The Porto Airport Buses and Shuttles
Passengers who are traveling on a tight budget are usually in search of a cheap transit option from Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport. Although the metro is a much more popular alternative -as it costs approximately the same while being faster and more efficient- Porto airport buses are a cheap way to travel from OPO Airport as well. You’ll find public buses (STCP buses) linking the airport to various parts of Porto. Moreover, several private shuttles provide connections to the city as well.
The Local STCP Buses from Porto Airport
Three bus lines connect Porto International Airport to the city during the day, while one bus provides night service from and to Porto. Thus, you’ll find an available bus departing from the airport bus stop right outside the terminal building no matter the time or the day. Still, the local buses are considered a time-consuming option, as they make numerous in-between stops during their journey. In any case, the available STCP buses at Porto Airport are:
- Bus 601 (Airport-Cordoaria): running from 05:30 am to 01:10 am, it has available routes every 25 minutes. Some of the most popular stops during its journey are Rotunda A.E.P, Casa da Música, Boavista – Bom Sucesso, and Praça Galiza.
- Bus 602 (Airport-Cordoaria via Padrão de Moreira): the bus runs from 05:30 am to 08:45 pm on a 25-minute frequency. Just to mention a few of its stops, it calls at Ponte de Moreira, Padrão da Légua, Monte dos Burgos, and Carolina Michaelis.
- Bus 604 (Airport-Hospital S. João via Crestins): Bus 604 operates from 06:00 am to 09:00 pm and runs every 30 minutes. Besides Crestins, Maia (Zoo), and Vasco da Gama, it also stops at Ponte da Pedra before reaching its terminus (Hospital S. João).
- Night Bus 3M (Airport-Av. Aliados): The night bus is available from 00:30 am to 06:00 am every 30-60 minutes. Some of its major stops are Pedras Rubras, Ponte de Moreira, Padrão da Légua, Monte dos Burgos, Carolina Michaelis, and Trindade.
Fares and Prices of Porto Airport Buses
You can opt for the most suitable payment option depending on how much you are planning to use Porto public transit means during your stay. Thus, you can:
Buy your Ticket On the Bus
You can buy a single ticket onboard. Verily, you can buy your ticket from the bus driver once you enter the bus. In that case, you’ll have to pay 2.50€/2.65$. It is highly recommended to pay with the exact amount of money, as drivers often run out of change. Please note that only cash payments are accepted.
Use a Blue Andante Card
Blue Andante Cards are rechargeable cards that cost 0.60€/0.64$ and are valid for STCP buses, metro, CP trains, and some private shuttle companies. They are not personalized. Still, they can be used only by ONE person at a time. Andante Cards can be topped up with occasional tickets. Hence, they can be loaded with Andante 24 or single tickets (or both).
Porto is divided into zones. The price of the bus depends on the traversed zones.
Just to give you a hint, the bus travels through 4 zones to get from OPO Airport to the city center. Hence, you can load your Andante Card with a Z4 travel ticket to get from Porto Airport to downtown Porto, paying 2.15€/2.28$. Please note that if you buy 10 travel tickets, you get one more for free. Moreover, depending on the destination (and the traversed zones), you are free to use any public transit means for a particular amount of time. For journeys within 4 zones, passengers can hop from one transit mode to another for 75 minutes without being further charged.
On the other hand, you can top up your card with Andante 24 tickets. The Andante 24 tickets are valid for all means of public transit within 24 hours. However, they can be used for journeys only within the selected number of rings. If, for example, you purchase an Advante 24 ticket for 4 zones, you can use it for rides within 1, 2, 3, or 4 zones. The price of an Andante 24 ticket from OPO Airport to the city center is 7.55€/7.99$. Please note that the 24-hour time interval starts once the ticket is validated for the first time.
