PORTO - Portugal - page 323

By Metro
Metro lines include blue, red, green, purple, and orange (all connecting Campanhã Station
to the center). All Metro lines converge at the Trindade stop, two blocks behind City
Hall and Avenida dos Aliados. The purple line connects the airport to the center and
Campanhã Station; the yellow line includes São Bento Station and Vila Nova de Gaia,
across the river. To ride the Metro you must have an Andante Card, described earlier
( www.metrodoporto.pt ).
By Funicular
A handy funicular (Elevador dos Guindais) connects the Ribeira district (at the base of the
Ponte Dom Luís I bridge) to the top of the steep hill above (at the remains of the city wall,
down the Rua de Augusto Rosa from Praça da Batalha). Note that the funicular stops run-
ning earlier in the off-season (€1.65, covered by Andante Card, every 10 minutes, daily
May-Oct 8:00-22:00, Nov-April 8:00-20:00).
By Cable Car
The overpriced Teleférico de Gaia cable car soars above Vila Nova da Gaia, connecting
the riverfront with the Jardim do Morro, just under the Mosteiro da Serra do Pilar mon-
astery and the upper part of the Ponte Dom Luís I bridge. The five-minute ride gives a
unique view over the port wine lodges and across the river to the city, and can be handy
for connecting the upper and lower parts of Vila Nova da Gaia (€5 one-way, €8 round-
trip, daily 10:00-20:00 in summer, 10:00-18:00 off-season, www.gaiacablecar.com ) .
By Taxi
Taxis are a good option in this hilly city. Most rides are fairly short and cost only around
€5. For rides within the city limits, the meter should be on “T1” during the day (€2 drop
charge) and “T2” at night (21:00-6:00 in the morning, €2.50 drop charge). Each kilometer
costs about €0.40. A luggage surcharge of €1.60 is legit. It's easy to find taxi stands, and
you'll pay €0.80 more to call one (try Invicta, tel. [phone]).
Tours in Porto
ATC/Porto Tours —The city of Porto operates an ingenious, extremely useful tour
co-op, allowing all the small tour companies to share one office in an old medieval
watchtower next to the cathedral (daily April-Sept 10:00-19:00, shorter hours off-season,
Calçada Dom Pedro Pitões 15, tel. [phone], www.portotours.com , reser-
[e-mail] ). This organization, which takes no commission and is not biased
toward any particular company, will help you sort through all of the walking, bus, boat,
bike, Segway, taxi, and even helicopter tour options in Porto and up the Douro. They'll