Traffic drives on the right in Portugal and international traffic signs are used. The minimum age for driving is 18 years. Speed limits are 120kph (74mph) on motorways, 90kph (56mph) outside built-up areas and 50kph (30mph) in towns. Tolls are charged on most motorways. Motorways are indicated by the prefix ‘A', minor roads by the prefix ‘N' and European routes by the letter ‘E'. Both International Driving Permits and national driving licences are accepted. A Green Card and third-party insurance are compulsory, as is a warning triangle. Seat belts must be worn and children should travel in the rear seat. The legal maximum alcohol to blood ratio for driving is 0.05%.

The national motoring association is Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP), Rua Rosa Araújo 24 (tel: (21) 318 0202; website: www.acp.pt), which can offer assistance to motorists belonging to an automobile club with whom the ACP has a reciprocal agreement.

Emergency breakdown service: ACP (tel: 707 509 510).

Routes to the city: The A1, Auto-estrada do Norte, extends from Porto to Lisbon and the A8 arrives from destinations to the north and west of the city. The A9 bypasses Lisbon, connecting the A1 and A8, as well as the A5, which links Lisbon with Cascais and the beaches. The A2, Auto-estrada do Sul, arrives from Faro and the Algarve via Almada and the Ponte 25 de Abril. The A2 also links to the A6, which continues on for connections to Madrid. The A12 crosses the Ponte Vasco da Gama, offering a less congested route into the city.

Approximate driving times to Lisbon: From Porto - 3 hours; Faro and the Algarve - 4 hours (longer on summer weekends); and Madrid - 9 hours.

Coach services: The main bus terminal is Rodoviàrio de Lisbon, Praça Marechal Humberto Delgado, Rua das Laranjeiras. Eva (tel: (21) 358 1466; website: www.eva-bus.com) and Rede Nacional de Expressos (tel: 707 223 344; website: www.rede-expressos.pt) provide coach services from hundreds of Portuguese destinations and work with other operators, such as Eurolines (tel: (21) 895 7398; website: www.eurolinesportugal.com), on pan-European routes, though some of these operate from Gare do Oriente.