Which Taxi Apps Are Available in Portugal?

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Written by: | Last updated on February 20, 2024 | Est. Reading Time: 2 minutes

If you’re coming to Portugal, you may be wondering what taxi apps there are? Is there Uber? Does Lyft work here? What about FreeNow and other taxi apps.

Although a number of taxi apps have come through Portugal, most have either been bought out or no longer operate in Portugal. Realistically, your main choices are typically between Uber and Bolt (although Freenow exists too).

Note: A lot of people are asking if they can take an Uber (or any of the other taxi apps) long distance e.g. from Lisbon to the Algarve or even into Spain. Anything is possible, but the drivers who use these taxi apps usually only drive within their own city. You’d probably be safer booking an airport transfer with a company like Welcome Pickups.

Uber

Uber needs no introduction. It’s the most-recognised taxi app, and that means it usually has plenty of drivers as well.

Uber is available in lots of different parts of Portugal, including more out-of-the-way places like Madeira and The Azores. Other places include Algarve, Aveiro, Beja, Braga, Braganca, Castelo Branco, Coimbra, Evora, Guarda, Leiria, Lisbon, Pacos de Ferreira, Portalegre, Porto, Santarem, Viana do Castelo, Vila Real, Viseu.

You also have several car options when booking an Uber including larger cars (UberXL), premium cars (Uber Black), eco-friendly cars (Uber Green), and wheelchair-friendly vehicles (Uber Access). You can also use Uber to purchase public transport tickets, send parcels to friends or family members, rent a scooter, or order food.

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Bolt

Bolt (previously called Taxify) is another popular taxi app in Portugal, which allows you to hail taxis or rent a scooter.

You can use Bolt in a number of Portuguese cities, including Algarve, Aveiro, Barcelos, Braga, Coimbra, Évora, Leiria, Lisbon, Madeira, Porto, and Viseu. It’s also available in Madeira, especially around Funchal.

Yyou can choose from a number of different vehicles such as eco-friendly vehicles, vans or people carriers, wheelchair-friendly cars, and executive cars.

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  • Get the app on iOS or Android.
Written by

James Cave is the founder of Portugalist and the author of the bestselling book, Moving to Portugal Made Simple. He has visited just about every part of Portugal, including Madeira and all nine islands of the Azores, and lived in several parts of Portugal including Lisbon, the Algarve, and Northern Portugal.

You can contact James by emailing james@portugalist.com or via the site's contact form.