Porto is a special city. If you have the time and will to see more than Ericeira and the Lisbon region during your stay in Portugal, we highly recommend Porto. However since there aren’t any bus line connecting Ericeira and Porto, it can be tricky to get there from Ericeira. That’s why we decided to write this blogpost on how to get from Ericeira to Porto.
As you will notice once you arrive, the scenery and ambiance of the city is really one of a kind. And it probably will not be too difficult to understand how JK Rawling found inspiration in Porto, as she wrote what was going to become the first chapters of the Harry Potter saga.
Ericeira to Porto by Public Transport
Since there aren’t any direct connections from Ericeira to Porto, you will have to switch connection somewhere. The best places to switch are in Lisbon and Sintra.
In this blogpost we will go through exactly how you make this switch. Depending on at which one of the two places you choose to make your switch, you have the option of continuing with bus or train to Porto. In general, the buses are a bit cheaper and takes a little bit longer.
Let’s start and have a look at how you make the trip via Lisbon.
Ericeira to Porto via Lisbon by bus
To go from Ericeira to Lisbon you take the bus from the bus terminal in Ericeira. The journey costs 6.5 Eur and you can download the bus time table here. To be able to view the download link on a mobile phone, you need to minimize the screen with your fingers, as the website doesn’t adjust for mobiles. You can also view the bus schedule by downloading the Mafrense app to your phone.
In Lisbon the bus will drop you off at the Campo Grande bus station. Once you get there, you can choose to continue to Porto by bus or train.
Rede Expressos
The most common bus company is Rede Expressos, and you can find their exact timetable here. The journey usually takes about 3h 20 min and the price will be around 19 Eur. The tickets can’t be purchased from the driver, so make sure to buy it online or plan in some extra time to get it at the bus terminal.
The Rede Expressos only leave from the Sete Rios and Oriente bus stations. You will have to take the bus or subway from the Campo Grande bus terminal to get there. To find out exactly which public transport to take and how long time it will take, we recommend using google maps.
Ericeira to Porto via Lisbon by Train
If you instead prefer to go by train to Porto, the easiest way is to take the subway from Campo Grande to the Oriente station where all trains that depart for Porto will pass through. You have two options of trains: Intercidades and Alfa Pendular. Alfa Pendular is more modern, costs 31.7 Eur and the journey from Lisbon to Porto normally takes 2h 41 m. Intercidades are the older train and the journey with an Intercidade takes 3h 07 min and costs 25.1 Eur.
Regardless of which train you choose; tickets should be bought in advance. You can buy them either at the train station or from the official website, where you also can check the departure times. If you are planning to travel on a holiday its recommended that you buy the ticket in advance as they do tend to sell out and it’s possible that prices will go up.
Via Sintra
If you want to see something else or really don’t want to have to deal with the hassle of moving around with your luggage in Lisbon, you also have the option of going via Sintra. And Sintra is actually a surprisingly smooth way of getting from Ericeira to Porto.
The bus from Ericeira to Sintra leaves quite often and takes about 50 min. You can download the time table here. However, as written above you need to minimize the screen with your fingers to see the download link on your phone. You can also view the bus schedule by downloading the Mafrense app to your phone.
In Sintra the bus drops you off at the main bus terminal (Portela do Sintra). And from there you just take the train to Oriente in Lisbon for 2.25 Eur. The train ride takes 44 min and leaves more or less every 10 minutes.
From Oriente you just continue to Porto with the train of your choice.
Ericeira to Porto by Car
If you have access to a car, driving is of course the easiest way of getting from Ericeira to Porto. In general, there are two ways you can do this journey. Taking the highway, or the scenic route along the coast.
If you choose to take the highway the journey will take about 3 hours and you will also have to pay the road tolls. Depending on exactly which roads you choose and which vehicle you have, the toll between Ericeira and Porto should be between 20 and 30 Euros.
If you instead choose to take the scenic smaller roads without road tolls, the journey takes around 6 hours depending on the exact roads you take. To skip the roads with tolls, you first select to get the directions between Ericeira and Porto on google maps. Then tap the three vertical dots next to “your location” and continue to tap route options. Now you can tick the box avoid road tolls.
There you go. Have a wonderful time in Porto and see you next time you’re back in Ericeira!
