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PORTO - Getting around by Metro, tram, train and bus

THIS PAGE CHECKED AND UPDATED 5th OCTOBER 2024

REDE-EXPRESSOS LONG DISTANCE BUS (COACH) TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLY 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE
CURRENT TIMES WILL BE OK FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. THEY RARELY CHANGE.

Page compiled from visits to the city. Porto is not in the Algarve - I have been visiting! It is the second city of Portugal, located in the north about 200 miles / 320km from Lisbon.

Please confirm/check on the various official websites before travelling. The emphasis is on public transport, partly as it is so efficient and inexpensive and partly as I don't drive and I am too mean to pay for taxis if there's an alternative.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENT PILOT PROGRAMME ON PORTO CITY TRANSPORT

Contactless payment in not generally available on Porto city transport. However, a pilot programme is under way which allows contactless payment at some metro stations and on one popular bus route. The airport station is included. Cards accepted are VISA, VPAY, Electron and Mastercard. You are advised to remove the card from your wallet to avoid having two different cards pinged for payment! On the Metro, contactless is available at :

Purple Line (E): Aeroporto, Senhora da Hora, Casa da Música and Trindade stations;
Lines A, B, C, D and F: Campanhã, Bolhão, Campo 24 de Agosto, São Bento and Aliados (city centre stations).
Also available on the number 500 bus which runs between Praça da Républica (Aliados) and Matosinhos.

Each tap will cost €2,15 and is valid for 1hr 15 minutes including transfers / changes. If you make four or more journeys in the same day, the price is capped at €7.  You must use only the blue validators like this Validatorwith the contactless symbol. Thanks to Helena A on Trip Advisor for this information.

Arriving in Porto by Air

Porto Airport has a station on the Metro do Porto light-rail system. Metro from the airport runs to the city centre TRINDAD station currently every 15 - 20 minutes on weekdays, about every 20 minutes at weekends and on holidays,. First trains are at 0606 weekdays, 0558 Saturdays and 0557 Sundays and Holidays. Last train is at 00.42 every night. Alternate trains (all trains after about 2000hrs) are extended to Campanhã (for the main railway station and long distance bus station) ending at Estádio do Dragão, the stadium of FC Porto.

More information at www.metrodoporto.pt and below. Tickets must be bought from the ticket machines at the station or at the tourist information office.  You can reach most of the city centre (you may need to change lines at Trindad) in about 35 minutes for €2,75, which includes the 60 cents for the rechargeable ticket card you can re-use for later trips.

The metro station at the airport is on the surface. Most of the journey into the city is also on the surface. The vehicles are fully accessible - picture below. There is plenty of space for wheelchairs and large items of luggage at each end of the trains. About half the trains from the airport now end at Trindad station. You may therefore have to change lines there to get anywhere else, including the main Campanhã railway station. At Trindad it is a matter of a few steps between levels or an elevator. If going to Campanhã,  avoid even that minor inconvenience by getting off the airport train at the station before Trindad, called Lapa and wait on the same platform for one going to Campanhã. The first direct trains from Campanhã station to the airport are at 0707 on weekdays, 0706 on Saturdays and 0703 on Sundays and Holidays.  The last train from Campanhã is at 0031 every night. If no direct train is shown, take any WESTBOUND train and change at Lapa station.

Metro service to the airport from Trindad starts on weekdays at 0558hrs, weekends and holidays at 0622hrs and runs every day until 00.37hrs. Trains are currently running about every 15 minutes daily between about 0700 and 2000. At other times trains run about every 20 - 30 minutes. Check times, it is Line E,  at www.metrodoporto.pt

There are also a number of local bus routes from the airport to various suburbs not covered by the metro. Times at www.stcp.pt or see below.

There is a bus once or twice each hour during the night, when the metro does not run,  between the city centre at Aliados and the airport. Go to http://www.stcp.pt/en/travel/ and find route / line 3M - down at the bottom of the list.

