Flying to Portugal

General Information

Of the twenty or so airports/aerodromes in "mainland" Portugal (excluding the Azores and Madeira), only those in Porto (in the north), Lisbon (in the centre), and Faro (in the south) have regular traffic. For the others, apart from Vila Real and Bragança, which have a flight to the capital, there is no commercial activity or only very occasional charter flights.

In contrast, the three active airports handle a large volume of traffic. Lisbon-Portela welcomes over 18 million passengers per year and serves as the main base for TAP Portugal and Portugalia. Porto, with its 7 million passengers, combines scheduled flights, low-cost carriers, and charters. As for Faro, the air gateway for millions of holidaymakers heading to the southern coast, it is primarily seasonal and/or charter traffic, along with low-cost flights, that keeps the airport busy.

Types of Flights

Local Airlines

Apart from three purely charter airlines (EuroAtlantic, HiFly, White Airways), Portugal has four other carriers, to which SATA, based in the Azores, could also be added. However, TAP Portugal stands out by far, almost appearing as the only Portuguese airline.

Aero VIP: a small airline based in Portimão that, among other things, operates flights between Bragança or Vila Real and the capital.

Orbest: this is the subsidiary of Iberworld, one of the largest European tourism groups. It operates flights to the Caribbean, among other destinations.

TAP Express: formerly Portugalia. Based in Lisbon, the airline is closely linked to TAP, with all its flights operated on behalf of TAP (or other Star Alliance members), including a Lisbon-Porto shuttle.

TAP Portugal: the national airline and by far the largest Portuguese carrier. It serves 85 destinations in 35 countries, with a strong presence in Brazil and numerous flights to and from France.

Charters, Scheduled, and Low-Cost Flights

Portugal combines a tradition of holiday flights (especially to Faro), scheduled airlines—primarily its own—and, as elsewhere in Europe, a growing low-cost sector. In short, the full range of flight types and connections is available.

Promotions and Special Offers

As with any tourist destination served by charters or low-cost airlines, promotions and special offers are frequent and regular in Portugal. These can be found through airlines or tour operators, sometimes including additional services alongside airfare.

From France

From Paris

Year-round or seasonally, there are numerous direct connections from Parisian airports. These take between 2h20 and 3h00 of flight time, depending on the destination. Prices: from 100 to 250 € round trip.

Faro: Aigle Azur, easyJet, and Transavia from Orly; plus Ryanair from Beauvais.

Lisbon: Aigle Azur, TAP, Transavia, and Vueling from Orly; Air France and easyJet from Roissy; plus Ryanair from Beauvais.

Porto: Aigle Azur, TAP, Transavia, and Vueling from Orly; easyJet from Roissy; plus Ryanair from Beauvais.

From the Regions

A wide choice, particularly for low-cost flights to Porto. Summer charters from various parts of France are also available.

Beauvais: Faro (Ryanair); Lisbon (Ryanair); Porto (Ryanair)

Bordeaux: Lisbon (easyJet + TAP Express); Porto (Ryanair)

Carcassonne: Porto (Ryanair)

Châlons-Vatry: Porto (Ryanair)

Clermont-Ferrand: Porto (Ryanair)

Dole: Lisbon (Ryanair); Porto (Ryanair)

La Rochelle: Porto (Ryanair)

Lille: Faro (XL Airways); Lisbon (easyJet); Porto (Ryanair)

Lorient: Porto (Ryanair)

Lyon: Lisbon (easyJet + TAP Express); Porto (easyJet + Transavia)

Marseille: Lisbon (Ryanair + TAP Express); Porto (Ryanair)

Mulhouse/Basel: Faro (easyJet); Lisbon (easyJet); Porto (easyJet)

Nantes: Lisbon (TAP Express + Transavia); Porto (easyJet + Transavia)

Nice: Lisbon (easyJet + TAP Express)

Poitiers: Porto (Ryanair)

Saint-Étienne: Porto (Ryanair)

Strasbourg: Porto (Ryanair)

Toulouse: Lisbon (TAP Express); Porto (easyJet)

Tours: Porto (Ryanair)

Choosing Your Flight

Given the extensive options and price range for this destination, the first priority is to choose direct flights where they exist. These generally offer a good balance of quality, duration, and price, unlike some connections that can take nearly half a day to reach your destination. Since Portugal is a destination that almost always has promotions and special offers, particularly low-cost ones, it’s worth checking opportunities on both airline and tour operator websites. Additionally, some offers include customisable services (hotel, car, etc.) or all-inclusive packages, which can also be compared.

As for choosing your arrival city, it all depends on your travel plans and whether your stay will be "sedentary" or itinerant. You can also mix arrival and departure cities if an airline or its partners include them in their network, making this easily achievable.

From the Rest of Europe

Almost all European countries, particularly the UK and Germany for Faro, have at least seasonal connections to Portugal. Madeira and the Azores are also well connected to the "mainland."

Belgium & Luxembourg

Brussels: Faro (Brussels Airlines + Thomas Cook); Lisbon (Brussels Airlines + Ryanair + TAP + Vueling); Porto (Brussels Airlines + Portugalia + Ryanair + Vueling)

Charleroi: Porto (Ryanair); Porto (Ryanair)

Luxembourg: Faro (Luxair); Lisbon (easyJet + Luxair + TAP); Porto (easyJet + Luxair + TAP)

Switzerland

Basel/Mulhouse: Faro (easyJet); Lisbon (easyJet); Porto (easyJet)

Geneva: Faro (easyJet); Lisbon (easyJet + Swiss + TAP); Porto (easyJet + Swiss + TAP)

Zurich: Faro (Edelweiss Air); Lisbon (Swiss + TAP); Porto (Swiss + TAP)

From Other Countries

Beyond Brazil, which is traditionally well connected by TAP Portugal (a dozen cities), and Portuguese-speaking African countries (Angola, Cape Verde, etc.), Portugal has a few other connections outside Europe.

North America: as with France, Air Transat and/or Air Canada offer seasonal flights to Portugal. Faro, Lisbon, and Porto are served from Montréal and Toronto. In the USA, New York has a connection.

Latin America: in addition to Brazil, Bogotá, Caracas, and Panama City have TAP flights.

Middle East: Dubai (Emirates) from Lisbon, plus Tel Aviv from Lisbon and Porto.

Non-Portuguese-speaking Africa: Casablanca, Marrakech, Dakar, and several other West African cities are served by TAP from Lisbon.