From the Costa Blanca, Portugal and the south of France are long but realistic road trips. You can do them in a rental car, but there are a few things to sort out before you cross the border: the rental company’s approval, how tolls are paid, low-emission zones and your documents.
Below we explain how travel abroad works at Family Car and what the official Portuguese, French, Spanish and UK sources say. Rules change, so check the linked sources before your trip.
First, agree the trip with us
Travel abroad in our cars is possible with prior approval from our manager. Tell us before you book which countries you plan to visit and for which dates.
Some countries are not allowed. The current list is in our FAQ, under «Can I travel abroad?». Check it before you plan the route.
There is no mileage limit, in Spain or abroad.
If something happens on the way:
- Accident: contact us immediately. We will give you instructions and help you contact the police and other services. Do not accept claims from third parties, and do not leave the car unattended until we give you instructions.
- Breakdown: contact us immediately and we will tell you what to do. Our FAQ explains that a replacement car is not provided if the breakdown happens abroad.
Our support works 24/7.
Portugal: electronic tolls
Some Portuguese motorways have no toll booths. Gantries over the road record each car’s number plate instead. According to PT Tolls, the toll information site of Infraestruturas de Portugal, if you drive on these motorways in a car with a foreign number plate, you must have an active means of payment before you use them. The same site lists which motorways have electronic-only tolls.
For a car with a foreign plate, PT Tolls lists these options:
- EasyToll: linked to the car’s number plate; you can join online or at one of the four EasyToll points near the border, and it is valid for 30 days.
- TollCard: a prepaid card that you activate by text message.
- Via Verde subscriptions (Go Toll and Go Toll & Beyond).
- A compatible electronic device issued in another country. Ask our manager whether the car has one before you rely on it.
Each option has its own terms and fees, so check them on PT Tolls. The site also explains what to do if you have already driven through a toll without paying.
If you are heading for the Algarve, the tolls on the A22 (Algarve) motorway were abolished from 1 January 2025 by Law 37/2024. Tolls still apply on other motorways, so check your route.
France: Crit’Air and low-emission zones
Several French cities have low-emission zones (ZFE). According to Service Public, the French government’s information site, a Crit’Air sticker is mandatory for driving in these zones, and also when the prefect restricts traffic during a pollution episode. Each zone sets its own rules and hours; Service Public links to maps of the zones.
For a car registered outside France, the sticker can only be ordered online on certificat-air.gouv.fr, the only official site, and it is sent by post to the address on the registration certificate. The vehicle owner orders it, and delivery takes about 10 working days. If your route goes through a French city with a ZFE, ask our manager well before the trip whether the car can have one.
The car’s equipment: the V-16 beacon
According to the DGT, the Spanish traffic authority, since 1 January 2026 the connected V-16 warning beacon has been the only legal way to signal a stopped Spanish-registered car in Spain, and it has replaced warning triangles. A DGT instruction on international traffic adds that a car registered in Spain that is driven in another country that has signed the 1949 or 1968 road traffic conventions complies with the rules by carrying the connected V-16 beacon, without warning triangles. France and Portugal are both parties to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic.
If you have questions about the car’s equipment, ask our manager when you agree the trip.
Your driving licence
A driving licence that is valid in Spain is not automatically valid on the same terms in every country. For UK licences, the UK government’s IDP checker says:
- France: you do not need an international driving permit (IDP).
- Portugal: you can drive on a UK photocard licence for up to 185 days without an IDP. With a paper licence, you need to update it to a photocard licence or get an IDP.
If your licence was issued outside the EU, check the rules of each country you will drive through before the trip.
Before you go
- Agree the trip with our manager and check the list of countries in the FAQ.
- For Portugal, choose how you will pay electronic tolls before you reach the first gantry.
- For France, check whether your route goes through a low-emission zone, and ask us about the Crit’Air sticker in advance.
- Pack your passport or ID card and your driving licence.
- Choose a car in our fleet and send your dates through the booking form.
Our guide to tolls, low-emission zones and speed cameras covers the Spanish part of the trip.
Sources
Checked on 12 October 2026:
- PT Tolls (Infraestruturas de Portugal): electronic tolls and payment options for cars with foreign plates.
- Law 37/2024 of 7 August (Diário da República): abolition of tolls on the A22 and other motorways from 1 January 2025.
- Service Public: Crit’Air sticker and ordering a Crit’Air sticker for a vehicle registered abroad.
- DGT: the V-16 beacon from 1 January 2026 (25 November 2025) and instruction on the V-16 beacon in international traffic (24 January 2025).
- United Nations Treaty Collection: status of the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic.
- UK government: IDP checker.
- Family Car terms: the FAQ on our homepage.
