Portugal
How to get to Portugal starts with knowing the country you’re flying into: a compact nation of around 10.7 million people occupying Europe’s southwestern corner, facing the Atlantic from the edge of the Iberian Peninsula. It punches well above its size: a seafaring past that once charted much of the globe, a mild year-round climate, and prices that still undercut most of Western Europe. From the green, wine-soaked north around Porto to the cliff-backed beaches of the Algarve, plus the mid-Atlantic islands of Madeira and the Azores, it packs an unusual amount of range into somewhere you can cross in a few hours by train.
Tourism Board
Why Go
Lisbon, the capital, spreads across seven hills above the river Tagus — a cosmopolitan city you cover on foot and by vintage tram. Beyond it, the country packs an enormous range into a small footprint: port-wine cellars in Porto, the beaches of the Algarve, and two Atlantic archipelagos.
Main Cities & Airports
| City / Region | Airport | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon · primary international gateway | Humberto Delgado | LIS |
| Porto · the north | Francisco Sá Carneiro | OPO |
| Faro · Algarve coast | Faro Airport | FAO |
| Funchal, Madeira | Cristiano Ronaldo Madeira | FNC |
| Ponta Delgada, Azores | João Paulo II | PDL |
A fast intercity rail network links Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve, so flying into any one and continuing by train is easy.
Home Airlines
How to Get to Portugal From North America
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | Delta Air Lines (DL) · TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇲🇽Cancún | CUN | Iberojet (6O) · seasonal / leisure |
| 🇺🇸Chicago–O’Hare | ORD | TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇨🇦Halifax | YHZ | WestJet (WS) |
| 🇺🇸Los Angeles | LAX | TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇺🇸Miami | MIA | TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | TAP Air Portugal (TP) · Air Canada (AC) · Air Transat (TS) |
| 🇺🇸New York–JFK | JFK | Delta Air Lines (DL) · TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | TAP Air Portugal (TP) · United Airlines (UA) |
| 🇺🇸Orlando | MCO | TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇺🇸Philadelphia | PHL | American Airlines (AA) |
| 🇺🇸San Francisco | SFO | TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | TAP Air Portugal (TP) · Air Canada (AC) · Air Transat (TS) |
| 🇺🇸Washington–Dulles | IAD | TAP Air Portugal (TP) · United Airlines (UA) |
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | TAP Air Portugal (TP) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | Air Canada (AC) · Air Transat (TS) |
| 🇺🇸New York–JFK | JFK | Delta Air Lines (DL) |
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | TAP Air Portugal (TP) · United Airlines (UA) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Transat (TS) |
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | United Airlines (UA) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Transat (TS) |
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | United Airlines (UA) — the only nonstop North American link to Madeira |
| Nonstop From | Code | Carrier(s) |
|---|---|---|
| 🇺🇸Boston | BOS | Azores Airlines (S4) |
| 🇨🇦Montreal | YUL | Azores Airlines (S4) |
| 🇺🇸New York–JFK | JFK | Azores Airlines (S4) |
| 🇺🇸Newark | EWR | United Airlines (UA) |
| 🇨🇦Toronto | YYZ | Air Canada (AC) · WestJet (WS) |
Lisbon is a working cruise port on the river Tagus — a regular call on transatlantic repositioning crossings and Atlantic-islands itineraries (often via the Azores or Madeira), and a slower but real way to arrive by water rather than by air.
Common Questions
Is there a direct flight from the US to Portugal?
Yes. TAP Air Portugal, Delta, United and American all fly nonstop from a cluster of US cities into Lisbon, with TAP and United also reaching Porto. The most frequent service runs from the East Coast — Boston, New York, Newark and Washington–Dulles — though Chicago, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles and San Francisco all have nonstop options too, mostly on TAP.
What airport do I fly into for the Algarve?
Faro (FAO) is the Algarve’s own airport, with a nonstop from Newark on United and from Toronto on Air Transat. Outside those routes, the easiest path is flying into Lisbon and connecting onward — Faro is about a three-hour drive or train ride south.
Tourism source: Turismo de Portugal (visitportugal.com). Route data compiled from airline and airport schedules.