Will car rental hikes leave us stranded in the Algarve?

Simon Calder answers your questions on public transport in southern Portugal, boarding mistakes, September getaways, and handing over your luggage early

You can let the train take the strain from Faro (Simon Calder)

Q A couple of weeks ago you wrote about the extremely high cost of hiring a car in the US. It’s looking very expensive this month in the Algarve, too. How reasonable is public transport? We will be staying in Lagos, which is a fair way west of Faro airport, where we arrive.

Kay B

A The chronic shortage of rental vehicles in leading holiday destinations may actually turn out to have a silver lining: by revealing to holidaymakers that in many locations it is perfectly possible to survive without a car. That certainly applies in the Algarve, which I have explored happily by train and bus.