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How to Get Around by Public Transportation

Bus STCP: https://www.stcp.pt/en/travel/maps/search-maps/
Metro: https://en.metrodoporto.pt/

On Foot

Many of Porto’s roads are narrow, cobbled and winding, making them best explored on foot. Organize your schedule ahead of time and plan to see the top attractions that are near one another if you plan to use your own two feet as a means of transportation – there are a few clusters where you can see several of the city’s top sites without working your legs too hard.

Metro

Porto’s metro features six lines that run from around 6 a.m. to about 1 a.m. daily and are marked by letters and colors: the A (blue), B (red), C (green), D (yellow), E (purple) and F (orange) lines. More than 80 metro stations are located around the city and they’re marked by signs with a wavy blue “M.” The majority of the lines reach Porto’s best sights, and traveling via metro is an affordable option when you’re visiting the city. Buying a Porto Card allows you unlimited transportation on the metro, buses and funiculars for a set period of time, as well as free access to some museums and discounts on other museums and restaurants. Porto Cards cost 13, 20, 25 or 33 euros (about $13.50, $22, $28 or $37) for one, two, three or four days, respectively.

If you don’t purchase a Porto Card, you must buy a rechargeable blue Andante card to use the metro. Cards cost .60 euros (about 70 cents) and one-way fares start at 1.20 euros (about $1.35) and vary depending on how many zones you travel through. You must “validate” your card when you enter a station or when transferring lines by pressing your card to the validator machine and waiting for it to light up green. Hold on to your card for the duration of your stay and continue to recharge it as you go; cards can be recharged at any metro station. Andante Tour Cards are also available for 7 or 15 euros (about $8 or $17) for unlimited travel for 24 hours or 72 hours.

Metro do Porto

Bus

More than 75 STCP bus routes are available throughout Porto and its surrounding regions, including Vila Nova de Gaia and Vila do Conde. Buses run regularly from about 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., with limited service operation from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Porto Cards and Andante passes both work on the buses, with one-way trips starting at 1.20 euros for Andante cardholders and varying in fare price by the number of zones you need to cross. You can also purchase a one-time paper ticket aboard the bus for .60 euros plus the fare needed for your journey.

STCP

Tram and Funicular

STCP also operates three tram routes in Porto: Line 1, Line 18 and Line 22. Porto’s trams (or cable cars) are a historic part of the city, dating back to 1872. Line 1 runs along the west coast and the Douro River from Matosinhos to Lóios. Lines 18 and 22 operate circular routes near the Hospital Geral de Santo António in southern Porto and near the São Bento Railway Station and Avenida dos Aliados in central Porto, respectively. Andante cards are accepted on trams (Porto Cards are not); individual tickets on board cost 3.50 euros (about $4).

The single-track funicular runs up and down the hillside from Porto’s Ribeira area to the higher elevated Batalha square. Tickets cost 2.50 euros (about $3) each way and hours vary depending on the season.

Car

Since Porto is small, congested roads are less than ideal to drive on, renting a car is not your best option of getting around the city. Forget the car unless you plan to do extensive traveling to other regions of Portugal or Spain. If you need to rent a vehicle, you can do so at the agencies at the airport or around town, which include Europcar, Avis and Sixt, among others. U.S. visitors can drive with a valid U.S. driver’s license for up to six months.

Taxi

Taxis in Porto are relatively inexpensive compared to other European cities, but they’re still not cheap. Rates typically start around 2.50 euros (about $3) and increase for every kilometer (a little more than half a mile) traveled. For the most part, taxi drivers are helpful and speak English, though you may want to write down the address of your destination to avoid any confusion. Uber also operates in Porto.