Travel Information

 

Here is some general information that may be useful. Further help is available from tourist information posts within Portugal and online (see further down).

 

How to get to Portugal    

 

 

 

How to get to Braga

 

 

The best flight destination to get to Braga is Francisco Sá Carneiro airport, in Porto (OPO). Braga is located in the North of Portugal about 50 km from the city of Porto. Vigo Airport (VIG) is also less then one hour drive to Braga.

 

• By Car    

When travelling by car you will find many ways to get at Braga. Traveling from the North you may take the highway from La Coruña or Vigo (Spain) and then the A3 in Valença. From East you have the highways A5 and A4 from Bragança and Vila Real. From South there is the highway A1 which connects to Algarve, Lisbon and Porto and from the spanish border at Vilar Formoso.

 

Distances and main roads from:
 Faro - (640 km): A2 or IP1 /A13 or  IC11 / A1 or IP1 / A3 or IP1
Lisbon - (364 km): A1 or IP1 / A3
Porto (Oporto) - (56 km): A3

 

• By Plane  

 

The nearest airport to Braga is the Sá Carneiro International Airport (in Porto, OPO), an half hour drive to Braga (around 55€ by taxi).

If you would like to use less expensive public transportation you may take the underground (metro) to Porto and then take the bus or train to Braga. You may also take bus line number 56 that takes you from the airport to Porto centre (every 20 minutes) or the Aerobus, an express bus that will take you directly from the airport to Porto centre (every 30 minutes) without unnecessary stops in 20 to 30 min. This bus is available Monday to Friday from 9am until 7pm. From the city centre there is a number of possibilities for you to get to Braga.

 

·    Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport
Pedras Rubras / Maia / Porto
Email: oporto.airport@ana-aeroportos.pt
www.ana-aeroportos.pt

By Car from Francisco Sá Carneiro airport: take IC24, direction A3, Braga, Maia; take highway A3, direction Valença, Braga (see here or here for more details);

 

Other airports :

·    Vigo Airport (Spain)

·    Santiago de Compostela Airport (Spain)

·    Lisbon Airport
Tel. (+351) 218 413 500
Email: lisbon.airport@ana-aeroportos.pt
www.ana-aeroportos.pt

·    Faro Airport
Tel. (+351) 289 800 800
Email: faro.airport@ana-aeroportos.pt
www.ana-aeroportos.pt

 

• By Bus 

  

From the centre of Porto you may take a bus to Braga from the bus station at Porto center near Trindade.. See the following timetable (Monday to Friday):

Some of the bus line schedules Porto – Braga:

 

07h05 *

 

15h30

(a) This bus also runs on Saturdays;
(b) This bus only runs on Sundays;
(c) This bus also runs on Saturdays and Sundays.

07h25 *

 

16h20

08h15

 

16h50 (c)

09h10

 

17h20

09h20

 

18h00 (c)

10h20

 

18h30

11h15 (c)

 

19h20

12h15

 

19h45 (c)

13h20 (a)

 

20h05 *

14h20

 

21h30 (c)

Actualised schedules in
Rede Nacional de Expressos
rede.expressos@mail.telepac.pt
www.rede-expressos.pt

 

Or check at the Municipality of Braga website

Rede Expressos

 
Braga Famalicão Porto Coimbra Leiria Fátima Lisboa Ref:
06.00 06.30 07.15 08.45   09.45 11.15  
  09.30 11.15   12:10 13.40 A  
09.30 10.00 10.45 12.30   13:30 15.00  
15.00 15.30 16.15 17.45     20:05 B
17.00   18.15 20.00 21:00   22:45  
19.00 19.30 20.15 22.00 23:00   00:45  
21.00   22.00   00:20     C
23.30 00.00 00.45 02.15     04:35  

 

Lisboa Fátima Leiria Coimbra Porto Famalicão Braga Ref:
00.15   02.00 03.00 04.30 05.10 05.40  
07.00       10.30 11.10 11.40  
07.00     09.30 11.00 11.40 12.10 E
08.30     11.00 12.30 13.10 13.40  
13.00 14.30   15.30 17.00 17.40 18.10  
14.30 16.00   17.15 18.40     F
16.30 18.00 18.30 19.30 21.00 21.40 22.10  
17.00 18.30   19.30 20.55     F
18.45     21.30 23.00 23.40 00.10 F
A) Excepto Sáb. e Seg. se Feriado.
B) Aos Dom. (ou Seg. se Feriado).
C) 1-Out a 30-Jun; Aos Dom.
(ou Seg. se Feriado), nos periodos escolares.		 D) Às Seg. (ou Ter. se dia seguinte a Feriado).
E) Excepto Dom. e Feriados.
F) Excepto Sáb., Dom. e Seg. se Feriado.


