6 Ways to Get From Lisbon to Porto

If you’re planning a trip to Portugal, a stop in Porto is a must. Luckily, it’s only 313 kilometers (about 195 miles) from Lisbon and easy to reach from the capital city.

Downtown Porto is a UNESCO World Heritage Site with a historic center and colorful houses. It’s also the birthplace of port wine and home to plenty of wineries where you can sip the sweet drink. If that’s not tempting enough, a few days in Porto could also include seafood, beaches, bike rides, hiking, or even a boat cruise in the lush Douro Valley.

So, what’s the best way to get there?

There are six popular options for transportation between Lisbon and Porto, and we’ve gathered all the details in one place. Use this guide to decide which one works best for you!

How to get from Lisbon to Porto by Bus

Price: 19 euros
Time: 3.5 hours
Stations: Lisboa Sete Rios or Lisboa Oriente
Reservation needed? Yes
Best for: Budget travelers

The most popular bus service from Lisbon to Porto is Rede Expressos. Buses leave once or twice an hour between 6:15 in the morning and 12:30 at night, and you can find the complete Rede Expressos bus schedule here.

The bus is a convenient transport option because they leave from both the Sete Rios bus station in the northwest of the city and the Oriente station in the northeast. Both are connected to central Lisbon by public transport.

The time of the trip varies based on which station you leave from, but it’s about 3.5 hours to get from Lisbon to Porto by bus and the cost per ticket is 19 euros. The route is direct and although there are stops along the way, you won’t have to disembark or change buses.

Just remember this is a popular route and tickets do sell out, so make sure to plan ahead and book online before the trip!

How to Get from Lisbon to Porto by Train

Price: 24 – 43 euros
Time: 3 to 3.5 hours
Stations: Lisboa Oriente or Santa Apolonia
Reservation Needed? Yes

When you take a train from Lisbon to Porto, there are multiple departure stations to choose from. Every train stops at the Oriente station, so if you’re unsure about your route, this is the place to go. However, the Santa Apolonia station is also a common option because of its convenient central location right in downtown Lisbon.

In Porto, the Sao Bento station is located in the historic center, so buy your ticket to this station instead of the further Campanha Station. Be aware that you may need to change trains in Campanha for the final 10-minute leg of the journey to Sao Bento, but you won’t need to purchase another ticket.

Trains from Lisbon to Porto run between 6:30 am and 8 pm every day, and you can browse the complete train schedule here to decide which one works best for you. Prices vary, but second class tickets are 24 to 30 euros while first class tickets are 36 to 43 euros. However, if you buy early enough you can also snap up promo prices for as low as 15 euros each!

How to Get from Lisbon to Porto by Air

Price: Start at 44 euros round trip with RyanAir
Time: 1 hour
Airport: Lisbon Portela Airport (LIS)
Best for: Traveling round trip

A round-trip flight with RyanAir is about the same price as a round trip on the bus and even cheaper than the train. Add in that fast trip time and getting from Lisbon to Porto by air is a surprisingly good value for the money. The airports in Porto and Lisbon are also both accessible by public transport for extra convenience.

Traveling from Lisbon to Porto by air is the best option for travelers planning to fly into Lisbon and then head directly to Porto on the same day. Just keep in mind, traveling with extra bags will incur luggage fees on budget airlines, while on every other transport option your bags will travel free with you.

How to Get from Lisbon to Porto With a Rental Car

Price: Varies, but rentals can start as low as $15 per day
Time: 3 hours
Reservation Needed? Yes
Best for: The freedom to explore Portugal at your own pace.

Rental cars in Lisbon are affordable and a quick comparison search on sites like Kayak and Expedia turn up deals for around $15 per day (as of October 2018). Of course, when factoring in the cost of the gas, toll prices, insurance, and other miscellaneous charges, you can expect the price to increase.

It’s also important to know that an International Driver’s Permit is required in Portugal, so if you’re planning to rent a car make sure to obtain your permit before you travel to the country. AAA and The AATA are the only two authorized U.S. Department of Transportation agencies that can provide you with an international driver’s license for Portugal or any other country in Europe. Still, for the freedom to see more of the beautiful Portuguese countryside, this option is always a tempting choice.

How to Get from Lisbon to Porto with Ridesharing

Price: 12 to 300 euros each way, depending on the app.
Time: 3 hours
Reservation needed? No
Best for: Convenience and comfort

It’s possible to travel from Lisbon to Porto through a variety of ridesharing and taxi apps. This isn’t the cheapest option, but it’s one of the quickest and most convenient. If you don’t want to be constrained by bus and train schedules, call an Uber anytime to pick you up directly at your hotel door and the ride to Porto will cost between 225 to 300 euros.

Or, consider using BlaBlaCar for a more budget-friendly ride. With this app, you simply pay a small fee to hop in a car with a local already traveling between the two destinations. Because Lisbon to Porto is a popular route, you can usually find multiple options a day with prices starting as low as 12 to 15 euros for the trip.

Of course, taxis are always an option as well, and apps like MyTaxi or Cabify simplify the process by letting you see the route with GPS and agree to the price ahead of time.

How to Get from Lisbon to Porto with a Guided Tour

Price: $300 per person for a one-day tour for two.
Time: 8 hours
Reservation Needed? Yes
Best for: Travelers on a time-constraint or an educational experience.

Last, but not least, on our list of transport options from Lisbon to Porto is a guided tour. If you’re up for a long day of sightseeing you can schedule a round trip tour all in one day, but there are options for guided multi-day trips both to Porto and throughout the country as well.

The benefits of choosing a guided tour to get from Lisbon to Porto is that you can skip the hassle of planning while also getting a chance to learn a bit more than the average tourist will. The downsides, though, are that the cost is higher than booking the transport on your own and you miss out on the freedom to see and do what you want while you’re there.

This private one-day tour of Porto from Lisbon starts at $300 per person for two adults, but the price drops for larger groups. Of course, a quick Google search will help you discover more options as well.

How Will You Travel From Lisbon to Porto?

When planning a vacation to Europe you have a lot of excellent options. In fact, one of the hardest things can be narrowing down the list of destinations. At GoCar Tours, we have a lot of experience with travel and we cannot recommend Porto highly enough.

With this guide, you’ll be ready to book your trip in no time.

Whether you’re a budget traveler looking for the cheapest options, a flight junkie ready to see the country from above, a social traveler interested in meeting locals through ridesharing and guided tours, or anything in between, there’s truly something on this list for everyone.

Choose the option that works best for you and then get out there and explore! And while you’re at it, reach out to us. We’d love to show you around Porto like a local.