Last Updated on September 23, 2021 by Soumya
On my visit to Porto in Portugal, I got a chance to use and review the Porto Card with Transport for 3 days. I spent 3 days in Porto which included one day of day-tripping to Douro Valley by train.
With so many amazing things to do in Porto + several interesting day trip options by train, it is crucial to know how and where you can save some extra bucks. My idea behind getting and reviewing a Porto Card was to do exactly that – figure out how I could save some of my precious money.
Do you think I succeeded? Well, let’s find out.
Here’s my honest review of the Porto Card and if it is really worth buying one for your trip. I give you hard numbers and the exact amounts that we saved so that you can make an informed decision when visiting Porto.
In this Porto Card review article, I also take you through the entire process of how and where to buy a Porto Card, how to use it, and when it benefits you the most. So, let’s get started.
Porto Card Review – Is Porto Card worth it?
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The Porto Card is a city pass for Porto that allows free admission to many museums and discounts at several attractions, tours, and eateries. If you couple it with their transport option called the Andante Card, you get free local transport too.
In my opinion, it is totally worth getting a Porto Card when you are visiting Porto for 1/2/3/4 days. As you read through, you will find out why.
There are two types of the card.
I got a Porto Card with Transportation which means I got to use Porto’s public transport for free too. Here’s my honest review of how the Porto Card helped me save a ton of money.
What is the Porto Card with Transport?
The Porto Card is the official tourist card for the city of Porto. When you buy a Porto Card with Transport, you receive a blue card labeled Porto.card and Porto’s public transport card labeled Andante.
Andante includes free and unlimited use of the metro and city buses. And the Porto card gives you free access to 6 sights and museums, 50% discount for many others, significant discounts on guided tours, wine tastings, and at restaurants.
I used and reviewed a Porto Card with Transport for three days and this post is a reflection of the same. The same card is also available for 1, 2, and 4 days but I did not use those and cannot comment on their usefulness.
What is included in a Porto Card with Transport?
You receive the following in your package of Porto Card with Transport.
- 2 cards – Porto Card & Andante Card
- City Map
- Benefits Guide with a list of more than 150 benefits and discounts. Have a look at the official website here for details.
How do you use the Porto card?
- Every person needs to have his own card. Cards cannot be transferred.
- You must sign and date the card when you start using it.
- You must present the card at the ticket counter before your tickets are done to get the discount. A card can be used only once at a sight.
- You must validate the card every time you get on public transport. Can be used any number of times in public transport.
- Apparently, you can also use the Porto card online by using their Porto.Card Mobile App. However, I did not use it and can’t comment on that.
Where can you buy and pick up a Porto Card?
You can buy a Porto Card online at the following links on Get Your Guide.
The prices on GYG are usually the same as on the official Porto Card website. However, if you are not sure, feel free to check here.
Once you purchase your Porto Card online, you can pick your card at any of the following points.
- Porto Tourism Office at Calcada Dom Pedro Pitoes
- Porto Welcome Center at Praca Almeida Garret
- Tourism Office at the Airport on Floor 0
You could also try the following places because Porto Cards were sold here when I went.
- Currency exchange counter at Porto Airport Arrivals
- Railway Stations
Porto Card costs
The costs for Porto Card with Transport (colored blue) is as follows.
- 1 day – €13
- 2 days – €20
- 3 days – €25
- 4 days – €33
If you buy a Walker Porto Card (colored white) and leave out the transport option, then these are the costs.
- 1 day – €6
- 2 days – €10
- 3 days – €13
- 4 days – €15
If you buy only the transport card which is called the Andante card, then these are the costs.
- 1 day – €7
- 3 days – €15
Note: Andante is only available for 1 and 3 days and allows you to travel in all zones.
If we do a comparison between the two versions, we see the following:
- Porto Card with Transport for 1 day = Walker Porto 1 day + Andante 1 day (You can buy either option)
- Porto Card with Transport for 2 days < Walker Porto 2 day + 2 * Andante 1 day (Buying the transport combination is beneficial)
- Porto Card with Transport for 3 days < Walker Porto 3 day + Andante 3 days (Buying the transport combination is beneficial)
- Porto Card with Transport for 4 days < Walker Porto 4 day + Andante 3 days + Andante 1 day (Buying the transport combination is beneficial)
Porto Card savings
We travel as a family. Our group consists of K, me, and our 6-year-old A. Kids are allowed free entry at a number of museums which is why we did not purchase a Porto Card with Transport for A. But since we lived a little away from the city center in Gaia, we just got him an Andante 3 dayer.
