Porto Airport Transfers
If you land at Oporto airport, you have several ways to get to your hotel: I will tell you what they are and which is, for me, the most convenient.
Waiting at the airport | ©Artur Tumasjan
Before strolling along the banks of the Douro, before visiting the Lello bookshop and before looking up at the Church of the Clérigos... the first place you will see when you arrive in Porto is the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport.
Shared transfer between the airport and your hotel
With this shared transfer from Porto airport to your hotel, a driver will pick you up at the airport on arrival and, together with other travellers (maximum 8 in total), will take you to the door of your hotel in a comfortable air-conditioned minivan. Besides the comfort, the main advantage of this service is that it is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, so it doesn't matter what day and time your flight arrives in Porto.
How it works
You can book this option online by providing the date and details of your flight and your hotel address so that the driver can plan the route and meet you on arrival. The driver will take into account the time it takes you to get to the arrivals area and you will have his contact details so you can get in touch with him in case of any incident.
The journey time to your hotel in the centre of Porto will, under normal circumstances, be a maximum of 45 minutes. You will have enough space for your luggage, but if you are carrying bulky or delicate luggage, please remember to inform the driver in advance when you make your booking so that he can take this into account.
Shared transfer back to the airport
Once you have finished your trip, you can hire the same service and at the same cost to get from your hotel to the airport. The only thing you have to take into account is that you will have to be ready in advance so that your driver will pick you up with enough time to make sure you don't miss your flight.
Private transfer between the airport and your hotel
This is undoubtedly the most comfortable and fastest way to get from Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro airport to your hotel. With the private transfer you will not share the vehicle with other travellers; the driver will be entirely at your disposal and at the disposal of the people travelling with you. Regardless of the time and day you arrive in Porto, this option is available to you.
How it works
The booking method is simple: provide your flight details and hotel address so that your driver can pick you up on arrival. You will be able to leave the plane unhurriedly and when you arrive at the arrivals area your driver will be waiting to take you to your hotel in a comfortable air-conditioned vehicle. You will be able to communicate with your driver in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
The time it will take you to get to your accommodation in the centre of Porto from the airport will be approximately 40 minutes. As this is an individual service you will not have any problems with luggage space, but if you are travelling with delicate items I recommend that you indicate this when you make your booking, just in case.
Private transfer back to the airport
If you want to use this service at the end of your trip to go from your accommodation in the centre of Porto to the airport, it is also available. Let the driver know your flight departure time so that he can pick you up in plenty of time.
Ana's Traveller Tip
In Portugal, private transfer prices are very affordable; for less than 10 euros you can save time and gain in comfort on your arrival in Porto.
Other options: metro, bus and taxi
Metro
Although the city of Porto is small, the metro network is on a par with that of any large city. There are six lines that run through the city, differentiated by letters from A to F and by colour. The line that goes to the airport is line E, which is purple in colour.
This metro line has several stops in the centre of Porto and you can choose the one that is closest to your hotel if you use this option to leave the airport. The total journey time will be about half an hour and the frequency of the metro will depend on the time of day, but varies between 4 and 15 minutes.
This option will be useful if your flight lands between six in the morning and one in the morning, as this is the Porto metro service timetable. A single ticket costs less than two euros, so if you arrive within the metro schedule and your hotel is close to one of the metro stops, this can be a good option for getting to the centre of Porto from the airport.
Some of the E line stops closest to the centre of Porto are:
- Casa da Música
- Carolina Michaelis
- Lapa
- Trindade
- Bolhao
- Campo 24 Agosto
- Heroísmo
- Campanha
- Dragao Stadium
Bus
Another option to get from Porto airport to the city centre is by bus. On the one hand, there is the special airport service and on the other hand the regular buses.
The special service buses are synchronised with the flight schedules of certain airlines, usually cost around 5 euros and reduce their stops in the centre to two or three main ones such as Boavista or Avenida dos Aliados. You can ask for specific options and timetables on arrival.
Buses to the city centre from the airport are the 601 and 602 . If you arrive in Porto at night, you can use the night bus (3M). Please note that if you choose this option, it will take about 50 minutes to get to the centre, as these buses have intermediate stops.
Taxi or VTC
Porto is the second largest city in Portugal and the most visited after Lisbon, so it also has services from the airport such as taxis or VTC (Uber). Taking one on arrival can be a convenient way to get to your hotel, but it's not cheap. The average taxi fare to the city centre is around 25 euros, with an Uber costing around 20 euros.
I recommend that you use the taxi or VTC as a last option in case you miss the metro or bus or have not hired a private transfer in advance, but not as the main option as it will not be worth it compared to other options.
This is Porto airport
Porto airport is the perfect size. As the only international airport in the area, it has catering services, shops, parking, car hire, luggage protection, etc. and it's not so big that you get lost or disorientated once your plane lands. The main airlines operating from Francisco Sá Carneiro airport are: Ryanair, Vueling, easyJet and TAP Portugal.
This airport consists of a single terminal with several floors: on level 3 you will find the check-in desks and on level 0 the arrivals hall, car rental companies, metro station and bus stops.
Once your plane has landed, just follow the signs to the baggage reclaim hall and departure. Unless your luggage is delayed, it should take you no more than fifteen minutes to leave the airport. Unlimited free WIFI is available throughout the airport with no registration required.
First tips for your arrival in Porto
- When to travel to Porto: Porto is a city that can be visited at any time of the year, but if you want to find the best temperatures the ideal months are from April to October. Within this period, I recommend avoiding July and August, which are the months with the highest temperatures, coinciding with the high season and with a greater influx of visitors. During the winter months you will find rain and lower temperatures, but this will not be an impediment to visiting the city.
- Getting around the city: Porto's size makes it easy to get around on foot. However, there are also several metro lines to get around the city centre. There are not as many hills in Porto as in Lisbon; the biggest one is the one that connects Praça de Batalha with Ribeira and is connected by the Funicular Do Guidais.
- Where to stay: Porto is a very safe city, so you won't have to worry about staying in one area or another. The most central areas are the Avenida dos Aliados and the Bolhao area, but I recommend that you look for accommodation well in advance to get good value for money.
- What to eat: not counting wine, you will have plenty of options to enjoy Portuguese gastronomy during your visit to Porto. If you take a guided tour of the city, ask your guide for local recommendations to find a good restaurant. Must-try dishes include: francesinha (a sandwich with béchamel sauce that's best shared if you want to leave room for a snack), bacalhau a brás (onion, cod, fried potatoes and egg casserole) and bifanas (pork rolls).
- What to pack: comfortable clothes and shoes will be enough to get you around the city without getting too tired. You'll want to save room in your suitcase to bring back a good Port wine as a souvenir.
If you are travelling to Porto you might also be interested in
Once you've sorted out transport from the airport to the city centre, it's time to start planning what you're going to do when you're there. Complete the organisation of your trip to Porto by reading these guides that I have written on Tours and excursions in Porto y Douro River Cruises and Boat Rides in Porto.