How to Get from Lisbon to Porto

Lisbon and Porto are two cities that are definitely worth visiting if you’re in Portugal. While most tourists start off in Lisbon, I find Porto even more beautiful, with its bridges, great wine, and azulejos.

Finding the best way to travel from Lisbon to Porto is easy and it’s all a matter of your personal preference when traveling, your budget, and the convenience you look for.

Just a couple of basic info before we get started. The distance between Lisbon and Porto is 314 kilometers or 195 miles, so any way you decide to make the journey, it won’t take more than half a day (or less).

Colorful houses on the riverbank, and bigger white buildings located higher up

To help you plan your trip from, I put together information about each of the transportation options available so you can decide what’s the best way for you.

➤ OVERALL BEST WAY: Train.
➤ CHEAPEST WAY: Bus or ridesharing.
➤ FASTEST WAY: High-speed train (Alfa Pendular train).
➤ MOST SCENIC WAY: Drive from Lisbon to Porto.
➤ LEAST ECO-FRIENDLY: Flight.

Table of Contents

Take the Train from Lisbon to Porto

Traveling by train is one of the most efficient (THE most efficient in my opinion) ways to go from Lisbon to Porto.

This journey takes an average of 3 hours. However, you can find trains (the Alfa Pendular train, which is the high-speed train) that will get you there in as little as 2 hours and 35 minutes.

The earliest train departs at 6.30 AM and the latest trip departs at 10:09 PM. An average of 32 trains travel between Lisbon and Porto each day, so you have plenty of opportunities to catch one throughout the day. Each train departs at an interval of an average of 30 minutes.

If you’re traveling the opposite way, the first train departs at 5.32 AM.

The departure station in Lisbon is at the Lisboa Santa Apol station or Lisboa Oriente station (pictured above). The train from Porto to Lisbon departs from the Campanha station.

The price for train tickets starts at 23 Euros for the regular ticket and 36 Euros for the faster trains (if you buy in advance). All the train connections are regulated and managed by Comboios de Portugal, which is the national railway company in Portugal.

➤ You can visit the website below to find out about the train schedule and book your tickets in advance. I especially recommend booking a ticket online if you’re visiting during the summer or high season in general.

OMIO is the website I generally use to book transportation in Europe – it’s reliable and usually offers the best deals for train tickets.

BOOK HERE your train from Lisbon to Porto.
BOOK HERE your train from Porto to Lisbon.

Take the Bus from Lisbon to Porto

If you prefer to travel by bus, maybe because of budget, or maybe you just prefer the bus, there’s no problem. Getting from Lisbon to Porto by bus is a breeze.

In fact, these two cities are well connected by bus routes making it easy to transfer from one city to another.

The average travel time is 3 hours and 30 minutes (although it depends on traffic), and there are many departures from Lisbon throughout the day so you can easily catch a bus any time of the day.

If you buy your bus ticket in advance, it will cost as little as 9 euros. However, if you buy it on the spot, the regular ticket price is around 20 euros, depending on the bus company.

So in this case, it totally makes sense to buy your ticket in advance if you already know the time and date you want to travel.

The Rede Expressos is one bus company that operates between these two destinations, it’s also the largest long-distance bus company in Portugal. Other companies offering the same route are Citi Express and RENEX. You can also check out the Flixbus for some great deals.

➤ You can check the website below (OMIO) for the latest information on bus schedules and pricing. The bus will depart from the Lisboa Gora Oriente station and will drop you off at Porto’s Campo 24 de Agosto station.

BOOK HERE your bus from Lisbon to Porto.
BOOK HERE your bus from Porto to Lisbon.

Driving from Lisbon to Porto

A black sign with yellow letters that reads Car Rental

If you want to travel at your own pace and have the flexibility to stop at destinations along the way, the best way to travel is by renting a car and driving yourself.

Driving is a fun road trip experience worth trying, especially if you have the luxury of a little bit of time.

The distance between these two cities is a little more than 186 miles (300 km). The driving time is around 3 hours if you don’t make any stops, but since there are many interesting spots along the way, you can expect that drive to take a bit longer – but it’s worth it!

There are many must-see attractions on the drive that you’ll definitely want to make a stop or two.

In fact, why not make it a Lisbon to Porto road trip and see it all? I’ve written an extensive article with the exact itinerary for a one-week road trip – if you have enough time, it’s highly recommended.

The average cost for a car rental is 25 Euros per day. If you choose to rent for several days, you’ll definitely save more. You should also expect additional payment if you choose to drop it off in a different location, so it’ll probably make sense to go back to the departure point, at least financially speaking.