A Porto Card with Transport costs €25. An Andante 3 dayer costs €15. So basically, you pay €10 for the city pass without transport. So we were looking to save at least €10 from discounts at various sights.
Related Read: 15+ Unique Things to do with kids in Portugal
Here’s how our sightseeing savings looked like by using the Porto Card.
Please note that these numbers and discounts were applicable in October 2019. Admission charges and discounts may have changed ever since.
Day 1 Porto Card savings
| Sight | Entrance Fee in € | How much we paid in € | Our savings in € | Kids Fee in € |
| Clérigos Tower | 5 | 2.50 | 2.50 | 0 |
| Palácio da Bolsa | 10 | 7.50 | 2.50 | 0 |
| Cable Car One Way | 6 | 5.40 | 0.60 | 3 |
| Savings Day 1 | 5.60 |
Day 2 Porto Card savings
On Day 2, we traveled to Pocinho and Pinhao in the Douro Valley. Our train tickets were not paid for by the Porto Card. But our bus trips to and from the Sao Bento station were paid for.
Do check out guide on how to travel from Porto to Douro Valley by train in case you are planning to make the trip.
Day 3 Porto Card savings
| Sight | Entrance Fee in € | How much we paid in € | Our savings in € | Kids Fee in € |
| Church of São Francisco | 7.50 | 5.50 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 Bridges Cruise with Tomaz do Douro | 15 | 12 | 3 | 7.50 |
| Museu do Carro Eléctrico | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 |
| Savings Day 3 | 9 |
Here, we can see that we had saved €14.6 (€5.6+€9) during our sightseeing in Porto which surpasses €10. Even if you decide to buy a €13 Walker Porto Card for 3 days, then that makes sense too.
Related Read: 17 Best things to do in Porto.
Some points to be noted are
- These were our savings from only two days of sightseeing in Porto. If we had decided to sightsee Day 2 in Porto as well, we would have saved a lot more.
- Please note that since we travel with a kid, we did not follow a very hectic itinerary of Porto. If you can see more than we did, then you can, obviously, save more.
- Also, we did not see significant savings for our kid if we had bought him a Porto Card as well. Kids enter free at most sights. So, a Porto Card is definitely more beneficial for an adult than a kid.
Here’s how our transport savings looked like when in Porto.
We stayed at Ibis Budget in Porto Gaia and frequently used the bus to commute to Porto City Center.
Plus, Porto is hilly and September was sunny. It is hard to walk around everywhere even within the city center during day time. We often hopped on the bus and metro within the historical center.
A single bus ticket costs €1.85. A single metro ticket starts at €1.20. We were making around 4-5 trips in a day. So, the Andante Pass really worked well for us. At €5 per day, it was a lifesaver.
Final Verdict: Porto Card for 3 days is definitely worth it.
A Walker Porto Card is definitely worth it. However, you may have to decide between the Porto Card with Transport vs Andante Card depending on the following points.
- Andante Card is really helpful if you are staying away from the city center and need to commute by metro and bus frequently.
- If you decide to stay in the center and are willing to walk around, then you don’t need the Andante Card as much.
Buy your Walker Porto Card here. - If you don’t want to worry about which zones you are traveling to on public transport, then again it makes sense to add on the Andante.
Buy your Porto Card with Transportation here.
A few things that the card could have included but did not are the following.
- Porto Tram Car Ride
- Entrance to Livraria Lello – This is an extremely popular destination for Harry Potter lovers and we would love to see some discounts here.
More Porto resources
- 21 Best Things to do in Porto
- Where to spot the best azulejos in Porto
- How to plan your Porto to Douro Valley trip by train?
- 8 Quick and easy day trips from Porto
Loved our post on the Porto Card Review? Pin it here!