Arriving in Porto by train

Intercity and Alfa Pendular trains from Lisbon arrive at the Porto Campanhã station. This is on the eastern edge of the city, about 2km or 1¼ miles from the city centre. If you have booked on line to Campanhã, you can connect with local 'Urbanos' trains free of charge for the 3 minute run to the city centre station of São Bento. There are also local trains to the eastern suburbs - more information at www.cp.pt - look for Urbanos Porto or see below.

Alternatively, you can pick up the Metro do Porto at Campanhã for the city centre plus the northern and western suburbs, or take one of the many buses - see below. Tip - there is only one ticket machine at the metro station entrance. There are more in the main station building on Platform 1. There is also a 'Loja Andante' (city transport ticket and enquiry office) on the way to the metro platforms, queues (lines) are often very long.

Estádio do Dragão, the stadium of FC Porto, is about 1.2km from Campanhã or one stop on the Metro to Estádio do Dragão.

Most Regional and Urbanos trains go to/from both the Campanhã and São Bento stations, but some do not. Check times carefully.

Arriving / departing Porto by bus (coach)

The long-distance bus (coach) timetables often do not tell you which bus station is used, which in larger cities with more than one (such as Porto!) is a bit of a problem. There are several long distance bus stations in Porto, used by the different companies.

Below are the long distance and regional terminals and the companies that use them. Note that at most there is nothing and often no-one to tell you which bus leaves from which stop, so allow time to find the correct stop for your bus. For long distance buses, you must usually purchase a ticket either from the company website or from a ticket office before boarding. On local and suburban city buses you can pay the driver in cash. Cash fare for the city centre zones is €2,50 but almost everyone has a pass of some kind, which greatly reduces the cost.

Porto Bus Stations / Bus Terminals

A large bus station (Terminal Intermodal Campanhã or TIC)  is located adjacent to the Campanhã railway station, which is in the eastern suburbs. Most long distance and many regional services stop there. There are various smaller bus terminals scattered around the city.

The names of the various different bus companies are shown with links to their websites. STCP is the Porto city bus operator.

GREATER PORTO SUBURBAN AREA UNIR - https://www.unirmobilidade.pt/
This operation has taken over the routes previously operated by several different local bus companies in the suburban Greater Porto area. The website is only in Portuguese. A list of routes and timetables by area can be found at https://www.unirmobilidade.pt/municipios/#anchor=horarios
Each route has a page with a diagram of the places it serves. It is a complicated system, with buses to and from the same towns going to different bus stations in Porto. I have been unable to find any map of their routes.

Ticketing is integrated with the ANDANTE tickets used on Porto metro, city buses and suburban trains.

Airport - some journeys to / from northern Spain with ALSA, AUTNA, Flixbus, Internorte and Rede Expressos stop at the airport. Also served by various buses of UNIR - suburban bus operator to places where the metro does not go. There is a night bus to and from the city centre while the metro does not run. For that, go to https://www.stcp.pt/en/travel/lines/ and find line / route 3M from the list on the left.
Campanhã
(railway station) -  STCP city buses and UNIR buses to Arouca, Gondomar, Penafiel - see also below for the regional and long distance Terminal Intermodal Campanhã nearby.
Casa da Musica - adjacent to Casa da Musica metro station. ALSA, Internorte including their Eurolines international services, Autna services to Vigo (Spain). Various UNIR routes towards Matosinhos and across the bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia and beyond. Also many local STCP city buses.  Picture here.
Hospital São João -
many STCP city buses. A downloadable leaflet showing the layout of their stops and a spider map of city and suburban places served is here., UNIR  and some other commuter buses towards the northern and western suburbs, including Maia, Gondomar, Lousadsa, Paredes, Penafiel and Santo Tirso. Also is on metro line D. Close to University (Polo Universitário).
João de Deus metro station (actually south of the river in Gaia) - UNIR and STCP
Parque das Camelias (Rua de Augusto Rosa) - UNIR,- outdoor bus station in an awkward location in Batalha district several minutes walk from nearest metro stations at Bolhão or São Bento. Picture here. Buses to Arouca, Oliveira de Azameis and São João Madeira, among others.
Polo Universitário - UNIR, Rodonorte - next to the metro station of the same name to the north of the city centre. Weekdays only service to various small towns to the north and east. Also used by some Rede-Expressos services towards Amarante. Numerous STCP buses stop nearby.
Terminal Intermodal Campanhã (TIC) adjacent to Campanhã railway and metro stations, about 3 minutes walk via a tunnel under the tracks. All Rede Expressos domestic and international routes now use this facility.  Used by ALSA - services to Spain, AUTNA (to Vigo, Spain),UNIR, Internorte, Flixbus and also Gypsyy Bus for their direct service between Porto and Sintra.

