BEST WAYS TO TRAVEL TO PORTO

By Car

Many people travelling to Portugal take their cars from start points across Europe by motorways through Spain and Portugal. British travellers often ferry their cars across the Channel to France or Spain and make the drive from there. The European route E1 in Portugal is a series of roads, part of the International E-road network running on a north-south axis on the west coast. It starts at the Spanish border in the north at Valença, going almost perfectly south, passing by several major Portuguese cities like Porto and then on to Lisbon until the border with Spain.

National roads indicated as EN, IC and IP are free, whereas others have tolls. Locals will use the Via Verde automatic toll device and have dedicated lanes going through the toll gate – you'll need to avoid these. Other than that, Portuguese highways are well-maintained and a joy to ride on. The A1 Lisbon, links to the Algarve; A3 Valença and the Minho, A4 Amarante and Trás-os-Montes, links to Bragança; A28 to Cerveira and the A29 to Aveiro. Some of these highways have to be paid for at the end of the trip, with a ticket that collected at the beginning of the highway.
If arriving in Porto from outside, it's advisable to park in the outskirts of the city. You can use the metro system to travel to the centre and add a ride on one of Europe's newest transport systems to your trip experience.

Car Rental

​You can rent a car at the airport or at various places throughout the city. Alternatively, you can book online at your connivance and pick it up from your place of choice:

By Train

Porto’s two main railway stations are São Bento and Campanhã. Campanhã is the busier of the two, whereas São Bento is the most central. Urban trains serve the cities that are closer to Porto, such as Vila Nova de Gaia, Espinho, Braga, Viana do Castelo, Aveiro or Guimarães.
Linha do Minho
Regular trains to/from the Minho region, including Barcelos, Viana do Castelo and Valença from Porto Campanhã, use the Regional train service (comboios regionais) Linha do Minho. | Train Timetable
Linha do Douro
When the line first opened in 1887 it was an engineering marvel as it follows the course of the river and up through the dramatic landscapes of the Alto Douro where vineyards carved into terraces from the living bedrock. Although the branch lines have closed, the Linha do Douro is still impressive and a great way to spend a day. Regular trains leave São Bento and Campanhã and pass 20 tunnels, 30 bridges and 34 stations. The line becomes more dramatic after the town of Régua on to the pretty wine towns of Pinhão (one of the most beautiful railway stations in Portugal), Tua and terminates at Pocinho, (close to the Cão Valley rock art). A steam train runs along the Linha do Douro on Saturdays, from May to October. | Train Timetable
Linha do Aveiro
Urban trains (urbanos) run between Porto and Aveiro along the coast, stopping at resorts such as Ovar, Espinho, and Miramar. Connections to Coimbra from Aveiro. | Train Timetable
Linha do Braga
Regular urban trains (urbanos) run between Porto and the Minho's capital city of Braga. | Train Timetable
Linha de Guimarães
Regular urban trains (urbanos) run between Porto and the beautiful town of Guimarães. | Train Timetable
Alfa Pendular
A high-speed train service connecting cities the whole length of Portugal from Faro in the Algarve, Lisbon, Aveiro, Coimbra and Porto. | Train Timetable

Comboios de Portugal Website

By Bus

From Spain:
Travel by coach from Madrid to Porto with ALSA for a quick, comfortable and pleasant journey. They run two services a day. If you buy your tickets in advance on their website you can bag the best deals: • ALSA Website

National Services:
• Rede Expressos run services National services to Porto from various locations within Portugal
including Lisbon. Website
• Rodonorte is a coach company servicing North & Central Portugal Website