Porto on mobile data: line E, the Douro valley and the road to Santiago
Porto is a small city with a long list of trips out of it. The metro gets you in from the airport; the trains up the Douro and north into Galicia are where the phone needs some planning, because one of them crosses into another country and another time zone.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Portugal?
- Yes. It connects to Vodafone, NOS (5G).
- Price
- From 4,29 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 6,29 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- Yes: Portugal is in EU roaming, so a plan from an EU country usually works at no extra cost, within your operator's fair-use limit. If your plan is from outside the EU, it charges international roaming.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Portugal. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
Line E from the airport to Trindade
The violet metro line E runs from the airport to Trindade, the station where all the metro lines meet, so most visitors change there or walk on into the Baixa. Taxis and ride apps also pick up at arrivals.
Tickets go on an Andante card, sold at the machines in the station. There is also Anda, an app that turns an Android phone with NFC and Bluetooth into the ticket: you hold the phone to the validator, it records the trip, and at the end of the month it charges the cheapest fare for what you travelled. It needs a bank card linked to the account, so set it up before you fly if you want to use it.
From Lisbon, the Alfa Pendular arrives at Campanhã, east of the centre, and the ticket includes a free suburban train to São Bento within the hour.
eSIM for Portugal
Data on your phone the moment you land in Portugal. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
São Bento and the Douro line
The Linha do Douro leaves from São Bento and follows the river inland to Pocinho, but many trains only go as far as Régua, and for Pinhão and the upper valley you may need to change there. It makes a long day, and the return is the part to plan: check the last train back from Pinhão or Régua before you set off, and save it on the phone.
Upriver the line winds between steep terraced slopes, and the signal can come and go; that is when a saved timetable beats a live search. Wine tours by road need the same care: book the quinta, and save its address and phone number before you leave Porto.
North into Galicia: the Celta and the Camino
The Celta train runs from Campanhã to Vigo-Guixar, calling at Nine, Viana do Castelo and Valença, in about two and a half hours. Walkers on the Portuguese Camino cross the same border on foot, over the bridge across the Minho between Valença and Tui.
Around the border two things happen to the phone. It moves onto a Spanish network, where a Portugal pack stops giving data, and its clock jumps forward an hour, because Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal. Check any train or bus time against the right clock. For a Camino that starts in Porto and ends in Santiago, the Europe pack covers Portugal and Spain on one eSIM.
How much data for Porto
Portugal packs come in 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB. Three or four days in Porto, with a day up the Douro, fit in 3 GB, valid for 15 days. A week that adds Lisbon on the Alfa Pendular is a 5 GB trip, and the Portugal pack covers both cities. For the Camino to Santiago, take the Europe pack instead: it comes in 3, 10 and 20 GB, and 10 GB for 30 days covers two or three weeks of walking, maps and messages home.
Either way the plan starts at the first connection in the destination, not when you install it. The hotspot is included, and you can top up without reinstalling. Prices for every size are on the Portugal page.
How do I get from Porto airport to the centre?
Metro line E runs from the airport to Trindade, in the centre. You need an Andante card from the station machines, or the Anda app on an Android phone with NFC.
Does a Portugal eSIM work in Vigo or Santiago de Compostela?
No. Galicia is in Spain, and the Portugal pack stops giving data once the phone joins a Spanish network. The Europe pack covers both countries.
Why did my phone change time after Valença?
Spain is one hour ahead of Portugal, and the phone takes its clock from the network. Check timetables against the local time on each side of the border.
Do all Douro trains go to Pinhão?
No. Many trains from Porto end at Régua, so check the timetable for Pinhão and Pocinho and save the last train back.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Portugal