Useful articles

• Portugal Resort Guide
• Car Hire - Top Tips
• Winter Getaway Guide
• Tips to Ensure Stress Free Travel
• Car Hire - Top Tip
• Car Hire - Top Tip

It`s no wonder that Portugal has become one of the top 10 holiday destinations for families, couples and adventure seekers. With well-established resorts, beautiful beaches and coastlines and fantastic food and drink, Portugal is a wonderful European holiday destination.

The key to making the most of a trip to Portugal is making sure that you have the means to explore. Hiring a car is often not only the easiest option to begin your adventure, but also a more economical and independent choice as well. In today`s modern media-savvy world, organising car hire couldn`t be easier.

Once you have booked your holiday, you can think about hiring a vehicle for the duration of your stay as well. Many of the internationally renowned global car hire companies are available in Portugal and as such, you will be able to check availability through their respective websites.

Once you have inputted your dates, you will be able to browse the types of vehicles available for you at your destination. Lisbon Airport, as well as some of the smaller airports, have car hire available at the terminal, so you can step off your flight and begin your adventure immediately.

Whether you book your car hire through the airport website or the individual company website, you will be able to shop around in order to compare the prices of packages available for your stay. Make sure you check the range of vehicles that are available across all the companies as well, as some may be more cost-effective than others.

For large parties, car hire is also a great option as the availability of bigger vehicles such as people carriers and minibuses will make getting around much easier. A fleet of taxis or negotiating the public transport system is likely to be less conducive to a relaxing break! If you have more than one driver in your group, you can add them on as additional designated drivers so that journeys can be spread out amongst several people.

If you`re not sure of your requirements, you can always wait until your arrival and pick up a car at the airport. Whilst it will make it easier to pre-book a vehicle, there are usually still some cars available on an ad-hoc basis. It`s always important to remember to take both parts of your driving licence - the plastic photo card and paper counterpart - regardless of how and when you book your car, as these will be required when you collect the vehicle.

No matter when you decide to book or what kind of vehicle you choose to rent, your Portugal car hire will give you hassle-free independence on your holiday. You`ll be glad you decided to rent a car as soon as you start exploring your beautiful destination.

Winter Getaway Guide

Portugal is a hotspot during the summer, attracting tourists en masse. But while places such as Paris and Hamburg are well-known for the enchanting atmosphere they evoke at Christmas time, Portugal remains a little less noted. Yet this country has plenty that`ll appeal to those looking for a winter getaway destination. For a start, Portuguese cities and resorts typically won`t be as crowded with tourists as other places in Europe during the winter months.

Better yet, many of Portugal`s most popular locations remain appealing around Christmas. For example, the Algarve isn`t as over-commercialised as some European cities but does put on a show with plenty of magical lights and Christmas trees. Local shops stock scented candles and the Portuguese delicacy of marzipan sweets. The Portuguese capital city of Lisbon, meanwhile, is the destination of many Christmas excursions to Portugal.

The city`s attractions - including its castle - are dramatically illuminated for the season. Visitors can explore this capital`s array of squares and other architectural marvels, such as Comercio Square, where, in years past, a huge Christmas tree has been proudly displayed. Lisbon`s other highlights include the Tagus River, responsible for bringing plenty of trade into the city and ideal for picturesque photo opportunities and atmospheric strolls along its banks. Visitors can venture too into the Belém Tower, which shows off the Portuguese Manueline architectural style and is a UNESCO World Heritage site.

In Portugal, Christmas festivities generally begin in November as the first decorations start appearing and the shops begin to stock up on seasonal goods and culminate in fireworks around the 25th December itself. A few Portuguese Christmas customs differ from those found in places such as the United Kingdom. For example, in Portugal it`s the Three Wise Men - characters from the Nativity - who give kids presents and not Santa Claus. The Portuguese also tend to consume their Christmas meal on December 24th. The feast typically consists of codfish and potatoes, eaten after Mass.

The seasonal festivities in Portugal don`t end at Christmas, either. Visitors enjoying a winter getaway in the country should stay for the New Year celebrations, too. At New Year, many Portuguese towns host firework displays and citizens take to the streets to sing carols and spread the message of goodwill.

Another advantage of choosing Portugal as a destination for a winter getaway is that since the country is less well-known as a choice for Christmas breaks, airfare prices tend to be a little cheaper than elsewhere. Searching for Portugal holidays may help travellers find bargains or First Choice discount vouchers. If holidaymakers don`t want to fly to Portugal, they could instead opt for a cruise that travels to Lisbon or elsewhere in Portugal as part of its itinerary. Cruise routes such as tours of the Iberian Peninsula may include Lisbon.

Tips to Ensure Stress Free Travel

Travel has become part of our lives. We are lucky enough to live in an era when you can change continents in a matter of hours. Every day there are thousands of flights leaving from and arriving in the UK. Many of us go abroad at least once if not more times a year on holiday. However all this does not stop travel being a stressful experience. In fact the sheer volume of flights arriving and departing and amount of people travelling helps contribute to delays, queues and making travel a tiring and stressful experience.

So how can you make the experience as stress free as possible? First and foremost through careful planning and preparation. Make sure you have all the travel documents you need such as tickets and passports readily to hand, ideally in a document wallet. It is much easier if you keep all holiday paperwork together where you can instantly lay your hands on it.

