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dav964 View Drop Down
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Joined: 23/October/2006
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Points: 39 		Direct Link To This Post Topic: Tolls and parking
    Posted: 28/October/2016 at 08:09
Hello,

We're going over to our apartment in Albufeira next week - the first time in about six years so looking forward to seeing whats new!  A couple of questions...

Last time we were here there were no tolls in place on the motorway.  I understand these work using number plate recognition - if so, how do we pay for the tolls?  Is there some way of registering a credit card against the hire car so that it happens automatically?

Also, can someone explain the parking in the old town?  We always used to park in the open air "free" car park at the top of Avenue da Liberdade - the one patrolled by the likely lads looking for a euro.  Is this car park still open, and if not whereabouts is a good place to park for the old town?

Thanks in advance...
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cubsur View Drop Down
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Joined: 26/January/2006
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Points: 26489 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/October/2016 at 09:30
There are various ways to pay tolls - this article on trip Advisor gives the options. 


Most car rental companies now provide pre paid temporary visitors passes when you take a car from them. It's an electronic tag you put on the windscreen that goes beep when you pass under a toll gantry. it's not number place recognition.

 I haven't seen the scroungers around there recently. If you are prepared to walk 150 yards or so you can park for free on the first turnoff to the right as you go up the hill towards LIDL and ALDI. The new parking garage opposite the other one is only open in summer, so that won't be available to you.

Map which also shows other places you can park - http://www.algarvebus.info/images/abfcentre.gif
Albufeira Resident

www.algarvebus.info public transport information for the Algarve
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dav964 View Drop Down
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Points: 39 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/October/2016 at 17:54
Thanks cubsur.

The Portuguese toll system doesn't seem very friendly to non-residents with hire cars.  I would have thought that it wouldn't be that difficult to come up with something better.  Looking at the document you posted it says that hire car companies will offer a transponder that can be pre-loaded but what would you advise when travelling back to the airport?  Go on the back roads?

Re the car park in the old town - what on earth do they do with the new car park out of season, is it just shut?  I can't see the logic behinds this one either.  Is the old open air car park still there, or has it been shut down now?
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Big Col View Drop Down
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Points: 1534 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/October/2016 at 18:12
As far as airport based hire cars are concerned most companies charge 20 Euros for a transponder which has 15 Euros credit on it. This is more than enough to get to Albufeira & back.

If however you use the motorway more frequently during your stay you may need to buy additional credit, however I never have and it would appear that the authorities do not pursue foreign tourists for minor amounts in excess of the 15 Euros.
Colin
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tonisdad View Drop Down
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Points: 1060 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 28/October/2016 at 18:58
Originally posted by dav964 dav964 wrote:

Thanks cubsur.

The Portuguese toll system doesn't seem very friendly to non-residents with hire cars.  I would have thought that it wouldn't be that difficult to come up with something better.  Looking at the document you posted it says that hire car companies will offer a transponder that can be pre-loaded but what would you advise when travelling back to the airport?  Go on the back roads?

Re the car park in the old town - what on earth do they do with the new car park out of season, is it just shut?  I can't see the logic behinds this one either.  Is the old open air car park still there, or has it been shut down now?


Most people use the back roads...N125...all the time because of the tolls.
That is why the A22 is always like a Cemetery and the N125 like rush hour 90% of the time.
The new car park will probably end up going to wrack and ruin like the A22 will eventually...After all it was most likely European funding that paid for most of it anyway and Portuguese bureaucracy does not do logic.
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Algarveaddick View Drop Down
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Joined: 27/December/2008
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Points: 5049 		Direct Link To This Post Posted: 29/October/2016 at 10:43
Originally posted by tonisdad tonisdad wrote:

Originally posted by dav964 dav964 wrote:

Thanks cubsur.

The Portuguese toll system doesn't seem very friendly to non-residents with hire cars.  I would have thought that it wouldn't be that difficult to come up with something better.  Looking at the document you posted it says that hire car companies will offer a transponder that can be pre-loaded but what would you advise when travelling back to the airport?  Go on the back roads?

Re the car park in the old town - what on earth do they do with the new car park out of season, is it just shut?  I can't see the logic behinds this one either.  Is the old open air car park still there, or has it been shut down now?


Most people use the back roads...N125...all the time because of the tolls.
That is why the A22 is always like a Cemetery and the N125 like rush hour 90% of the time.
The new car park will probably end up going to wrack and ruin like the A22 will eventually...After all it was most likely European funding that paid for most of it anyway and Portuguese bureaucracy does not do logic.


My thoughts entirely!
Go away Duchatalet
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