Driving abroad
Driving in Portugal means driving on the right, with a drink drive limit of 0.05 percent, 0.02 for new drivers and motorway speeds of 120 km/h. Everything below is the practical version, the things that actually cost visitors money or time.
Electronic tolls on the A22 and A25 catch out almost every foreign car. Sort the payment method on day one.
Once the paperwork is sorted, this is what you came for. N222 Douro Valley Road, N339 Serra da Estrela, N304 Peneda Geres are among the highest scoring roads we hold in Portugal, and all of them are open to any road legal car.
Motorway limit
120 km/h
Outside towns
90 km/h
Built up areas
50 km/h
Drink drive limit
0.05 percent, 0.02 for new drivers
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. A planning summary, not legal advice. Check the national road authority before you travel. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 13 March 2026
The detail
Several motorways are electronic only with no barriers. Register a card or take a transponder or you will be chasing payment later.
Only relevant in the Serra da Estrela, where snow closes roads occasionally.
Lisbon runs a central low emission zone by vehicle age.
UK and EU licences are accepted.
Reflective jacket, Warning triangle
112
Now the good part
Douro, Portugal
Voted among the world's best roads, it snakes above terraced vineyards along the Douro.
Serra da Estrela, Portugal
Mainland Portugal's highest road crosses granite boulder fields to the Torre summit.
Minho, Portugal
Portugal's only national park unfolds in granite crags, waterfalls and wild ponies.
Madeira, Portugal
Laurel forest tunnels and sheer drops make this ridge road one of Madeira's most thrilling.
Madeira, Portugal
A short dramatic ascent above the clouds to Madeira's third highest peak.
Peneda Geres, Portugal
A lonely ridge road through the Peneda massif with sweeping views over granite peaks.
Common questions
Motorways 120 km/h, main roads outside towns 90 km/h, and built up areas 50 km/h. Lower limits are posted and always take priority.
Several motorways are electronic only with no barriers. Register a card or take a transponder or you will be chasing payment later.
0.05 percent, 0.02 for new drivers. Roadside testing is routine and the safest approach on a driving tour is nothing at all before you drive.
Only relevant in the Serra da Estrela, where snow closes roads occasionally.
Reflective jacket, Warning triangle. Emergency number is 112.
UK and EU licences are accepted.