➤ The best option for renting a car is to book in advance online. I usually use Discover Cars to compare prices and find the best deal. ➥ COMPARE PRICES HERE

Discover Cars is an online booking service that offers a wide range of rental options from various agencies in Cancun. This makes it easier to find a rental car that suits your budget and needs.

I particularly like their cancelation policy. Typically, with Discover Cars, you can cancel your booking for free up to 48 hours before the pickup time. This is a much more generous cancelation policy than other platforms. It’s always important, however, to read the specific terms and conditions of your rental agreement. Policies can vary based on the rental company and the rate you choose.

When renting a car, make sure to check the condition of the car first, and that there are no previous scratches so you won’t be liable for any damages on the vehicle that you didn’t do. If there’s any previous damage, take photos of it and report it before leaving with the rental car.

Go from Lisbon to Porto with Ridesharing

There’s one more way to make the trip which is often overlooked – in fact, it’s one more way to travel by car without having to rent a car.

Ridesharing (also called carpooling) is a fairly common way to travel in some areas of Europe, and it’s the cheapest way to get from Lisbon to Porto (unless you get your hands on a deal for a bus ticket).

You can look on BlaBlaCar for people who are driving in the same direction on the same day, and who are offering a few seats in their car.

You usually contact them, set up a meeting point and time, and a drop-off point at the destination. I’ve used BlaBlaCar many times in Italy when I was younger and I was often commuting to a city a few hours away, and always had good experiences.

This is a great option for budget travelers and backpackers, especially if you’re an extrovert and you don’t mind chatting with people throughout the drive. It’s also great if you’re a solo traveler and like to meet people, but always make sure that the driver has a bunch of positive reviews before going on the ride.

Flights Lisbon to Porto

Traveling via plane is an option but I wouldn’t recommend it. For one, it’s very expensive as compared to other transportation options above, but it will also take more time as you have to go through the check-in process at the airport and wait for your flight to depart.

Granted that a flight will take only one hour, but you need to be at the airport around 2 hours prior to your flight departure to check-in and go through security so it could easily eat up more time than if you were to travel via train or bus. And more importantly, traveling via plane is not an eco-friendly option.

➤ However, if you’re dead set on flying, you can check out here your options for flights from Lisbon to Porto, and here your options from Porto to Lisbon.

Go on a Day Trip from Lisbon to Porto

You’ve got very limited time and want to visit Porto on a day trip? I would recommend spending more than one day in the city, but if you can’t, a day trip is still doable.

I’d say you have two options when it comes to day excursions. You can either go by train as explained above- in this case I’d choose the fast train (called the Alfa Pendular train), to get there as fast as possible and not lose valuable time.

The other option is to join a tour to be completely hands-off.

I haven’t gone on a day tour myself, but I have checked quite a few options online to be able to recommend the best one.

➤ The Private Tour to Porto from Lisbon features a private driver and a customizable itinerary. You’ll be able to visit some of the most famous landmarks in Porto, such as Sao Bento Railway Station and Livraria Lello, walk by the Douro River, and have a porto wine tasting at one of the best wineries in town. ➥ BOOK IT HERE

Coming or Going from/to the Airport?

TRAVELING FROM LISBON TO PORTO AIRPORT

➤ If you’re traveling by bus, once you arrive at Porto’s Campo 24 de Agosto bus station, walk 15 minutes to the Trindade subway stop and take subway E to the airport.

➤ If you’re traveling by train, once you arrive at Porto Campanha train station, take the subway (lines A, F, C, B, B Expresso) until the stop Siete Bicas. Get off here and take subway E all the way to the airport.

TRAVELING FROM PORTO AIRPORT TO LISBON

Follow the instructions above but in the opposite direction.

GETTING FROM LISBON AIRPORT TO PORTO

➤ There isn’t a direct train from Lisbon airport to Porto. You’ll have to take the train from Lisbon Aeroporto to Oriente station in Lisbon, and then take the train to Porto.

➤ If you want to travel by bus, you’ll also have to get to the Oriente station and take a bus from there.

GETTING FROM PORTO TO LISBON AIRPORT

Follow the instructions above but in the opposite direction.

And it’s a a wrap. Hopefully this info is useful for you to get from Lisbon to the enchanting city of Porto. I have written a few other posts about Portugal, so make sure to check them out to plan your trip in the area.

This post contains affiliate links, which means if you book something through one of my links I might get a commission, at absolutely no extra cost to you