Porto and Northern Portugal require a mix of efficient city transport and a hire car for exploring the countryside and quintas.
In Porto, the STCP network (buses, metro and funicular) covers the whole city reliably. The Porto Metro (6 lines) is fast and connects Francisco Sá Carneiro airport to Trindade station in 35 minutes. The Guindais funicular descends dramatically from Batalha to the Ribeira. The Bolt app works very well in Porto and is a better option than street taxis.
From Porto, Comboios de Portugal trains serve the northern cities regularly. Guimarães: 1h10 from Porto Campanhã, trains every 30-60 minutes (around €4). Braga: 50 minutes from Porto Campanhã (around €3.50). Pinhão (Douro): 3 hours from Porto São Bento, one of Europe's most beautiful train journeys — do it in daylight to take in the scenery. The Douro railway does not cover the entire valley, however, and many quintas are unreachable without a car.
A hire car is essential for exploring the Douro Valley at your own pace, visiting several quintas in a day and reaching the hilltop villages of the interior. National and international agencies are well represented at Porto airport. The N322 road between Régua and Pinhão (the Estrada Nacional do Douro) follows the river for 25 km along the valley wall — one of the most beautiful roads in Portugal. Allow approximately two hours of driving from Porto to Pinhão. For the Minho and Peneda-Gerês, a car is equally the only realistic option.
Read also
- Porto, the city of bridges and wine — Ribeira, the Vila Nova de Gaia lodges, Livraria Lello and the Dom Luís bridge: the complete Porto guide.
- The Douro Valley — Terraced vineyards, quintas and harvest season: the UNESCO-listed wine landscape.
- Portugal — Complete country guide: visa, budget, regions to explore and the best time to visit.
- The Lisbon Region — Sintra, Cascais and Belém: the capital and its surroundings in one week.