Getting Around Coimbra

Getting Around Coimbra

Coimbra is a compact, hilly city built around medieval structures, and that shape does a lot to determine how you'll move around it. The good news for visitors is that most of what you'll want to see, eat, drink, and sleep near sits within reasonable walking distance of the rail station in the Baixa, the lower town. The city's steep upper level, the Alta, and the neighbourhood of Santa Clara across the Mondego river hold many of the monuments, so you'll likely combine walking with a short bus ride or two.

Arriving by Train

Coimbra has two main railway stations, and understanding the difference between them will save you confusion on arrival.

• Coimbra-A is the historic station near the riverbank, close to the medieval city centre. Long-distance services to this station were discontinued, and it now primarily serves local trains.
• Coimbra-B is a through station on the Lisbon–Porto line, served by high-speed long-distance Alfa Pendular trains. It sits quite far from the centre.

If you arrive on an Alfa Pendular at Coimbra-B, the practical move is to change to a local train to Coimbra-A, since all local trains serve both stations and your long-distance ticket covers that stretch. Train times and connections can be checked on the CP National Rail site.

Buses and Public Transport

Local bus services in and around Coimbra are operated by SMTUC (Serviços Municipalizados de Transportes Urbanos de Coimbra), which runs several routes across the city. For visitors, the most useful of these is the "Pantufinhas", also known as the Linha Azul (Blue Line), which provides transport within the historical city centre and links the lower town with the upper town — handy when you don't fancy the climb.

There is also an elevator, the Elevador do Mercado, connecting Rua Padre António Vieira with Rua Olímpio Nicolau Rui Fernandes, next to the Mercado Municipal D. Pedro V. You need a valid SMTUC ticket to use it, so it's worth having one on hand if you plan to use this shortcut.

Coimbra's main bus station, the Terminal Rodoviário de Coimbra on Avenida Fernão de Magalhães, is easily reached by local bus or on foot — roughly a ten-minute walk from the city centre. It serves destinations across Portugal, with changes required for some far-flung places, and bus travel is generally faster and cheaper than the train. Note that some operators, such as Flixbus, don't use the bus station: they leave from a parking lot further up the same road, underneath the flyover, opposite the car showroom by the roundabout — halfway between the bus station and Coimbra-B. There's no ticket office or benches there, though a bar sits across the road and a 24-hour hamburger place is a couple of minutes' walk towards the town centre.

Walking

Walking is the most practical way to experience Coimbra. Most of the things to see and do, and most of the places to eat, drink, and sleep, are within reasonable walking distance of each other and of the rail station in the Baixa. Smaller shops, restaurants, and hotels cluster in the Baixa and in Santa Clara across the river, while the major shopping malls are up in the Alta, by Solum and near the municipal stadium and pool. Be prepared for hills: the Alta is the highest part of the city, and the Baixa–Alta climb is the reason the Blue Line bus and the market elevator exist.

By Car

Coimbra is a hard city to drive in, having been built around medieval structures, and finding a parking spot can be difficult — especially in the Alta, which is also awkward to drive around. The best approach for a visitor is to choose a hotel with parking, or to park near the city centre and then explore on foot, since the main attractions are in the centre and within walking distance of one another.

Taxis and Ride-Hailing

If you need one, ask at your hotel or at the bus and rail stations, where staff can point you to the local options.

Getting There from the Airport

Coimbra has no commercial airport of its own. The most convenient airports for reaching the city are, in order of distance:

• Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) — Porto
• Portela Airport (LIS) — Lisbon

From either airport, the train is the natural way in. Coimbra-B is served by high-speed Alfa Pendular trains on the Lisbon–Porto line, with travel time to Coimbra-B of about an hour from Porto and about an hour and forty-five minutes from Lisbon. From Coimbra-B, change to a local train to Coimbra-A for the city centre, as described above.

Another option is a shared shuttle. A few companies offer door-to-door shared shuttle service to Coimbra from either Lisbon or Porto — a budget option with more personal service than the bus. You can be picked up at your hotel in Lisbon or Porto and dropped off by the square Largo da Portagem, the area where visitors usually start their touring. If you're coming from an airport, a dedicated Coimbra airport shuttle is available. Booking in advance is recommended to guarantee a seat.

Long-distance buses also connect Coimbra with the rest of Portugal via the Terminal Rodoviário de Coimbra, and are generally faster and cheaper than the train, though you'll need to make your own way from the airport to the relevant bus departure point.