Champions League final: travel advice
Advice for fans travelling to Portugal for the 2021 UEFA Champions League final in May.
Match: Saturday 29 May: Manchester City v Chelsea (Porto, 8:00pm local time)
Venue: Estádio do Dragão, Porto
As well as this advice, check out our travel advice for Portugal.
Passports and visas
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the rules on passport validity for travel to the EU have changed. Use this tool to check your passport is still valid for your trip
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if you lose your passport, you will need an emergency travel document to get home. You will have to collect the passport from the Consulate in Lisbon or Portimão, or wait until it is sent to you by courier
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travel from Porto to Lisbon takes 4 hours and to Portimão at least 8; an emergency travel document is only valid for travel back to the UK and costs £100
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carry a copy of your passport or take a photograph and keep it on your phone. This will help if you need to get a replacement document.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) travel
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complete a passenger locator form before you travel; it may help to speed things up on arrival
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get a PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours of departure. Show your negative results when you board your flight
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you should not use the NHS testing service to get tested for travel. Take a private test and make sure it states that you’ve had a PCR test and gives your name, date of birth, the date and time the sample was collected and the date of the result
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border control checks take time; have your passport and PCR test ready to show
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follow the rules on social distancing: keep a social distance of 2 metres, use a face mask and clean your hands regularly
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bars and nightclubs are closed. Don’t drink alcohol outdoors in public places unless you are sitting on a pavement café or outdoor restaurant. Alcohol cannot be sold after 9pm unless it is with a meal
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see the Coronavirus section in our travel advice for the latest information on COVID-19 restrictions in Portugal
Getting to Porto
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the nearest airport is Porto
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if you’re arriving at another airport, there are trains and buses to Porto; the main railway station in Porto is Campanhã and the bus station is at Campo 24 de Agosto
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if you’re driving, carry your passport, UK driving licence, car logbook and insurance or car rental contract; the police can fine you on-the-spot if you don’t have these documents
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there are tolls on Portuguese motorways; don’t use the green lanes (VV - Via Verde) at toll pay points; these are for motorists who subscribe to the automatic pay system; some roads in the north of Portugal and in the Algarve have electronic tolls (SCUTs); check how to pay these before you travel
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the traffic accident rate in Portugal is very high; traffic police carry out random spot checks and can test for alcohol and drugs; the speed limit on Portuguese motorways is 120km/h
Getting around Porto
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get to the city centre from the airport by underground (Metro); take the purple line to Trindade, then the yellow line to Aliados or São Bento
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taxis are beige-coloured or black and green; you can flag down taxis in Portugal. COVID-19 rules restrict the number of passengers in taxis to two. Make sure you sit on the back seat
Getting to the stadium
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the Estádio do Dragão in Porto has a Metro station
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you can buy a day saver for unlimited travel or a ticket card from vending machines in the entrance hall
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swipe the card before getting on the train to validate your journey. Buy one card per person
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see Porto Metro’s website for more information
At the match
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access to the stadium can be slow - there will be ticket and PCR COVID-19 checks; searches will be carried out
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no alcohol, sharp objects (including umbrellas), air horns or loudspeakers, fireworks or flares, bottles or cans, drums or video cameras are allowed in the stadium
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you can be breathalysed at the stadium and refused entry if you are too drunk to keep yourself safe
Returning to the UK
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complete a passenger locator form for the UK. You can submit the form anytime in the 48 hours before you arrive. Consider completing the form before you leave the UK if you are returning within 48 hours
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you’ll need a COVID-19 test to return to the UK
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if you are returning within 72 hours, you can use the result of the COVID-19 test that you took in the UK before you travelled. You must depart for the UK within 72 hours of when you took the test
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if you are staying for longer than 72 hours, you’ll need to take a COVID-19 test in Portugal. Get a PCR or antigen test at an approved laboratory and check it meets the standards for travelling to the UK
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you don’t need to quarantine on return to England or Scotland from Portugal, but you do need to book a further COVID-19 PCR test to take on or before Day 2 after your return. You’ll have to show your booking at check in and give details of it on the passenger locator form
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take a power bank to ensure you can always access any documents you keep on your phone
Tips
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beware of pickpockets and bag snatchers; only carry what you need. Take care of your passport – you can’t return without it
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If you use the Metro in Porto, swipe your ticket before you get on the train and keep it so you can top it up and show the ticket inspector
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get travel insurance and don’t forget to bring your European or Global Health Insurance Card. If you need medical treatment, you’ll need to show it to hospital staff.
Contact the British Embassy in Lisbon
British Embassy Lisbon
Rua de São Bernardo, 33
1249-082
Lisbon
Telephone: +351 21 392 4000 (also for out of hours emergencies)
For more information, please visit British Embassy Lisbon website
Emergency services numbers
112