Avis Portugal Reviews 

If I could I have given them 0 stars! First they overcharged me 72 euro(I got them back after 3 weeks).
And then over a month after I have left Portugal they charge me 90 euro again without any mail or why? What the f…!!!! I can’t call Avis Portugal. Im not gonna use Avis anymore!! Stay away!!!! Avis portugal please sent contact me!!

My experience with Avis in Lisbon was extremely disappointing and far below the standard I would expect from a major international car hire company. Unfortunately, this was not an isolated incident, as I have had previous issues with Avis Portugal, including being initially refused reimbursement after paying for AdBlue myself to avoid a vehicle breakdown.

I am an Avis President’s Club member and rent regularly from Avis, including long term rentals in the UK and South Africa where the service has generally been excellent. My experiences in Portugal, however, have been consistently poor.

The issue on this occasion arose because British Airways delays caused me to miss my original Saturday collection for a booking running Saturday through Thursday. As the downtown Lisbon branch closes early on Saturdays, I could only collect the vehicle on Sunday. I fully accept that the flight disruption itself was outside Avis’ control.

When I attended the branch, the booking issue was handled by customer service agent Isabel. What I found unreasonable was the policy that prevented me from simply collecting the vehicle one day later and continuing with the remainder of the booking. Instead, I was informed that the original reservation had to be cancelled entirely and replaced with a new booking at last minute pricing. The app was equally unhelpful and did not allow meaningful modifications to the reservation.

I also found Isabel unnecessarily hostile and unhelpful throughout the interaction, very much “computer says no” customer service with attitude rather than any genuine attempt to resolve the situation.

I would completely understand paying for the unused first day. What made little sense was being required to cancel and recreate the entire booking because collection was delayed by less than 24 hours.

To Isabel’s credit, she eventually agreed to honour the original booking price, although the reservation still had to be cancelled and recreated. However, throughout the process there was very little effort made to explore alternatives or de escalate the situation.

One comment in particular stood out. When I pointed out that the queue ticket machine was not functioning, I was told that perhaps I should “fix the machine myself if it was that much of a problem.” That response alone gives a fairly accurate impression of the customer experience at this branch.

The branch itself also appeared disorganised and poorly managed. There was no seating area, the queue machine was not working, and customers were effectively left trying to determine the queue amongst themselves. There was also no clear process for Avis Preferred or President’s Club customers. I was initially told there was no Preferred service, before discovering a dedicated but unmanned “PREFERRED” desk in plain sight.

I was equally disappointed by the behaviour of the manager, Ricardo M., who showed little interest in resolving the issue or speaking with me directly when requested, instead muttering something in Portuguese and walking away.

Ultimately, this felt like two separate but related problems: an inflexible company policy combined with a branch environment that lacked professionalism and customer care. Even difficult situations can usually be handled well with clear communication and a constructive attitude. Unfortunately, that was not my experience here.

Based on my experiences with Avis Portugal, I will likely use alternative rental companies when visiting Portugal in future.

Very lazy office in Porto centre, manned with people that need to find a life. Super lack of transparency and unanswered questions. Then you get extra charges when you're home. Typical tourist trap behavior. Will never use again.

If i could give zero stars to write this review I would.

AVIS/Budget Faro Airport.

Do not trust these people running there. They have 100% scammed us. When we took the car, they tried to trick us into believing the car we was taking was too small for four of us and our luggage. My husband stood his ground, not wanting any extras either, and she eventually told us which bay to collect the car from. We noticed other people around us videoing their hire car for damage.
We decided to do exactly the same. We barely used our car. It was basically a cheaper taxi, to Galé and back to the airport with one trip out in it back to near Faro for the day. All four of us present for each journey and not once was it taken off road or smashed about. He drove with absolute caution. Also, we had glorious weather and no mud/rain in sight. So it was an absolute shock when the guy inspecting the car upon our return seemed to go right to the underneath of the front bumper, where the bumper and under carriage of the car was scratched and covered in mud splats, as though it has been wragged about off roading.
The guy wants us to pay up for the damages. They also want to fine us for the time this car is now going to be out of action (allegedly the day we returned on the 2nd of May 2026 is deamed unusable) and a processing fee. Totalling over €500. It is an absolute scam and we wonder how many people they have done this to prior to is, with the same car. We are all so angry that a company like Avis/budget, well known to the world and I thought, had a good reputation. However, Faro Airport reviews for Avis Budget since have been an eye opener. One I wish we had read beforehand. I wish we had imagery of under the car prior to taking it, but who thinks to do that. Basically all they have done is loose our trust, we will never use them again anywhere, and we shall all shout from the roof tops the reg number of that car and the damage on it. We shall back anyone who gets scammed with the same concern. Car we hired was Reg no CA 48TX white Hyundi Kauai.

