Porto travel guide

Porto is a city where you can walk the Douro riverside old town, the bridge and the bookshop in a day.

Livraria Lello opens daily 9:00 to 19:30 and needs a timed ticket. From the airport, metro Line E runs to Trindade; a Z4 single costs 2.30 euros, plus 0.60 euros for the card. Ribeira, the Dom Luís I Bridge and São Bento station connect on foot.

The city climbs hills, so wear comfortable shoes, and fixing your ticket date first keeps the day in order.

Visa and entry requirements for Portugal

Whether you need a visa, how long you can stay and which pre-arrival forms apply all depend on your nationality and the purpose of your trip. Check the official source below, and your own government's travel advice, before you book.

• Vistos (official visa portal of Portugal) (Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Portugal)
• ETIAS (European Travel Information and Authorisation System) (European Union)
• EES (Entry/Exit System) (European Union)

Livraria Lello, the bookshop with the famous staircase, opens daily 9:00 to 19:30. It's closed on 1 January, Easter Sunday, 1 May, 24 June and 25 December. Entry is by timed ticket, bought online in advance or on the day from remaining slots until 30 minutes before closing.

Tickets are valid for 60 minutes from your entry time, and their value is deducted if you buy a book. Ticket prices vary by period, so enter your date on the official site. To avoid crowds, arrive at opening time.

Based on Livraria Lello's official information. Check prices on the official site.

With 2 nights: walk Ribeira and the Dom Luís I Bridge on day one, and combine Livraria Lello and São Bento station on day two. São Bento is a railway station with azulejo tile murals, and you can go in without taking a train. Walk across the bridge's upper deck.

With 3 nights: cross the bridge on day three to the wine cellars of Vila Nova de Gaia. Port wine is a fortified wine from the Douro region. If you fly out on day four, fix your airport transfer first and fit the cellars around it. Lello tickets are valid 60 minutes from the set time, so choose a slot that doesn't clash with the cellars; the shop opens daily at 9:00, so putting it in the morning frees your afternoon.

From Porto Airport (OPO), metro Line E (purple) runs to Trindade. A Z4 single from the airport to the city costs 2.30 euros, and the Andante card costs 0.60 euros extra, so your first ride totals 2.90 euros.

A Z4 single can be used for 1 hour 15 minutes after first validation. Tap your card on the validator before boarding. Validators at the airport and Trindade also accept contactless bank cards.

Split meals in Porto between francesinha, port wine, pastel de nata and bacalhau. Francesinha is Porto's sandwich of meat and cheese under a sauce, a hearty lunch; port wine is the Douro's fortified wine, best tasted in the Gaia cellars; pastel de nata goes with coffee as a snack; bacalhau is salt cod. We don't pick shops or prices here.

Livraria Lello needs a timed ticket, so fix your date as soon as your plans are set. Portugal is in the Schengen Area; check entry requirements for your nationality. The EU Entry/Exit System (EES) records non-EU visitors, and ETIAS (EUR 20) is not yet in operation. The local emergency number is 112. If you lose belongings, you can report it at Porto's tourist police station, open 8:00 to 24:00; save its location on your map when you arrive.