Parking in Porto is easier than it looks once you know the zones. On the street you pay €0.40 to €1.20 per hour depending on the zone, only from Monday to Friday (and on Saturdays in zone I), and Sundays are free. This guide explains the four zones, the best car parks for the Ribeira, Aliados and Boavista, the bollard-controlled streets to avoid and how to pay.
Tip: if you also need car rental in Porto, our guide compares the companies and typical rates – and a smaller car is much easier to park in the centre.
Paid street parking in Porto is run by the city council (Câmara Municipal do Porto) through EPorto in zones I to III and STCP Serviços in zone IV. It is not the EMEL system, which exists only in Lisbon. The price depends on the zone: the more central, the more expensive and the shorter the maximum stay.
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| Zone | Price | Paid hours |
|---|---|---|
| Zone I (centre) | €1.20 per hour | Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00, Sat 11:00–16:00 |
| Zone II | €0.60 per hour (day ticket €3.60) | Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00 |
| Zones III and IV | €0.40 per hour (day ticket €2.40) | Mon–Fri 09:00–19:00 |
| Sundays and public holidays | Free | — |
The zone and the maximum stay (2 to 10 hours) are shown on the meter and the signs. On Saturdays only zone I is charged; on Sundays and public holidays street parking is free.
You pay at the meter or by phone with Telpark or Via Verde. In zone I you may stay two hours at most, even if you are willing to pay for more.
The historic centre is steep and its streets are narrow, so a car park saves a lot of circling. These are real, checked options for each part of the city; the four with a “full guide” link have their own page on this site.
Municipal multi-storey on Rua Guedes de Azevedo, between Batalha and the Bolhão market, open 24 hours. The bays are narrow, but the hourly price is moderate and Rua de Santa Catarina is around the corner.
STCP Serviços car park on Rua Fernandes Tomás, open 24 hours, beside Trindade station, where all metro lines meet. By day it charges €0.20 per 15 minutes in the first hour and €0.30 per 15 minutes after that.
Municipal car park beside the old customs house on the Douro, open 24 hours. The best choice for the Ribeira and the river cruises, because you do not have to drive through the old streets.
Private garage on Praça da Batalha, at the southern end of Rua de Santa Catarina and about five minutes on foot from São Bento station. Open Monday to Saturday 07:30–24:00 and Sunday 08:30–20:00; maximum height 2.2 m. Full guide.
Underground car park beside São Bento station (metro line D), open 24 hours, maximum height 2.1 m. The most central option, and priced accordingly. Full guide.
The 644-space car park under Casa da Música on Avenida da Boavista, open 24 hours, maximum height 2.1 m. €1.95 for the first hour and €1.70 per hour after that during the day. Full guide.
For a few hours, Silo Auto and Parque da Trindade usually work out cheapest. For a whole day in the centre, Garagem Ibéria booked online (from about €12) costs roughly half the price of SABA Cardosas. For the Ribeira, Parque da Alfândega spares you the hills. Staying in Boavista? Saba Casa da Música is next to the metro, four stops from Trindade.
Garaje Santa Catarina is at no. 1379, at the northern end of the street near Marquês metro station – about 1.2 km from the shopping section. Garagem Barão is in Boavista, not in the old town; with a 2.6 m height limit it is the one to choose for a tall vehicle.
In the centre, free parking is mostly a question of timing.
All zones are free on weekdays after 19:00, on Sundays and public holidays, and on Saturdays – except zone I, which is charged on Saturdays from 11:00 to 16:00.
Further from the centre some streets are not regulated. Always read the signs: bays reserved for residents are common.
Paid street parking in Porto is run by the city council (through EPorto and, in zone IV, STCP Serviços) – EMEL operates only in Lisbon. You pay at the meter or by phone with Telpark or Via Verde. Keep a few coins as a backup and respect the maximum stay on the sign.
Use Parque da Alfândega and walk along the river. Do not drive into the Ribeira itself: much of it is a restricted-access area with bollards.
SABA Cardosas is beside São Bento station; Parque da Trindade and Garagem Ibéria are a few minutes away on foot and cheaper.
Silo Auto and Garagem Ibéria are the closest. The renovated Mercado do Bolhão has no large public car park of its own. Bolhão metro station is served by lines A, B, C, E and F.
Park under the concert hall at Saba Casa da Música. From Casa da Música station the metro reaches Trindade in a few minutes.
The easiest way is to walk across the Dom Luís I bridge from the Ribeira. If you prefer to park in Gaia, check the meters there – Gaia is a separate municipality with its own rules.
Parking is easier here than in the centre. Without a car, bus 500 follows the river and the ocean from the centre to Foz and Matosinhos.
Porto parking cost estimator
Reserve a car park in Porto →Pre-filled with the zone I rate (€1.20 per hour, two hours maximum). Zone II: €0.60 per hour; zones III and IV: €0.40 per hour. Free on Sundays and public holidays.
On the street, zones III and IV cost €0.40 per hour or €2.40 for a day ticket, and zone II costs €0.60 per hour or €3.60 per day. Among the car parks, Silo Auto (about €1.20 per hour) and Parque da Trindade are the cheapest central options. On Sundays and public holidays street parking is free.
No. Porto has no low-emission zone and no emission-based fines. It does have restricted-access zones (ZAAC) with bollards in parts of the historic centre, such as the Ribeira, Rua das Flores, Cedofeita and Santa Catarina. Only residents and authorised vehicles may enter.
On Sundays and public holidays, yes. On Saturdays only zone I is charged, from 11:00 to 16:00; the other zones are free. Car parks charge every day.
Telpark and Via Verde both work for street parking in Porto. You can also pay at the meter. EMEL’s app is for Lisbon only.
At Parque da Alfândega, a municipal car park open 24 hours beside the river. From there you can walk to the Ribeira and the Dom Luís I bridge without driving through the old streets.
It depends on the zone: €1.20 per hour in zone I (two hours maximum), €0.60 in zone II and €0.40 in zones III and IV. Parking is paid Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 19:00, and in zone I also on Saturdays from 11:00 to 16:00.
SABA Cardosas, at Rua Trindade Coelho 16, is beside São Bento station and open 24 hours; online prices start at about €22.90 per day. Garagem Ibéria on Praça da Batalha is about five minutes away on foot and costs from about €12 per day online.
