How to Get From Porto Airport to the City Center

The landing point of this flight is Porto Airport. You’re excited to explore. However, first, you have to get to the center of the city.

Most of the travellers spend 30 to 60 minutes in transport calculations. Others make the wrong decision regarding their schedule. Some have been wasting time at ticket machines not knowing where to go when they could be viewing the sightseeing areas.

The Porto Airport is located near to the city. There are several means of transport that will take you to the center within a short time. The right option requires three things being taken into consideration: your arrival time, your luggage status and your budget.

This manual brushes aside the confusion. You will be aware of the mode of transport that saves you time and stress.

Where is Porto Airport

Porto Airport (Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport) is located 11 kilometers north-west of the city. That’s roughly 7 miles.

Majority of the transport methods require around 2030 minutes to access central Porto. The metro serves the very centre of the city. Ride-shares and taxis operate according to the same route.

Making a bad choice will cost you between 30 and 45 minutes. That is almost a tenth of your whole day being wasted.

Metro

The Line E (Violet Line) of the Porto Metro operates out of the airport. It is the mode of transport that I recommend to most of the travelers.

The line links you to the central parts of Porto. It is approximately 25 minutes to Trindade station (the central interchange in the city). Most major attractions can be walking distance there. It is also only one more stop away (Sao Bento train station with its famous tiling).

The duration of travel to the city center is 20-30 minutes. Periodicity: after every 2030 minutes (scheduling higher during peak time). Does not operate 24/7 (in the morning, the first train is at about 6:00 AM, the last one is at about 1:00 AM)

Best for: Solo passengers, couples and light travelers who need to travel with comfortable time and good pricing.

Bus

Porto Airport is linked by a number of bus routes with the city. There are routes 601, 602 and 604 serving various regions of Porto.

The buses are slightly cheaper than the metro. However, buses take longer. It takes 35 to 50 minutes to get to the center depending on the traffic.

Metro trains have less space of luggage compared to buses. That’s their main advantage. However, they operate less compared to the metro. During off-peak times, you may wait half an hour to take the next bus.

When buses make sense:

You carry too big a luggage that the metro cannot handle and go to a particular location that is better accessed by bus. You like seeing the city as it is on the streets.

When to skip buses:

You have got a fast schedule one day and you arrive during rush hour. You desire predictable most of the time travelling.

To the majority of visitors who visit on a daily basis, the metro outsmart the bus.

Taxi and Ride-Sharing

There is a taxi which is waiting right outside the arrivals hall. Porto Airport is active in ride-sharing applications. It takes 15-25 minutes to travel to the city center (traffic dependent).

Preferrable Situations

• Your trip is scheduled before six in the morning or after midnight.
• You have to travel in a group of 3-4 people (divide the cost)
• You are bearing a lot of luggage or a bunch of bags.
• You appreciate convenience in a door to door fashion.
• you are not in the places accessible by metro.

Private Transfers & Shuttles

You are able to reserve individual airport transfers. Privatised transfers get utmost comfort.

Privatization consumes your budget without saving much time. The metro will transport you there in a matter of seconds at a quarter of the price. Unless this is needed, pass over this option.

Ticket

Locate the blue Andante ticket machines in the terminal in the metro station. They take coins, bills and majority of the credit cards. The interface provides options of English language.

How Long Door to Door

These total times landing at your hotel include:

With metro:

Immigration/baggage: 15- 30 minutes.
Walk to metro: 5 minutes
Metro journey: 25 minutes
Walk to hotel: 5-15 minutes
Total: 50-75 minutes

With ride-sharing/taxi:

Immigration/baggage: 15- 30 minutes.
Find driver/exit: 5-10 minutes
Drive: 15-25 minutes
Total: 35-65 minutes

Include Buffer Time when you are hitting Happy hour (8:00-9:30 AM, 5.00-9:00 PM weekdays). This is because morning rush hour strikes metro. Traffic in the evenings slows down taxis and ride- shares.

Frequently Asked Questions