Travel and transport agencies Lajes

Connections include Lisbon and Porto, and most of the islands of the archipelago. Lajes is the former major US base, which has been somewhat sidelined in recent years, even though the "coalition" of Americans, British and Spanish met here on March 16 and 17, 2003 to discuss the "Iraq affair", just before deciding to bomb Baghdad. The best way to get to the airport from downtown Angra is by cab. You can also leave your rental car here, as there are numerous car rental agencies.

TAP Air Portugal is one of the airlines that can take you to the Azores from Paris, Lyon, Nantes, Bordeaux, Toulouse, Marseille or Nice. After a stopover in Ponta Delgada (on the island of São Miguel), you'll land in Lajes, on the island of Terceira. You can then fly to other islands with SATA Azores Airlines, which has a monopoly on inter-island flights in the archipelago. Inter-island connections are relatively good, but flights can be cancelled or delayed due to the sometimes capricious weather conditions in the Azores.

Correspondent of Avis and Europcar, Ilha Verde is a serious company established on all the islands except Corvo and Graciosa. Renting with this agency is an extremely rare practice and will facilitate the process if you plan to travel to several islands in the Azores and move around by car. The A category generally corresponds to a Renault Twingo. As for the other categories, you will have the choice between Nissan Qashqai, Ford Focus, Renault Capture... Minibuses or 4x4 vehicles can also be rented. All with unlimited mileage.

Terceira is linked to the USA, Canada, Madeira, Portugal and other European countries by SATA Azores Airlines, which also has a monopoly on inter-island connections. From France, however, you can only fly to the Azores from Ponta Delgada: you'll then need to take another flight to Terceira. Terceira has direct flights to all the other islands in the archipelago, except Santa Maria and Corvo. Inter-island flights can be disrupted by the sometimes capricious weather conditions in the Azores.

Autatlantis is a solid car rental agency with a presence on seven islands: São Miguel, Santa Maria, Pico, Terceira, São Jorge, Faial and Flores. So if you're planning an itinerant holiday on these seven islands, you can ask for a global quote. The fleet is renewed every year to offer you the latest car models and a high level of safety and comfort. Two types of insurance packages are available. You can also rent a minibus or 4x4 vehicle.

Another very serious car rental chain, belonging to the famous Bensaude group. On Terceira, you will find a branch when you get off the plane at the airport and another one in the Mar Hotel in Angra do Heroísmo (Portões de São Pedro, n° 1; open every day from 8.30am to 7pm).