By plane
Only connecting flights are organized from Moscow to Porto. Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines, Swiss Airlines, Brussels Airlines, British Airways, KLM offer different prices. You can choose a flight with a transfer in Istanbul, Munich, Cologne, Prague, Brussels, Madrid, Geneva, Zurich and other cities. The cheapest tickets are from Turkish Airlines with a transfer in Istanbul. The fastest flights are with Lufthansa: 6 hours 55 minutes with a change in Frankfurt am Main, but they are much more expensive. See JIBIN123 for Portugal customs regulations and visa requirements.
You can buy direct tickets from Moscow to Lisbon, they are offered by Ural Airlines (the flight lasts 5 hours 45 minutes), and from there you can get to Porto by bus or train.
You can get from the airport to the city center by metro, bus or taxi. The metro station is located right in the airport building, a ticket for the 4th zone (Z4) is purchased from a special machine. You can also get to the center by buses No. 601, 602 or 604. Bus and metro tickets cost the same: 1.95 EUR. A taxi ride will cost 20-25 EUR.
By train
Long distance trains arrive at Campanha Station, located 2 km from the center of Porto. Regional trains and electric trains are received by Sao Bento Station. There are no direct trains from Russia to Porto. By rail, it is most convenient to get from Lisbon: tickets – from 25 EUR, trip duration – from 3 hours 25 minutes, traffic interval – 30-50 minutes. Train timetables can be found on the Portuguese Railways website (in English).
By bus
There are no direct buses from Moscow to Porto either. Regular flights are organized from Lisbon, tickets cost from 20 EUR, travel time is 3.5 hours, the schedule is on the website of the carrier Renex (in Portuguese).
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Porto Hotels
Porto has a wide range of hotels of various classes. The most expensive hotels are located in the historical part of the city, close to the main attractions. But you can settle in almost any area, because the developed transport infrastructure allows you to easily move between key tourist points.
The cheapest accommodation option is hostels; prices are very affordable: from 10 EUR per day. Basically, guests are offered beds in 8- and 10-bed rooms with shared facilities, but there are also more comfortable double rooms.
The cost of living in two-star hotels is from 20 EUR per day. It offers bars, laundries and entertainment for an additional fee, Wi-Fi is almost always free. In 3 * hotels, both the level of service and prices are much higher: from 35 EUR per room.
For those who are not used to saving on comfort, we recommend 4 * hotels (from 55 EUR per day). Finally, fans of luxury holidays are best to stay in luxurious five-star hotels, where rooms cost from 95 EUR per night.
Transport
Porto has metro lines, buses, trams and taxis.
Underground
The metro is one of the best ways to get around the city. The central interchange station, Trindade, is a couple of blocks from Avenida dos Allados. 3 metro lines – A (blue, goes to the Matosinhos area), B (red, from Vila do Conde to Povoa de Varzim) and C (green, to Maia) – start from Estadio do Dragao, follow through Campanha station and city center, and then scatter to the western and eastern outskirts of Porto. Line D (yellow) connects north to south: from Hospital SaoJoao to Joao de Deus in Vila Nova de Gaia, crossing the Ponte de Don Luis bridge. And finally, line E (purple) goes from the airport and then merges with line B. Metro hours: from 6:00 to 1:00, a single ticket costs 1.95 EUR.
Buses and trams
Buses and trams are also convenient, but their routes are a bit more confusing. The central stops are Praca da Liberdade, south of Avenida dos Allados, Praca Almeida Garrett (in front of Sao Bento station) and Cordoaria. There are special night buses that run about once an hour from Aliados Street between 1:00 and 5:30. Ticket price – 1.95 EUR, Andante Tour ticket for a day costs 7 EUR, for 3 days – 15 EUR.
Trams in Porto are one of the main attractions of the city. Riding on any of the three lines passing through the very center, you can enjoy absolutely fantastic views. The Massarelos stop near the Crystal Palace is the main central hub. From here follows line 1 along the river to the monument to Infante Enrique (Ribeira region). Line 1E (often referred to as “1”) runs down the river to Foz Douro. Line 18 goes up to Carmo church and Jardim da Cordoaria gardens. Departure every half an hour, opening hours: from 9:00 to 19:00. Ticket price – 2.50 EUR.
Taxi
Taxis are another popular mode of transport, especially among tourists. You can find a parking lot in the city center or call a car by phone. Cost: 5-7 EUR for a short trip within the center, plus 20% at night.
Bicycles
Renting a bike is a great solution for those who do not want to depend on public transport and plan to see as many interesting places in Porto as possible. But this is rather an option for those who are strong in spirit and body: there are many narrow, winding streets in the city center, the terrain here is hilly, so pedaling is quite difficult. It’s much easier to ride along the Douro riverfront or reach outlying attractions. Prices – from 6 EUR for 2 hours or from 15 EUR per day, depending on the chosen bike model.
Rent a Car
To drive up and down the streets of Porto and admire the scenery of its surroundings, it is best to rent a car. At the airport and various points in the city there are offices of local and international rental offices: Avis, Europcar, Budget, Sixt, Hertz and others. Renting a compact car will cost 40 EUR, a middle-class car – 70 EUR, a station wagon – 45 EUR, a premium model – 125 EUR per day. The price of gasoline in Portugal is about 1.70 EUR per 1 liter.
Do not take a large car: in the narrow, winding streets of Porto, there is a high risk of scratching the wing.
As in any large city, there are traffic jams in Porto, but, of course, they cannot be compared with Moscow ones. There are many free parking lots on the streets, but before you leave your iron horse there, you need to make sure that there are no residente stickers on neighboring cars. They mean that only residents of the surrounding houses can park here. The cost of parking in paid parking lots is from 1 EUR per hour, payment is made using parking meters.
