Travel to Porto

Travel to Porto

The stunning city of Porto has given its name to the famous wine and more importantly to its country and language. It is a city where simply strolling around the different neighbourhoods makes for a great day out. It is also ideally suited for exploring and discovering the citys colonial past.

Transportation to Porto

Francisco de S Carneiro Airport is just 11kms north of the city. Flights to and from Lisbon arrive and depart daily, allowing connections to be made to worldwide destinations. There are taxis and an Aerobus service waiting to transfer arriving passengers to their hotels.

If you would rather drive to Porto, however,the Lisbon to Porto superhighway makes driving between the two cities easy, with a journey time of just 3 hours. You can also arrive in Porto from Madrid. Take the A6 motorway and exit onto the A52, in the direction of Vigo. Change onto the E1 southbound, leading straight onto the A3 motorway, which takes you all the way to Porto.

A total of 26 trains arrive in Porto every day from Lisbon. The journey time is between 3 and 5 hours on comfortable trains with good facilities. Ten trains arrive from Viana do Castelo every day and there is a single train arriving and departing from Paris, with a total journey time of 27 hours. Bus travel to Porto is popular among locals and those on a budget. There are five daily departures from Lisbon, with the journey taking between 3 to 5 hours.

What to see

There are several tours available of the local port vineyards as well as the opportunity to sample some of the finished products. The wine lodges can be found across the river in Vila Nova de Gaia.

There are also many cathedrals and museums to visit while you are in Porto. The Barredo section of the city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is literally brimming with churches, markets, monuments and museums. You will undoubtedly need a few days to fully appreciate the citys cultural offerings.

Daytrips

Porto is an excellent base from which to explore the surrounding area. Amarante is a quaint local village which is home to a beautiful church and an historic village square. It is an ideal place to experience traditional Portuguese life. Braga is Portugals religious capital and is located just outside Porto. The cathedral here is the oldest in Portugal, dating back to 1070 AD. Vigo can be found an hour from the city and it is a thriving Atlantic seaport and an important fishing town.

Activities and leisure

The Barredo neighbourhood of Porto offers fine dining, lively bars and excellent accommodation. The colourful markets, which can be found across this district, offer tourists the chance to pick up some unique souvenirs at an excellent price. If you would like to enjoy a more relaxing day, a pleasant stroll along the river or a river cruise are two popular options.

Safety issues

You must always be on your guard for pickpockets and petty thieves when you holiday in Porto, especially at night and at any of the busy tourist attractions. Driving can also be dangerous due to the different driving laws. Visitors should always remain alert and never drive if you are excessively tired. It is highly recommended to take out adequate travel insurance before arriving in Porto.