Looking to rent a car for a few days from Porto to Lisbon to get off the beaten path. But Ive read so many stinky stories about bad experiences with car rentals in Portugal.

Who can recommend a good place to rent from?

We always book with AutoEurope which we did for Portugal. Picked up in Lisbon at airport and dropped off at Porto airport. No issues at all.

We rented in Lisbon and returned to Lisbon. Easy driving, no problems.

Our car was burglarized in Obidos. We had stopped for a couple hours on our way to Tomar. Everything was locked in the trunk out of sight. After the fact, one thing I learned was to never use the key fob to lock the car. Always push the button manually in the car. There are devices that thieves use to 'bounce' off your key fob to unlock the car while you are within a certain distance of the car. After the burglary we were careful to always empty the car completely each night. Three more times, after the burglary, our car was unlocked in the morning. Just be aware so you don't go through our experience.

>Three more times, after the burglary, our car was unlocked in the morning<

We experienced the same problem with a car we rented in France. It was unlocked when I went back to check on something I had left behind. It took some checking but finally surmised it was the car's remote. I think it's called a proximity key - a remote entry key fob. It would automaticly unlock the car doors if you where within a few meters of the car unless the device was switched off. Troubling in that the rental agency (Avis) did not explain how the unit worked (the agent probably didn't know).

That’s a new one! So how do you lock the car the secure way?

That also makes it difficult to stop and check out something interesting along the way...(before getting to a hotel and unloading.)

If in a garage, back up the car against a wall. It makes it more difficult to open the trunk.

Michael, very true!! Recently did that on trips within the US.

We had no problems renting and driving in portugal. We picked our car up as we left Lisbon, went to Evora, Nazareth, Coimbra and Pinhao before dropping our car off in Porto. I’ve always had good luck renting from Kemwel. Excellent customer service. I was mischarged when we dropped the car off. I called them and was issued a refund in a couple of weeks. Using them again for an upcoming trip to Andalusia.

Are both AutoEuope and Kemwell like Expedia?

When I search for cars through their websites it just lists prices for other agencies like Hertz, Avis, Budget, Europcar.

Kemwel is an independent car consolidator based in Portland Maine. I found them to have the best prices and service.

Autoeurope and Kemwel are brokers. When looking at the prices of the actual rental agencies, you need to make check on the variables. For example, when I was looking for a rental in Norway, the cheapest Kemwel rental was Hertz, but that did not include the one-way charge which appeared farther down as an add-on. It turned out that Autoeurope's pricing with Europcar, although higher at first glance, was lower than Hertz' because the one-way rental was included in the base price. Similarly, Hertz offered a lower pricing on an in-town rental in Limoges, but the one-way charge was higher than Europcar's charge for picking the car up at the train station (a common local tax).

As brokers the two companies have every interest in satisfying the customer because they only sell service, and I have been happy with their needed support over the years.

I’ve used Kemwel twice so far, in Spain and Portugal. I did a one way rental each time with no added cost-confirmed by Kemwel prior to our trip. When we dropped the car off in Porto, the agent said we owed the one way additional fee. I didn’t argue with him- how could I? But I contacted Kemwel and they refunded the amount.

All good info. Thanks.

Whats the insurance situation? Do you use Chase Sapphire to cover CDW or take what they urge you to take for insurance add- ons?

I was also told to take the toll package so you don't need to worry about stopping for tolls.

<i>Do you use Chase Sapphire to cover CDW or take what they urge you to take for insurance add-ons? </i>

If you feel comfortable with your credit card carrying the CDW, go with it. Just remember that you must follow the instructions and that you are paying for potential repairs up front with the credit card company reimbursing you once it is satisfied that your claim is legitimate. I always take the "basic" option if offered by autoeurope or kemwel.

Auto Europe and Kimwel are sister companies (located in the same building), but each has their own agreements with the suppliers, so pricing and selection can be different, depending on the location.