Public transport in Porto part 1

I would like to devote this post to traveling in Porto, because I believe this is one of the issues that you will have to deal with practically every day. I split this topic into two parts. In this part you will find a practical guide to the zones in Porto and the most important information related to tickets.

I would like to begin by pointing out that in my opinion Porto is one of the best communicated cities I've been to. The subway is clear and transparent, not like, for example, in Berlin, where you have no clue where to go and how to get there. Another advantage of the public transport in Porto is the value for money. The stations are clean, buses and subways are neat and modern.

The airport - the center

So let's start from the beginning... Most of us will probably fly to Porto and therefore will have to get to the center. It makes no sense to take a taxi, because it is relatively expensive and the metro line that arrives at the airport runs to the center of Porto as well. As a reminder, the purple metro line "E" runs from the airport. It's best to get to the Casa da Musica station, where you can change to other metro lines or cross the street to get to the bus depot. I also recommend the Trinidade or Bolhao stations.

Following the crowd, we will find ourselves in a tunnel connecting the airport with the metro station (the way is well signposted). At the end of the tunnel, on both sides, there are the Andante vending machines. There will be one or two people who will help you in case of trouble. However, in order to specify the zone, you should know where you're heading. It is also good to have some spare change because the machines are sometimes unreliable and they don't accept coins. In the machines there is a possibility to choose English.

First you will have to buy the blue Andante card, the cost of which is 50 cents. But you shouldn't throw it away because it's rechargeable. The cost of a single trip to the center is 1. 95. OK, we have a ticket. What next?

When it comes to the subway in Porto, the validators are located outside the trains, i. e. at the metro stations. It's not possible to validate a ticket in the train and you should definitely bear that in mind. A validated ticket is valid for about an hour and we can freely change the metro line or the bus (keeping the zones in mind).

Zones in Porto

For those of you who are from cities with public transportation zones, it probably won't be a problem at all, but believe me, at first the zone grid seems to be mumbo jumbo. There are different numbers and letters on it, so you can get lost. I have been told an easy way to count the zones. It's a useful skill if you buy a monthly ticket, because you have to know the number of zones you need your ticket for.

To illustrate how the zones are counted, I present a picture of their organization below.

Let's assume that we arrived at the airport, which means we are at the Aeroprto stop (the end of the violet line "E"), which is located in zone N10. However, we have to get to Casa da Musica, which is located in the center, in zone C1. Does this mean we have to buy a ticket for 10 zones? Absolutely not. We start in zone N10, then our subway goes through C5, then C2 and we get off in zone C1.

It means that we have to buy a ticket for 4 zones. And within these zones we can continue to travel without meeting any additional and unnecessary costs.

This is how the zones in Porto work but, as I have already mentioned, there is no need to be tied up to these names. Only when preparing to travel, check how many zones you are about to cross.

Since January this year, new ticket prices have been introduced, which have, of course, increased slightly, but it's probably like everywhere and with everything.

This photo shows the prices for one and ten trips (then we get one for free) and the length of the trip. As you can see, there is no Z1 here, because for us Z1 is the place from which we're traveling and same ticket will apply within this zone. If we want to go to the next zone, we have to have a ticket for Z2. So, if I start my journey at Casa da Musica and want to get to places in: C2, C6, S8, I have to buy a ticket for zone 2. Usually it is said that a validated ticket works for an hour, but it is only half of the truth because, as you can see above, the farther we go, the longer the journey, which is understandable because we need more time.

The zones spread in a circular way and the areas which we can reach border with our zone. As I studied at ISMAI (the end of the green"E" line) and I lived in area C2, I had a ticket for 4 zones to be able to travel peacefully around the center. What if I wanted to visit my friends in Vila do Conde? I would buy another ticket for 3 more zones. The problem was that first I had to validate my monthly ticket that would work only within my zones, and then, at the appropriate stop, jump out to validate a new ticket. It was a bit risky because the driver could close the door, but it never happened to me.

Where to buy the ticket?

The most important is that the tickets for the metro and the buses are the same. It is best to buy the blue Andante card and charge it if necessary, with an assumption that we should always have some money on it. The card can be bought in the machines at every metro station. You can also find them at railway stations or buy them from the bus driver (but then you get a regular receipt, which means that if you have to change, you'll have to buy a new ticket).

If we want to be the holders of a monthly ticket called the Gold Andante (although this year a new design is about to be introduced), we must go to a bigger station with a customer service point. Such places can be found at:

• Trindade Mon - Fri from 08. 00 to 18. 30; Sat from 09. 00 to 12. 30
• Campanhã Mon - Fri from 08. 00 to 18. 30; Sat from 09. 00 to 12. 30
• Hosp. S. João Mon - Fri from 08. 00 to 18. 30; Sat from 09. 00 to 12. 30
• Casa da Música Mon - Fri from 08. 00 to 18. 30; Sat from 09. 00 to 12. 30

Tickets (Andante cards)

Actually in Porto there are two types of tickets (not including the tickets purchased from the driver) blue Andante, which can be recharged once or purchased as a few-way ticket or a 24-hour ticket. Another solution, especially useful for students, is the purchase of monthly tickets.

To purchase a monthly ticket with a student discount, you should first go to the university for a document confirming that you are a student and your exchange period. Then go to one of Loja Andante, i. e. the above-mentioned points of sale and customer service with this document, a photo and your identity card. The ticket is coded with regard to the number of zones we need. Our age is also important because the price of tickets differs after we reach 23 years. The cost of issuing a card is 6 euros and it's a non-returnable cost. Note for buyers: if you buy in the middle of the month, you're required to pay the full amount. That's why it's sometimes better to bear with a 10 trip ticket and wait for the end of the month.

If your university is in the center of Porto, you might need a ticket only for Z2 to be able to get to the beach. However, if we decide to move, the number of zones be changed at the beginning of a month.

How do tickets work? They have a built-in chip, so each time you get on a bus, you have to validate the ticket by scanning it on a yellow validator. On the screen you'll see how much time you have (in case of the blue Andante) or by when your ticket is valid (monthly tickets). If the green color appears, everything is ok, but if the light is red, something is wrong. The chips are so strong that you can even place a purse in front of the validator or keep the ticket in your jacket - the validator will recognize it anyway.

When it comes to using the cards and the subway, you should keep in mind that you have to validate the ticket before entering the subway and after you get off, because it determines the duration of the journey and it is, in case of ticket control, your proof. Same applies to changing the route at a given metro station.

In general, monthly tickets are personal, but when it comes to the blue Andante, it is a transferable ticket, so if we don't need the ticket, we can lend it to some other person.

Ticket control

The inspectors can be seen from a distance because they wear special uniforms. When it comes to buses, it's quite simple: passengers enter the vehicles through the first door, so if you don't have a ticket, you can't get on. As for the metro, the control can take place in two places. On the metro the inspector comes to you with a scanner that reads the ticket and says precisely where and what time you entered the train. Of course, you can be lucky and if the inspectors are in only one car and the metro is arriving at the station, you can get off. It also happens that the inspectors carry out "raids", particularly at bigger metro stations, where the people who get off are inspected and controlled whether their ticket applied for that zone. I've never seen as many red-handed people as at the Trinidade station. When it comes to financial issues, Porto has very strict rules with regard to people who don't have a ticket or whose ticket is not valid in a given zone. The fine for not having a ticket is approximately 100 EUR.

My advice: remember to validate your ticket at the beginning and at the end of the journey. It'd be better to spend the 100 euros on some other entertainment.

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