Faro may be the biggest city in the Algarve, but it's not the biggest tourist attraction, which means it's essential to organise car hire. Faro airport is the easiest place to fly into in the Algarve region and is serviced by a range of budget and charter airlines. From here you can pick up a car to drive to the more popular tourist resorts. In saying that, Faro does have some interesting historical sites if you're interested in more than just the beach.

Hiring a car
As the Algarve is one of the most popular tourist destinations, it's essential to book your car well before you leave. The easiest (although not necessarily cheapest) place to pick it up is Faro airport. Car hire here is available from local and worldwide suppliers and the streets nearby are relatively quiet so you'll be able to get used to the Portuguese roads. If you're travelling in summer make sure you get a car with air conditioning.

Get behind the wheel
Once you've organised your car hire in Faro, slip behind the wheel and try some of the picturesque seaside destinations. Most of the towns were formerly fishing villages and maintain their narrow streets and white washed houses. Albufeira is popular with families and couples and has a great central square where you can sit outside at one of the restaurants and watch local entertainment; while children will enjoy the water park nearby. Lagos is less family orientated and has a great nightlife. There are lovely historical sites to visit and shopping opportunities as well as a string of beautiful beaches. These are just two of the many idyllic destinations near Faro.

Faro car rental gives you the freedom to explore the Algarve, but you'll need to get there first, so do a search for a cheap flight to Faro.