LANGUAGE

Portuguese

CURRENCY

Euro

BEST TIME TO VISIT

April to October

NEAREST RAILWAY STATION

São Bento and Campanhã stations

NEAREST AIRPORT

Francisco de Sá Carneiro Airport(OPO)

EMERGENCY HELPLINE NUMBER

112

INTERNET ACCESS

The vast majority of cafes, bars and restaurants in Porto offer customers free wi-fi, and there’s also a free public network (no password required) in the centre of town – it tends to work best in Ribeira and Aliados. Public library Biblioteca Municipal Almeida Garrett also offers free internet access.

VISA

Generally not required for stays of up to 90 days; some nationalities will need a Schengen visa.

Nationals of EU countries don’t need a visa for any length of stay in Portugal. Those from Canada, New Zealand, the USA and (by temporary agreement) Australia can stay for up to 90 days in any six months without a visa. Others, including nationals of South Africa, need a visa unless they’re the spouse or child of an EU citizen.

The general requirements for entry into Portugal also apply to citizens of other signatories of the 1990 Schengen Convention (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain and Sweden). A visa issued by one Schengen country is generally valid for travel in all the others, but unless you’re a citizen of the UK, Ireland or a Schengen country, you should check visa regulations with the consulate of each Schengen country you plan to visit. You must apply for any Schengen visa while you are still in your country of residence.

HOTEL

Porto is a largely vertical city clinging to the river bank, so map distances can be deceiving, and places that seem close can be a long, steep climb apart. A few main attractions are close together near the riverside, while others cluster around Praça da Liberdade, both convenient locations for hotels. The best views are from Vila Nova de Gaia just across the river.

LUXURY

InterContinental Porto Palacio das Cardosas

The Yeatman

Hotel Infante Sagres

MID-RANGE

Porto A.S. 1829 Hotel

Eurostars Das Artes Hotel

BUDGET

Hotel Universal

Vera Cruz Porto Hotel

Hotel da Bolsa

COST OF LIVING

The vast majority of visitors to Portugal head straight to Lisbon, but a clear second place for cultural travelers is Porto. Famously the birthplace of port wine, Porto is mainly an industrial city, but it’s becoming increasingly popular with tourists as well, partly because of the excellent value combined with pleasant weather.

Hotels and hostels are very affordable in Porto by European standards. In fact, most things here are value priced for the continent, mainly because so much of it is priced for locals and wages here aren’t particularly strong. Restaurants with great views will charge much more than those without, as is typical. This is a city for food lovers and many of the best places are the non-view places with reasonable prices.

The attractions here are also relative bargains, and there are a few different free walking tours to choose from as well, which are great to get oriented. Public transport is inexpensive, clean and efficient in Porto. If you’re making multiple journeys, save time and cash by investing in a 24-hour pass (€7), which covers the entire network except for trams. For timetables, routes and fares, see www.stcp.pt and www.metrodoporto.pt. Keep an eye out for pickpockets in rush-hour crowds. Most people visit the city in summer when the weather is at its best. This is also the time where travelers will find large crowds and higher hotel rates.

Winter, on the other hand, is when fewer people visit and when you’ll have an easier time finding cheaper hotel prices as well as weekend deals. You’ll just have to be OK with some rain and cloudier days.