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Practical guide · Porto and the North

Getting around Porto and the northmetro, Andante, trains and when to drive

Metro line E from the airport, Andante tickets by zone (Z2 €1.40, Z4 €2.30 in 2026), €40 monthly passes, CP urban trains to Braga and Guimarães in about an hour, the Douro line to Régua and Pinhão, and when a car is worth it.

  • 4 min read
  • Last checked 2026-10-26
  • 3 places
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Short answer: inside Porto, use the metro and buses on an Andante card: €0.60 for the card, then a ticket by zone (Z2 €1.40, Z4 €2.30 in 2026). From the airport, metro line E reaches the centre in about 30 minutes. For day trips, CP urban trains reach Braga and Guimarães in about an hour (a €7.70 day ticket covers both lines), and the Douro line reaches Pinhão in about 2 h 20. A car only pays off for quintas and viewpoints away from the railway.

From the airport

Metro line E (violet) runs from the airport to Trindade in 27 to 32 minutes, from about 06:00 until the last train at 00:42 every day; the trip needs a Z4 ticket, €2.30 plus €0.60 for the Andante card. [Metro do Porto timetable from 7 Sep 2026; Metro do Porto FAQ and prices] After midnight the 3M night bus runs to Avenida dos Aliados, and Getbus coaches go direct from the airport to Braga and Guimarães. [STCP; Porto Airport] Times, night arrivals, Aveiro, Matosinhos, taxis and the contactless-card pilot are in Porto airport to the city; who flies to Porto: flights to Porto.

Andante tickets and passes (2026)

Ticket Price Notes
Andante card €0.60 Paper card, reloadable, valid a year
Single, Z2 €1.40 1 hour; most trips inside central Porto
Single, Z4 €2.30 1 h 15; airport to Trindade
Andante 24 from €5.35 (Z2) 24 hours
Andante Tour 1 / Tour 3 €7.75 / €16.55 24 / 72 hours
Monthly, Municipal / Metropolitano €30 / €40 Personalised card; unchanged for 2026

Sources: Metro do Porto price page (in force from 1 January 2026); andante.pt (passes unchanged for 2026). The zone you need depends on start and end station; the ticket machine shows it.

How to use it, as a family:

  1. One card per traveller: an Andante Azul card can be used by only one person at a time, so two tickets on one card don’t cover two people. [Andante FAQ]
  2. Validate every time: at the start of each trip and again whenever you change line or mode, on the platform validators for metro and train and at the door on buses. Validate at most 10 minutes before you travel. [Andante FAQ]
  3. Children under 4 travel free if they don’t take a seat. For ages 4–12 there is a free Sub13 pass, which still has to be loaded on a card and validated; whether visitors can get it we have not checked. [Andante FAQ]

Trains to Braga and Guimarães

  • Braga: CP urban trains from Porto São Bento via Campanhã. The faster trains take just under an hour (06:05 São Bento, 07:02 Braga, Monday to Friday, in the timetable valid from 26 July 2026); stopping trains take longer. [CP]
  • Guimarães: about 1 h 05 to 1 h 25 from São Bento. On weekdays mostly hourly (16 trains), with two-hour gaps around midday (São Bento 12:20, then 14:20 and 16:20); at weekends and on public holidays only 10 trains, roughly every two hours (07:20, 08:20, 10:20, 12:20, 14:20, 16:20, 18:25, 20:20, 21:20, 23:20). Timetable valid from 14 December 2025. [CP]
  • CP tourist ticket: €7.70 for one day or €16.50 for three days of unlimited travel on Porto’s urban lines (Aveiro, Braga, Guimarães, Marco and Leixões). [CP]
  • Braga and Guimarães are on different lines; see Braga and Guimarães from Porto.
  • Longer trips (Lisbon, Coimbra, Faro), Alfa Pendular against Intercidades, and CP discounts for children and families: trains in Portugal.

The Douro line

  • Closed for works from 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 between Marco de Canaveses and Régua, with CP replacement buses from Caíde and Marco de Canaveses on to Régua. Trains from Porto end at Caíde or Marco de Canaveses. [CP notice, 26 Oct 2026]
  • Until 2 November 2026: trains from Campanhã to Régua (about 1 h 50), Pinhão (about 2 h 20) and Pocinho (about 3 h 20). There is no through train from São Bento to Pinhão; São Bento departures either start at Campanhã or need a change at Régua. Times and the closure are kept on one page: the Douro valley from Porto. [CP GTFS, 26 Oct 2026]
  • Full one-way InterRegional fares from São Bento: Régua €11.10, Pinhão €12.45, Tua €13.25, Pocinho €15.10. [CP prices 2026]
  • Planning a day: the Douro valley from Porto; every trip from Porto compared: day trips from Porto.

When a car helps

  • Quintas away from Pinhão and Régua stations, and viewpoints such as São Leonardo de Galafura.
  • Beaches north of Matosinhos (Angeiras, Agudela, Vila do Conde, Póvoa de Varzim) if you want to hop between them. Metro line B does reach Vila do Conde and Póvoa. [Wikipedia]
  • Not for central Porto: steep, narrow streets in the UNESCO centre, and the metro covers most trips.
  • Electronic tolls with a hire car, Porto’s paid street parking (zones I to IV, weekdays 09:00 to 19:00) and the road rules: driving in Portugal. Picking up at the airport: Porto airport car hire.