They claim we have no choice but to pay. I demanded to see their proof they gave us the car in a good condition as no staff came out with us and no one pictured/imaged the car, like we have experienced with other car hire companies overseas. They claim they do not need it. My husband refused to sign for the damage too.

Lesson to anyone reading this. Carefully video the entire car. In and out boot included. Underneath the whole lot! Then any damage you must go back inside apparently before moving the vehicle and report any damage to staff to log. And make sure they do! I would go as far as say saying you are videoing the entire moment from getting the keys, until you leave and inform them you are doing so.

Real lack of transparency on pricing, I rented a car for 152 euros for a week, was upsold insurance & my final bill was 420 euros with a load of hidden charges. The girl at the desk told not to worry about bringing back the car full as they would only charge me for fuel used & they were cheaper than the petrol stations ( it was March post the US attack on Iran). We used 1/4 of a tank &were charged 55.40 for fuel we aslo had these random charges no one told us about
Location Surcharge* € 36.19
Vehicle License Fee* € 24.01
Other Charges* € 44.17
then VAT added to everything.
An awful experience, felt completely ripped off. I emailed the manager, who mostly ignored me and then said 'I don't understand what you want' ...Ive been back a couple time and used Zest , clear & transparent pricing and such a superior experience.Avis are a disgrace.

This is a scam. I rented a car on December 17, and the very next day a yellow warning light appeared on the dashboard. I returned the car the following day. At the time of handover, they did not mention any damage.

However, after 4 months, they charged €230 to my credit card without prior notice. In addition to that, they also charged me for traffic fines (€100) and toll charges (€93), plus an extra €75 as a service fee.

Please be careful when hiring a vehicle from Budget/Avis.

They invent charges at the end of the rental

We had the Collision Package booked in advance and called to confirm conditions. When we got there, they told us that we should book the "SUPER" Collision Package because otherwise accidents would not comer our caras damages. Has to pay extra even though we had been confirmed it was ok before arrival. We paid because it was 11.30PM and had 2-hour drive ahead. Never again.

Terrible customer service experiences... Diogo was awful and rude. Didn't help us at all. I won't recommend them ever.

Avis Portugal have taken over €100 from my credit card without explanation or approval and refuse to respond to repeated requests to explain their action.

The vehicle was hired with full insurance, paid in full in advance and returned in good condition, at the time agreed and with a full tank of fuel.

We would strongly advise avoiding this company at all costs.

Did a one day rental at Avis airport location in Porto Portugal. As always i took out damage insurance. Unfortunately windscreen got a stone chip. when i returned the car i notified the rep what happened "Mafalda" said all was good as she saw i had the insurance for damages and i was covered. Two days later i saw a charge on my credit card from Avis with no explanation what it was for, it just said misc charges. It's been almost a month now that been trying to get credit for the over payment and have only gotten we are investigating the matter. This "Mafalda" woman had know what she was going to do and waited for me to leave knowing i was a foreigner. So far this have cost me international phone call and credit card fees. For anyone that have further plans on renting from this company GET YOUR FINAL INVOICE before you leave.

I am extremely disappointed with my recent experience with Avis , and I feel compelled to share my concerns publicly due to the lack of communication and transparency regarding charges.

During our holiday, we were provided with a vehicle that suffered a complete failure due to an electrical fault in the propulsion system — a fault that had absolutely nothing to do with our use of the vehicle. This resulted in a major disruption, causing us to lose valuable time during a very limited holiday period.

The following day, we were instructed to travel to Faro to collect a replacement vehicle. Unfortunately, this replacement car was in a poor and unacceptable condition — the paintwork was visibly damaged and the overall state did not meet the expectations of a luxury category rental. Despite this, we accepted the car without making a fuss, purely to avoid further delays and salvage what was left of our trip.

