Porto Airport Transportation
How to Get From the Airport to Porto City Center
Francisco Sa Carneiro Airport, or Porto Airport in short, is located approximately 11 km or 7 miles north of Porto City Center. The airport is well served by an elaborate transport network and hence there is a general free flow of traffic. Perhaps the easiest way to get to the city is by metro. Using a taxi from any one of the several companies available here will usually take you 20 to 30 minutes for the same distance. Car hire and buses are another excellent idea especially if you are traveling with a large group.
The metro
The metro in Portugal operates five different lines labeled from A to E and these lines are differentiated using colors. Porto Airport is served by the purple line. These are clean, fast, efficient and reliable underground trains that cover almost the entire city and even some of the neighboring towns. There are ticket offices at the airport and the fares are determined by your destination.
Buses
There are local buses found at the arrivals section which can take you across the city and to the surrounding areas. There is also a good collection of private buses and which make drop-offs and picks at every stop on the route. They are clean and reliable but they tend to cost more than the local buses. You can find the timetable for these buses at the main information desk in the airport. The other option is the shuttle buses which leave every thirty minutes. However, they only operate during the day and are quite expensive compared to the regular buses.
Taxis
Taxis are favored by some travelers as they can take you to just about whatever destination you want to go. There are plenty of taxis from different companies just outside the terminal building. They are metered and they charge a bit higher than the buses. You should also expect the fares to rise by 20% in the evenings and during the weekends. A taxi ride costs about 20 to 30 Euros from the airport to the city and you can pre-book or directly board a cab off the terminal where there are plenty of English-speaking Porto airport taxi drivers and who are extremely helpful. You can negotiate a good sum to hire the taxi for a guided tour of the city and if by any chance you intend to visit the wineries then using a taxi to-and-from these locations is advised as the bus routes do not service these areas.
Car hire
Car hire services are also available but are generally not advised for people coming from countries that using the left lane so as to avoid accidents. Nevertheless, there are plenty of Porto Airport car hire companies and which include National, Hertz, Sixt Rent a Car, Europcar, Avis and Budget; all these companies have desks at the arrival terminal. It is cheaper to rent a car than to use a taxi – that is if you will be staying in Porto for several days. Always read and understand the terms and conditions as hidden charges are usually therein.