Renting a car for a month in Portugal seemed like a smart financial decision—until I realized the roads were narrow, the hills were steep, and I had chosen a manual transmission. Why? Because the manual car rental cost me a grand total of $46 for 25 days, while an automatic would have set me back nearly ten times that.
“How hard could it be, really?” I thought. Famous last words.
Determined to learn on the fly, I spent 20 minutes watching YouTube tutorials and armed myself with a mantra: clutch is bae. This would be my guiding light through countless stalled engines, exasperated honks, and the occasional near-catastrophe.
Table of Contents
Useful Travel Links! |
---|
Disclosure: Please note that some of the links below may be affiliate links at no additional cost to you.
- Flights – I use Skyscanner to find amazing flight deals.
- Accommodation – For the best guesthouse and hotel rates, use Booking.com.
- Rent A Car – I got the deal on Booking.com
- Fun Activities – Get Your Guide and Viator provide ease of discovering and booking a wide range of activities like walking tours, fun excursions, private guides, and more.
- Protect Your Trip – Don’t forget travel insurance!
A Rocky Start (Literally)
The last time I attempted to drive a manual was a decade ago in Ireland. That experience ended with me almost rear-ending a parked vehicle as I tried to pull out of the parking lot and panic-calling my brother, failing to grasp his instructions, and ultimately paying extra for an automatic. This time, I was older, wiser, and had a foolproof plan: get the rental attendant to drive the car out of the lot for me.
Once on the open road, I confidently (read: nervously) shifted gears and made my way from Lisbon to Setúbal. Each red light was a battle against gravity, my car stalling repeatedly as frustrated locals hurled colorful insults in my direction. I shrugged it off as “day one jitters.” But things escalated when I missed my turn and, in my attempt to reverse, found myself rolling toward a tree.
I flagged down a kind woman for help, parked safely for the night, and resolved to seek actual human instruction.