 

Rodoviária D’Entre Douro e Minho
 
Braga Famalicão Porto Ref:
06.35 07.00 07.35 C
07.10 07.35 08.10 C
07.15   08.05 C
07.30 07.55 08.30  
08.00   08.50 D
08.05 08.30 09.05 C
08.30   09.20 C
08.50 09.15 09.50  
09.15   10.05 A
09.45 10.10 10.45 D
10.30 10.55 11.30  
11.45 12.10 12.45 C
12.45 13.10 13.45 D
13.00   13.50 C
13.15 13.40 14.15  
14.00 14.25 15.00  
14.15   15.05 C
15.00 15.25 16.00  
16.00 16.25 17.00 C
16.45 17.10 17.45  
17.45 18.10 18.45 B
18.00   18.50 C
18.30 18.55 19.30  
19.15 19.40 20.15 B
20.00 20.25 21.00  
21.15   22.05 F
22.00 22.25 23.00 F
  
Porto Famalicão Braga Ref:
06.45 07.20 07.45 C
07.15 07.50 08.15  
07.30   08.20 C
08.15 08.50 09.15 D
09.00 09.35 10.00  
09.30   10.20 E
09.45 10.20 10.45 C
10.30 11.05 11.30  
11.45 12.20 12.45 C
12.30 13.05 13.30 D
13.15 13.50 14.15  
13.45   14.35 C
14.15 14.50 15.15 D
15.00 15.35 16.00  
16.00 16.35 17.00 C
16.30 17.05 17.30  
17.00   17.50 C
17.30 18.05 18.30 C
17.45   18.35 C
18.00 18.35 19.00 C
18.30 19.05 19.30  
18.45   19.35 C
19.00 19.35 20.00 C
19.30 20.05 20.30 B
20.00 20.35 21.00  
A) Todos os Sáb. e Seg. (Ter. se Seg. for Feriado).
B) Seg. a Sex. e Dom. (Seg. se esta for Feriado).
C) Excepto Sáb. e Dom.		 D) Excepto Dom.
E) Só ao Sáb.
F) Dom. (Seg. se esta for Feriado).


























 
Renex
 
Braga Porto Lisboa Ref:
05.30 09.00   E
06.45 07.30 11.00  
07.30 09.00 12.30  
10.00 13.30   H
09.45 11.15 14.45  
11.30 13.00 16.30  
12.30 14.00 17.30 A
13.30 15.00 18.30  
16.00 19.30   F
15.30 17.00 20.30  
18.00 21.30   F
17.30 19.00 22.30  
20.00 23.30   F
19.30 21.00 00.30  
22.30 24.00 03.30 A
24.00 01.00 04.30  
  
Lisboa Porto Braga Ref:
00.30 04.00 05.00 C
01.00 04.30 05.30  
06.30 10.00   G
07.30 11.00 12.00  
09.00 12.30 13.30  
10.00 13.30   H
11.00 14.30 15.30  
12.00 15.30   D
13.00 16.30 17.30  
14.00 17.30 18.30  
15.00 18.30 19.30  
16.00 19.30   A
17.00 20.30 21.30  
18.00 21.30   A
19.00 22.30 23.30  
20.00 23.30 00.30 D
21.00 00.30 01.30  
24.00 03.30 04.30 B
A) Diário excepto aos Sáb.
B) Diário excepto na noite de Sáb. para Dom.
C) Só na noite de Sáb. para Dom.		 D) Só às Sextas.
E) Diário excepto Sáb., Dom. e Feriados.
F) Só às Sex. e Dom.

 

 

Once you arrive in Braga, you may take a bus (TUB - schedules available in www.cm-braga.com.pt) or a taxi to your accommodation or to the University (that is also at walking distance… up to 25 minutes to the Campus).