Getting around Porto by Metro logo

The Metro do Porto is not an underground railway like London, New York or Lisbon. It's a network of six tram or light-rail lines, running on the surface in the suburbs, then converging to run under the city centre in tunnels. The website has comprehensive information, much of it in English.

Trains run every 15 - 30 minutes on each line from 06.00hrs until around 01.00hrs. Through the central section from Senhora da Hora to Estádio do Dragão that means a train every 5 or 6 minutes most of the day. Four of the lines radiate out to the western and north-western suburbs and the airport. Line A has a stop (Matosnhos Sul) near the Porto cruise terminal. Line B is a long run along the trace of a very old railway to Póvoa de Varzim. Line D, runs north to south from the Hospital São João across the Douro River (on a rather spectacular bridge) to Santo Oviedo and Vila d'Este, in the city of Gaia. Line E serves the airport, line F extends eastwards through the Rio Tinto area into the neighbouring city of Gondomar.

A map of metro and railways here.
tram

Ticketing is fully integrated with most buses, trams and much of the local rail network under the 'ANDANTE' banner. Zonal fares are used, so you must always be sure that you buy a ticket for the correct number of zones for your journey. Day passes are available and you can choose how many zones you want. Tickets are ridiculously cheap by UK standards; a two zone (Z2) ticket covers most central city journeys and is €1.20! A two zone (Z2) day pass is €4,15 - this covers the whole of the central city area. In both cases add 60 cents for the rechargeable ticket card. You must validate your ticket at the scanners when starting each journey or changing between Metro lines or from bus to Metro. If a nasty noise sounds and a red light flashes, your ticket is not valid!

This map shows the urban railways and the Andante Zones.

The Andante Azul and Andante 24 tickets are re-chargeable, so for example, the first ticket, for example from the airport to the city, will cost €2.60 (including €0.60 for the card) and subsequent re-charges for the same zones just €2.00 per trip. You can re-charge the ticket until it wears out or the micro-chip fails! You can recharge your ticket with rides of the same value or change the ticket type on the machine, but the Andante offices will swap for you if needed.

There is of course an app for travel tickets for download, but only for Android phones. Details at https://linhandante.com/en/purchase/anda-app/

Andante Tour tickets are not rechargeable. Also, these are NOT valid on the 'old' trams on routes 1, 18 and 22 nor on the elevator. Andante Tour tickets are purchased from Andante shops (which are NOT open on Sundays and holidays) listed here plus th main railway stations. The 24 hour ticket costs €7,50, the 72 hour ticket is €16. Both are valid on all metros and buses.

Metro stations and stops are unstaffed. The machines take coins, notes and cards. Many stations have only one ticket machine. Don't be tempted to avoid paying - although there are no entry barriers on the system, groups of revenue protection staff make random spot checks on passengers with hand-held scanners. The current penalty for travelling without a validated ticket is €95. During one visit, my ticket was checked twice on the same tram by two different inspectors ten minutes apart.

On a security note, uniformed security staff patrol most stations, day and night. These are the only visible staff apart from train crew and those ticket inspectors. I also noticed city police routinely travelling on trams. The whole system seemed safe and secure; no groups of kids or beggars hanging about. Many stations now also have CCTV.

Non-Portuguese speakers will be pleased to know that almost all the signs and announcements on Metro are in English as well as Portuguese.

