by Janet Sandford

Created on: July 07, 2010

The same tickets are now valid for all modes of transport in Porto: the fine new metro/light rail network, buses, urban trains, the funicular and few remaining trams. It is much more expensive to buy individual journey tickets; for multiple journeys, buy an Andante Azul card from metro stations or Andante kiosks or shops, and load it digitally with the required number of units. The Blue Card itself costs 50c and can be recharged. Each Andante unit gives you unlimited travel in your chosen zone for an hour or more, depending on zone. 11 journeys cost between  9 euros and 27 euros, depending on zones. An Andante 24 gives a day's unlimited travel from the first moment of use, for 3 euros to 9/10 euros. The tourist offices and certain hotels also sell the Passe Porto valid for transport and museums, plus reductions on some river cruises, concerts etc.

The hub of the smart, efficient metro is the Estacao Trindade, just north of Aliados. The five lines are colour-coded, and will take you over the bridge to Gaia, out to the fish restaurants of Matosinhos, up to the airport, and out north into Vinho Verde country. Metro trains run from 6am unti 1am. Many buses (autocarros) leave from the Praca da Liberdade, north-east of Sao Bento station. Porto has only two tram lines at present, one from Massarelos to Carmo, the other from Infante along the river to the beaches and restaurants of Foz do Douro, starting at 9.15 or 9.30 am until 6 or 7 pm. But some old tram routes are currently being relaid.The narrow Funicular dos Guindais will hoist you from just east of the Luis I Bridge a short but steep distance up to Batalha, from 8am-8pm, and until midnight on Fridays, Saturdays and festivals. Long distance trains from Lisbon and the south arrive at the Estacao de Campanha, 2 km east of the centre; it's a five minute journey from there to Estacao Sao Bento - this is the starting point for the wonderful train journey up the Douro valley.

From the smart, new Francisco Sa Carneiro airport, 19 km to the north west, the Aerobus to the city centre is free if you fly with TAP, otherwise  2 euros 60 for a ticket also valid on local buses for the rest of the day; or take city buses 56 and 87. The metro is quicker, 30 minutes to the city centre.

Various companies offer river trips, on pleasure boats, barcos rabelos (like the boats used to transport barrels of young port wine), or small cruise ships, lasting from 50 minutes for a local excursion to several day cruises up to the Spanish border. Diana  Tours offer boat-train combinations to and from Regua. Diana Tours: Website - en.dianatours.pt

If you need to purchase maps, timetables, Passe Porto transport and museum passes you can find these at the tourist offices. Porto has three Turismo do Porto. The main one is situated at Rua Clube dos Fenianos 25; Ribeira Rua do Infante Dom Henrique; and Terreiro da Se. Open summer- Mon-Fri 9-7, Sat, Sun and public holidays 9.30 -4.30. The tourist office of Vila Nova de Gaia is next to the Sandeman lodge at Avenida Diogo Leite 242. Open - summer 10-7 and in the winter, Mon-Fri 10-6.

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