5 Azorean Islands on €31/Day: Sleeping in 5 Rental Cars
21 days, five Azorean islands, five rental cars, sleeping in all of them. Return flights from Lisbon included:
TRIP STATS
- DAILY RATE: €31.19 (per person)
- SLEEP: Sleeping in Rental Cars
- BY: Rental Cars, Ferries, Flights
- PEOPLE: 2
- DAYS: 21
- TOTAL: €1,310.17
- CURRENCY: Euro (€)
- DATE: March–April 2025
- ROUTE: Lisbon → Faial → Pico → São Jorge → São Miguel → Terceira → Lisbon
- TOOLS: DiscoverCars, Cover4Rentals, park4night, Skyscanner
| ITEM | COST (2P) | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Flights | €280.58 | Return flights from Lisbon included. Multi-city via Skyscanner. Terceira → Lisbon separately. |
| Ferries | €100.00 | Central Group inter-island. Walk-on only. |
| Car Rental | €300.59 | 5 rentals across 5 islands. Mostly via DiscoverCars €3/Day Rental Car Guide. |
| Fuel | €202.00 | |
| Stay | €0.00 | Slept in rental cars. |
| Food | €309.00 | €7–8/day per person. Continente, Pingo Doce. |
| Activities | €118.00 | Pico climb, crampon rental, hot springs, museum. |
| TOTAL | €1,310.17 | 21 days at €31.19/day per person. |
Flights
SATA Air Açores is the only airline flying between the islands. Azores Airlines (SATA’s subsidiary) operates most international routes, it also flies to mainland Portugal. Ryanair previously flew Terceira–Lisbon, as of 2026 those flights are cancelled – SATA and TAP Air Portugal are now the only options on that route.
The cheapest way to combine multiple islands is the Skyscanner Multi-City search: up to 3 flights in one booking. We got Lisbon–Horta, Horta–Ponta Delgada, and Ponta Delgada–Terceira for €102.29 per person via Trip.com, registered luggage included. Booking directly with SATA was double.
For island-hopping within the Central Group (Faial, Pico, São Jorge), skip the plane – use the Atlânticoline ferry. Don’t take the rental car across – high rental company fees on top of the ferry ticket – buy walk-on tickets and get a new rental car on each island. Horta (Faial) is the gateway – fly in there first, then take a ferry to Pico or São Jorge.
| LEG | COST (PER PERSON) | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon → Horta | Part of multi-city | €102.29 total for 3 flights |
| Horta → Ponta Delgada | Part of multi-city | – |
| Ponta Delgada → Terceira | Part of multi-city | – |
| Terceira → Lisbon | €38 | 2026: Ryanair cancelled. Only SATA/TAP now. |
| Horta → Pico (ferry) | €8 | Atlânticoline, ~30 min |
| Pico → São Jorge (ferry) | €17 | Atlânticoline, ~50 min |
| São Jorge → Horta (ferry) | €25 | Atlânticoline, ~2 hours |
Total flights + ferries per person: around €190.
The Islands
Check links in each section for detailed trip reports with links to all our sleeping spots.
Faial, Pico & São Jorge – €30/day
The Central Group. Three islands, three rental cars, ten days. Highlights: Pico volcano climb (2,351m, highest point in Portugal), UNESCO vineyards, São Jorge fajãs accessible only on foot, Capelinhos volcano and disused lighthouse on Faial. We barely saw other tourists on São Jorge. The €30/day is higher than the other islands mainly due to ferry costs and the Pico climb permit (€25/person). Full report: Faial, Pico & São Jorge on €30/Day.
São Miguel – €16/day
The cheapest island and the most visited. Crater lakes, geothermal hot springs, boiling pools scattered around Furnas town – all free. Seven days, full clockwise loop. The Citroën C3 we got here was the best sleeping car of the trip – seats fold almost flat, even trunk surface. Full report: São Miguel, Azores on €16/Day.
Terceira – €24/day
The last island. Four days, UNESCO old town in Angra do Heroísmo, plenty of hiking trails, lava tube accessible from the coast that most visitors miss entirely. Serra do Cume gave us one of the clearest viewpoints of the whole trip. Full report: Terceira on €24/Day.
Car Rental
We booked through DiscoverCars (my review) on most islands – cross-check against azoresrentalcars.com and EconomyBookings, we used them on Pico and São Miguel respectively, as it came out cheaper for our dates. Rental desks are located at every airport and ferry terminal. Current prices across Europe: European Car Rental Price Comparison.
We covered excess independently with Cover4Rentals annual policy at €75/year – declined desk insurance on all five rentals. Full process: €3/Day Rental Car Guide.
No toll roads anywhere in the Azores. Fuel is government-regulated and cheaper than mainland Portugal.
If renting across multiple islands with Autatlantis or Ilha Verde, ask to transfer your deposit from one rental to the next – they allow it and it prevents simultaneous holds on your card.
Sleeping in Rental Cars
We slept in the car on all five islands. Legality is a grey area across Portugal – generally tolerated, but don’t display camping behavior (no chairs or tables outside the car). park4night app coverage for finding overnight spots is sparse across the Azores, almost nonexistent on São Jorge. Organic Maps was more useful for finding secluded parking lots.
Full guide: Sleeping in Rental Cars. Sleeping audit of all cars we rented: Best Rental Cars to Sleep In.
If you want a backup night indoors, Booking.com has the widest selection across all islands. Sort by lowest price, filter to 7.0+.
Food
No Lidl in the Azores. Continente and Pingo Doce are the cheapest chains – coverage is limited to the bigger islands. São Jorge has no chains at all. We averaged €7–8/day per person shopping in supermarkets throughout.
Practical
Currency
Euro. Cards accepted everywhere – we didn’t need to carry cash at all.
SIM
Any EU SIM works under Roam Like at Home – no need to buy local. If you don’t have one, check eSIMDB, filter by data needed, trip length, and sort by price.
Lyca Mobile Portugal periodically runs 50GB for €4/month promo – worth checking their site before buying anything else.
Language
Portuguese. The Azorean accent (and most of all the one from São Miguel) is famously thick due to the islands’ remoteness – even native Portuguese speakers sometimes struggle with it. Learn a few basics: bom dia (good morning), boa tarde (good afternoon), olá (hello), obrigado/obrigada (thanks). English is spoken in hospitality and tourism but not reliably outside of it.
Tips Summary
- Flights: Use Skyscanner Multi-City – up to 3 flights in one booking. We paid €102.29/person for Lisbon–Horta–Ponta Delgada–Terceira. Booking directly with SATA was double.
- Ferries: Get walk-on tickets. Don’t take the rental car across – high fees and limited space. New rental car on each island.
- Car Rental: DiscoverCars is cheapest for most islands. Get the excess covered with Cover4Rentals annual policy, so you can decline desk insurance on every rental.
- Deposit Transfer: Autatlantis and Ilha Verde allow deposit transfers between rentals. Ask at pickup. Prevents multiple card holds simultaneously.
- Sleeping in Cars: Check park4night app for finding overnight spots, but coverage is scarce on less visited islands. Use Organic Maps instead.
- Season: April–June for whale watching. June–September for the warmest, driest and longest days. All year is fine for sleeping in a car.
- Mountain Weather: Cloud cover is the main variable across all islands. Check Mountain-Forecast.com before any high viewpoint or summit attempt.
- Supermarkets: Continente and Pingo Doce where available. São Jorge – local shops only, prices slightly higher.
The Budget System
I keep daily travel costs under €20–€30 using two methods:
● €3/Day Rental Car Guide
● Sleeping in Rental Cars
One week of travel cost me less than a day of work in Australia.
