How to Find Cheap Hotels in Porto, Portugal

Porto, also called "Oporto," is the second largest city in Portugal. It is located on the northern coast of the country on the Douro river banks. Porto is known primarily as a commercial and industrial city, not as a tourist destination.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Computer with Internet access for making reservations

Get to Know Porto

1. Check the weather forecast before you arrive. Unlike more southern areas of Portugal, Porto does experience fluctuating weather. Summers are normally dry and winters are cool and rainy. However, unpredictable weather can occur, and the city has been affected by summer heat waves--so be prepared.

2. Notice the architecture. Porto's buildings represent a mix of architectural styles including Romanesque, Gothic, Baroque, Neoclassical, Romantic and others.

3. Try the local cuisine. "Francesinha" is a dish resembling French toast that is only found in this city. "Bacalhau," salted cod, is another regional favorite and is prepared in a variety of ways.

4. Go out at night. There are lots of bars and clubs in Porto to choose from, although the nightlife doesn't really get started until after midnight, usually around 1 or 2 a.m.

Get to and Around Porto

5. Fly into Sa Carneiro Airport, which is located about 15 kilometers northwest of the city center. It's a large airport with regular flights to most major cities.

6. Take the AeroBus from the airport to the city center for a cheap ride. Taxis from the airport will cost you five times more.

7. Take the train from various cities, including Paris and Madrid. There are two train stations, the "S. Bento" and the "Campanha," serving the Porto area. Fares vary by distance.

8. Use the Porto Metro, a light rail system, to visit other areas of Porto. The Metro is very sophisticated and easy to use. Tickets are cheap and priced according to zones.

Choose Accommodations in Porto

9. To book accommodations, contact Porto and North Tourism at 011 ([phone] or visit their Web site (see Resources below).

10. Consider staying outside the city for cheap hotels and using the Porto Metro to get around.

11. Stay in one of the many cheap hostels all over Porto, including in the downtown area. Rooms range from very cheap to moderate in price.

12. Consider traveling to Porto in the off season to get cheap rates on nice rooms. Porto has a fair number of luxury hotels, and in the winter, hotel prices can be cut as much as 50 percent.

Tips & Warnings

• All phone numbers include the United States international prefix "011." When calling internationally outside the United States, substitute that "011" with "00." All country codes are within parentheses and begin with a "+" sign.
• Porto doesn't have as many hotels as more tourist-friendly cities in Portugal.