Porto Airport

Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is the main international gateway to Porto and one of the best-rated airports in Europe. Located about 11 km from the city center, it’s modern, efficient, and very easy to navigate.

It served around 15.9 million passengers per year (according to the official ANA Portugal's Airport site). But it is still a very fast, and efficient airport, which makes the experience a breeze. 

I use this airport 4-6 times per year, and I never spent more than 30 min getting in, nor more than 15 minutes getting out (all within the Schengen space, note that it could differ if you travel to/from other places like the UK, because you have an extra step going through the boards control). But if you're in a hurry, I recommend you get the fast track so you can get into the airport in like 5 minutes!

Want to get to the hotel in 20 minutes? Book a transfer for €17

Where is Porto Airport?

Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport is located to the northwest of the city, in the municipality of Maia. Thanks to its proximity and excellent transport connections, getting from the airport to downtown Porto is simple and relatively fast.

How to Get from Porto Airport to the City Center

Porto airfield location is undoubtedly an important advantage: a ride to the center takes only a few minutes by metro or on a comfortable transfer.

Whether you’re arriving for the first time or planning your departure, here’s everything you need to know about Porto Airport and how to get to the city center quickly and easily.

Hiring a private transfer to and from the Airport

If you want a more personal and comfortable journey, a private transfer from Porto airport to your hotel is the answer. The main advantage of the airport transfer option is that it gives you the tranquility of knowing that when you arrive at the airport with your luggage, all you have to do is look for the sign with your name on it, get picked up and relax on your way to the hotel.

The airport transfers from Porto can take an average of 20 minutes.

Pricing per transfer

Starting at €17 per person

Advantages:

• Fastest option
• Fixed price. It does not change based on the time of day or demand, unlike Uber or Bolt.
• You arrive at the airport without worrying about how to get to your accommodation.
• If several people are traveling you can book a larger shuttle
• Request for a child car seat beforehand if needed, so you don't have to travel with one.

Disadvantage: It's more expensive than the subway

You can your transfer book here.

Porto Metro

Getting from the airport to the center, or vice versa, is easy via Porto's metro. The purple line takes you from the airport terminal to the city center in about 35 minutes.

Trindade is the best station if you are going downtown. It is just a few yards from Avenida dos Aliados, Bolhão, Rua de Santa Catarina and the neighborhood of Cedofeita. If you don't have too much luggage, you should be able to walk from this station to your hotel in Porto.

The first metro ride of the day from the airport departs at 5.57am and from Trindade station at 5.58am. The last metro ride from the airport is at 00.42am and from Trindade at 00.44am. The metro frequency is 30 minutes. Check timetables, route map and more details on our Porto metro page.

Price

Aprox 2.90€

You will need to buy an Andante card to use the public transport in Porto.

Make sure you choose the correct ticket based on the number of zones you’ll be traveling through, as the price increases when you cross into additional zones—even on the same metro line. For example, traveling from Porto Airport to Trindade station requires a Z4 ticket, which costs €2.30, plus €0.60 for the reusable Andante card.

Advantage: It is cheap
Disadvantage: The ride is time consuming. For example, from Estádio do Dragão station, it takes about 50 minutes to reach the airport. By car it would be 20 minutes. I live in this city and, over the last 20 years, I’ve only used the metro to get to the airport once.

From the Porto airport (OPO) to the city with public buses

There are also bus connections between the airport and different parts of Porto, but they are generally slower and less convenient than the metro.

Buses 601, 602 (going to Cordoaria) and bus 604 (going to Hospital de São João)

Porto’s public transportation system (STCP) has three bus routes that connect the city to the airport. Be aware that it’s a service conceived to serve a maximum of users living in areas not well communicated by the metro or other bus lines. Therefore, they drive through rural neighborhoods of the greater Porto and narrow streets, lengthening the trip to more than 50 minutes. If you want to check the route, you can check this map where you only need to enter the bus number.

By the way, there are no Shuttle Buses from the Porto Airport.

Price

2.50€

Advantage: It is inexpensive
Disadvantage: It is the slowest option, which can take sometimes more than an hour. Definitely not a runner-up.

Porto Airport Taxi

For those who have less time or were delayed on departure, the cab option is more expensive but less when compared to other European countries.

Price

Approximately 25€

Advantage: the cab rank is next to the exit on the arrivals level
Disadvantage: You have no way of knowing in advance how much the total will be and you will be charged extra for each piece of luggage.

Ride Apps

Apps like Uber and Bolt are available in Porto and often cheaper than traditional taxis.

Pick-up is in the main car park at the airport exit.

Price – Uber fare from Porto Airport

Approximately 20€

Car rental

If you want to be free to move around at your own pace or you have planned to travel around Portugal and visit cities close to Porto like Aveiro, Coimbra or Lisbon, we recommend you to rent a car at the airport.

Best Transportation Options from the Airport

Mode	Duration	Price	Pros
Metro (Purple)	35-40 min	€2	Fast, cheap, reliable
Bus (601/602/604)	50–60 min	€2	Budget, direct but slow
Taxi – Uber	~25 min	~€25	Convenient, door-to-door
Transfer	~25 min	From €17	Pre‑booked, personalized, door-to-door

 

Hotels near Porto Airport

If you need a place to stay near the airport, these are the three closest ones. You can even get there walking:

• Park Hotel Porto Aeroporto
• Solar Antigo Porto Aeroporto
• Stay Hotel Porto Aeroporto
• AP Aeroporto Porto

Check out the full list: hotels near the airport.

Arriving in Porto: Airport Amenities and Tourist Assistance

From an architectural point of view, Sá Carneiro airport is modern and luminous. Its human scale dimensions make it manageable; everything is close enough and it is practically impossible to get lost inside. Thanks to its efficient organization and management, the city air terminal won the best European airport prize in 2018, amongst many others throughout the years of airport service.

It has a pharmacy, a bookstore, a duty free with makeup, perfumes and liquors (you can buy Port wine to take home), shoe shops, newsstands, cafes, restaurants, souvenir stores and porter service.

On the arrivals (level 0) you will find a tourist information office, which operates every day (except December 25th and January 1st) from 08h00 – 18.30h. Here you can ask for information, pick up your Porto Card or buy the Andante Tour Card. For complete itineraries and insider tips, see our comprehensive Porto guide.

How to get from Porto Airport to the city centre?

According to porto.travel, Porto Airport (Francisco Sá Carneiro, IATA: OPO) is located 11 km northwest of the city centre. The best way to get from Porto Airport to the city centre is the Metro Line E (Violet), which takes about 30 minutes and costs around €2.60 with an Andante card. Taxis and Uber typically take 20–25 minutes and cost €20–€30.