Buying or renting a car before buying land????

Last activity 09 November 2017 by Tevisbuckles

886 Views

3 replies

Post new topic

aartetcNew member30 October 2017 09:48:14

Does anyone have a pearl of wisdom they can share regarding whether I should buy or rent a car to go and look for land in Portugal? Every which way seems expensive and I read it's a pain to buy there. I heard the GNR target UK plates for roadside checks sometimes and I don't want that hassle. So is renting long term a possibility? I need a car to search for land/a place and won't have proof of address until then. I can use friend's addresses but I won't have proof. Please can someone help as I will arrive in a week. Muito obrigada!

TevisbucklesContributor07 November 2017 10:48:20

153

IMO it depends how long you plan to spend looking for a property to purchase. It took us 5 trips to find a place to buy and we rented a call each time. There are big price differences in car rentals so I recommend you spend time on the internet to compare and book your rental on the net, then pick-up your car at the airport. Remove the car rental sticker so that you don't send a signal that you are a foreigner driving a rental car.

aartetcNew member08 November 2017 21:18:00

Thanks for that, yes I did wonder about the sticker...I will remove it tomorrow. I arrived yesterday and thought I had paid for a bargain car rental for 6 weeks but on arriving at the office near the airport I had to pay a lot more...in total maybe 550+ for 6 weeks including a huge deposit...I was pretty unhappy about the deceiving price but what could I do... They will have a bad review from me when I am finished....
Thanks for the advice! I hope I can find somewhere within the 6 weeks but I will be returning after Christmas anyway...maybe my Portuguese friend will 'buy' me a car...he suggested this as an alternative. ; )

TevisbucklesContributor09 November 2017 08:45:35

153

WOW, I am sorry to hear about your car rental experience, we never had such a problem.......

Articles to help you in your expat project in Portugal

How to drive in Portugal
If you're relocating to Portugal as an expat and plan on driving, it is important to be aware of the ...
Dating in Portugal
If it's true that dating in general can be tricky and present its challenges, even more so when we talk about ...
The Portuguese lifestyle
Moving to a new country means you will be discovering a new culture and exploring different habits, as well as a ...
Phones and Internet in Portugal
Whether or not you are a tech-savvy person, this is still quite an important part of everyday life – and it ...
Work visas in Portugal
Portugal can be a great place to live in. This Southern European country is known for its great weather, ...
Renting options in Porto
Over the past few years, rent prices in Porto have been soaring. As the city's popularity grows among tourists ...
Working in Lisbon
Lisbon is Portugal's capital and also the largest city in the country. Furthermore, it is the richest ...
Healthcare for the elderly in Portugal
Portugal is a popular destination for retirement for Europeans, in general, but also retirees from other ...