Affordable transport options from Porto Airport to historic old town

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

After hiking the camino frances four times, this fall I'm going to hike camino portuguese, starting in Porto. I already booked the flight and made private room reservations for each night. I learned that the Porto airport is approx. 10 miles from the historic downtown part of Porto. I'd like to better understand the various transit options from the airport to downtown. I'm not keen on taking the metro, I don't do Uber or Lift, and want to avoid the high cost options, such as a taxi. What do you recommend regarding a bus, or other options that are reasonably quick and affordable? Gracias ! Bob

 

[Grousedoctor]

Hey Bob. I wish I could comment on buses from the airport to downtown, but we’ve only taken the metro the two times we’ve arrived in Porto. As I best remember, there is just one transfer on the metro in order to get to the historical section of the city. I know you said it wasn’t your preferred means of travel, but the metro is clean, quick, and from the airport not particularly crowded (but that would certainly depend on the time of day you arrive). We were able to get off at the Sao Bento train station. Since we were staying at Passenger Hostel right inside this beautiful station. Enjoy your Camino.

 

[Corned Beef]

Metro is very good but the Airport's site has more information on buses

Public Transportation | Porto Airport

Public transportation at Porto Airport: An efficient network is available to get you to the airport or to the city centre. Discover the best option for you!

www.aeroportoporto.pt

 

[J Willhaus]

Looking at the website @Corned Beef shared looks like is the Purple Line Metro for 2 euros that takes you straight downtown in 27 minutes. Good deal!

 

[klimmo]

I took a bus which brought me smack bam in the middle of downtown.

Generally I use the public transport option on google maps to do point to point planning and that works quite well.

 

[trecile]

. I'd like to better understand the various transit options from the airport to downtown. I'm not keen on taking the metro, I don't do Uber or Lift, and want to avoid the high cost options, such as a taxi.

So, it sounds like only a bus will do, as you seem to have ruled out other transit options!

You can use Google Maps to find local bus times.

When you search you can choose your preferred mode of transportation.





You can also change the time and date to a future time and date, but it appears that the time listed will be in your home time zone when you are still at home so you'll have to do some time calculations if you are using this as a pre-planning tool.

 

[Roland49]

I took the Metro from Trindade to the airport on my way back home after my CF.

It was a nice ride. After leaving the central parts of the City running as underground the Metro changes to groundlevel after the stop "Casa da Musica" and vice versa.

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

Thanks, all. I may challenge myself to take the Metro. Sounds easy and inexpensive. Cindi and I always took the metro from the airport to Puerto del Sol in downtown Madrid. Depending on time of day, it was sometimes jammed with passengers and making transfers could be confusing, but we never got lost! Bob

 

[trecile]

Thanks, all. I may challenge myself to take the Metro. Sounds easy and inexpensive. Cindi and I always took the metro from the airport to Puerto del Sol in downtown Madrid. Depending on time of day, it was sometimes jammed with passengers and making transfers could be confusing, but we never got lost! Bob

It's all part of the adventure!

 

[Flog]

Thanks, all. I may challenge myself to take the Metro. Sounds easy and inexpensive. Cindi and I always took the metro from the airport to Puerto del Sol in downtown Madrid. Depending on time of day, it was sometimes jammed with passengers and making transfers could be confusing, but we never got lost!

The metro into Porto is very efficient, there's one every 20 minutes and there's usually a guy there to help at the ticket machine if you're stuck. The last stop, Trinidade, is only a few minutes walk downhill to the centre of the city so you might not even need to transfer if you're staying close by. Even when it's busy at rush hour, it's not too crowded..

 

[trecile]

I much prefer the metro when I'm in an unfamiliar place - it's harder to ask the bus driver any questions when you don't understand the language. Metro stations often have an information booth.

On the bus I'd be worried about accidentally ending up in some remote suburb with infrequent service. At least with the metro it's usually easy to go back to where you came from.

 

[KSimons22]

The metro into Porto is very efficient, there's one every 20 minutes and there's usually a guy there to help at the ticket machine if you're stuck. The last stop, Trinidade, is only a few minutes walk downhill to the centre of the city so you might not even need to transfer if you're staying close by. Even when it's busy at rush hour, it's not too crowded..

I agree. We found the metro to be very user-friendly from the airport to historic area. You can buy a day pass and we used that to hop on and off a few times during that first day to do some sightseeing.

