Airport – City Centre
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, or Porto Airport in short, is located approximately 11 km or 7 miles north of Porto city centre (around 20 – 30 minutes’ ride, depending on the traffic). The airport is well served by an elaborate transport network and probably the easiest way to get to the city centre is by metro. For the comfort, ease of ordering and competitive prices, Uber and Bolt are natutally among the most preferred options to pass this route. Using a taxi from any one of the several companies available at the airport is another option, like also renting a car or going by bus.
Airport – event venue (FEUP, UPTEC, but also the Eurostars Oporto Hotel)
When opting for public transport in order to get to the event venue from the Porto Airport, the easiest way for this journey is to take the metro line E (you can buy tickets from the machines located at the airport’s metro station). Once you have reached the city centre, come off at the Trindade station and now take the metro line D (direction ‘Polo Universitário). The station ‘Polo Universitário’ is also the final stop where you would need to exit (currently it is also the last stop of the line due to ongoing reconstruction works, otherwise the line has two more stops to serve). The ‘Polo Universitário’ station is right in front of the UPTEC, about 5-10 minutes’ walk from FEUP and 10-15 min walk from one of the main hotels of the event, Eurostars Oporto Hotel.
For more information on public transportation to and from the airport, but also around the city of Porto, please see the website of Porto Airport, section dedicated to transportation in the city of Porto at University of Porto website and also consult with the summary below about different means of transport operating in Porto:
Metro do Porto
You can easily get to the airport (to the city centre) and move around Porto by metro. Line E (Purple) runs every 20 or 30 minutes to and from the airport, depending on the time and day of the week. 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.
Three different STCP lines (Porto Public Transport Company) connect the airport and the city centre that run between 05.30 and 00.30, about every 25 minutes.
Line 601 (Cordoaria – Airport)
Line 602 (Cordoaria – Airport – via Padrão de Moreira)
Line 604 (Hospital S. João – Airport – via Crestins).
For more information on buses, please check the following websites: Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto, SA ; Check routes and timetables
Taxis and ridesharing companies
There are plenty of taxis from different companies just outside the terminal building. 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 taxi drivers who are very helpful (the price charged is the same regardless of the number of passengers). Alternatively, you can always call a taxi (see the list with some of the companies operating in Porto). For who prefers ridesharing companies, Uber and Bolt are the most common ones.
Car rental
There are plenty rental car companies at Porto Airport 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.