The westernmost country in Europe, Portugal, although not as popular with tourists as neighboring Spain, can still offer its guests beautiful landscapes, a warm Mediterranean climate and reasonable prices. And if a traveler wants to see as many interesting places as possible, having driven around the country in his own or rented car, he should explore the roads in Portugal.
Types of roads in Portugal
As in many European countries, Portuguese roads are divided into several categories: high-speed toll highways; national free highways; municipal roads; rural driveways.
Toll motorways are the fastest way to get from one point in the country to another. True, there are not so many of them. Basically, they connect the capital of the country, Lisbon, with other parts of the country. So, the largest highway runs from Lisbon to Porto, similar highways go south and east, to the border with Spain. The fare on toll roads is not too high, while there are traditionally no traffic lights, intersections and pedestrian paths. But it is also not possible to move out if you want to visit any settlement nearby.
Those who are unwilling to pay the fare always have a free alternative. True, most national and municipal roads have only one lane in each direction, and traffic on them is limited by the speed limit. But here you can stop at any time in some picturesque village and see the local sights.
Although the Portuguese expensive cars themselves are of good quality and almost all have a hard surface, driving on them is not always comfortable. The reason for this is the numerous traces of repair work in the form of patches. Therefore, a little shaking, especially on free tracks, is guaranteed.
High fines for constant violations are not a hindrance
In Portugal, despite not having the highest standard of living in the country, there are quite heavy fines for any violations. Speeding, having a passenger not wearing seat belts, talking on a mobile without special devices - this is a standard set of violations, for which you will have to part with several hundred Euros.
And it is all the more surprising that local drivers constantly violate the established rules. On the highways outside the city it is not so scary, since there are very few cars, but in settlements there is often complete confusion.
In a paradoxical way, Portuguese drivers combine not a special love for observance of the rules, including speed limits, and southern relaxation. It is not uncommon to get stuck in a traffic jam, which is formed only because two car owners decided to exchange a few words right in the middle of a busy road.
In cities, in general, you need to travel very carefully. There are several reasons for this:
- a huge number of pedestrian crossings, some of which are elevated above the ground;
- narrow streets of many cities do not provide room for maneuvers, and cars parked right on the sidewalks force pedestrians to go out onto the roadway;
- a large number of pedestrians and cyclists who cross the road without even looking at the cars.
However, the specified features of the road traffic in Portugal are not excessive, it is enough to show a little more caution. And then a trip to this wonderful country will seem fascinating and enjoyable to any tourist.