 

[JerryStroebele]

Be sure to walk across Eiffel's bridge while in Porto. Buen Camino

 

[peregrina2000]

Be sure to walk across Eiffel's bridge while in Porto. Buen Camino

The lower bridge was under heavy construction when I was there in November. The upper bridge goes alongside the metro and has great views. If you are going back to Porto from the port lodges in Gaia, you will take the lower bridge from riverside to riverside, but getting up to the higher level is much more enjoyable. And from the Porto side, it leaves very close to the cathedral, so it is an easy hop skip and jump.

 

[mwendt]

Thanks, all. I may challenge myself to take the Metro. Sounds easy and inexpensive. Cindi and I always took the metro from the airport to Puerto del Sol in downtown Madrid. Depending on time of day, it was sometimes jammed with passengers and making transfers could be confusing, but we never got lost! Bob

Took the Metro last September from the airport to downtown. Give it a try. Found the ride easy, quick, clean and inexpensive. Took around 1700 so the cars were “full” but not so crowded you couldn’t sit down. Part of the experience.

 

[Kathy F.]

My flight was quite delayed arriving into Porto in October 2022. It was well after dark, almost 2300!

I tried to get an Uber but my phone wouldn't cooperate. I finally just settled on a taxi at the airport because I didn't know how long it would take to get to the albergue, how late they would stay open, etc.

The ride was pricey and I can only assume he took the most direct route. We actually drove around a bit looking for the albergue, which was out of the way on a small back street, no curbside parking. I NEVER would have found it myself at night with zero knowledge of the area.

Later realized my phone was still on airplane mode, which was probably why I couldn't contact Uber. Otherwise would have gone with Uber because it would have provided a confirmed cost of trip but, oh well!! Sure beat wandering around lost at night in Porto.

 

[Ihor]

The central path and hotels are about a 5 minute walk from Porto airport....just saying.

 

[trecile]

And from the Porto side, it leaves very close to the cathedral, so it is an easy hop skip and jump.

Maybe best not to mention jump and bridge in the same sentence.

 

[MassNative]

After hiking the camino frances four times, this fall I'm going to hike camino portuguese, starting in Porto. I already booked the flight and made private room reservations for each night. I learned that the Porto airport is approx. 10 miles from the historic downtown part of Porto. I'd like to better understand the various transit options from the airport to downtown. I'm not keen on taking the metro, I don't do Uber or Lift, and want to avoid the high cost options, such as a taxi. What do you recommend regarding a bus, or other options that are reasonably quick and affordable? Gracias ! Bob

We spent a week in Porto in November after our Camino. I found the Porto Metro system one
of the best I have used. It is a pretty new system, about 20 years old. We took it from the
Train/Bus station to the old city (Sao Bento) when we arrived. After being there a couple
of days, we realized it was easy to avoid a transger to the Yellow line at Trindade, by getting
on/off at Balhao, which is only a few blocks away from Sao Bento.

We took the metro to the Airport when we left the city, the station is directly across from terminal.

The bus network is also good, and uses the same card/ticket as the Metro, so if you get the
day pass just flash the same card to get on the bus. But, the bus run slow due to traffic congestion in the city.

Take the Metro!

Jim

 

[Yoyo]

Maybe best not to mention jump and bridge in the same sentence.

Oh, but people do jump from the bridge in Porto! (pictures taken in 2016)
Edit: Strangely, no thumbnail option this time

 

[trecile]

Oh, but people do jump from the bridge in Porto! (pictures taken in 2016)

When I was there in 2019 there were boys earning money by getting people to pay to watch them jump from the bridge.

 

[roddy]

After hiking the camino frances four times, this fall I'm going to hike camino portuguese, starting in Porto. I already booked the flight and made private room reservations for each night. I learned that the Porto airport is approx. 10 miles from the historic downtown part of Porto. I'd like to better understand the various transit options from the airport to downtown. I'm not keen on taking the metro, I don't do Uber or Lift, and want to avoid the high cost options, such as a taxi. What do you recommend regarding a bus, or other options that are reasonably quick and affordable? Gracias ! Bob

Hi there is a hostel in walking distance from the airport, and close to the route. Very friendly

 

[roddy]

Hi there is a very friendly hostel in walking distance from the airport.

https://www.facebook.com/111216955694571/posts/pfbid0grd3o4zRiTHuGeFJUFPcRbnyNz4RVaeCERUPfcnzNrRwcA9e8rPbzP4FHx8ny7JKl

 

[RJM]

When I walked the Portugues a few years ago I watched a youtube video on how to get from the airport to the city centre. There's a few videos out there. This one looks pretty good.

 

[naplesdon]

You can always walk west from the airport on the CP.

