Basics & FAQs
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Here you can find answers to all the basic questions about visiting Porto. If you have questions for which you can’t find an answer, contact us and we’ll be glad to help.
Q: Where is Porto?
A: Porto is on the Atlantic coast of Portugal, 200 miles North of Lisbon, 100 miles South of the Northern border with Spain, and 350 miles West of Madrid. It is the major city in the Northwest of the Iberian peninsula. It is also on the mouth of the Douro river and its wine region. Port wine, as well as Douro table wine, is produced along the river and stored in Porto (more precisely in its twin city, across the Douro river, Gaia).
Q: When should I go to Porto?
A: Summer is pleasantly hot and dry, but with foggy mornings and breezy evenings — think London mornings, Mediterranean afternoons, and French-riviera evenings. Expect highs in the mid- to upper-seventies and lows in the upper-fifties. Also expect low humidity and little rain. So pack light if going to Porto in the Summer but don’t forget a sweater or light jacket to wear in the evenings. Late Spring, with highs around 70 and lows in the mid-fifties, is also an excellent time to visit. On June 23rd, Porto stops for the St. John’s festival, the city’s own Mardi Gras. Prices in Porto change little with the seasons, so a summer stay offers the best of both worlds if you like warm weather. In August, however, Porto is for the most part abandoned by locals and filled with tourists.
Early Autumn is also a good option. In October, expect highs around 70 and lows in the lower-fifties. Some rain, but not much. Also, you’ll have the added buzz of the new academic year at Porto’s university. Bring an umbrella just in case for the occasional shower.
From November till April you risk getting some — maybe a lot of — rain. The North of Portugal (and of Spain; basically the Northern half of the Iberian peninsula) is particularly wet. So this is not the best time to visit Porto. And although April is already sunny and warm in the Southern half of Portugal, the North delays its escape from wintry weather till the beginning of May.
It never snows in Porto. Still, with very humid Winters, lows in the low-forties can feel very cold. Highs in December-January reach into mid-fifties, which is not that bad. Very often, all a December day requires is a wool sweater and a wind-breaking jacket.
Q: What are the regular opening hours in Porto?
A: As far as generalizations go, Portuguese wake up around 7:30am, start working at 9:00am, break for lunch between 12:30 and 2:00pm, work till 6:00 or 7:00pm, have dinner around 8:30 or 9:00pm, and go to bed around 12:00am. Younger people, of course, stay up till later, so bars will stay open till at least 2:00am during weekdays, 4:00am on Fridays and Saturdays.
Most businesses are therefore closed between 12:30 and 2:00pm. Banks, however, stay open from 8:30am to 3:00pm. Most stores also open on Saturday mornings till 1:00pm. Stores on shopping centers, of which there are plenty, are usually open seven days a week between 10:00am and 11:00pm.
For restaurants’ days off (usually once a week), check our reviews. Most if not all museums close on Mondays.
Q: Are there any public holidays?
A: Plenty. And things really stop whenever there is one. Moreover, whenever one falls on a Tuesday or Thursday, the day connecting it to the closest weekend becomes a ponte (bridge), and many locals take off for a long weekend. Bye-bye productivity; enter quality of life. Here is a list of official holidays:
- January 1 — Dia de Ano Novo;
- Ash Tuesday (February/March) — Carnaval;
- Good Friday (March/April) — Sexta Feira Santa;
- April 25 Liberty Day, commemorating the 1974 Democratic Revolution — Dia Vinte Cinco de Abril;
- May 1 Labor Day — Dia do Trabalhador;
- Corpus Christi (late-May/early-June) — Corpo de Deus;
- June 10 Portugal Day — Dia de Portugal;
- June 24 St. John’s Day, celebrating Porto’s patron saint — Dia de S. Joao;
- August 15 Assumption Day — Festa da Assunção;
- October 5 Republic Day, commemorating the 1910 Republican Revolution — Dia da Instauração da República;
- November 1 All Saints’ Day — Dia de Todos os Santos;
- December 1, commemorating restoration of independence from Spain in 1640 — Dia da Restauração;
- December 8 Immaculate Conception — Dia da Imaculada Conceicao;
- December 25 Christmas Day — Natal.
Q: Are there any festivals?
A: Yes. Porto celebrates St. John, its patron saint, on the night of June 23rd to June 24th. This means there are thousands of people on the streets, dancing, drinking, talking to strangers, and having a good time. If you like Mardi Gras’ style festivals, you’ll love it; otherwise, visit at another time.
