Champions League final: travel advice

Match: Saturday 29 May: Manchester City v Chelsea (Porto, 8:00pm local time)

Venue: Estádio do Dragão, Porto

As well as this advice, check out our travel advice for Portugal.

Passports and visas

You don’t need a visa to travel to Portugal, but you must have at least 6 months left on an adult or child passport to travel to Portugal. You should use this tool to check your passport is still valid for your trip.

You must show some form of identification if asked by the police or judicial authorities; in most cases, it should be sufficient to carry a photocopy of the data page of your passport, but you can be asked to produce the original document.

If you lose your passport, you can apply for an emergency travel document online. You will have to collect the document from the Consulate in Lisbon or Portimão.

Travel from Porto to Lisbon takes at least 4 hours and to Portimão at least 8, so remember to factor this in to your travel arrangements; an emergency travel document is only valid for travel back to the United Kingdom and currently costs £100.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel

All passengers, excluding children up to the age of 2, travelling to or through Portugal in transit, must show a negative RT-PCR test result for SARS/COVID-19 at the time of boarding. The test must have been taken within 72 hours of departure. Your airline is likely to deny boarding if you cannot provide this at check-in. Check with your airline before you travel.

You should not use the NHS testing service to get a test in order to facilitate your travel to another country. You should arrange to take a private test. Make sure you have a COVID-19 test that uses the RT-PCR methodology. Check your test result identifies the type of test taken and gives your name, date of birth, the date and time the sample was collected and the date of the result.

Measures are in place throughout Portugal to control the spread of the virus. You are required to observe the rules on social distancing when in public: Keep a social distance of 2 metres; Use a face covering in enclosed spaces, and outdoors where a distance of 2m cannot be maintained; Wash your hands regularly.

Bars and nightclubs remain closed. It is illegal to drink alcohol outdoors in public places, except for on pavement cafés and restaurants. Alcohol cannot be sold after 9pm unless it is with a meal.

See the Coronavirus section in our travel advice for the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions in Portugal.

Getting to Porto

the nearest airport is Porto

if you’re arriving at another airport, there are trains and buses to Porto; the main railway station in Porto is Campanhã and the bus station is at Campo 24 de Agosto

if you’re driving, you should carry your passport, valid UK driving licence, car logbook and insurance or car rental contract; the police can fine you on-the-spot if you don’t have these documents

there are tolls on Portuguese motorways; you can get a fine if you don’t pay toll fees so remember to carry enough cash with you; don’t use the green lanes (VV - Via Verde) at toll pay points; these are for motorists who subscribe to the automatic pay system; some roads in the north of Portugal and in the Algarve have electronic tolls (SCUTs); check how to pay these before you travel

no drinking and driving and no drugs; it’s illegal; the traffic accident rate is very high; traffic police carry out random spot checks and will test for both alcohol and drugs; the speed limit on Portuguese motorways is 120km/h; don´t get caught speeding on one of the radar cameras

Getting around Porto

You can reach Porto city centre from the airport by underground (Metro); to get into the city, take the purple line to Trindade, then the yellow line to Aliados or São Bento; or stay on the purple line to Bolhão or Campo 24 de Agosto.

Taxis are beige-coloured or black and green; they’re available at the airport, rail and bus stations and at taxi ranks around the cities; you can flag down taxis in Portugal.

Getting to the stadium

The Estádio do Dragão in Porto has a Metro station; four lines (green, red, purple and blue) terminate at the stadium; you can buy ticket cards from vending machines in the entrance hall; add as many fares to the card as you think you may need, or just add as you go along; swipe the card before getting on the train to validate your journey; buy one card per person; see Porto Metro’s website for more information

At the match

access to the stadium can be slow - there will be ticket checks and searches carried out by stewards and/or police on entry to the stadium; to avoid last minute queues get to the stadium in good time

no alcohol, sharp objects (including umbrellas), air horns or loudspeakers, fireworks or flares, bottles or cans, drums or video cameras in the stadium

the authorities have the right to breathalyse supporters on entry to the stadium and anyone they consider too drunk may be refused entry

children under the age of 3 will not be admitted to the stadium

Tips

As in any other city beware of pickpockets and bag snatchers at airports, railway stations, around the town centres and when using public transport; only carry what you need and leave spare cash and valuables in hotel safety deposit box or split it up and carry it in different places.

If you intend to use the Metro in Porto, remember to buy a ticket card on entry, swipe it before you get on the train and keep it so you can top it up.

Portuguese beer is stronger than regular beer at home so make allowance for this.

There’s no time difference between the UK and Portugal

Contact the British Embassy in Lisbon

British Embassy Lisbon

Rua de São Bernardo, 33

1249-082

Lisbon

Telephone: +351 21 392 4000 (also for out of hours emergencies)

Office hours: Monday to Friday: 9am to 5pm

For more information, please visit British Embassy Lisbon website

Emergency services numbers

112

Further information

information on visiting Portugal

information of visiting Porto and the North of Portugal

Porto Tourist information

UEFA Champions League

Estádio do Dragão