125cc motorbike rental in Lisbon: real prices, conditions and how to pay less

Anyone looking into 125cc motorbike rental in Lisbon almost always wants to know three things: how much they'll pay in the end, whether their licence is enough, and what happens if they scratch the scooter in a tight parking spot in Alfama. We answer all three with the numbers we use every day at our shop in Sobreda, just across the bridge, and with the rules as they stand in the law, not on forums.

In short:

• Price per day (October 2026): from €35.68 (Honda Vision NSC110) to €62.57 (Yamaha NMAX 125), VAT included.
• Deposit: €400 to €600, held on your card and released within five working days of the return.
• 400 km a day included; each extra kilometre costs €0.35.
• Licence: A1, A2 or A, or a B licence if you are 25 or older.
• Book with 30% of the price; the rest is paid at pick-up.

This guide isn't a list of "tips". It's the maths done for you: the daily price of each model, what a week or a month comes to, what's already included, what isn't, and where you can genuinely save.

Why 125s rule city rentals

Lisbon punishes big cars. The streets of Alfama, Graça and Bica were laid out long before anyone thought about parking, and crossing the 25 de Abril Bridge at rush hour can take longer than the ride itself. A 125 solves this without asking much of the rider: it weighs around 130 kg, has an automatic gearbox (on the scooters), cruises comfortably at 90 km/h on the motorway and sips fuel.

There's a legal reason too. In Portugal, anyone with a car licence can ride motorcycles up to 125 cm³ and 11 kW, as long as they're 25 or older. That opens up 125 rental to plenty of people who have never taken a motorbike test. We'll come back to this further down, because there are nuances worth knowing before you book.

How much does it cost to rent a 125 in Lisbon: the real prices

The figures below are the daily prices currently in our catalogue, with 23% VAT included. No "from" rate with an asterisk: what you see on each bike's page is what you pay for every 24 hours.

Prices per day, October 2026

Model	Type	Price per day	Deposit
Honda Vision NSC110	110 cc scooter	€35.68	€400
Honda PCX125	125 cc scooter	€45.77	€600
Honda PCX125 DX	125 cc scooter	€55.80	€600
Yamaha MT-125	125 cc naked, manual gears	€59.51	€600
Yamaha NMAX 125 Tech MAX	125 cc scooter	€62.57	€600

Technically the Vision isn't a 125, but it belongs in this conversation because the same licence rules apply and it's the cheapest option if you only need to get around town.

What's already included in the price

On every one of these bikes the daily price includes VAT, third-party liability insurance, roadside assistance, a helmet for the rider and a lock. Third-party insurance isn't a nice extra on our part: the law requires it for any motorcycle on the road, and Decreto-Lei n.º 291/2007 sets fines of €500 to €2,500 for riding without it. When you rent, that part is always taken care of.

Each rental day includes 400 km. For the vast majority of people that's more than enough: Lisbon to Sintra, a loop through Cascais and back comes in well under 150 km. If you go over the limit, each extra kilometre costs €0.35.

A week, a month: what a longer rental comes to

Lots of people search for "monthly motorbike rental" or "monthly scooter rental" hoping to find a fixed package. We work differently, and we'd rather say so upfront: the price is calculated per day, with the same rates whether you rent for two days or thirty. No monthly deal with small print. The upside is that the maths is transparent and takes ten seconds:

Model	7 days	30 days
Honda Vision NSC110	€249.76	€1,070.40
Honda PCX125	€320.39	€1,373.10
Honda PCX125 DX	€390.60	€1,674.00
Yamaha MT-125	€416.57	€1,785.30
Yamaha NMAX 125 Tech MAX	€437.99	€1,877.10

Compared with the obvious alternative, a public transport pass plus a few ride-hailing trips a week, the Vision at €35.68 a day rarely loses if you get around a lot. If you're staying for several weeks, it's worth talking to us before you book: we can tell you which model makes most sense for the kind of riding you'll do, which sometimes saves more than any discount would.

Extra hours count too (but not much)

If you bring the bike back a few hours after your pick-up time, you don't pay for a whole day. Extra hours are charged in proportion to the daily rate. On the PCX125, each extra hour comes to about €1.91. Handy if you have an evening flight and want to make the most of your last morning.

How to rent cheaply without falling into traps

"Low cost motorbike rental" is one of the most common searches in this area, and it's easy to see why. But the lowest price in the ad isn't always the lowest price on the bill. These are the choices that, in practice, move the final figure the most.

Pick the model for the ride, not the photo

If you're staying within Lisbon, hopping between the hotel, the viewpoints and the restaurants, the Vision or the PCX will do the job and then some. The NMAX and the PCX DX pay off if you'll be on the motorway every day or carrying a passenger with luggage. The MT-125 is for people who enjoy changing gears and a sportier riding position, not for those who just want to get to the beach.

Pay just 30% when you book

With us you can book by paying only 30% of the total and settle the rest on pick-up day. For a PCX125 over three days (€137.31), that means paying €41.19 to secure the bike and the rest when you collect it. It's not a saving as such, but it means your money isn't tied up weeks before the trip, and it lets you book early, which in July and August is what guarantees there's still a 125 available.

