Road trip
For extended stays in Portugal you will require a travel visa. Be sure you have return tickets booked and the address of a friend in Portugal to avoid hassles.
Most people speak English so language may not present a barrier. Motels are reasonably priced at around €80 a night.
Faro’s beaches and the Ria Famosa with flamingos mark the region where land meets sea. The Faro Cathedral, churches and museums make the city visit truly memorable with the seafood delicacies the proverbial icing on the cake.
Albufeira offers great beaches during the day and many restaurants, bars and night clubs at night making it a perfect fun place.
Lagos along the Algarve coast offers plenty of history with the old castle at the small village of Silves, the harbour and for the wind surfing buff there is windsurf point.
Lagoa has a series of rugged cliffs, outcrops and caves and long stretches of sand with tiny coves that can only, be reached by boat. With over 15 beaches and facilities for wind surfing, canoeing and tourists the town is also displays a rich historical heritage with its churches and monastery.
Vilamoura is one of the largest single tourist complexes in Europe and covers some 2.000 hectares of land, some parts covered in pine forests whilst others open recovered marshland. The place is bursting with sporting and leisure facilities for the whole family yet the pace of life is so easy it feels like summer all year round.
Car hire is available from Avis, Budget, Easycar, Sixt, Alamo, Thrifty and Hertz.