A guide to Braga

After Dirk Kuyt got a late winner in the last round at Anfield, Liverpool now face FC Braga of Portugal in the Europa League and Reds weren’t exactly given much notice to go and book their flights, as the game is on March 10th.

If you are heading over to Braga, and are looking to make your own way there, then you won’t find a direct flight unless you are flying from London to Porto, otherwise you’ll have to find a connecting flight in the likes of Madrid or Geneva if flying from Liverpool.

Reds from London will find this trip the easiest, as there are direct flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted to Porto.

If you are flying from Liverpool, you can still get cheap flights to Madrid and Geneva; so if you don’t want to spend hours looking for flights, we have compiled a a list of flights from JLA and their connecting flights to Porto and back:

Liverpool to Madrid

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
9/3	1325	1655	EZY7101	EasyJet
Return
11/3	1730	1900	EZY7102	EasyJet
11/3	2050	2220	EZY7104	EasyJet

Liverpool to Geneva

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
8/3	1635	1925	EZY7289	EasyJet
9/3	1635	1925	EZY7289	EasyJet
Return
11/3	1520	1615	EZY7284	EasyJet
11/3	1910	2005	EZY7286	EasyJet
11/3	2120	2215	EZY7290	EasyJet

Madrid to Porto

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
8/3	1840	1855	FR5484	Ryanair
8/3	1955	2005	TP707	TAP
9/3	0915	0930	FR5482	Ryanair
9/3	1440	1455	FR5414	Ryanair
9/3	1840	1855	FR5484	Ryanair
10/3	0915	0930	FR5482	Ryanair
10/3	1100	1110	TP703	TAP
10/3	1430	1445	FR5414	Ryanair
Return
11/3	0630	0840	FR5483	Ryanair
11/3	1145	1355	FR5413	Ryanair
11/3	1555	1805	FR5485	Ryanair

Geneva – Porto

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
9/3	1320	1435	EZY1455	EasyJet
9/3	1350	1510	TP930	TAP
9/3	1725	1845	EZY1457	EasyJet
Return
11/3	1135	1440	EZY1454	EasyJet
11/3	1920	2225	EZY1458	EasyJet

London flights

If you’re travelling from London, then here are the flights from Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports:

Heathrow to Porto

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
9/3	0640	0900	TP 383	TAP
9/3	0640	0900	TP 383	TAP
Return
11/3	1935	2205	TP382	TAP

Stansted to Porto

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
8/3	1830	2050	FR8347	Ryanair
9/3	0910	1130	FR8343	Ryanair
9/3	1830	2050	FR8347	Ryanair
10/3	0920	1140	FR8343	Ryanair
Return
11/3	0635	0855	FR8344	Ryanair
11/3	2115	2335	FR8348	Ryanair

Gatwick to Porto

Date	Depart	Arrive	Flight number	Provider
9/3	1155	1415	EZY5311	EasyJet
9/3	1415	1635	FR1015	Ryanair
9/3	2030	2245	TP355	TAP
Return
11/3	0955	1210	TP334	TAP
11/3	1130	1350	FR1016	Ryanair
11/3	1445	1655	EZY5312	EasyJet

Once you get to Porto airport, you then can then get a bus to the city centre using bus numbers 56 and 87, or if you arrive at night, the 76 goes to the centre of Porto. A one way ticket costs €1.20.

There is also an Aerobus service, which takes you directly to the city centre, every 30 mins, and costs €4. If you want to get the train to Porto, Line E from the airport takes 25 minutes and costs €1.35

Getting to Braga and the ground

Once you’re in Porto, you then need to get to Braga itself for the game. Trains run from São Bento station at 25 and 45 minutes past the hour, and the train journey takes about 40-45 mins. If there’s a group of you then a taxi should cost about €45/50, so around a tenner each if there are four of you.

The last train back to Porto after the match leaves at 23.28, so if you’re staying in Porto and are planning on getting the train back, make sure you’re around to catch the last train.
Braga is one of the most popular university towns in Portugal, so if you’re spending the night there after the game then you should find a few decent bars and clubs, such as Insolito, Deslize, Populum, Sardinha biba and Sabao Rosa.

Before the match, the main street Av. Central is probably the best place to get a beer, as most other Reds will be round there amongst the Braga supporters.

The usual security information has been issued ahead of the game, such as don’t take alcohol or sharp objects into the ground. Flags and banners are allowed, but if they are on a pole, they should not be more than one metre long. The stewards and Police might want to check banners for anything wrapped up inside it, so be prepared to stop and show them if asked.

Away fans will be asked to stay in the ground for a while after the match has finished, although no trouble is expected with the Braga supporters, so the delay shouldn’t be too long.

The local council have arranged shuttle buses to take fans from the town square to the stadium and back, at a cost of €1.10

Other information

If you need to contact the British Embassy in Portugal for anything; their number is:

(+351) 21 392 4000

The weather forecast for Braga between Wednesday 9th and Friday 11th is expected to be sunny, with maximum temperatures of 15°C.

On the day of the match, it is likely that there will be locals selling drugs, especially near the stadium. Keep an eye out for them, and make sure your wallet and phone are not in easy reach for any pickpockets.

If you want to keep track of what you’re spending, below is a quick conversion from GPB to Euro:

£5 = €5.8
£10 = €11.67
£20 = €23.27
£50 = €58.16

Written by Tony from Travelsupermarket.com.