 

[BROWNCOUNTYBOB]

Thanks to all for the very helpful comments. RJM, the YouTube video was great! I am spending two nights in Porto and have reservations in the old town. I am walking the coastal route four days until arrival in Viana do Castelo, then will head inland to hike to Ponte de Lima. I'm sure I will enjoy my time in Ponte, but may cross the bridge on the lower level. No doubt the views from the top of Eiffel's bridge are fantastic, but I have a tremendous fear of heights. It took all the courage I could muster to walk the bridge into Portomarin. Gracias ! Bob

 

[peregrina2000]

but I have a tremendous fear of heights.

I can appreciate that, @BROWNCOUNTYBOB. The tram also goes across on the top, in the middle, with people walking on the side. You can take it from the train station over to the first stop on the other side. I don’t know if that would be uncomfortable for you or not. The other obvious option is to walk up from the river level to the Parque do morro, where there are 5 star views. You wouldn’t have to get too close to any ledge or drop-off and it is really spectacular, no matter what time of day. On my last trip to Porto, this past November, I think I crossed over five or six times just to see the light at different times of day (and to get some steps!).

 

[Flog]

No doubt the views from the top of Eiffel's bridge are fantastic, but I have a tremendous fear of heights. It took all the courage I could muster to walk the bridge into Portomarin. Gracias ! Bob

That really is a shame, the views from the bridge, especially those looking down over the Ribeira are truly spectacular, it's a fantastic vantage point. If it's any consolation, the balcony thing, whatever you call it, is at about chest height so you are looking across rather than down. If you can't manage it that way, you might consider taking the metro D line which runs across the top of the bridge both ways..

Edit: Oops, @peregrina2000, posted my reply before I read yours!!

 

[Ellann]

After hiking the camino frances four times, this fall I'm going to hike camino portuguese, starting in Porto. I already booked the flight and made private room reservations for each night. I learned that the Porto airport is approx. 10 miles from the historic downtown part of Porto. I'd like to better understand the various transit options from the airport to downtown. I'm not keen on taking the metro, I don't do Uber or Lift, and want to avoid the high cost options, such as a taxi. What do you recommend regarding a bus, or other options that are reasonably quick and affordable? Gracias ! Bob

I walked from the airport to Senhora da Hora where I was staying for four nights. I walked into town every day from there to do different activities.

 

[katkins_in]

I agree with all the Porto Metro advice -- there are several stations you can get off depending on where in the old city you want to go... the ticket machines can be confusing, but after you get the gist of them, not. And as well, pretty much everyone in Porto speaks English, so asking for help is simple and painless. You may be required to wear a mask on buses and metros in Portugal, and they are strict about it if that rule is in place.

After walking the Porto to Santiago Central route last Summer, I returned to Porto for about three weeks. I have never felt safer in any city in the world. I was out in all parts of the old city at all hours of day or night, and the worst thing that happened to me was... people said "hello" to me as I walked past them.

(There are panhandlers, and some drug addicts especially near Trindade station (but also lots of police), but they are mostly not actually homeless, I got to know two of them and they were raking in the Euros all day long, I'd estimate 500-2000 per day, from tourists like me. One even had a deal going with grocers so if I bought her diapers or baby formula for her granddaughter, she would go back and exchange the goods for cash.)

 

[katkins_in]

(My crew actually took a cab to the edge of Porto to start the walk North, rather than negotiating the city part on foot, but now that I've spent so much time there, I'm not sure I'd take that option if I'd have known... yes, there's lots of traffic, moving fast, but I never saw a single accident in my time there... buses move remarkably fast through city traffic on sometimes narrow streets... kind of scary!! But again, no accidents.)

 

[auburnfive]

The metro into downtown is really efficient and not at all difficult. You’ll be able to look up the closest metro stop to your accommodation. We spent a week in Porto this past spring, and discovered partway through that the metro machines have an English button at the bottom , which made it easier

 

[katkins_in]

discovered partway through that the metro machines have an English button at the bottom , which made it easier

Yes... but the wording of some of the menus/choices in English were a bit confusing to me at first... and you have to use the zone map to figure out which amount to pay, if you're just doing a single ticket... I believe airport to Trindade is a two zone pass.

I can't remember now if the Porto metro system offers an "all day, all modes" pass... I think they do, for not too much, like 8 Euros? In which case you don't have to worry about zones etc. Lisbon has that, except there they confuse things by having different tickets for different combinations for metro, bus, train, trolley, and ferry...

People in Porto were so friendly to me. I had so many good conversations about the city, about life, and about the Camino.