# Renting car in Spain, dropping it off in Portugal?



## BellaLuna

Ola,

Does anyone know why it is so expensive to rent a car in Spain and then drop it off in Portugal...and if there's a car rental company that might be more reasonable than others? We want to rent a car at the Madrid airport and then drive to Lagos and drop it off, but we could also drop it off in Lisboa I suppose. 

We will have our two cats with us, so that's why we will have to drive. I guess most trains and buses don't allow pets, hmmm. 

Another option is renting the car in Madrid, driving to Lagos to drop off our cats and luggage and then driving the car back to Sevilla and taking a bus back to Lagos...has anyone done that before?

Thanks!


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## MrBife

BellaLuna said:


> Ola,
> 
> Does anyone know why it is so expensive to rent a car in Spain and then drop it off in Portugal...and if there's a car rental company that might be more reasonable than others? We want to rent a car at the Madrid airport and then drive to Lagos and drop it off, but we could also drop it off in Lisboa I suppose.
> 
> We will have our two cats with us, so that's why we will have to drive. I guess most trains and buses don't allow pets, hmmm.
> 
> Another option is renting the car in Madrid, driving to Lagos to drop off our cats and luggage and then driving the car back to Sevilla and taking a bus back to Lagos...has anyone done that before?
> 
> Thanks!


Car hire between countries is expensive because someone needs to drive it all the way back from whence it came - its from a different country after all and cannot be used in Portugal without insurance that is specific to the driver.

Why not try these people

Pet Chauffeurs -

They also have some passenger space and can take you, or you can get the train and send the cats with them. Better still you can fly to Faro and leave them to pick up the cats from Madrid. (Why are you ending up there anyway?)

or why don't you fly to Faro the day before then drive to Madrid in a Portuguese rented car and drive back again.


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## BellaLuna

Well, we have a credit with an airline that does not fly to Lisbon, or Faro...the closest city they fly to is Madrid, unless you want to have like 4 layovers. I will check out the pet chauffeurs, thanks! 

Yes, I guess it makes sense that it would be tricky to rent a car in one country and return it in another, just thought since the two countries are right next to each other that it wouldn't be a big deal, oh well!


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## MrBife

BellaLuna said:


> just thought since the two countries are right next to each other that it wouldn't be a big deal, oh well!


USA and Canda would be just the same problem


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## BellaLuna

Yes, actually sometimes it's really expensive to rent a car here in one state and drop it off in another...I was checking to see how much it would be to rent a car here and drop it off in Atlanta which is about 200 miles away and it was quite high. But then sometimes you can find good deals. I can understand how there would be issues renting cars and dropping them off in other countries.


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## Joppa

Sometimes, if a rental company has a car that needs returning to another location (e.g. another state in US, another country in Europe), they may do a deal with you so they don't impose a drop-off fee in exchange for your returning the car to the depot/country required. But it's something you can't arrange in advance, and depends on availability on the spot. I have been offered a good deal when returning a US car from Toronto to Buffalo.


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## siobhanwf

BellaLuna said:


> Well, we have a credit with an airline that does not fly to Lisbon, or Faro...the closest city they fly to is Madrid, unless you want to have like 4 layovers. I will check out the pet chauffeurs, thanks!
> 
> Yes, I guess it makes sense that it would be tricky to rent a car in one country and return it in another, just thought since the two countries are right next to each other that it wouldn't be a big deal, oh well!


doubt if it is possible. You cant rent a car in USA and drop it off in Canada. In fact there are several companies that you cant even do state to state


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