European Best Destination 2017
Located in the north of Portugal, between the Atlantic beaches and the famous River Douro terraces, Porto and its urban area have a population of over 1.3 million. It is Portugal’s second largest city and one of the country’s leading economic and industrial centres. But living in Porto is much more than statistics...
Porto’s history is strongly linked to trade and love of freedom – so much so, that it is called Cidade Invicta (Undefeated City). Porto is known around the world for the charms of its historic centre (UNESCO World Heritage since 1996), Port wine, its generous gastronomy and the unrivalled hospitality of its inhabitants.
Whilst proud of its history, its medieval winding streets and the countless monuments scattered around the city, 21st century Porto is also dynamic and constantly being upgraded. This vitality is clear in all the green spaces and sports grounds in the city, in its comprehensive public transport system and in its busy cultural offer and nightlife. It has everything you can expect from a city which, together with Rotterdam, was European Capital of Culture in 2001.
Over the last few years, Porto has also become a reference for visitors from all over the world, lured by the city’s many delights: an early walk beside the river on a sunny day; lunch in Praça da Ribeira, alongside the cube artwork and the pigeons; a walk through the historic centre ending in climbing the iconic Clérigos Tower; dinner followed by a tour of the city’s bars; and, of course, the charms a University deeply rooted in the city.
If you need another reason to come to Porto, here it is: in 2017 Porto was chosen for the third time as “Best European Destination” by European Consumers Choice, Europe’s greatest tourism platform.
For more information visit
Getting to Porto
By plane
The Porto Airport (Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro) is located about 11 km from Porto. From the airport, the city has easy access by metro (€ 1,95), train, taxi (~ € 20) or car.
By train
Porto has two major train stations: Campanhã station and São Bento station, served by international, inter-cities, inter-regional, regional and urban trains, connecting the city to several destinations inside and outside the country.
The Campanhã railway station is the main railway station in Porto, where you arrive from or leave to Lisbon or Spain, for example. São Bento railway station is the second station of the city, connecting several other cities in Portugal. Both stations are connected to the Metro lines.
Additional information at: http://www.cp.pt/cp/
Getting around in Porto
By metro:
Porto’s Metro service (Metro do Porto) serves the centre and the suburbs of the city with 6 lines running from 6 AM to 1 AM.
Travel tickets: ANDANTE tickets can be purchased in every ANDANTE store circuit (price per ticket: € 0,50). Ticket prices depend on which zones you wish to travel to and from. Every time you enter the Metro you have to validate your ANDANTE, even when switching between two lines.
For me information visit www.metrodoporto.pt
Bus:
STCP buses provide a public transport service in the metropolitan area of Porto. The daytime service runs between 05:00 and 00:30 (some lines only until 21:00) and night service (lines 1M to 13M) between 01:00 and 05:00.
Travel tickets: You can use the ANDANTE (travel ticket for the Metro) in STCP buses. It needs to be validated upon entering the bus. STCP tickets can be purchased from Payshop offices, train station ticket offices, post offices, ANDANTE shops, automatic ticket machines and at the STCP or Andante service points.
For me information visit www.stcp.pt/en/travel
Accommodation and Food
Here is a list of places near the venue
General information
Weather in Portugal
The climate in Portugal varies considerably from one region to another and is influenced by several things, including latitude and proximity to the sea, which offers mild winters.
In Porto the climate is maritime temperate, with no extreme temperatures. The winters are colder, although the temperatures are still mild when compared to the rest of Europe. The summers are hot and dry, especially in the inland areas. Temperatures are slightly lower in the coastal areas, because of the influence of the sea.
The average daily temperature is 20 degrees Celsius with a low of 15 degrees and a high of 23 degrees. The number of hours of sunshine grows to 9 every day.
Time zone
The local time in Portugal is Greenwich Meantime (GMT) / UTC + 1 hour in summer
Currency and banking
The currency in Portugal is the Euro (EUR).
Cash machines/ATMs are often accessible 24/7 and they can be found all over Porto.
Telephone access code
Portugal + 351
Essential telephone contacts
Emergency: 112
Tourism Police: +351 222 081 833
Airport Francisco Sá Carneiro: +351 229 432 400
Tourism Office: +351 223 393 472
Electricity
Voltage in Portugal is 220/400 volt with a frequency of 50 hertz, and plugs are of the two-pin continental type.
Smoking
Smoking - cigarettes, cigars and pipes - is banned in indoor public places in Portugal.