens. Anyone over 65 can get a 50% discount.

7. There are some excellent opportunities for walking tours in Madeira. Thomas Cook currently has some cheap offers which include a guide and lunch.

8. Golf enthusiasts will love the San Lorenzo Golf Resort in the Algarve. www.golf-escapes.com currently has some offers well worth a look. Package deals are available including accommodation + Golf deals.

9. If you can hold out until late summer then you could make a good saving. Many resorts cut their prices after August 22nd and as well as introducing enticing free add ons.

10. The North of Portugal works out quite a bit cheaper than the south. In regions such as Douro and Minho you will find cheaper lodgings and food

Lastly Book car hire in Portugal as far in advance as possible. This way you will have much more choice as well as cheaper prices.

Passenger numbers at Airports in Portugal are on the up overall in 2008 with an increase of 3.2% in comparison to 2007 according to a recent report by the national airport association (ANA)

Faro Airport traffic numbers increased by 1.8% while traffic at Porto Airport was up by 1.3%.  Lisbon actually showed a decrease of 5.2% for 2008 in comparison to the previous year. Passenger numbers at Azores were down by 5.8%

ANA reported that passenger numbers were affected for eleven months of 2008 because of a sensitive retracting in transport demand and the changing prices of airlines.

Faro, Lisbon, Azores and Porto airports accounted for over twenty three million passengers overall. There was an eighteen percent increase in low budget airline passengers with Easyjet making up fifty five percent of the numbers and Ryanair making up twenty eight percent.

Major Airlines saw a growth of three and a half percent while charter flights dropped by fourteen percent.

There is great competition between airlines at present so it really pays to shop around and find the best price possible. Low budget airlines are fighting a price war to get your bum on their seat.

Aer Lingus announced a sale today offering up to 50% off on certain flights with a minimum 20% discount. Aer Lingus fly to Faro Airport and Lisbon Airport. Flights must be used between March and the end of May and booked within the next 4 days.

Faro airport is set to benefit from one hundred and thirty million Euros worth of expansion work.  The money will also be used to improve the current facilities.

Mário Lino (Minister for Transport) said that the money is coming at just the right time for an airport which is nearing capacity. Amid suggestions that the current economic crisis means that expansion may not be necessary, Mr. Lino said that he does not believe that passenger numbers will decrease when taking into account thing in the long term.

The expansion will also prove to be a major employment boost to the region with three hundred jobs expected to be created. It is hoped that all work will be completed by 2013.

The first part of the development will begin next month and is due to be completed in 2011. This will include work on aircraft stands, taxi lanes and the installation of a landing system on runway 10.

The 2nd part of the expansion will begin in 2011 which will see extensive work take place on the passenger terminal.

By the time all work is finished, Faro Airport will be able to handle up to eight million passengers. At present Faro airport caters for about five and a half million passengers a year.

Search for cheap car hire Faro Airport quote today.

Almost thirteen and a half million passengers used Lisbon Airport last year. The airport is also called Portela Airport. A new terminal was opened in 2007 to cater for domestic flights.

The airport is situated seven kilometres from the city of Lisbon. If you plan on doing a lot of travelling around the area then hiring a car at Lisbon Airport could be a good option. Otherwise there are regular bus services from the airport to the city centre.

Lisbon is considered to be the major airport in Portugal. There are lots of international arrivals at the airport from Spain, France, Ireland, UK and Italy from major as well as budget airlines.

Here at carhireportugal.ie, we compare prices from all the top car hire suppliers to find you the best deal.

The airport first opened its doors in 1942 containing a total of four runways. Dealing with demand the airport grew very quickly. Lisbon airport is quite unique in that it is surrounded by urban developments. A lot of discussions took place over whether to build a new airport fifty kilometres to the North of Lisbon in a village called Ota.

Independent research carried out later in the year suggested Alcochete as a possible location to build. There is currently a military camp in this location however they have agreed to move if they are found a new location. On the 10th of January 2008 Alcochete was confirmed as the new airport location.

In the meantime the current airport will be expanded to deal with demand. Terminal two was finished in late summer 2007 while work continues on the main terminal.

Our cheap car hire Portugal service offers car hire Lisbon Airport deals all year round.

We offer rates from all top Faro car hire suppliers using our cost comparison car hire booking engine.

Faro International Airport is situated seven kilometres from the city of Faro. It is the gateway to the Algarve for many Irish tourists with an abundance of cheap flights available.

Faro Airport is a simple enough place to find your way around. The arrivals hall is situated on the same level as the departures area. There is a reasonable selection of places to shop and eat in the airport.

Many low cost flight operators use Faro Airport such as Ryanair, Easyjet, Flybe and jet2.com. Many resorts nearby are within an hours drive in your car hire Faro Airport such as Albuferia which is about a three quarter hour drive,  Vilamoura which is a half hour drive and Portimao which roughly about a 1hr drive away.

There are a huge variety of rental car options available at Faro Airport. It is easy to find a bargain as margins are extremely competitive between rival companies. We source car hire prices from all top Faro Airport car hire companies making it simple for you to find the best deal available. Book a cheap car hire Faro deal today.