Coimbra Getting there & around

Getting around

If you come by car, be ready for snarled traffic and scarce parking. You are most likely to find street parking on side streets around Praça da República. If you’re willing to pay, look for the blue ‘P’ signs in the Baixa district, including several car parks each along Avenidas Fernão Magalhães and Ermídio Navarro. If you do decide to park on the street, make sure you’re legal – enforcement is strict.

Bus & tram

Bus

Together, buses 27, 28 and 29 run about every half-hour from the main bus station and the Coimbra B train station to Praça da República. Bus 40 makes an anticlockwise loop that takes in the stations as well as the Baixa district.

You can purchase multiuse tickets (three/11 trips €1.70/5.70), also usable on the elevador , at the SMTUC office (239 801 100; www.smtuc.pt in Portuguese; Largo do Mercado; 7.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-1pm Sat) at the foot of the elevador, at official kiosks and also at some tabacarias (tobacconist/news­agents). Tickets bought on board cost €1.50 per trip.

You may also see patufinhas (electric minibuses; also called Linha Azul) crawling around pedestrian areas in the centre of Coimbra, between Baixa and Alta Coimbra and through the medieval heart of the city. You can use the same pre-bought tickets that you would on any other SMTUC buses.

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Bicycle

For mountain bike rental, Centro Velocipédico de Sangalhos (239 824 646; Rua da Sota 23; 9am-7pm Mon-Fri) charges €7.50 per day.

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