 

• By Train

    

CP – Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses
Call Center: Tel. 808 208 208
Open: 7am – 11pm
www.cp.pt

 

 

• By Taxi 

 

Should you wish to take a taxi from the airport to Braga: the journey takes approximately 30 min and the fare is around 55€.

 

 

 

Tourist Information

 

http://www.cm-braga.com.pt/turismo/turismo.asp
 

www.portugalvirtual.pt

www.visitportugal.com

www.portugal.org
 www.dgturismo.pt
 www.portugalinsite.com
 www.icep.pt
 www.portugaltravelguide.com
 www.travelnet.nortenet.pt
 www.cm-terrasdebouro.pt
 www.cm-viladoconde.pt
www.meteo.pt

 

Map of The North of Portugal

Braga Jazz, CM-Braga

 

Other information:

 

• Customs

Residents or non-residents who leave or enter Portugal territory are free to take with them national and foreign currency in coins and notes, travellers cheques and other securities intended to pay for the travel expenses, but are obligated to inform the customs authorities if the values involved exceed 12,000 Euros (approximately US$13,000.00).

Travellers over 17 years old, may bring in the following items, duty free: 2 bottles of table wine, 1 bottle of hard liquor, 200 cigarettes or 250 grams of tobacco, 1.75 ounces of perfume and small quantities of tea or coffee for personal use. Bringing fresh meat into Portugal is forbidden. For further information, contact the Embassy services or the Portuguese Consulates.

 

• Time

Continental Portugal and Madeira Island are on the Greenwich time - five hours ahead of Eastern Time & eight ahead of Pacific Time. The Azores Islands are 1 hour behind the Portuguese mainland. Daylight savings time begins the last Sunday in March (clocks are turned one hour ahead) and ends the last Sunday in October (clocks go back one hour).

 

• Climate

Mild year round. Summers are dry and clear, with warm sunshine extending long into autumn. Winters are moderately cool and are the rainiest time of year, except in subtropical Madeira , where there is little rain. Mid-Summer temperatures range in the 30 ºC, while Winter temperatures range in the 10 ºC.

 

Knowing Braga at little bit better...

 

• The city of Braga

• A walking tour through the historic centre of Braga 

• Local Gastronomy - Cuisine specialities

• Handicrafts

• Restaurants

• Tourist Information

• Braga in images and web links

 

 

 

The city of Braga

Just as people did in the Renaissance, enter Braga by the Porta Nova archway. It is here that the keys to the city are kept - keys to a thousand year-old city whose monuments serve as reminders of the awesome power once wielded by its bishops. Back in Roman times, emperor Caracala raised Bracara Augusta to the status of capital of Galécia, now Galicia. After the Romans came the Sueves, Visigoths and Moors before the Christians took possession in the 11th century. Braga’s cathedral is the oldest in the country, a fact reflected in the popular saying "as old as the Braga Se" to refer to anything that has withstood the test of time. The city’s ecclesiastical power, in medieval times commonly associated with the sword, extended out across the kingdoms of Spain and Portugal. Around the Braga Cathedral Se, monuments were added with the passing of time. In the 16th century, archbishop Diogo de Sousa, impressed with the Rome of Pope Julius II, set about creating the decorative grace of the Renaissance. Later, the exuberance of the Baroque period would result in other equally splendid buildings. But city has reminders of all eras, such as a mid-street medieval tower, or window shutters designed to hide the female form or a Rocaille palace that looks like a Luis 15th commode. In more recent times, the opening of the University and the quality of the contemporary architecture has generated a youthful influx as well as all the light, colour and unpredictability of the modern world.

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A walking tour through the historic centre of Braga  

Any stroll around the centre, along the route traced by the axis formed by Rua Dom Diogo de Sousa and Rua do Souto, provides an insight into the historic currents that have shaped the life of this city as well as the ecclesiastic influence over its development and architecture. Although there were substantial changes in the 16th century, there are still examples of the medieval layout including remains of the walls, the towers and the city gates. As from 1505, archbishop Diogo de Sousa set about developing Braga putting into practice his innovative plan influenced both by renaissance learning and Italian fashions. More imposing are the examples of Baroque, embellishing the palaces and monuments built on the orders of archbishop Rodrigo de Moura Teles. A day is nowhere near enough to visit all the monuments included on the route, but each can opt for what proves most attractive on the itinerary.

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Local Gastronomy - Cuisine specialities

Whilst Braga is already a well-known cultural centre, it is also important for its cuisine. The city is famous for the treatment given to its dishes, which makes them different from everything else that is to be found in the country's northern region.

If you're fond of soups , choose the Canja Olhuda (Chicken Broth) or the Sopa de Nabos (Turnip Soup), or perhaps taste the Sopa de Lavrador (Vegetable Soup) or the famous Caldo Verde (Cabbage Soup with spicy sausage ).

If you like fish , cod is the most popular dish. Try the Bacalhau Recheado (Stuffed Cod), Bolinhos de Bacalhau (Cod Cakes), Pataniscas (Fried Cod mixed with eggs and flower) or the delicious Bacalhau Fr ito (Fried Cod).

If you prefer meat , you will enjoy the Vitela com Batatas Loiras e Arroz Seco (Veal, potatoes and rice), the Cabrito or Perna de Porco Assada (Roast Kid or Leg of Pork) and, if you wish to sample some typical dishes from the Minho, you should try the Rojões (crisp grilled pork meat) and the Papas de Sarrabulho (a dish made out of pig's blood). Finally, you can always try the Pica no Chão , a dish of rice and chicken, and the Bucho (stuffed pig's belly), a dish which is typically from Guimarães, distinguished by the particular way in which it has been stuffed.

Amongst the sweets and puddings , bequeathed to us by the nuns of the Convento de Santa Clara, attention is drawn to the Rabanadas (slices of fried bread dipped in egg), Mexidos (eggs and almonds), Aletria (vermicelli) and Leite Creme (custard cream), as well as the famous Toucinho do Céu (sugar, eggs and almonds).

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Handicrafts

•  Embroideries, linen, textiles and tapestry
•  Jewellery and filigree
•  Popular ceramics and pottery
•  Works in wood, leather, copper, tin, wrought iron, wicker and osier.

 

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Restaurants

Restaurante Orla Marítima
Rua Padre António Vieira, nº74 Braga

Telephone : 253251810
Restaurante Arcoense
Rua Engenheiro José Justino Amorim, nº96
Telephone : 253278952

Restaurante Arco-Iris
Graciosa - Arca

Telephone : 258942780

Restaurante Papilloni
Rua Taxa, 10 4710 - 448 BRAGA

Restaurante Casa das Artes
Rua Costa Gomes, 353 - Real - Braga

Telephone : 253623023

Fax : 253623023

Restaurante Conde de Agrolongo
Praça Conde Agrolongo, 74 - Campo da Vinha - Braga

Telephone : 253614736

Fax : 253213357

Restaurante do Hotel Confort Inn em Braga
Rua Damiana Maria da Silva, 20 - E.N. 14 - Ferreiros - Braga

Telephone : 253000600

Fax : 253673872

E-mail : comfort.braga@mail.telepac.pt
Restaurante Sameiro "Maia"
Sameiro - Espinho

Telephone : 253675114

Fax : 253281010
Restaurante Panorâmico do Hotel do Bom Jesus
Monte do Bom Jesus - Hotel do Elevador

Telephone : 253603400

Fax : 253603405

E-mail : hbj@hoteisbomjesus.web.pt

http://www.hoteisbomjesus.web.pt

Restaurante Pallace Club
Quinta das Rosas - Priscos -Braga

Telephone : 253673670

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A few hotels in Braga:

 

·  Albergaria Sra. A Branca****       Location: Downtown
      Tel.: (+351) 253 269 938

·  Hotel João XXI**       Location: Downtown
      Tel.: (+351) 253 616 630

·  Hotel Turismo****       Location: Downtown
      Tel.: (+351) 253 206 000

·  Hotel Carandá***       Location: Downtown
      Tel.: (+351) 253 206 000

·  Hotel Lamaçães***       Location: University area
      Tel.: (+351) 253 603 680
 

You can find more information about lodging here

 

 

 

Local tourist Information center

 

Tourist Office - Região de Turismo Verde Minho
Praça Dr. José Salgado nº90 Andar 6
Tel. 253 202 770 - Fax. 253 202 779
http://www.rtvm.pt
rtvm@mail.telepac.pt

 

 

Follow the link for a series of photos and further info on BRAGA and PORTUGAL.