Travel Information

FOM2023 Porto, Portugal, Sunday April 2 to Wednesday April 5, 2023

Accommodation

FOM2023 website – ACCOMMODATION

FOM2023 made no special arrangements with hotels. The map below shows the conference venue (red dot) and hotels (blue dots). Most hotels are within walking distance from the conference venue. The green line marks the old city centre of Porto.

Hotels can easily be booked through booking.com or can be searched on google maps.

Apartments or rooms can also be booked through Airbnb.

Youth Hostel: https://www.happyporto.com/

Travel Information

Getting to Porto

Porto is easily reachable by plane. Porto airport Francisco Sá Carneiro airport is a very well connected international airport with daily flights to the major European cities and a few intercontinental direct connections. Therefore, getting to Porto is generally at most a two hop flight.

Porto airport reached the 8 million passenger mark in 2015. In 2016, it was considered best European airport in its category (5-15million/year) by ASQ (Airport Service Quality).

Getting to the Conference Venue from the Airport

Getting to the conference venue Porto airport by metro is convenient, fast and cheap – a 25 minute trip every 1/2 hour from the airport to the main town. At the airport take the purple line (E) until you reach the Trindade station, where you should switch the yellow line (D) and stop at São Bento station. (For the whole trip you need a Z4 title that you can buy from the machines; buying it first time you also get a ANDANTE AZUL card; keep it for the way back or other trips that you wish to do in Porto).

From São Bento station you can walk to Alfândega do Porto. Alternatively, leave the purple line (E) further on at Campanhã station and take a taxi/uber to Alfândega do Porto (a 5 minute trip).

Click here to see a map of the underground lines. A journey planner is available in the Metro website.

As a third alternative, a taxi/uber from the airport directly to Alfândega do Porto is around 20€.

Getting Around

To get to and from the conference venue to other parts of town the most convenient way is by taxi/uber. Downtown can be reached in a 5 to 10 minutes trip. From downtown then metro and bus are arguably the best alternatives.

A nice option to get around along the Douro river, from Alfândega do Porto, Ribeira, Foz including the neighbour cities of Matosinhos and Gaia, is to rent a bike. Several rental shops can be found around the area of Ribeira.

Visa Requirements

VISA maybe required online or at the local/national Portuguese embassy or consulate.
Letters of invitation are available to participants upon written request to the congress secretariat.

For a complete list of countries whose citizens are required to obtain a Schengen visa in order to enter please click on list of countries.

Additional information available at the website of Schengen VISA information www.schengenvisainfo.com

Besides all the Schengen area countries, the countries listed below DO NOT need a VISA to enter Portugal:

AndorraMexico
ArgentinaNew Zealand
AustraliaParaguay
BrazilSan Marino
CanadaSingapore
ChileUnited States
Costa RicaUruguay
CroatiaUK
CyprusUS
EcuadorVatican City
IsraëlVenezuela
Japan Korea (Rep. of) 

Invitation letters

Upon completion of payment, participants may request an invitation letter for the FOM2023 conference. Invitation letters are for VISA purpose only.

Please contact the FOM2023 registration office at:

Tourist information

Currency

In Portugal the currency is Euro (€)

In Portugal the currency is Euro (€). There are cashpoints (multibancos in Portugal) all over the city, as well as at the airport. If you don’t have Euros on you, you can withdraw them directly from a cash machine, or else exchange your notes at a bureaux de change (exchange office) at the airport, in town or at a local bank. The Euro comes in seven paper denominations, numbering 5, 10, 20, 50, 100, 200 and 500. There are eight Euro coins, with a value of 1, 2, 5, 10, 20 and 50 cents, as well as a one and two Euro coin. 100 cents comprise one Euro.

Electricity

Portugal runs on a 230V power system

Portugal runs on a 230V power system, making use of two-pronged plugs and matching sockets. If you’re arriving from outside Continental Europe, you’ll probably need an adaptor and if you’re country utilizes a different voltage system (110V), you should bring a power transformer as well. Some appliances and laptop computers run on different power supplies, but ALWAYS check before plugging in. Adaptors and converters can usually be bought at electronic stores, home improvement stores or travel shops.

Internet connection

There are Internet cafes all over Porto, plus you can get connected at the airport, in call centres and the library. You’ll find WIFI in many hotels and restaurants.

Phone

The Portugal dialing code is +351 (which replaces the 0). Please remember to check your own country’s code before you travel. Most mobile numbers begin with a ‘9.’ 

Time Zone

Porto is on Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), which has no offset from the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC +0).

Tipping

In Porto like everywhere in Portugal, tips are particularly appreciated. Waiting staff have demanding jobs and good service should be rewarded. There is no hard-and-fast rule for the percentage. Leave whatever amount you feel is appropriate.

Medical emergency

In case of medical emergency, the National Emergency Number in Portugal is 112

Water

Tap water is safe to drink in Porto.

Weather

During FOM2023 (April) the max. temperature will be around 18°C (64°F)