A weekend example

Friday morning to Sunday morning on a PCX125 is three days: €137.31 in total. You pay €41.19 when you book, the remaining €96.12 at pick-up, and €600 is held on your card, released again after you return the bike. If you bring your own helmet for the passenger and stay within the 1,200 km included for those three days, that's the whole bill.

Mind the deposit

The deposit on the 125s is €600 (€400 on the Vision). It isn't charged: it's held on your credit or debit card at check-in and released within five working days of the return, provided the bike comes back the way it left. Before you travel, check with your bank that your card accepts this kind of hold and that you have enough available credit. It's the number one cause of delays at pick-up.

Passenger helmet and other extras

The rider's helmet is included. The passenger helmet, luggage, phone mount and other accessories are chosen during booking, priced per day. If you already have your own helmet in good condition, bring it: it's the simplest way to cut the bill, as long as it hasn't passed its expiry date. The manufacturing date is on a label inside. Remember that helmets are mandatory for both rider and passenger, as set out in article 82 of the Código da Estrada (the Portuguese Highway Code).

Which licence you need to rent a 125

This is where most of the confusion comes in, especially among visitors from abroad. The Portuguese rule is this: according to the Instituto da Mobilidade e dos Transportes (IMT), holders of a valid category B licence are considered qualified to ride motorcycles up to 125 cm³ and 11 kW, provided they're 25 or older or, if younger, hold a moped licence. The rule comes from Lei n.º 78/2009, which amended the Código da Estrada.

When renting with us, this boils down to two simple scenarios:

• You hold an A1, A2 or A licence: you can rent any of these 125s.
• You only hold a B licence: you need to be 25 on the day of pick-up.

There's a detail few people know about. The European directive on driving licences, Directive 2006/126/EC, leaves it to each country to decide whether a B licence covers A1 motorcycles, and that equivalence only applies within that country. If your licence was issued outside Portugal, get in touch before you book so we can confirm your case. We'd much rather sort this out by message than at the counter on the day of your trip.

The cases of riders under 25, or with a moped licence, are explained in detail in can I ride a 125 with a car licence.

What to bring on pick-up day

Pick-up is at the shop on the Estrada Nacional N10-1 in Sobreda, every day from 09:00 to 19:00. You can also request delivery to your address or to the airport as an extra service when booking. Wherever it is, you'll need:

• A national ID card or passport.
• A valid driving licence (A1 or higher, or B if you're 25 or over).
• A credit or debit card in your name, for the deposit hold.

Before handing over the keys, we inspect the bike with you: photos from several angles, a record of mileage and fuel, and any existing scratch marked on a digital diagram that you sign on a tablet. We repeat the process on return. It may look like red tape, but it's what protects your deposit: if a scratch was already there, it's on record and photographed.

Parking a 125 in Lisbon for free

This is one of the strongest arguments for a motorbike, and hardly anyone knows the details. Lisbon's Regulamento Geral de Estacionamento e Paragem na Via Pública de Lisboa (the city's on-street parking rules) says two things that matter if you rent a 125. First, in limited-time parking zones (the ones run by EMEL, the municipal parking company), motorcycles and mopeds may only park in the bays reserved for them (article 7). Second, in those reserved bays they don't pay the parking fee (article 12).

In other words: parking in a motorbike bay is free, but squeezing the scooter into a car space inside an EMEL zone isn't the clever move it looks like. Outside Lisbon the rules vary from one municipality to the next, so check the signs before you leave the bike.

Three rides that make the rental worth it

A 125 isn't built to cross the country in a day, but the area around Lisbon could have been designed for one. From Sobreda, Costa da Caparica is a few minutes away and the road to Cabo Espichel is one of the prettiest in the region, with little traffic outside summer weekends. Heading north, the coast road between Lisbon, Oeiras and Cascais is easy going on a scooter, and the climb up to Sintra via Malveira da Serra rewards an early start.

On the other side, Setúbal and Arrábida make a relaxed half-day trip, with an obligatory stop for fried cuttlefish.

Once you have your dates, the quickest way to rent a 125cc motorbike is to pick the model and days in the catalogue: the total price shows up straight away, with the 30% booking payment already worked out. If you're landing in Lisbon and don't want to cross the bridge to collect the bike, airport delivery can be added to the same booking as a service.

Questions we get at the counter

Can I rent a 125 for just one day?

Yes. The minimum is one day, and extra hours are charged proportionally.

Can I take a passenger?

You can, if your licence allows it and your passenger wears a helmet. The passenger helmet is booked as an extra.

What happens if the bike breaks down?

Roadside assistance is included in the price. Call us and we'll handle the rest.

I've had a B licence for years but I'm 24. Can I rent?

Only if you also hold a moped licence. Without one, your age counts for more than how long you've been driving, and the alternative is to get an A1 licence at a driving school.

How much will I spend on fuel?

Less than you'd think. The PCX125 uses around 2.5 litres per 100 km, and its 8.1-litre tank is good for about 320 km. A day trip to Ericeira and back usually needs a single fill-up, or none at all if you collect the bike with a full tank.