Time for the off. Off to the airport, on my own, seems a little weird!! I have over my working life made many trips on my own for work, but this didn’t seem right although it did as well. Don’t ask me to explain, but it was just right. After checking through passport and security, it was time for the compulsory coffee and a sandwich. I also decided that as I had no idea how long it would take me to get to the hotel from Lisbon Airport, perhaps an extra sandwich for the journey was an idea. This was later to prove to be one of my better ideas.
The flight was good and on time, and by 7:30pm I was in Lisbon, time to find the car hire desk, I had already pre booked a car via EasyJet when I booked the flight. So OK where’s the car hire place, hello! I said where’s the car hire place, Um, very little signage, lovely airport but, after a short time I managed to find someone who looked reasonably official and asked. I was pointed down a corridor and sure enough down a short passage there was a small hall with all the car hire companies represented. OK, there we are, Europcar.
I had been reading before I had left the UK about how the Portuguese had now introduced auto tolls on some of the motorways and yes of course, the A23, which I had to take, was one of these. These Auto tolls are completely electronic, not tolls booths, no people, so totally unclear how to pay.