Riding an electric scooter in Portugal? Here’s how it works
Want to explore Portuguese streets on an electric scooter? Since 2019, you can roll around Portugal as a tourist. Check which providers are active in your destination, download the right app and you are ready for your first ride. It’s that easy.
The electric scooter is called a trotinete elétrica in Portugal. Find out on this page which rules to consider and how to use these two-wheelers yourself.
The rules for using an e-scooter in Portugal
In Portugal, as a driver of an electric scooter, you follow the same traffic rules as cyclists. These are the most important rules to bear in mind as a tourist:
- No minimum age has been set;
- There is no driving licence requirement;
- If a cycle path is available, you use it. In the absence of a cycle path, you use the public road;
- You are not allowed to drive on the pavement;
- Holding or wearing a phone, headphones or earphones on the scooter is not allowed;
- You cannot ride two people on one e-scooter;
- Drinking and riding an electric scooter is prohibited. The maximum permitted blood alcohol level is 0.5 promille.
As a tourist, how do you use an e-scooter in Portugal?
In several Portuguese cities, you can easily use an electric shared scooter. These vehicles can be located via the mobile app of the respective provider. You do this in the following way:
*Some cities have specific parking zones for partial scooters. When this is the case, you will see these zones reflected in the app.
Which shared-scooter providers operate in Portugal?
Each city or municipality has its own agreements with shared-scooter providers. The largest providers in Portugal are:
| City | Provider |
| Braga | Bolt |
| Coimbra | Bolt |
| Lisbon | Bird, Bolt, Frog, Lime |
| Porto | Bird, Bolt |
What are the costs?
When you want to use an e-scooter, you usually pay a starting rate and a rate per minute. These charges may vary from provider to provider.
On average, you pay a £0.88 set-up fee. Then you pay an amount per minute: £0.13. So if you make a 10-minute ride, it will cost you £2.20.
Tip: take advantage of free rides
Many providers let users share a ‘referral code’ with someone. This is a personal code which can be found in the app.
Are you going out with two or more people on a share scooter? Share this code with your friends and benefit from free rides this way:
