Trams in Porto
Porto has three tram routes that make for a pleasant way to see the city.
The Sociedade de Transportes Colectivos do Porto (STCP) runs both the city's trams and its efficient network of modern buses.
Porto's once much larger tram network is much reduced and is not on the same scale as the trams in Lisbon.
Nonetheless, visitors should try to ride at least one of the city's charming streetcars.
History
Porto's streetcars are of the vintage variety and are light brown in color.
The first trams in Porto date back to first horse-drawn trams in the 1870's, followed by steam until electrification in the mid-1890's which was complete by 1914. At its peak in the late 1940's the network had 150 km of track running on 20 lines. Now only 3 remain as buses took over the routes from the 1960's onwards.
Porto Tram Routes
Porto's 3 tram routes are:
Line 1 - runs from Infante to Passeio Alegre along the northern bank of the River Douro via Alfândega and Massarelos to Passeio Alegre in Foz do Douro.
It intersects with Line 18 at Massarelos.
This is the longest and most popular line and it passes several places of interest including the World of Discoveries and Transport & Communications museums in Alfândega. The 500 bus follows a very similar route.
Line 18 - runs in a loop from the Porto Tram Museum (Museu do Carro Eléctrico) in the Massarelos district to Carmo and back with stops at Hospital de Santo António, Palácio, Viriato and Entre Quintas. At Massarelos is the Porto Tram Museum (Museu do Carro Eléctrico) on the site of the old power station, next to the STCP depot.
Line 22 - runs in a loop from Carmo and then back to Carmo with stops Clérigos, Praça da Liberdade (São Bento Metro Station), Praça da Batalha, Batalha-Guindais (close to the Guindais Funicular), Batalha, Marcolino Santa Catarina (Bolhão Metro Station), Praça D. João I, Avenida dos Aliados (Aliados Metro Station), Pr. Filipa de Lencastre, Guilherme Gomes Fernandes and Carmo.
Update: From November 10, 2021 Rua dos Clérigos has been closed to traffic due to the preparatory work for the construction of the new S. Bento/Liberdade station on the new Pink Line of the Porto Metro. The tram will be suspended for a considerable amount of time. As of May 2025 Line 22 is still suspended.
Fares, Timetable & Frequency
Fares are 3.50 Euros per single journey or 6 Euros for 2 trips.
A 2-day pass is 10 Euros which can be bought onboard or at the Tram Museum.
Neither the Andante nor the Porto Card are valid on Porto's trams.
Timetables
The first Line 1 tram leaves Infante at 9 am with the last tram at 7.35 pm.
The first Line 18 tram departs from Carmo at 8.15 am with the last departure at 7.45 pm.
The first departure of Line 22 from Carmo is at 9.15 with the last tram at 7.45 pm.
Trams on lines 1 and 18 run about every 20 minutes and on Line 22 about every 30 minutes.
Porto & Portugal Transport
Book Air Tickets to Spain & Portugal
Cheap flights from Europe with low cost carriers
Porto Guindais Funicular + Tram City Tour + Hop-On Hop-Off Buses