The CP Regional service from Aveiro north to Porto Campanhã takes approximately 50--60 minutes on the main Lisboa-Porto line. Check timetables and buy tickets at cp.pt in advance. Porto Campanhã is the city's main railway terminus, 3 kilometres east of the historic centre; the Metro Line D connects Campanhã to the Aliados and Bolhão stops at the heart of the city in around 15 minutes.
An honest word about Porto on post-marathon legs: The city is defined by dramatic vertical topography. The hillside districts of Bonfim, Bairro da Sé, and the famous stone stairways dropping from the hilltop cathedral to the Ribeira waterfront are extraordinary to look at and genuinely difficult to walk on two days after a race. The itinerary below keeps to the flat without pretending there is nothing above you. There is plenty to do at river level. The stairs can wait for the next visit.
Late April in Porto: The city is in full spring and the tourist season is building but has not yet peaked. The Festa de São João - Porto's major midsummer festival - is in June; late April is quieter and more local. The port wine lodges of Vila Nova de Gaia across the river are open for business.
Night One: The Ribeira
The Ribeira is the old riverside quarter below the hillside city, running along the north bank of the Douro directly under the two levels of the Luís I Bridge. The main quayside - the Cais da Ribeira - is a flat, wide esplanade of restaurants and cafés facing the river, the rabelo boats (the flat-bottomed wooden boats that historically carried wine barrels down the Douro from the quintas inland), and the south bank district of Vila Nova de Gaia with its port wine lodge signs facing the water.
The cobblestones of the Ribeira are uneven, which is harder work than smooth pavement on tired legs. Walk at whatever pace the cobbles permit.
The Luís I Bridge lower level connects the Ribeira to Vila Nova de Gaia at river height - a flat crossing that gives the view of both banks simultaneously and deposits you directly below the port wine lodges. The Gaia bank is flat at river level; the lodges on the hillside above are reached by funicular or stairs, both optional.
The Six Bridges river cruise (operated by several companies from the Cais da Ribeira) runs an hour-long circuit under the six bridges that span the Douro between Porto and the Atlantic, as far as the Arrábida bridge to the west. The boat moves; you sit. It is specifically good for seeing the city's riverfront without walking it.
Dinner: The Francesinha is Porto's dish. A layered sandwich of ham, linguiça, and steak, covered in melted cheese and a tomato-and-beer sauce, with a fried egg on top and chips alongside - heavy, filling, and exactly what post-marathon legs require from a dinner in Porto. Café Santiago on Rua Passos Manuel is the long-standing reference. Book or queue.
Night Two: Foz do Douro
The Tram 1 (E1) - one of only three surviving historic tram lines still operating in Porto - runs from the Infante stop near the Ribeira westward along the river to Passeio Alegre at the mouth of the Douro, where the river meets the Atlantic. The tram is slow, single-carriage, and follows the waterfront the entire way. The journey takes approximately 30 minutes; the tram runs infrequently (every 20--30 minutes), so check the STCP timetable at stcp.pt before heading to the stop.
Foz do Douro is the coastal neighbourhood at the river mouth, with 19th-century villas, wide tree-lined avenues, and the Passeio Alegre garden at the tip of the promontory. The Esplanada do Castelo promenade follows the Atlantic coastline north from the river mouth - a flat, paved walk along the ocean that is specifically good on the second post-marathon day when the legs have loosened.
The Jardim do Passeio Alegre is a formal public garden at the river mouth, flat and shaded, with a bandstand. It is quiet and used by local residents rather than visitors.
Tram alternative: The number 500 bus from Cordoaria runs to Foz and is more frequent than the tram. The tram is the experience; the bus is the practical option.
Getting to the Airport
Metro Line E (Violet) from Campanhã station to Aeroporto takes approximately 30 minutes. From the Ribeira area, take the Metro from São Bento or Aliados to Trindade, then change to Line E toward the airport. Total journey from the city centre is approximately 35--40 minutes.
Francisco Sá Carneiro Airport (OPO) serves a wide range of European destinations with direct connections, including multiple London airports, Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt, Madrid, and Dublin.