Getting around Porto by Train aveiro logo  braga logo marco logo guimaraes logo

The Porto Urbanos train network is operated by CP, the national rail operator. There are three routes serving the northern and eastern suburbs with a fourth line south to Espinho and Aveiro. Large map here.

Trains run at much less frequent intervals than the Metro, especially at weekends, so you will need to check timetables at www.cp.pt before making a journey - look for the 'Urbanos Porto'. However, as a general guide, trains on the Braga line run about every hour every day, on the Guimarães line about every two hours; to Penafiel and Marco de Canaveses about once every hour daily, with additional trains on weekdays rush hours on all lines. Down to Espinho and Aveiro, trains run about every half hour on weekdays and every hour at weekends and holidays with weekday rush hour extras. If you are coming by train from Lisbon to either Aveiro or Vila Nova de Gaia, all the trains stop there before they reach Porto Campanhã.

Fares are very inexpensive. The 1hr 20 minute ride from Porto São Bento to Braga or Guimarães will cost you a whole €3.45 on the local trains. Various tourist passes are available also if you plan to travel more frequently.  The CP Urbanos routes within the Greater Porto area are incorporated into the metro and bus Andante ticketing system. Any tickets specific to trips on CP trains are now issued on a rechargeable card called SIGA, which costs 50 cents. These can be reloaded and re-used for any trip wholly on the Porto Urbanos network. For regular users, there a many different passes available. The Andante Tour passes are available to destinations within about 30 minutes of the city, for example to Espinho.

Getting around Porto by bus stcp logo

Porto has an excellent bus network covering the city and far out into the suburbs. Many buses are operated by STCP (Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto, SA) but, especially out in the suburbs, there are several other operators. Almost all of their routes are integrated into the ANDANTE ticketing system, but you might find the times slightly harder to come by as some websites are not easy to use. STCP times and route maps are all available through their website; timetables were clearly displayed at most of the bus stops I used. Beware that in some busy places/interchanges there are several bus stops, so you sometimes have to look for the right one for your route. Several routes radiate from the Airport into the suburbs to complement the Metro service. Consult this website for a comprehensive, all operators, trip

BUSES IN MOST OF THE OUTER SUBURBAN AREAS OF PORTO ARE NOW OPERATED BY UNIR. GO TO THE YELLOW BOX ABOVE FOR INFORMATION.

Rodonorte logo from Polo Universitário metro station, limited weekday buses to various small towns to the east.

Getting around Porto by tram (classic tram)

There are only three tram routes remaining in Porto. Ancient (but refurbished) four-wheeled wooden trams dating from the 1920's are used.  Although operated primarily for tourists, local people still use them. Hours of service are between about 0900 and 1900  daily, with some later trips when trams return to the depôt at Massarelos.

All historic lines are included in the standard ANDANTE ticketing system, but if you pay cash on board it will cost €5(!) adult or one journey, €7 for two journeys on the same day and €10 for two days unlimited journeys on all three routes. There is a reduction for children under 12yrs. A tram museum ticket also includes rides on these routes. NB The ANDANTE TOUR tickets are not valid on these old trams.

Printable leaflet with maps and all details of the trams  http://www.portotramcitytour.pt/Porto-Tram-City-Tours.pdf

Football Stadiums in Porto

FC Porto play at the Estádio do Dragão, which is on Metro lines A, B, E and F. It is about 1.2km (3/4 mile) from Porto Campanhã main-line railway station. There are many bus routes in the area. The other major team in Porto, Boavista FC, play at the Bessa Stadium, which is in the Boavista district to the west of the city centre. Nearest Metro station (Francos) is about 600 metres away. Buses along the Avenida de Boavista at its junction with Rua de Pedro Hispano stop closer. Leixões FC play in the Estádio do Mar out at Matosinhos, reachable by metro from the city centre. The closest stop is called Estádio do Mar and is about 700 metres away.

Comments and updates

If you have any comments or updates for this page, I will be pleased to receive them by email.

I take no responsibility for any inconvenience caused as a result of later changes to times etc. This page is for general guidance only and you must check details before making commitments and decisions!

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