Porto is a fantastic city to discover on foot but, should you wish to visit landmarks such as the Castelo do Queijo, Foz do Douro, Parque de Serralves, Matosinhos or the Port Wine cellars, the best option is to use available public transport, including taxis.
The fact that most historic sites and buildings are nearly all located in Porto’s downtown area makes a visit easier as you will not need to wait for public transport and can go on foot. In addition to the more common forms of public transport, such as buses and even taxis, you can use the metro in Porto, a form of transport that appeared a few years ago and that travels as far as the suburbs and some of the small cities around Porto. However, to visit places like Foz and the Avenida da Boavista, you will have to take a bus or tram.
The routes taken by the trams will enable you to visit characteristic and picturesque areas of the city. A tram ride can be an agreeable way of getting to know the city!
For travelling outside Porto, you can use the trains. There are various services, connecting urban centres lying nearer to those further away. There are also long distance services with connections to cities outside Portugal, for example to Spain (cities like Madrid and Vigo).
There are also ferries in Porto (like the one in Vila Nova de Gaia, connecting Afurada to the north bank of the Douro River). However, most of the river traffic is made up of cruise boats sailing up and down the Douro River. Another alternative for getting around in Porto is to rent a car. This has the added advantage of providing a comfortable way of getting to and back from Porto’s airport. Alternatively, there are other ways in which to get to and back from the airport. Read more in Airport Transfers.
Dou you want to know how to drive in Porto? See our tips.