Booking car hire without a credit card at Porto Airport
A deposit blocked on a credit card in the main driver's name is the rule with the international brands at Porto Airport. Local Portuguese companies are more flexible: according to our partner, car hire in Porto typically requires a deposit and cars with none are very difficult to find, but there are offers with minimum deposits of about €150 to €300 and cars that can be collected without a credit card. The comparison shows the deposit, the accepted cards and the insurance terms on every offer, so the conditions are visible before you book rather than at the desk.
Six rental operations have desks in the terminal of Porto Airport, in the public area before security: Avis together with Budget, Europcar, Goldcar, Guerin, Hertz and Sixt. The operator lists opening hours of 07:00 to 24:00 for Avis-Budget, Guerin and Sixt, 06:30 to 24:00 for Europcar, 06:00 to 24:00 for Hertz and 07:00 to 23:00 for Goldcar. Local companies booked through the comparison hand over at Porto Airport, at an office in the city or at your hotel, and each offer states the pick-up points that apply to that car.
Think about whether you need the car on day one. The centre of Porto is steep, narrow and well served by metro, and our partner describes driving there as stressful for newcomers, with scarce parking. Many visitors spend the city days without a car and collect one at Porto Airport when they leave for the Douro Valley, the Minho, the beaches north and south of the city or the Peneda-Gerês national park. For Braga and Guimarães alone the direct airport coaches are a real alternative; for wine estates and villages a car saves hours.
Read three points before you confirm: the insurance excess, whether tyres, glass and underbody are covered, and the fuel policy. With our partner a prepayment of 15 to 20 per cent confirms the booking and the rest is paid at pick-up, where the fuel level and any existing damage are recorded. One-way hire from Porto Airport to Lisbon is possible when you enter both cities in the search, and taking the car into Spain, for example to Vigo or Santiago de Compostela, requires the cross-border option.
Documents you need
- Driving licence: a UK photocard licence can be used in Portugal according to the UK government; holders of a paper licence should check whether they need a permit
- Passport: carrying identification while driving is mandatory in Portugal
- Payment card of the main driver (a credit card with the international brands; a debit card is enough on selected local offers)
- Booking voucher, printed or on your phone
- Minimum age set by each company: our partner gives a typical minimum of 23 years with at least one year of driving experience in Porto, and 25 years for some cars
- Flight number, so the company can follow your actual landing time
