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=== Legal stuff ===
Normally, police won't bother you. Despite is forbidden to hitchhike at the middle of the highway, like mostly everywhere, your chances increase if you ask for a lift at the service stations or even at the tolls. In Portugal highways are payable, and so many of the vehicles stop at the tolls in order to pay.
Although walking along the highway (Autoestrada) can be an effective method in Portugal, you risk being stopped by the highway patrol. If you are friendly enough they might give you a lift to the nearest town or national road where it is legal to walk, but some have been known to call the police, particularly near Lisbon. Walking along the highway is not a punishable offense and there is no fine, but having the police called is a hassle for everyone involved. Note that simply hitchiking in general is perfectly legal, rather it is the act of walking along the highways which is illegal.
A traditional toll plaza usually has an electronic toll lane and one or more lanes for manual payment. Not all the vehicles stop because they have the electronic system which collects their costs with no need to stop. The vehicles which stop will do it at least by two different times. First, they collect a ticket which signs the start of their trip at a certain place. Later, they stop for the manual payment at a lane. Obviously, you will be less noticed when you ask for a lift during the collection of a ticket than during the payment at a lane.
