Getting here - it's easier than you think!
Just 2.5 hours flight from the UK
The Algarve is one of the most popular holiday destinations in Europe and only 2.5 hours from the UK. With its beautiful golden-sand beaches and great weather (even in the winter), it has become more and more popular with holiday makers. This is good news, there are always plenty of good value and well-timed flights into the nearest airport – Faro. The airport at Faro has recently been refurbished so is now a pleasant and modern entry point to start your holiday in Portugal.
Easy driving with excellent directions to Casa Bela
Driving and car hire is simple, it is very reasonably priced too, especially if you avoid the big rental companies. For peace of mind we recommend insuring your excess separately in the UK, this is cheaper than with the local rental companies. We use car hire companies such as TravelRent and Zit Auto, the cars are often 6-18 months old with the odd dent or scrape but have always been clean and tidy, we feel it is well worth making a saving over using the bigger companies.
The cars are usually rented on a CDW basis and with something like 600-1000 Euros excess. They are likely to take a rubbing or scan of your card and then give it back to you when you return the car - if the car is okay. We have used TravelRent and Zit Auto many times and they usually just check the fuel is the same level or more than when collected, they have always been very relaxed because the cars already often have small marks and scrapes etc so we have never had a problem. It is also possible to rent the cars SCDW so you pay no excess but this can be expensive. If you are cautious and want to minimise risk use UK companies which allow you to insure your car hire excess. This approach is much cheaper than the rental companies so you might want to check this out for peace of mind and the best deal.
Another useful company that will provide quotes from numerous suppliers from both Faro and Lisbon Airport is Zest - https://www.zestcarrental.com/portugal/faro-airport/ You can typically obtain an instant quote using this site.
We will supply very clear directions to Vale Da Telha which is only 1 hr 15mins, 120 km away. It is easy to hire a Sat Nav, bring your own or even use your smart phone so getting here and driving around is far easier than you might expect. A few days before your departure we will provide the directions to a meeting point for our housekeeper who will direct you for the last few minutes to the villa.
Lisbon, Santander or Bilbao
It is also possible to fly into Lisbon and drive south but this is further (3 hrs, 250km) or take a ferry and drive down from Santander or Bilbao. If there is a group of you, you have plenty of time and are planning to stay more than two weeks then the ferry can be a good option to avoid car hire.
Please note - hiring people carriers can be very expensive in high season, if there are more than 5 of you it is often easier and much cheaper to hire two smaller cars.