How to get around Porto (and enjoy the views along the way)

29.11.2024 - 16:45 / lonelyplanet.com / Nova De-Gaia

Nov 29, 2024 • 5 min read

Hills, bridges and the glittering expanse of the Douro River make Porto a famously scenic place – and one that can be challenging to get around.

Luckily, the city has an excellent transportation network, from a speedy metro system to old-fashioned trams, along with buses, taxis and even a funicular thrown in for good measure.

Porto’s compact city center is ideal for getting around on foot, particularly in the narrow lanes of the Ribeira, where transport is lacking. And if you want to reach the far-flung corners of the city, you’ll have plenty of options to get you there.

Porto’s transportation network is quite efficient yet can have its snags – so give yourself ample time to get to where you’re going. Here’s what you need to know.

Strolling up the medieval alleys of the Ribeira district, you can hop on the metro and head up to the Casa da Música, Rem Koolhaas’ cutting-edge 2005 architectural masterpiece. Porto’s six lettered and color-coded metro lines offer many ways to hop across centuries while exploring diverse corners of the city.

We recommend familiarizing yourself the most useful lines. Line E (violet) travels from the airport to the city center; line D (yellow) has the nearest stop to the Ribeira (São Bento station), and travels over the Dom Luís I bridge to Vila Nova de Gaia. Line B (red) is Porto’s longest line, running from Estadio do Dragão (home to FC Porto) north to village-like settlements near the seaside. And a new line, running through Porto’s historic center, is set to open soon. Trains operate from 6am to 1am daily.

Porto’s extensive bus network can take you just about anywhere you want to go. You’ll also get to enjoy views of the city – its architecture and plazas, as well as its long-legged dogs and their minders – that you won’t see on the metro. There are many lines that are particularly handy for sightseeing, including No 207, which takes you to the fabulous art complex Fundação de Serralves, with stops along the way near the Soares dos Reis Museum, the Palácio de Cristal gardens, the Natural History Museum and other places of interest.

It’s only a five-minute ride. Yet the Teleférico de Gaia delivers sweeping views over the Douro and the red roofs of Porto’s fabled winemaking factories. Traveling the short distance between the Vila Nova de Gaia waterfront and the southern end of the Dom Luís I bridge, the aerial cable car makes a good add-on to a day of port-tasting at the wine lodges in the sister city that fronts the Ribeira. The upper station is just a few steps from the above-ground Jardim do Morro metro station. The one-way fare is €6 (€9 return); the teleférico runs from 10am to 8pm during the warmer months, with service ending an hour or two earlier