Fuel policy and extra drivers: the two car hire charges that surprise people

Two items turn up on the final invoice that were not in the booking price: the fuel and the second driver. Both can be settled in advance, and both cost money if you do not.

Fuel policy — the one line that matters

There are essentially three models, and only one of them is usually fair.

Full to full. You get the car with a full tank and return it full. You pay only for what you actually used, at normal pump prices. This is the one to look for.

Full to empty, also sold as “prepaid fuel”. You buy a tank at pickup and return the car empty. It sounds convenient and rarely is: the company charges fuel at its own rate, usually plus a service fee, and whatever you do not use is not refunded. Stay in one place for a week and drive little, and you have given away half a tank.

Same to same. You return the car at the level you received it. It works, but it is hard to hit exactly — the gauge is not a measuring instrument.

In practice: fill up on the last few kilometres before returning, not the day before. Keep the receipt and photograph the gauge together with the odometer. That is your evidence if a refuelling charge appears later.

In the Algarve there are plenty of petrol stations around Faro airport and at the approaches to Portimão, Lagos and Albufeira. Plan the last stop and you avoid the rush.

The second driver

A driver who is not on the contract is not insured. Full stop. If something happens then, the excess arrangement no longer applies — the person at the wheel is liable, in full.

Three things about this:

The extra driver is usually charged per day. Some suppliers cap the total, others do not. On long rentals this is worth comparing more than the daily rate of the car itself.

They must be present at pickup. With their own licence and usually ID as well. Adding someone on day three means another trip to the branch.

Some rates include an extra driver. That is a genuine argument for couples who share the driving — but it is rarely advertised, it sits in the terms.

Young drivers and minimum age

Below a certain age — usually 25, sometimes 23, depending on the supplier — a daily surcharge applies and certain vehicle classes are blocked. Conversely, some companies also have an upper limit or require additional documentation above a certain age.

Almost everywhere there is also a minimum licence-holding period, typically one to two years. If your licence is new, check before booking.

The licence itself

Licences from the EU and EEA are accepted in Portugal without further ado. For licences from elsewhere, many suppliers additionally require an International Driving Permit — not a translation but a separate document, applied for in your home country before you travel. It cannot be obtained afterwards.

If in doubt ask the supplier rather than trusting forums: requirements differ more between companies than between countries.

What to check when comparing

When you compare car hire for the Algarve, three lines repay attention more than the daily rate: fuel policy, cost of the extra driver, and minimum age.

Compare car hire prices for the Algarve

What the insurance actually covers is in Car hire excess. If you are crossing the border, the rules are in Taking a rental car to Spain. And whether the car is worth it at all is settled in Do you need a car in the Algarve?.

As of September 2026. Terms differ by supplier; the rental contract is what binds.