adminPorto is a city with good air, road and rail connections, making it easy to get to Porto, and there are several alternatives for this. Whether you fly, go by car or bus, or even by train, getting to Porto is easy, but to do so you need to be aware of important and up-to-date information. In this post, you will find out all the tips on how to get to Porto.
For more information about transportation in Portugal, check out our “Plan your trip”.
Table of Contents
1. Getting to Porto by plane
You can get to Porto by plane as the city is served by an international airport (“Francisco Sá Carneiro”), considered one of the best in the world in its range (it was distinguished as “Best European Airport” in the ACI Europe 2022 Awards), with direct connections to several European cities (and Brazil).
Search and buy your flight to get to Porto.
From Porto Airport you have several options to get to Porto’s city centre.
Check out our post on “How to get from Porto Airport to City Centre”.
Book your private transfer from Porto airport to your hotel.
2. Getting to Porto by train
Travelling by train is a wonderful option to get to Porto. The national train company is CP, “Comboios de Portugal” (Trains of Portugal), with an online ticket office and an app. Porto is well connected to Portugal’s railway network, either by urban or long-distance trains. It is true that the Portuguese railway network was once larger, suffering major cuts in the 1990s (the Portuguese railway network decreased by 18% between 1995 and 2018, the third biggest decline in the European Union), but it is still possible to get to Porto from several important Portuguese cities, in the north, center and south, although connections are more frequent on the coast and not so much in the interior of the country.
2.1. Urban trains
The Porto Urban Trains connect Porto to three important Portuguese cities to the north (Braga and Guimarães) and south (Aveiro). You can check the Porto Urban Trains map here. This network serves 82 stations, within a radius of 60 km around Porto, distributed across the following lines (click on the links to see timetables):
This network has interfaces with the Porto Metro and buses, and allows connections, at the main stations, to International, Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, InterRegional and Regional long-distance train services.
2.2. Long-distance trains
Porto is served by the main portuguese railway track, with fast trains designated as “Alfa Pendular” and “Intercidades” (Intercity) that connect Porto to Lisbon (and Coimbra) and the Algarve. You can check the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades timetables here.
The Douro Line, served by slower regional trains, is one of the most beautiful in the world, and connects Porto to the Douro wine region, and the towns of Régua and Pocinho. You can check the Douro line timetable here.
2.3. International services
Currently, the only international service operating, and the only option to get to Porto from abroad by train, is the connection between Porto and Vigo, in Spain. You can check here the timetable.
3. Getting to Porto by car
You can also get to Porto by car, of course. Porto is served by an extensive road network (the Portuguese road network grew 346% between 1995 and 2018), that connects it to the entire national territory, and is part of the European network, allowing you to get to Porto from any point in the European territory.
You can get to Porto using one of the highways that connect the city to the north, center and south of the country. The options are:
- A1 (North Motorway), which connects Porto to Lisbon, and which allows connection with the Algarve. Porto is approximately 300 km north of Lisbon (2.5-3 hours by car).
- A3 (Minho Motorway), which connects Porto to Valença, and which allows connection with Vigo in Spain
- A4 (“Transmontana” Motorway), which connects Porto to Bragança, and which allows connection with Valladolid and Salamanca in Spain
- A28 (North Coast Motorway), which connects Porto to Caminha, in the border with Spain
Book your rental car in Portugal, at the best prices.
4. Getting to Porto by bus
Travelling on long distance buses is also a great option to get to Porto, from portuguese territory or from abroad. Porto has bus connections with several international destinations, namely Madrid (Spain), Paris (France), Luxembourg and Zurich (Switzerland). The main long-distance bus company in Portugal is Rede Expressos, where you can find itineraries and timetables, and buy tickets.
