Motorhome & Campervan Hire in Porto

The best months to hire a campervan in Porto are April to September when the weather is good and the summer crowds haven’t yet arrived. On June 23rd, the Portuguese celebrate the festival of São João (Saint John): Think fireworks, paper lanterns floating into the sky, and staying up to watch the sunrise. In Autumn, the trees of the Douro valley turn bright in their Autumn colours while at the wineries, the grape harvest is in full swing. The winter months are colder and wetter than the rest of the year (and Portugal), but prices are low, and the weather makes cafes and wine bars seem all the more cosy. Unless you visit in July and August, there’s always the chance of rain. Pack a raincoat rather than an umbrella as they can often be no match for the Atlantic wind!

The most convenient place to fill up with fresh water at the start of your trip from our Porto rental station and empty your grey water at the end is to do so at your campsite. However, if you don’t have the option to do this at your camping site, your other option is to go to the ASA, or caravan service area, in Santo Tirso, just 30 minutes from the roadsurfer station.

• ASA, R. Mãe d’Água 152, 4780, Portugal

When you hire campervan in Porto, you’ll need to return your van with a full tank of diesel and fill up the AdBlue. You can do both at the nearby BP petrol station:

• BP: ESTRADA NACIONAL 13, KM 16.600,4485-473 Mindelo

Please note: The AdBlue service station information provided is for guidance only and is provided without warranty of any kind; customers are advised to check the information for accuracy on their own responsibility, as roadsurfer assumes no liability for the accuracy or timeliness of the information.

You might be wondering where to park to explore the city when you pick up your campervan rental in Porto. The best option is to find out which metro station close to your campsite has parking. Porto has an excellent public transport service with the metro, buses, and trams, so there’s no need to deal with the stress of navigating the many one-way streets and small parking spaces.

However, if you would like to drive into the city, here are a couple of campervan-friendly options (you may need to arrive early in the day to get a space):

• Parque de estacionamento Duque de Loulé, 4000-509 Porto – €1.20 per hour or €35 for 48 hours.
• Alfândega Car Park, R. Nova da Alfândega 80, 4050-385 Porto – from €0.80 per 15 minutes
• Praça de Dom João I, 4000-295 Porto – an underground car park that should have enough space for a campervan.

Motorways in Portugal are toll roads. They are either equipped with booths to pay on-site or are electronic toll roads:

• Payment on-site: You can pay the toll conventionally at the exit of most roads. Please pay attention to the signs marked with a “V” (Via Verde) on green background, as those are reserved for people with transponders, and you should not drive on these roads if you don’t have one.
• Electronic toll roads: Our campervans with Portuguese plates are already registered on the electronic toll system. You can check your outstanding payments on this website by inputting the number plate. Please keep in mind that it can take up to 48 hours until it appears in the system. Alternatively, payments can be made at post offices and shops marked with “Payshop” flags.
• If you are driving from outside of Portugal, it is important to register the car on the Easytoll system. As soon as you enter Portugal, you will pass through a toll booth. There is an entrance for non-Portuguese vehicles on the side where you will receive a receipt with an identification number and your number plates. When you drive through electronic toll roads, your plate will be scanned. From then onwards, the process is the same as for the Portuguese number plates mentioned above.
• Alternatively, you can register digitally with Easytoll before you enter the country. The time you are allowed to spend on toll roads is limited and spending the night at a rest stop is not advisable.

There are also free roads, marked with “EN” but the travelling time might double if you choose them.

When you rent a campervan in Porto, you’ll need to buy some food if you would like to cook on your road trip! Here is a list of useful shops to make the start of your trip as easy as possible.

• Supermarkets: there are plenty of supermarkets in Porto. Those in the city centre will be smaller and more expensive, so opt for some larger supermarkets such as Auchan in Maia or Matosinhos, or Lidl in Maia. Go Natural is an organic supermarket in Foz do Douro.
• Pharmacies: if you’re looking for a pharmacy on your way out of Porto, go to Farmácia Portas da Maia in Maia. Otherwise, there are many pharmacies in the centre of Porto.
• Other: For anything else you think you need, try the Vila do Conde Porto fashion outlet, just a five-minute drive from the roadsurfer station. Alternatively, the MAR Shopping in Matosinhos has plenty of options and an IKEA next door.

If you need food and drink before hitting the road, try the food court in Vila do Conde Porto fashion outlet.

• Av. Fonte Cova 400, 4485-592 Vila Do Conde Fashion Outlet, Portugal