Depending on your destination there may be a number of different carriers you can use, a number of different times you can fly and also possibly a choice of airports. Cost is often a key factor in deciding what to book, however there are other things to consider to make the experience as stress free as possible. Remember that smaller airports have shorter transfer times, have fewer passengers and therefore fewer delays. The queue to go through security will also be shorter. When it comes to the time of day you travel think of how much travel you have to do at either end of your journey. Try and plan your journey so that you avoid travelling in rush hour if possible.

When it comes to planning your journey to the airport the key factor is to leave plenty of time, whether you are using public transport or coming in your own car. You never know when a delay may occur and it is incredibly stressful to be caught in a traffic jam knowing your flight leaves shortly. If you can avoid travelling in the peak periods of school holidays try to. There will be many more people on the road and delays are much more likely to happen.

If you are travelling with young children make sure you have plenty planned for them to do. Take things which they can do easily when travelling such as colouring, magazines and stickers. Have a couple of surprises up your sleeve to produce when tempers start to fray. Also make sure you have snacks and something to drink on hand.

If you are travelling on the first flight of the day it is very difficult to reach the airport on time, especially if you are coming on public transport. A good tip is therefore to use the UK airport hotels website to book yourself into one of the airport hotels. Located within minutes of the terminal and with a shuttle service in operation between the hotel and the terminal, airport hotels ensure you are well rested before you start travelling and have no worries that you will miss your flight due to traffic delays.

Car Hire - Top Tips

It`s no wonder that Portugal has become one of the top 10 holiday destinations for families, couples and adventure seekers. With well-established resorts, beautiful beaches and coastlines and fantastic food and drink, Portugal is a wonderful European holiday destination.

The key to making the most of a trip to Portugal is making sure that you have the means to explore. Hiring a car is often not only the easiest option to begin your adventure, but also a more economical and independent choice as well. In today`s modern media-savvy world, organising car hire couldn`t be easier.

Once you have booked your holiday, you can think about hiring a vehicle for the duration of your stay as well. Many of the internationally renowned global car hire companies are available in Portugal and as such, you will be able to check availability through their respective websites.

Once you have inputted your dates, you will be able to browse the types of vehicles available for you at your destination. Lisbon Airport, as well as some of the smaller airports, have car hire available at the terminal, so you can step off your flight and begin your adventure immediately.

Whether you book your car hire through the airport website or the individual company website, you will be able to shop around in order to compare the prices of packages available for your stay. Make sure you check the range of vehicles that are available across all the companies as well, as some may be more cost-effective than others.

For large parties, car hire is also a great option as the availability of bigger vehicles such as people carriers and minibuses will make getting around much easier. A fleet of taxis or negotiating the public transport system is likely to be less conducive to a relaxing break! If you have more than one driver in your group, you can add them on as additional designated drivers so that journeys can be spread out amongst several people.

If you`re not sure of your requirements, you can always wait until your arrival and pick up a car at the airport. Whilst it will make it easier to pre-book a vehicle, there are usually still some cars available on an ad-hoc basis. It`s always important to remember to take both parts of your driving licence - the plastic photo card and paper counterpart - regardless of how and when you book your car, as these will be required when you collect the vehicle.

No matter when you decide to book or what kind of vehicle you choose to rent, your Portugal car hire will give you hassle-free independence on your holiday. You`ll be glad you decided to rent a car as soon as you start exploring your beautiful destination.

Car Hire- Top Tip

Hiring a car can introduce a freedom into a holiday that can be the making of a really great trip. A hire car can grant access to the hidden jewels of your destination and get you off the beaten track. It lets you go where you want to go, whenever you want to go there. Unfortunately however hiring a car is not without its risks, so allow this brief guide to help you avoid the pitfalls.

Firstly, do not be surprised if the car you are given is not exactly the model you were expecting. Images provided by car-hire companies are often for illustrative purposes only and are only meant to reflect the size of the vehicle you are hiring. Whether or not you can pick a specific model will depend largely on the terms and conditions of the company from which you are hiring and these can vary widely. As such it is wise to read these thoroughly before committing to a rental agreement.

While you are looking at the paperwork, be sure to scrutinize the insurance details. Are you covered to take the vehicle everywhere you hope to take it? Will you be crossing any international borders, or maybe taking the car off-road or onto dirt tracks? Make sure your plans will not invalidate your insurance. You will also want to be certain as to what happens if an accident should occur- are you covered for damage to the car you have hired and if so is there an excess to pay? You will also want to be familiar with the number to call in the event of any difficulties.

Having read through the paperwork it is time to look at the car itself. Does it have a full tank of fuel? If so you need to clarify whether you have paid for this or if you are expected to return the vehicle with a full tank. You should also check the car over as best you can for signs of wear and tear. You may not be a trained mechanic, but at the very least you will want to catalogue any obvious damage to make sure you are not blamed for it later!

Finally give some thought to how you are going to return the car. Make sure your expectations will be met by your hire company, especially if you want to return the car late in the day or return it to a different location to where you picked it up.

Finally be sure to search thoroughly for the best deal before you commit. The best cheap car hire Portugal or any other destination, is out there for those willing to look for it. Hopefully if you follow these tips your hire car will bring no headaches and a great deal of pleasure to your next holiday.

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