Porto has an extensive public transport network comprising high-speed trams (referred to as the metro), buses, funiculars and historic trams. You can use integrated tickets, which are valid on multiple modes of transport.

• Find the cheapest accommodation in Porto
• Car hire prices in Porto

Public transport tickets

For journeys by metro, STCP bus and train within Porto and the surrounding area, you can use Andante cards or, increasingly, pay with your own contactless card.

Standard fares do not apply on historic tram routes.

Official information can be found, for example, on the SCTP transport company’swebsite or on the Porto metro website.

The Andante card costs 0,60 eur; you will then purchase individual tickets on it. If you buy an Andante Tour tourist ticket, the €0.60 fee does not apply.

You can load multiple tickets onto the card, but only of the same type at any one time (so, for example, you can load two 24-hour tickets in advance, but not one 60-minute ticket plus one 24-hour ticket).

However, if, for example, your 24-hour ticket expires, you can load a different type of ticket onto the card at a ticket machine.

Only one ticket can be active on the card at any one time, so each passenger needs their own card.

Tickets can be topped up onto the card repeatedly.

Where can you buy tickets?

• You can buy an Andanteticket at all metro and tram stations, as well as at ticket machines at the main bus stops (payment can be made by card, coins or banknotes), and also at newsagents, railway stations or at the airport
• Andante Tourtourist tickets can be bought at the airport kiosk or at selected newsagents in the city centre and at railway stations
• Contactless card– currently only works at selected metro stations and on all STCP bus routes
  • When paying by card, daily limits apply that correspond to the prices of 24-hour tickets

How much do tickets cost in Porto?

All-day tickets offer the best value for tourists:

• Andante Tour 1 – a 24-hour ticket valid for all zones, including the airport – 7,75 eur
• Andante Tour 3 – a 72-hour ticket valid for all zones, including the airport – 16,55 eur
• Andante 24 for 2 zones – valid for the zone in which the ticket was validated plus 2 adjacent zones – 5,15 eur

The Andante 24 Z2 ticket (for 2 zones) will take you to all the attractions in Porto and the neighbouring town of Vila Nova de Gaia.

Single fares are calculated based on the number of zones travelled:

• 2 zones (Z2 – for example, a journey from the city centre to the opposite bank in Vila Nova de Gaia) – 1,40 eur
• 3 zones (Z3 – for example, a journey from the city centre to Matosinhos) – 1,80 eur
• 4 zones (Z4 – for example, a journey from the city centre to the airport) – 2,25 eur
• 6 zones (Z6 – for example, a journey from the city centre to Póvoa de Varzim) – 3,20 eur

Porto Card

If you’re planning to visit the sights, it may be worth getting a Porto Card, which gives you a 50% discount on admission to various museums, churches and monuments, as well as on selected cruises on the River Douro. You can choose from several options:

• A 24-hour Porto Card including all-day travel on the metro and buses: 15 eur
• 48-hour Porto Card including all-day travel on the metro and buses: 27 eur
• 72-hour Porto Card, including all-day travel on the metro and buses: 32 eur
• Full details about the Porto Card on the official website

Porto Metro (light rail)

The backbone of transport in Porto is the light rail system, known locally simply as the metro. In the city centre, it runs along two main lines:

• From the stadium via the main railway station and the city centre to the north-west towards the airport (lines A, B, C, E, F)
• The north-south route, which crosses the bridge over the River Douro and terminates in the neighbouring town of Vila Nova da Gaia (line D)
• Porto Metro official website:en.metrodoporto.pt

Services run frequently, with intervals of no more than 3–5 minutes on the main sections during the day, and up to 10 minutes in the evening. However, intervals are longer on the outlying sections heading north, for example to the airport or Póvoa de Varzim, where they can be as long as 30 minutes.

Throughout the network, trains run on dedicated tracks, so they are not affected by traffic congestion; in the city centre, they even run through a tunnel.

You can reach the airport on Line E every 20–30 minutes; see further details.

The first services depart from the termini at around 6.00 am, and the last ones before 0.30 am(although, for example, the metro from the airport runs until after 0.40 am).

You must always validate your ticket before entering the platform; you do not need to validate it again when you alight. Simply hold your ticket against the validator; even 24-hour or 72-hour tickets must be validated each time.

Buses

The bus network is extensive and can be used wherever the metro doesn’t go.

Stops are clearly signposted, including displayed timetables, which is not always standard practice in southern Europe.

Apart from the Andante tickets mentioned above – which, however, are by no means available at every bus stop – you can also buy a single-journey ticket (not valid for transfers) from the driver for 2,50 eur, regardless of the distance travelled.

Otherwise, Andante cards work in a similar way to those used on trams, with the only difference being that you must ‘tap’ your card on the validator only after boarding the bus.

Timetables and maps of bus routes are available on the stcp.pt website.

Historic trams

Three tram routes run through the centre of Porto, all of which are operated exclusively by historic trams. A ride through the narrow, steep streets is a unique experience. You can take these trams on routes 1 and 18 every day from around 9.00 am to 8.30 pm.

Take a look atthis handy mapof the historic tram routes in Porto.

None of the tickets mentioned above are valid on the trams, not even the 24-hour ones. 

You can always buy tickets from the driver or conductor inside the tram; payment is by cash only, and the following options are available:

• 1 journey for 6 eur
• 2 journeys for 8 eur
• 2-day ticket for unlimited journeys for 12 eur

Official information on the historic tram routes, including detailed timetables, can be found on the websitestcp.pt/porto-tram-city-tour.

Funiculars

If you enjoy unusual modes of transport, head tothe Luís I Bridge.

On the Vila Nova Gaia side, you can take a cable car that runs from the ‘Jardim do Morro’ tram stop, over the roofs of the wine cellars and with stunning views of Porto on the opposite bank, down to the River Douro.

You must always buy a separate ticket for the return journey ( 7 eur or 10 eur); the Andante day pass is not valid here. The cable car runs daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and only until 18:00 in winter. Official information can be found on the websitegaiacablecar.com.

On the other side of the river, in Porto itself, a funicular runs from the foot of the Luís I Bridge ( Ribeira station) to the Batalha stop . It also offers beautiful views of the bridge, the River Douro and the Serra do Pilar Monastery on the opposite side of the valley. The cable car runs approximately every 10 minutes:

• November–March: 8.00–20.00, until 22.00 on Fridays and Saturdays,
• April–October: 8.00–22.00, until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays.

Once again, the Andante day pass is not valid here; you must always buy a single-journey ticket for 5 eur.

Night transport

During the night, seven night bus routes criss-cross the streets of Porto, each marked with a number and the letter M. With one exception, they all start their journeys at the central interchange on Avenida Aliados, right in the heart of the city. All night services depart from the terminus every hour on the hour, and the fare is the same as for daytime services.

Given the metro’s late start (not until 6.00 am), you’ll often find yourself using the 3M night bus when travelling to an early morning flight from the airport. The bus journey takes around 35 minutes.

You can find timetables on the websitestcp.pt/timetables.