Explicitly, you can check how the tickets and fares are formed depending on the number of rings:
| Zones | Price Per Ticket | Andante 24 |
|---|---|---|
| Ζ2 | 1.30€/1.38$ | 4.70€/4.97$ |
| Ζ3 | 1.70€/1.80$ | 6.05€/6.40$ |
| Ζ4 | 2.15€/2.28$ | 7.55€/7.99$ |
| Ζ5 | 2.55€/2.70$ | 9.05€/9.58$ |
| Ζ6 | 3€/3.18$ | 10.75€/11.38$ |
| Ζ7 | 3.45€/3.65$ | 12.25€/12.97$ |
| Ζ8 | 3.85€/4.07$ | 13.75€/14.55$ |
| Ζ9 | 4.30€/4.55$ | 15.25€/16.14$ |
Moreover, as already mentioned, free onward rides are allowed on a certain time frame that depends on the number of rings. Explicitly:
| Traversed Zones | Time of free rides |
|---|---|
| Z2 | 01:00 |
| Z3 | 01:00 |
| Z4 | 01:15 |
| Z5 | 01:30 |
| Z6 | 01:45 |
| Z7 | 02:00 |
| Z8 | 02:15 |
| Z9 | 02:30 |
| Z10 | 02:45 |
| Z11 | 03:00 |
| Z12 | 03:15 |
The Ideal Option for Visitors
The Andante Tour Cards are the ideal option for Porto’s visitors who want to travel a lot around Porto using the public modes of transit. Verily, they can be used for STCP, metro, and urban rides, as well as for several selected bus routes in the Andante area. There are two alternatives: the Andante Tour 1, which is valid for 24 hours and costs 7€/7.41$, and the Andante Tour 3, which can be used within a 72-hour time frame and is priced at 15€/15.88$.
The Maré de Matosinhos Shuttles
Connecting Porto Airport to Guifões, Bus 120 runs from 06:10 am to 08:00 pm on a 30-minute frequency. Moreover, Bus 133 heads to Agudela with available routes every 60-90 minutes, from 08:00 am to 07:20 pm, and Bus 134 travels to Viso (metro) with hourly routes from 07:00 am to 06:50 pm. Finally, the Night Bus 105N reaches Custóias. It has two available routes, at 09:50 pm and 00:05 am. You can pay for your bus fares in cash (onboard) or use Andante cards. The rates vary depending on the final destination. You should expect an up to 1.70€/1.80$ price for your ticket.
The Porto Airport Shuttles
Various private shuttle companies are also present at Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport, providing efficient services at higher than the urban buses prices. In detail, you can take a look at available options:
- 100 rumos
100 rumos provides shuttle rides from and to the airport at prices that start from 6€/6.35$ per person. Shuttles link OPO Aiport to the city center.
- getbus
Getbus shuttles link Porto International Airport to Braga, Guimarães, and Porto. Shuttles to Braga depart from 05:00 am to 00:45 am, and their tickets cost 9€/9.53$. Buses to Guimarães run from 05:00 am to 11:30 pm, and their cost is 8€/8.47$. Finally, Porto Airport is connected to the city center as well. Routes are available from 09:00 am to 06:30 pm and cost 3€/3.18$.
- The BARQUENSE Shuttles
Shuttles travel from OPO Airport to Esposende, Viana do Castelo, Ponte de Lima, Arcos de Valdevez, and Ponte da Barca. They run four times a day (from 08:50 am to 05:15 pm) on weekdays and 6 times a day during weekends and public holidays. Their ticket to Ponte da Barca costs around 16€/16.93$.
- Ovnitur Viagens
Shuttles link the airport to Ponte de Lima, Viana do Castelo, and Hospital São João. There are two available routes at 08:38 am and 07:30 pm. A one-way ticket to Viana do Castelo costs around 8.75€/9.26$.
- Autna
The Autna shuttles head to the Spanish cities of Valencia and Vigo. They run four times a day on weekdays (08:45 am, 11:45 am, 02:45 pm, and 08:30 pm), while on weekends, there are two available buses (at 11:45 am and 20:30 on Saturdays and at 02:45 pm and 09:45 pm on Sundays). An ordinary ticket to Valencia is priced at around 10€/10.58$.
- Coimbra Airport Shuttle
With available routes to Central Portugal, Coimbra Airport Shuttles run from 11:00 am to 10:45 pm four times a day. A one-way ticket costs 36€/38.10$.
FAQs
Is there a bus from Porto Airport?
Four local buses depart from Porto International Airport during the day, and one operates during the night. On the other hand, various shuttle companies handle airport connections to the city of Porto, to other Portuguese destinations, and even to Spain.
Can you pay on the bus in Porto?
You can buy your ticket from the driver inside the bus. However, only cash payments are accepted, while it is highly recommended to carry the exact amount with you as drivers often don’t have enough change.
How much is the bus from Porto Airport to city center?
The cost of the bus ticket varies. Verily, urban buses are cheap, whereas private shuttles are costlier. In any case, a one-way ticket for the STCP buses costs 2.50€/2.65$ if bought on the bus and 2.15€/2.28$ via an Andante card.