Porto Airport (OPO) Francisco SA Carneiro in Porto Portugal

The Porto international airport (OPO), also known as Francisco Sá Carneiro or Aeroporto de Pedras Rubras is located approximately 12km northwest of the centre of Porto city, in Moreira which is situated in the municipality of Maia.

After Lisbon and Faro it is the third busiest airport in the country and has the capacity to cater for up to 16 million passengers a year.

The airport is strategically positioned, as it sits close to the sea, the bustling city of Porto and industrial port of Matosinhos, with good linkages to public transport and road systems, making it easy to travel to and from at all times of day.

Francisco Sa Carneiro airport was originally built in the early 1940's and inaugurated in 1943. It was named after the popular President of Portugal, Francisco Manuel Lumbrales de Sá Carneiro, who only held the position for 11 months in 1980 before he tragically died in a plane crash on his way from Lisbon to Porto airport.

In more recent years, partly due to the fact that Porto played host to some of the Euro 2004 football championship matches, Porto airport has been completely renovated, amplified and transformed, making it one of the more enjoyable and comfortable airports to fly to and from.

The baggage handling has greatly improved, with the baggage turn-around usually less than 15 minutes. There are 3 luggage carousels in the baggage-claim area.

The airport boasts numerous facilities and services including several shops, cafes, restaurants and conference facilities, which can be found spread over the two floors of the airport. There are also a number of lifts and disabled toilets for people who are not fully mobile or who are in a wheelchair.

Gifts and presents can be purchased at the airport and you will find items including books, jewellery or wine, as well as various bits and pieces that you may need for your holiday such as sunglasses, bikinis or wine!

Some of the shops within the airport include Sunglass Hut, Football Corner, Lune Bleu, Relay, Vodaphone and Rosior.

Shop opening hours can range between 7am and midnight with some outlets opening later or closing earlier.

There are a number of cash machines located throughout the airport and other monetary services include a bureau de change, a bank and a post office, so being stuck without any cash should never be a problem.

Other facilities within the airport include a pharmacy, travel agency, a lost and found desk and Internet access points.

There are business conference facilities available at the Francisco Sá Carneiro airport consisting of several meeting and conference rooms located on both floors.

These should be booked in advance and can be done by contacting the public relations department by calling (351) 229 432 400 or (351) 229 410 368 or by sending a fax to (351) 229 413 290. You can also send an email to sirp@ana.pt. Note that the Navigator Lounge is only available for passengers who are flying with the country's own airline TAP-Air Portugal.

You are unlikely to go hungry or thirsty either as food facilities range from small coffee shops such as Café Aeroporto or Medas Beer to the self-service Food Gallery and the Meal O'clock restaurant.

Whether you are travelling to or from the airport, it doesn't matter, as it is extremely accessible both ways.

By road, the main access to the airport is on the National Highway 107 and the IC 24 secondary road. Additionally, if travelling from other parts of the area, the A3 links Porto to Braga to the east.

The Metro runs daily from 6am until 1.30am and is a fast, cheap and easy way to travel into the city centre. There is a metro station located just in front of the arrivals area of the airport, which is signposted clearly from inside. The journey from the airport to the centre of town takes approximately 25 minutes.

The airport Metro station is located at the end of Line E or the Violet Line and runs from here through the main areas of the city centre until it reaches the Estádio de Dragao, home football ground of FC Porto. You can plan your journey from the airport to the city by metro by visiting www.metrodoporto.pt and clicking on "mapa da rede", which brings up a map of the whole metro system.

The Violet Line from the airport stops at the Campanha railway station before reaching the end of the line. From here connections can be made to other parts of the city and further a field across the country, although the main central train station in Porto is the Sao Bento Station.

There are regular buses that travel to and from the airport which are also very economic in price. From the airport you can catch the ZA, 601, 602 and 604, which will take you in to town. For further details on bus services visit www.stcp.pt or www.autna.com for the route Porto (airport) - Vigo (NW Spain).

Don't forget that taxis operate 24 hours a day and are to be found outside the airport arrivals area. Taxi fares are relatively reasonable but expect extra charges between 9pm and 6am and if travelling with extra-large suitcases. Any tolls taken on the journey will be charged to the passenger as well.

The Francisco Sa Carneiro Porto airport is located at Pedras Rubras, 4470 Maia, Portugal (Tel: 351 229 432 400).

note: porto airport operates a no-smoking policy throughout the airport terminal building.

Airlines currently flying to Porto airport (OPO)

Map of Porto airport in Portugal

Air Berlin
Air France
Air Nostrum
Air Transat
Easyjet
European Air Transport
Iberia

Lufthansa
Luxair
Ryanair
Swiftair
TAP-Air Portugal
Tuifly