Transit Options from Porto Airport to Braga
If your journey’s end is the picturesque Braga, you’ll have to make your way to the so-called “Portuguese Rome” once you arrive at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. What are your preferences? What is your budget? If comfort and luxury are top priorities for you, you should definitely opt for a Porto airport taxi or a private airport transfer. On the other hand, if you are looking for an affordable transit alternative, you should choose between a shuttle ride or an indirect yet cheap journey with the metro or the bus and the CP trains to Braga. Last but not least, Porto airport car rentals are widely preferred by travelers who wish to explore Braga and its surrounding areas at their own pace.
| Options | Price (€) | Price ($) | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Taxi | 60 | 63.20 | 50 min |
| Metro/Bus + Train | 5.40 | 5.72 | 130 min |
| Getbus to Praga | 9 | 9.53 | 50 min |
Porto Airport to Braga by Taxi
Porto airport taxis are always available at the taxi rank (praça de táxi), which is to be found right outside the Arrivals level of the OPO terminal. Taxis are cream-colored or black with green roofs and offer metered services based on the taximeter. Thus, the cost of your ride from Porto Airport to Braga depends on the traffic conditions and the exact location of your destination. Fortunately, the routes to Braga aren’t usually congested. Thus, your taxi journey will last around 50 minutes (up to one hour if traffic levels are high) and cost around 60€/63.20$. Nevertheless, night rides (from 09:00 pm to 06:00 am) and journeys during public holidays are costlier. Hence, should you travel at night or during a holiday, you should expect a 70€/74.10$ fare. What’s more, excessive luggage (each piece measuring more than 55X35X20cm) costs an extra 1.60€/1.69$. The same fare applies to pets. Still, wheelchairs, strollers, and service animals are out of charge. Moreover, tipping isn’t obligatory. However, locals usually tip the driver when the provided services are pleasant. Payments can be made in cash and via bank cards. That being said, not all taxis are equipped with POS. Hence, you should always check with your driver.
Although most Porto taxi drivers can communicate in English, writing down the address of your destination on paper is always advisable.
Porto Airport to Braga by Shuttle
If you are traveling on a tight budget but also want to travel directly from Porto Airport to Braga without having to change between lines and carry your luggage around, you should check out the getbus shuttles’ services. Verily, the getbus to Braga departs from the OPO Arrivals from 05:00 am to 00:45 am with available routes every 60-90 minutes. Shuttles need around 50 minutes to reach their terminus in Braga and cost 9€/9.53$ one-way and 16€/16.93$ for return trips. Children up to 4 years old travel for free, and kids between 4 and 13 years of age pay 4.5€/4.76$ for one-way journeys and 9€/9.53$ for return tickets. Tickets are available online, and onboard (from the driver). Moreover, you can buy your tickets from the getbus Help Desk of OPO Airport. In that case, only card payments are accepted.
Porto Airport to Braga by Public Means of Transit
If you are looking for the cheapest option for your ride from Porto Airport to Braga, you should be prepared for an indirect journey. Hence, you’ll have to catch the Porto airport metro (Line E) to Tridande Station and change to Metro Line D heading to Santo Ovídio. Your alighting stop will be São Bento Railway Station, and you should expect a 30-minute ride (27 minutes to Tridande and 3 minutes from there to São Bento). Alternatively, you can take STCP Buses 601 or 602 to Carmo Bus Stop and walk for 5 minutes to reach São Bento. However, your journey with the public buses will last around one hour (75 minutes if you travel with Bus 602).
Regarding its cost, you’ll have to buy a Blue Andante Card (Andante Azul). It is a rechargeable card that costs 0.60€/0.64$ and can be used for rides with SCTP buses, metro, CP trains, and some other bus lines. It isn’t a personalized card. Still, it can be used only by one person at a time. Andante Card can be loaded with single tickets (if you buy 10 of them, you get one for free) or Andante 24 tickets (valid for public rides within a 24-hour time interval at the selected zones).