Q: How long should I stay in Porto?
A: Porto will keep you busy and happy for at least three days. If you throw in a couple of daytrips around Northern Portugal, you could easily do a full week here without feeling like you’re wasting your time. The perfect Porto-centric vacation would be three days in town, a few daytrips — to Guimaraes, Amarante, Viana do Castelo, and Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain — and then a handful of days enjoying the Douro wine country, for a total of 10-14 days.
Q: How do I get there?
A: You can fly in, take a train there, or drive to Porto.
If you’re coming to Porto directly from abroad, flying is the best option. Porto is directly connected daily to most European capitals and also bi-weekly to New York City. You will arrive at the Francisco de Sá Carneiro airport. From there, the most convenient way to get downtown is to take a taxi (25-30 euros, depending on traffic conditions). You can also take the metro directly at the airport and pay 2 euros to get to the city. Or you can take the direct buses of the Aerobus line (22.507.1054 / http://www.stcp.pt). Just walk out from the arrivals lounge and wait for one, they stop every 30 minutes between 6:45am and 7:15pm. Aerobuses stop at the major hotels and cost 4 euros each way.
If you’re coming from Lisbon, the train is probably your best option. (Traffic on the main A1 highway in Portugal is heavy and there’s a lot of road-rage, so we don’t recommend driving from Lisbon.) You should go for the Alfa Pendular trains, which take about three hours to cover the 200 miles between the two cities. Fare in coach is around 25 euros each way. Trains from the South (including Lisbon) arrive at the Campanha station. From there you can take the metro (1 euro) or a taxi (5 euros) downtown. For rail information, check with the Portuguese train company CP (80.820.8208 / http://www.cp.pt). Trains to the Douro valley depart from the downtown station S. Bento, which is a sightseeing attraction in and of itself.
If for any reason you’re traveling by car between Lisbon and Porto, count on three hours to cover the 200-mile distance. Porto is the road hub of Northern Portugal, so you’ll be able to take plenty of day-trips from there. The city is encircled by VCI, which connects to all major highways. If you’re coming from the south, the easiest way of getting downtown is to follow the Porto West directions, take a right as soon as you cross the Douro river on the Arrabida bridge, and then follow the directions downtown — you should be therein 20-30 minutes. Traffic in Porto is usually very heavy during the day. It is not uncommon to take one hour or more to cover a few miles, especially during the holiday season. (August is an exception, as most people are vacationing somewhere else.) Since buses and taxis use their own express lanes on most major streets, you’ll be much happier — and arrive more punctually — if you use public transportation.
Q: Should I rent a car or is public transportation OK?
A: We strongly recommend using public transportation while in Porto. Renting a car, however, is essential for daytrips. What you can do is rent a car for a driving tour in Northern Portugal then return it and use public transportation for your stay in Porto. Use the metro (22.508.1000 / http://www.metrodoporto.pt/) whenever possible (between 0.85 and 1.6 euros); take taxis whenever the metro is not an option. (The metro stops at the airport and at the main train station — Campanha — so you can always use it when arriving in, and departing from, Porto.) Taxi services are quite inexpensive in Porto. A taxi from downtown to Foz (the seafront) should cost you between 7 and 10 euros, depending on traffic. From the airport to downtown, count on 25-30 euros. Taxis are more or less available everywhere — OK, it is not like NYC, but you’ll probably have an easy time hailing one. You can always call 22.502.1132 to order one immediately or make a reservation. Walking is also a good way of getting around within each neighborhood.
Q: How safe is Porto?
A: Pretty safe. Use general street-smart criteria for big cities: walk whenever other people are present, don’t use alleys or cross parks after sunset, etc. Although there is not much major crime, pick-pocketing may be a problem, particularly in the more traditional neighborhoods like Ribeira and downtown. As always, common sense will help. Pay attention to your belongings, don’t carry foot-long photographic lenses in isolated places while you consult a map with a bewildered look, and don’t do anything stupid, like getting into a stranger’s car just because he stopped by and asked you if you wanted a ride even though you were not hitch-hiking.
Q: How much should I tip while in Porto?
A: Tipping in Europe is consistently lower than in the United States. You will make everybody happy by tipping 10% of the bill — more will make them super happy. Rules on whom to tip are similar on both sides of the Atlantic.