Source references

  1. Porto Airport: public transportation (metro line E every 20 or 30 minutes; getBUS to Braga and Guimarães; STCP and other buses) · accessed
  2. Metro do Porto: Horários and Frequências, valid from 7 Sep 2026 (line E Aeroporto–Trindade 27–32 min; last train from Aeroporto 00:42) · accessed
  3. STCP: Ligação ao Aeroporto (night line 3M Av. Aliados–Aeroporto, 00:30 to 05:30) · accessed
  4. Wikipedia (en): Porto Metro (6 lines, 85 stations; line E Aeroporto–Trindade ~30 min; line A to Senhor de Matosinhos every 12–15 min) · accessed
  5. Metro do Porto: Tarifários, preços (from 1 Jan 2026: Z2 €1.40 … Z9 €4.65; card €0.60; Andante 24 from €5.35; Tour 1 €7.75, Tour 3 €16.55) · accessed
  6. Metro do Porto: FAQ (Trindade–Aeroporto needs a Z4 ticket) · accessed
  7. Andante: Tarifário Andante mantém o valor dos passes em 2026 (22 Dec 2025) · accessed
  8. Andante: FAQ (validate at the start of every trip and on every change of line or transport; one Andante Azul card per person at a time; under 4 free without a seat; Sub13 free pass for 4–12) · accessed
  9. Andante: comprar (contactless bank-card pilot charged as a Z4 trip, €7 daily cap; monthly pass values for 3Z/Municipal and Metropolitano) · accessed
  10. CP: Urbanos, Linha de Braga timetable (valid from 26 Jul 2026) · accessed
  11. CP: Urbanos, Linha de Guimarães timetable (valid from 14 Dec 2025) · accessed
  12. CP: Bilhete Turístico (Porto urban trains incl. Braga, Guimarães, Aveiro, Marco and Leixões lines: €7.70 one day, €16.50 three days) · accessed
  13. CP: Linha do Douro regional timetable (valid from 5 Aug 2026) · accessed
  14. CP: Douro line service notice (Marco de Canaveses–Régua suspended 3 Nov 2026 to 24 Mar 2027; Caíde–Régua replacement buses) · accessed
  15. CP: GTFS timetable feed, files dated 26 Oct 2026, counted per service day and direction: no through São Bento–Pinhão train, São Bento 15:20 ends at Régua 17:11, and from 3 Nov 2026 the Douro departures from Porto are headed Caíde or Marco de Canaveses · accessed
  16. CP: Preços Regional/InterRegional Porto–Régua–Pocinho (valid from 1 Jan 2026) · accessed
  17. CP: Linha do Douro service notice (Marco–Régua section reopened 26 Mar 2026; late regional 4001 may run as replacement bus Marco–Régua) · accessed

The places in this guide

Day trip€€€

Comboio Histórico do Douro

CP's vintage train between Régua and Tua on summer weekends, with music, Port and stops at Pinhão and Tua. The 2026 season ended on 18 October; CP has not announced 2027 yet.

  • OK with kids
  • Seasonal
Researched

last checked

Beach

Praia de Matosinhos

Long sandy bay just north of Porto, sheltered by a breakwater: the city's learner surf beach with several surf schools. Not on the 2026 Blue Flag list.

  • OK with kids
  • Seasonal
Researched

last checked

Sight€

Bom Jesus do Monte

UNESCO-listed Baroque sanctuary on a wooded hill above Braga: climb the 116 m zigzag stairway or ride the 1882 water-powered funicular (€2.50 one way).

  • Great with kids
Researched

last checked

Quick answers

How do I get from Porto airport to the city centre?

Metro line E (violet) runs from the airport to Trindade in 27 to 32 minutes, about every 15 minutes in the daytime, with the last train at 00:42 (Metro do Porto timetable from 7 September 2026). Trindade to the airport needs a Z4 ticket: €2.30 plus €0.60 for the reusable Andante card (Metro do Porto, 2026). Night bus, Braga, Guimarães, Aveiro and taxis: see our Porto airport to the city guide.

Which Andante ticket should I buy?

For a short stay, single trips by zone (Z2 €1.40 up to Z9 €4.65), a 24-hour Andante 24 (€5.35 for Z2), or the Andante Tour (€7.75 for 1 day, €16.55 for 3 days). For a month, a personalised monthly pass: Andante Metropolitano €40 or Municipal €30, unchanged for 2026.

Do I need a car in northern Portugal?

Not for Porto, Braga, Guimarães or a Douro day by train. A car helps for quintas away from the stations, viewpoints such as São Leonardo de Galafura, and beaches north of Matosinhos outside metro range.

How do I get from Porto to the Douro valley by train?

CP's Douro line runs from Porto Campanhã to Régua (about 1 h 50), Pinhão (about 2 h 20) and Pocinho (about 3 h 20), several times a day. A full one-way InterRegional ticket from São Bento costs €11.10 to Régua and €12.45 to Pinhão (2026 prices). From 3 November 2026 to 24 March 2027 the Marco de Canaveses–Régua section is closed for works and CP runs replacement buses on to Régua, so the trip takes a train, a bus and another train.

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