Hello, We are a family of four with two teenage daughters. We’ll be spending 4 days in Porto. Can someone recommend a good part of town to stay in, a central area with restaurants, shops, etc. Thank you!

I prefer staying on the town side rather than the side with the Port Lodges, which feels a bit away from everything. You can pop over to visit the Port Lodges by day, and for a meal one evening if you like, but I think for nighttime restaurants etc the other side of the river is better.

Last time I was there (March) I stayed in Design Palacio Flats, where you can get 2-bedroom apartments. They delivered a nice breakfast to our room each day, and there was a receptionist on hand to order taxis, suggest restaurants etc. Location was excellent, just across from the cathedral; it was very quiet and very reasonable. To be honest anything in that general area near the cathedral would work well.

Porto is small.Every part of the town is good to stay.

Look at the Pousada in riverfront area or at Infante de Sagres for lodging.

Thanks for all of your replies! I'm just getting back to my planning. Would you recommend staying in Porto or one of the local beach towns like Ofir, Vila do Conde, or Espinho? Thanks again! Barbara

Last week I stayed in Ribeira district (at a hostel in a private room - so probably not something I'd recommend for a family of four). This is down the hill from the Sao Bento train station. If you look on a map (e.g. Booking.com), between the Sao Bento train station and the river, roughly around the station south to the river would be a decent area. Obviously, read reviews of any lodging and look for comments about the lodgings.

Thanks, Andrew! Any concerns about the Ribeira area? I read somewhere that some parts of it could be a little seedy. Did you notice that at all?

No, I didn't notice that at all, though I admit I didn't explore the area extensively in every direction. I probably didn't stray too far from the tourist areas. (Porto seems pretty touristy these days.). But I would not be concerned about safety in this area in the slightest, personally. Biggest worry would be pickpockets. Always watch your possessions.