What should you know before your trip to Porto?

What makes the trip easier is to learn about transport, climate, and working hours of your destination a long time ahead. Here is the answer to the main question “What should you know before your trip to Porto?”

01 | Transport

Take the Metro from the airport to the city center of Porto. This is the quickest way to get to any place in the whole region due to the wide area covered by the Metro web.

In case you booked a Hotel room in Matosinhos, Leça de Palmeira or Foz do Douro districts, the metro will not be very useful. You can take a direct bus and arrive at your destination earlier.
However, Matosinhos has a very convenient connection with Porto by the Blue Metro line with a heading letter A.

In Porto airport, you need to purchase your transport card on the -1 floor and “top up” it with as many trips as you need in the ticket vending machine. If you buy 10 trips at once, the 11th will appear on your card as a gift.
Pay attention to the number of Zone you choose. The city center is Z2 and the trip you buy is valid ONLY within this zone.

A daily ticket is needed in Porto only if you are going to some remote attractions such as Zoo, or any beach. The city is full of places to visit in the center and almost all of them are within walking distance.

02 |  Credit Card vs Cash

It is possible to pay by card almost in every restaurant, but don’t put in this list all coffee shops and small stores. It can be challenging to find a place to pay for coffee [~1€] using a terminal.

In an average small business, you can make payments under 5€ only in cash. Moreover, all buses except n.500 don’t accept credit cards to pay for a ticket. So you may get into a trouble without any coin in a pocket.

Therefore, my recommendation is always to have at least 5 euros in cash to be ready for unexpected turns in the scenario.

03 | Food

You will never be hungry in Porto. Restaurants and coffee shops are offering you traditional [e.g. Caralhau Restaurant] and international [e.g. Pizzaiolo] yummies on every corner. However, some of them may be closed between lunchtime and dinner [~4-7 pm].

Half of the venues close their doors on Sundays and sometimes they have a day off in the middle of the week. So pay attention to the working hours for specific locations.

If you are looking for low-budget but still traditional meals, look to the side of Pastelarias such as Aliança, or Tapas bars e.g. Bialounge. As an exception, you can consider also Pingo Doce groceries for a meal, as they have a culinary section. However, it will not give you the atmosphere of a traditional Portuguese dinner. But still, this is the place where local people have lunch with pleasure.

The coffee here is a regular Espresso. Thus make sure you told them to grab Americano [local Abavacanado] if you prefer a bigger drink.

04 | Tips and Tricks

There is not a big difference between Hop-on Hop-off tour that takes you to Matosinhos and a trip on a double-deck bus number 500 along the ocean coast. Especially, if you prefer to see all landmarks close to the city center on foot and not to spend time in waiting for your transfer.
So purchase 2 regular trips and enjoy the ride to the picturesque beaches of Matosinhos and back. You will love the views!
Don’t forget to charge your card with trips in vending machine to save around 1 euro for each direction in comparison to payment on a bus.

It’s not complicated to find WC in the city with a range of restaurants around. Nevertheless, if you are not going to buy something for a snack, you can visit Pingo Doce for this purpose for free.

Water is an inevitable part of the journey on a sunny day. In any souvenir kiosk, it will cost you in the best case 1 euro per 0.5l bottle. Any grocery offers you the same 4 times cheaper!

The weather in Porto is changeable and always windy. So don’t forget your raincoat! Moreover, the month around New Year’s Eve can be stormy. Therefore, choose your look accordingly.

The list of recommendations is endless. And after reading some tips above, you will be aware of essential things to make your vacation pleasant. Moreover, the list of recommended places to see, shop and eat in Porto City Guide will save you time and expenses with special vouchers in each location. Enjoy your trip!

What should you know before your trip to Porto?
Do you know any other tip? Help any traveler to find out about all aspects of the question “What should you know before your trip to Porto?” below in the comments!