Porto public transit network is based on zones. Thus, your ticket fare depends on the traversed zones to your final destination.
For your ride from Porto Airport to Parmo (bus ride) or Tridande Station (metro ride), you’ll have to buy Z4 tickets of Andante 24 tickets for 4 zones. The price of a Z4 title is 2.15€/2.28$, whereas an Andante 24 ticket for 4 zones costs 7.55€/7.99$. Please note that you can load your Andante Card with only one type of ticket (for example, with Z4 tickets), while a Z4 title allows free rides with public means of transit within 75 minutes from the first validation. As far as bus tickets are concerned, you can also buy them onboard from the driver. However, you’ll have to pay 2.50€/2.65$ and pay in cash. Last but not least, you can opt for an Andante Tour Card. Andante Tour 1 offers free rides within 24 hours and costs 7€/7.41$, and Andante Tour 3 is valid for 72 hours and priced at 15€/15.88$.
Children up to 4 years of age travel for free.
As soon as you reach São Bento Train Station, you’ll catch one of the CP trains heading to Braga. They run from 06:15 am to 00:50 am at an approximately 30-minute frequency. A one-way ticket for CP trains costs 3.25€/3.44$ (Z8 ticket) and can be bought from the station’s ticket kiosks and vending machines. Andante Cards are accepted at CP trains as well. Children under 3 travel for free, whereas kids between 4 and 12 years of age have to pay 1.65€/1.75$ for their ticket. The trip from the station to Braga lasts around one hour.
Hence, your ride from Porto Airport to Braga will last more than 2 hours and cost as much as 5.40€/5.72$.
Car Rental from Porto Airport to Braga
A Porto airport car rental is the most suitable transit option if you enjoy independent rides and also wish to explore other regions besides the beautiful and historic city of Braga. Porto Airport houses a wide variety of car rental companies. As a result, prices are overall affordable. As a matter of fact, if you search the options and book your rental car well in advance, you’ll benefit from special deals and offers.
The ride from Porto Airport to Braga is around 50 minutes. Fortunately, traffic levels are usually low. Thus, the duration of your journey shouldn’t rise more than 60 minutes. Once you reach Braga, you’ll have to park your Porto car rental. You’ll find several car parks around the city, whereas street parking is also an option, usually for a fee.
Private Airport Transfers from Porto Airport to Braga
Are you looking for the most convenient option for your journey from Porto Airport to Braga? Private airport transfers aim to provide personalized and top-quality traveling experiences. Thus, not only do they offer welcome services at the airport, luggage assistance, and door-to-door rides, but they also give their customers a chance to choose all the ride’s details, from the car class to any additional products, such as child seats. On the other hand, they are somewhat costlier than airport taxis. Still, they come with fixed fares, while if you search and compare your options, you’ll easily ferret out deals with prices similar to the Porto airport taxi fares.
FAQs
How far is Braga from the airport?
Braga lies within 54km/33.5 miles from Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. Thus, a taxi or car ride from Porto Airport to Braga usually lasts around 50 minutes. Still, during peak hours, you may need one hour to reach your destination.
How to get from Porto Airport to Braga?
Apart from ordinary taxis and luxury private airport transfers, car rentals are widely preferred by OPO passengers who want to travel from Porto Airport to Braga. Moreover, travelers who look for cheaper alternatives usually opt for a bus or metro ride to downtown and an onward train journey to Braga, whereas direct shuttle rides are also available at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport.
Does Porto Airport have a train station?
No, Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport doesn’t house a train station. Therefore, if you want to reach Braga via train, you’ll have to take the metro or the bus from the airport to São Bento Station and catch the train to Braga from there.
Is there a bus from Porto Airport to Braga?
Getbus shuttles run from Porto Airport to Braga. They operate from 05:00 am to 00:45 am at a 60-90-minute frequency and need around 50 minutes to get to Braga. A one-way ticket for the getbus shuttle is priced at 9€/9.53$.