Upon returning home, I was surprised to find that I had been charged an additional €554.06, with no final invoice or explanation provided. I have since requested a detailed invoice and justification for these charges but have yet to receive a satisfactory response.

Based on my records, the only possible additional charges should be related to toll fees (estimated around €100) and perhaps a minor fuel adjustment. The vehicle was returned clean and undamaged — we have clear photographic evidence confirming this.

The lack of transparency and poor customer support from Avis in this instance is deeply disappointing. I expected far better from a globally recognised brand. This experience not only disrupted our holiday but also left me with an unexplained and unjustifiable charge that I am still waiting to have clarified.

I strongly urge Avis to review this case properly and issue a refund for any unjustified charges. At the very least, provide customers with proper documentation and fair treatment when things go wrong due to no fault of their own.

The car was over 40000 mileage, the tyres tired, the steering worrying and the clutch was smelling however gentle one was. I have driven many manuals but the hill start on any slope was concerning.
We booked an estate but was talked in to having this car. I guess being elderly it was easier for us to take a ride!
Worrying for an international Hire Co company to let franchises do as they please, it seems. So much for once trying harder.

Charged extra for an Automatic even though we had booked one.
Very slow to process customers as chatting up the young ladies
Very dodgy, Avoid

Two issues- the quote I had was not honored. I added and extra driver & fee to drive into Spain, so I knew that would add 80 Euro (plus 23% tax), but they added fees to the initial quote event thought the quote said it included tax & fees. The increase was $95 dollars.
Second issue is a “damage fee” b/c one hubcap is scratched. I didn’t look at the hubcaps when I did the initial inspection. Want to hear the fees? Repair cost with 23% tax=116 euros, b/c car can’t be rented out during repair a fee of 97 euros is added, & b/c they need to process the damages they’ve added an additional 46 euros- totaling 259 euro - for a scratched hubcap!
What I started out expecting to cost me $535 was billed at $933!
I’ve tried working with Avis as well as with Delta, who I rented through, but cannot get any reduction- I’ve just been told that these are there fees.
My advice: go with a different company. And take photos of hubcaps too! If I could update the photo, I would to prove to you it was scratches.

Terrible rental company. We purchased our rental online and paid for the rental. When we arrived to pick up in Portimao the agent would not accept our email confirmation or voucher stating we paid.
He then wanted us to pay a second time!
The fine print on the online rental reads they will allow cancellations but will keep $75 US from your rental cost and reimburse the remainder of the money.
This a not a good company to rent a car from. Buyer beware!

I’m incredibly disappointed with Avis Budget Group. I just received a fine notification for an incident that supposedly happened back in September 2024—nearly six months ago! This delay makes it impossible for me to verify the fine or even remember the details of what happened.
On top of that, they charged me €40.59 as an “administration fee” without any proper explanation or prior notice. It feels like they’re more focused on profiting from these situations than helping their customers.
This experience has left me frustrated and unlikely to ever use Avis or Budget again. If you’re thinking of renting with them, be prepared for poor communication and unexpected charges long after your rental is over.

This deserves zero stars. Avis preferred plus member booked an electric car but no lead so can not charge at only public charging which there are not any within 30 miles! Asked for one with lead and not allowed. Assistant then said she did not care that we would not use Avis again. Do they know what customer service is at Avis Faro airport. Such apalling attitude and service.

It's disappointing that a reputable company like AVIS provides such poor service at Faro Airport.

The rental itself was smooth and easy. But the post-rental experience was horrible.

I had a scratch on the car, which I was prepared to pay for, and my insurance was ready to cover. However, AVIS repeatedly added unexplained charges on top of their own estimate and failed to provide any justification, making it impossible for my insurance to reimburse the costs. To make matters worse, they eventually stopped responding to my inquiries altogether.

The result? A significant waste of both time and money. I expected better transparency and customer support from a company of this stature.

Huge thank you to the man in the Avis office at Hotel Mundial, Lisbon, who found and returned my husband’s wallet that he left in the car. Also great car provided - upgraded at no charge - very reasonable rental charge.