Driving the Algarve in 2026: The A22 Is Now Toll-Free (and What Most Guides Get Wrong)

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The A22 motorway across the Algarve has been completely toll-free since 1 January 2025. Most car-hire and travel guides still describe the old Easytoll system. Here's the honest 2026 update on Algarve tolls, A2, Via Verde, and what to ask for at the rental desk.

The Headline: The A22 Is Free

Since 1 January 2025, the A22 (Via do Infante) — the motorway that runs the length of the Algarve from Lagos to the Spanish border — has been completely toll-free. No transponder. No Easytoll machine at the border. No pre-paid card. You drive on, you drive off, you pay nothing.

This is one of those facts that has not yet caught up with the internet. Open any of the top-ranking UK and Irish driving guides for the Algarve and you'll still find detailed instructions on how to register your foreign-plated car at the Easytoll booth on arrival, how the electronic gantries deduct your toll automatically, and which payment methods the SCUT system accepts.

None of that applies any more on the A22. The Portuguese parliament voted to abolish A22 tolls in late 2024, the change took effect on 1 January 2025, and the government has since publicly confirmed the A22 will remain toll-free into 2026 and beyond.

If you've been told something different by a car-hire rep, a Reddit thread, or a 2024-vintage YouTube video, the source is out of date — not you.

Why You'll See Wrong Information Everywhere

A few reasons the SERP for "Algarve tolls" is still full of bad information seventeen months after the change:

• The Easytoll machines still exist at the Guadiana International Bridge crossing from Spain. They have not been removed. They now handle voluntary registration for other Portuguese motorways further north — not the A22.
• Car-hire companies still mention transponders in their booking flows because the same vehicle might leave the Algarve and drive on tolled roads further north.
• Big affiliate guides update slowly. AutoEurope, Rochabrava and several others still describe the pre-2025 process. Those pages rank because they're old and link-rich, not because they're correct.

If you read something written before 2025 and it tells you to "buy an Easytoll pass at the border" — for an Algarve-only trip, that's now obsolete advice.

What This Means in Practice

For most UK and Irish visitors, the trip looks like this:

• You fly into Faro Airport (FAO).
• You pick up a hire car.
• You drive west to Lagos / Sagres, east to Tavira, or anywhere in between.
• You stay entirely on the A22 or the smaller EN125.
• You return the car. You pay nothing extra for tolls.

That covers about 95% of Algarve holidays from the UK and Ireland. No paperwork, no transponder, no app.

When You Do Still Need to Pay Tolls

You only need a Portuguese toll payment method if you drive outside the Algarve on roads that still carry tolls. The relevant ones for UK visitors:

• The A2 motorway — Algarve to Lisbon. Still tolled. If you're doing a day-trip to Lisbon or driving up to fly home from Lisbon airport, this matters.
• The A1 motorway — Lisbon to Porto. Tolled.
• A22 → A2 junction near Castro Marim and beyond — once you cross into the Alentejo, you re-enter tolled territory.

If your trip is going anywhere off the A22, the practical solution is Via Verde Visitors. It's an electronic transponder you stick to your windscreen. You register a credit card, drive on any toll road, and the charges are debited automatically. You collect it from a kiosk on arrival and return it on departure. Cost is around €1.50/day rental plus the actual toll charges.

Most car-hire companies will also offer their own toll-handling service — typically a flat fee per day (€2–3) on top of the actual tolls. Convenient, but more expensive than Via Verde for trips longer than a day or two.

What to Ask For at the Car-Hire Desk

When you pick up your car at Faro Airport, you'll be asked about toll devices. Three honest answers depending on your trip:

• "Algarve only — no tolls, thanks." Correct since 2025. They may still try to add an automatic toll-handling fee — refuse it if you're not leaving the region. Confirm in writing on the rental contract.
• "One day to Lisbon and back." Take the company's transponder for that day only, or pre-arrange a Via Verde Visitors device at the airport kiosk.
• "Driving up to Lisbon / Porto and out." Either Via Verde Visitors or the rental company's transponder — but check the per-day fee, because over a week it doubles the cost of a Via Verde rental.

Speed Limits, Fuel, and the EN125

A few things that haven't changed and still trip people up:

• A22 speed limit: 120 km/h. Strict speed cameras between Faro and Tavira and east of Tavira. Watch your speed dropping into towns.
• EN125: the coastal road that parallels the A22. Slower (90 km/h, often 50 in towns) but free, scenic, and the way locals get to most beaches. Lots of small junctions.
• Fuel: Unleaded 95 sits around €1.70–1.85/litre in May 2026. Galp and Repsol are the cheapest; the motorway-services Cepsa is usually 10–15 cents more.
• Parking in Lagos, Albufeira, and Tavira: the centres are paid blue zones in summer. Use the EMEL/SaferPark apps or just pay at the machine.

One Annoying Edge Case

A few UK car-hire customers report still being charged a small "toll service fee" on their final invoice even when they only drove on the A22. This is almost always the hire company's automatic toll-handling fee being applied by default — it's a setup question, not a real toll.

Check the rental agreement at pickup. If it lists a "toll service" item, ask to have it removed if you're staying on the A22. You won't get it removed after the fact.

The Bottom Line

For 99% of UK and Irish trips to the Algarve, you can drive without paying a single toll. The A22 is free, the Easytoll booth is irrelevant for you, and the only paperwork you need is your driving licence and a credit card at the rental desk.

If your itinerary includes Lisbon, Porto, or anywhere north of the Alentejo, get a Via Verde Visitors transponder at the airport kiosk on arrival. It's cheaper than the car-hire company's daily toll fee for any trip lasting more than two days.

For more on getting around once you've parked, see our best things to do in Lagos and where to stay in the Algarve guide.

Last updated: May 2026. We'll refresh this article whenever the toll position changes — it has not since January 2025.