Getting Around Porto

Once used to bring the wine down the river, these beautiful boats are only a touristy attraction today. Most of them are only anchored as decoration for the wineries, only sailing in festive days, but a few are available to a small trip in the river. Why not?

3 more images

Starting from near the base of the bridge between Porto and Vila Nova de Gaia, the funicular (rack and pinion or cable pulled, not sure which) will take you from the Riberia district back UP the hill to the central area of Porto, not far from the Cathedral.
The car looks like it is sitting on an accordion as it goes up that steep incline, so you arrive at the top still standing on level surface.
This can save you from walking up that hill....
I have included two photos taken from the opposite side of the river to give you an idea of the height of the hill and the incline this funicluar climbs.

Porto also has several of the old trams running, we took the one from the Riberia district going along the waterfront.
It may be old, noisy and small, but it IS fun and you get to enjoy the area at a relatively slow pace without killing your feet. ^O^
The same ticket you purchased for the Metro can be used to continue your ride if it is used within an hour of purchase time.

4 more images

Just over the bridge from Porto you will find the cable car that takes you for an aerial view of the port side of Vial Nova de Gaia, the river and also the Riberia district. We decided on taking this instead of walking from the metro stop above the Port Wine distillery area and although relatively expensive it was an easy way to make the drop down to the riverside and also gave us a few photo opportunities.
The photos show-
1) The square grey building on the left is the cable car station, no signs were obvious.
2) Cars being prepared for sending.
3) Looking out from the station into air.
4) Car ready for boarding.
5) Pylons and cars in the middle of the air.

2 more images

Although Porto has a good metro network, maybe it is only useful for the trip Airport-city centre-airport in case you only visit this part of the city.

Warning: Don't forget to validate the ticket before you get on it!

And when you leave the metro, don't throw the ticket away. If you take it again, insert the ticket (inside the teller machines) and follow the indications (there is an english version too), and instead of paying the full fare, you will save money.

I was thinking of where to add this tip to: Transportation, Off the Beaten Path or Sports Activities, but finally I've decided to use the first mentioned section.

If you feel in shape or don't want to spend the money using the Funicular dos Guindais, this could be a good option, but be aware that there are many steps.

It goes from the lower part of D. Luis I Bridge (besides the funicular station) to the upper part of the city.

Here you can find the distances between Porto and...:

- Lisbon (Portugal): 317 kms.
- Madrid (Spain): 557 kms.
- Paris (France): 1.577 kms.
- Berlin (Germany): 2.648 kms.

For more, together with the driving distances, check the website.

2 more images

Portugal has a wide train network, and S. Bento station is right in Porto city centre. This station operates urban and commuter trains. For long distance trains, there is another station: Campanhã.

- Metro: S. Bento (line D).

For the portuguese rail network, check the link.