Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport ground transportation
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport handled a record 16.9 million passengers in 2025, which makes it Portugal's second airport after Lisbon. It is a single-terminal airport in the municipality of Maia, north-west of Porto, and everything you need on the ground is a short walk from the arrivals hall: the metro station, the bus stops, the taxi rank and the coach park.
The backbone is Metro do Porto line E, the violet line. Its terminus, Aeroporto, sits right outside the terminal. Trains run from about 06:00 to roughly 00:40 and take around half an hour to reach Trindade, the network's main interchange. They run every 15 to 30 minutes, depending on the hour and the day. Some trains continue past Trindade through Bolhão and Campanhã to Estádio do Dragão. Any trip into central Porto needs a Z4 Andante fare, €2.30 in 2026. You can also tap a contactless bank card on the marked validators at the airport station.
STCP city buses fill the gaps. Lines 601 and 602 run to Cordoaria, next to the Clérigos tower, from about 05:30 until midnight. Night line 3M runs hourly between Avenida dos Aliados and the airport from 00:30 to 05:30. Andante fares are valid on all of them.
For the wider north, GetBus coaches leave from P8, the coach park on the arrivals level. They run direct to Braga (45 minutes) and Guimarães (40 minutes), with fares from €9 and departures until after midnight. For Aveiro, Braga or Guimarães by rail, ride the metro to Campanhã and change onto CP's urban trains. Those cost €3.60 to Braga or Guimarães and €3.95 to Aveiro.
Taxis wait outside arrivals around the clock and run on the meter. Portugal's new national taxi tariff, published in June 2026, has been postponed, so the old structure still applies in autumn 2026. That means a flag fall of about €3.25, a €1.60 luggage supplement for bulky bags, and tolls added on top. Pre-booked private transfers to central Porto are quoted at roughly €24 for a sedan.
One quirk to know: Porto's public transport is priced by zone, not by mode. A single Andante ticket covers the metro, STCP buses and CP urban trains within its zones and time window, and a change of line inside that window costs nothing extra.
Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport to Porto city centre
City Centre (Trindade / Aliados) is 18 km from OPO, about 25 min at the quickest. Central Porto is about 18 km by road from the airport. The cheapest way in is metro line E to Trindade: about 30–35 minutes for a €2.30 Z4 fare. A taxi takes around 25 minutes and costs roughly €25–35.
| Option | Time | Fare | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| Metro do Porto line E (violet) Cheapest | 32 min | €2.3–2.9 | every 15–30 min · about 06:00–00:40 from Aeroporto (timetable from 7 Sep 2026) |
| STCP 601 / 602 | 50 min | €2.3–2.5 | about every 25 min · about 05:30–00:00; night line 3M to Aliados hourly 00:30–05:30 |
| Licensed Porto taxis Fastest | 25 min | €25–35 | on demand, 24/7 · 24/7 |
| Pre-booked transfer (e.g. AirportsTaxiTransfers) | 25 min | €24–40 | pre-book · 24/7 |
Where are you heading?
Every destination from OPO: cheapest way and taxi fare
| Destination | Distance | Cheapest way | Taxi | Fastest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| City Centre (Trindade / Aliados) | 18 km | Metro do Porto line E (violet) · €2.3 | €25–35 | 25 min |
| Ribeira (riverside old town) | 19 km | Metro do Porto line E + line D · €2.3 | €25–35 | 26 min |
| Porto Campanhã Station | 20 km | Metro do Porto line E (violet) · €2.3 | €25–35 | 25 min |
| Vila Nova de Gaia (Cais de Gaia / port wine cellars) | 24 km | Metro do Porto line E + line D · €2.3 | €27–38 | 24 min |
| Braga | 53 km | Train · €5.9 | €50–70 | 41 min |
| Matosinhos (beach and seafood quarter) | 11 km | Metro do Porto line E + line A · €1.9 | €18–25 | 20 min |
| Guimarães | 54 km | Train · €5.9 | €50–70 | 40 min |
| Aveiro | 89 km | Rede Expressos / FlixBus (direct coach) · €5 | €90–120 | 1h 1m |
Buying tickets in Porto
Andante is the shared ticket for the Porto metropolitan area. It covers the metro, STCP buses and CP urban trains within the zones you pay for. The paper Andante Azul card costs €0.60, is rechargeable, and can only be used by one person per journey. Buy and top it up at the ticket machines in Aeroporto metro station, just outside the terminal. Each person in a group needs their own card.
2026 single fares (Metro do Porto): Z2 €1.40 (valid 1 h), Z3 €1.85 (1 h), Z4 €2.30 (1 h 15), Z5 €2.80 (1 h 30). You can load from 1 to 30 trips of the same type. A 10-trip Z4 load costs €23.00. An Andante 24 Z4 costs €8.55 for 24 hours, and the tourist Andante Tour 1 and Tour 3 cost €7.75 and €16.55. Central Porto (Trindade, Aliados, São Bento, Campanhã) needs a Z4 from the airport. For other destinations, check the destination list posted in the station.
Contactless bank cards work on the marked validators at Aeroporto, Senhora da Hora, Casa da Música, Trindade and the central stations. Each tap is charged as a Z4 (€2.30) and is valid for 1 h 15, with a daily cap of €7.75. Validate every time you board or change line, at most 10 minutes before you travel. On STCP buses the driver sells a single-journey ticket for €2.50.
CP trains to Braga, Guimarães and Aveiro run outside the Andante area, so buy a CP ticket at Campanhã (from a machine, the ticket office or the CP app). GetBus coach tickets are sold online, in the GetBus app, at the GetBus counter in the terminal (daily 09:00–13:00 and 14:00–18:00) or from the driver.
Taxi scams & safety in Porto
Take taxis only from the official rank outside arrivals. Licensed Porto taxis are black with a green roof or beige, and they carry a meter and a roof sign. Portugal's new national taxi tariff, published in June 2026, has been postponed. Until it takes effect, the meter runs on the old structure: a flag fall of about €3.25, a €1.60 supplement for each bag larger than 55×35×20 cm, a higher rate at night, at weekends and on holidays, and any tolls added on top. Expect roughly €25–35 to central Porto. Ask for the receipt (recibo), which shows the licence number.
Ignore anyone in the hall offering a ride. Unlicensed drivers do approach arriving passengers, and their prices are whatever they decide. App rides (Uber, Bolt) are legal in Portugal and pick up in the designated area, not at the taxi rank.
On the metro, the risk is a fine, not a scam. You must validate the Andante card every time you board or change, even inside your time window. Inspectors check line E regularly, and an unvalidated card counts as travelling without a ticket.
Step-free access in Porto
Porto Airport runs MyWay, a free assistance service for passengers with a disability or reduced mobility, on departure, in transit and on arrival. Request it from your airline or travel agent when you book, or at least 48 hours before the published departure time.
- On arrival, the airline notifies MyWay, and staff assist from your aircraft seat to your next point of departure.
- When you arrive for a flight, use the MyWay phone at the marked Designated Point of Arrival to call for help with check-in, security, border control and boarding.
- A companion can stay with you throughout if you cannot travel without one.
- Reserved spaces for cars with the reduced-mobility badge are available in all the airport car parks, near the exits.
Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport transport — FAQ
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