Faial, Pico, São Jorge on €30/Day: Sleeping in Rental Cars
DATA DASHBOARD
- Daily Rate (Per Person): €30.51
- Total Trip Cost (2 People): €610.20
- Trip Length: 10 Days
- Route: Central Group, Azores – Faial (3 Days), Pico (4), São Jorge (3)
- Starting Point: Horta
- Trip Date: March 2025
- Accommodation: Sleeping in Rental Cars
- Primary Tools: DiscoverCars, Cover4Rentals, Continente, Atlânticoline (Ferry)
THE SYSTEM
I consistently keep my daily budget under €20-€40 using two methods:
● €3/Day Rental Car Guide
● Sleeping in Rental Cars Guide
| ITEM | COST (2P) | NOTES |
|---|---|---|
| Car Rental | €168.20 | €60.50 – 3 days on Faial (Horta) €62.73 – 4 days on Pico €44.97 – 3 days on São Jorge The €3/Day Hack via DiscoverCars |
| Fuel | €104.00 | €19 – 3 days on Faial (Horta) €51 – 4 days on Pico €34 – 3 days on São Jorge |
| Ferries | €100.00 | €8/person: Horta → Pico €17/person: Pico → São Jorge €25/person: São Jorge → Horta |
| Stay | €0.00 | Slept in the rental car. Read how |
| Food | €148.00 | €7.40/day per person. Shopped at Continente. |
| Activity | €90.00 | €25/person – Pico climb permit €20/person – crampon rental |
| TOTAL | €610.20 | 10 days at €30.51/day per person |
A daily budget of €10-€40 is a choice. One day of work in Australia funds my entire weekly trip.
My Car Rental Experience in the Azores
- Cost: Best rates likely at DiscoverCars.com. Cross check against azoresrentalcars (in my case they provided the best rate for Pico). To avoid paying additional fees, follow my Rental Excess Insurance Guide.
- Deposit Transfer: Rental companies like Autatlantis and Ilha Verde allow you to transfer the security deposit if you use their services for more islands, preventing multiple, concurrent holds on your credit card. You must inform them when checking out the car.
- Ferries: Ferries can get rough, but are a scenic adventure. Limited space for cars. Taking a rental is subject to high fees from the companies. I recommend getting a new rental car for each island and a walk-on ferry ticket. Ferries between Pico, Faial and São Jorge run all year long. In the summer, it’s possible to take one from Pico to Terceira, but it’s a very rough 7-hour ride.
Sleeping in a Rental in the Azores
- Legality: Legally grey area, generally tolerated, most likely you won’t find anybody else doing it on these islands. No “camping behavior” (chairs, tables outside of the car). Few spots marked on park4night app. Refer to my Car Sleeping Guide for more details.
- Infrastructure: Some public toilets, generally clean.
- Fuel: The fuel prices are locked and updated monthly. Cheaper than mainland Portugal due to lower taxes.
- Tolls: No toll roads in the Azores.
Other Tips
- Climbing Pico in Winter: If there’s snow on the mountain, you are required to carry crampons and will get checked by rangers. You can rent them at Sniper Outdoor in Madalena for €20/day.
- €4 50GB eSIM: If you need data, Lyca Mobile Portugal often runs a great promo – 50GB at €4/month. Check their site for active offers.
- Travelling to São Miguel?: It can be the cheapest of the Azores islands. Check out my trip report.
- Heading to Terceira?: It was one of the five Azores islands I visited on this trip. Terceira on €24/day.
- Inter-Island Flight Hack: If you’re looking for inter island flights, try Multi City search option on Skyscanner and choose up to 3 flights. I managed to snatch a combined ticket with 3 flights (Lisbon-Horta, Horta-Ponta Delgada, Ponta Delgada-Terceira) for €204.58 total, €102.29 per person via Trip.com OTA (registered luggage included). You might have to play around with the dates.
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