There is a new way to discover Coimbra. From the Baixa to the university area, through different parts of the city and onwards to Miranda do Corvo and Lousã, Metro Mondego is bringing places closer together and creating new possibilities for visitors exploring the region.
The Metrobus system is fully electric and runs mainly along dedicated lanes, on a 42-kilometre network connecting the municipalities of Coimbra, Miranda do Corvo and Lousã. For visitors to Coimbra, however, what matters most is not the numbers themselves, but how this new connection can help them make the most of their stay.
September brings a particularly important development. From 10th September 2026 (coloca o ano neste caso), Metrobus services reach Praça da República and Coimbra-B railway station, making it easier not only to travel around the city, but also to reach the city centre when arriving in Coimbra by train.
For guests staying at Hotel Oslo Coimbra, the connection is particularly straightforward. From Coimbra-B, you can take the Green Line and get off at “Loja do Cidadão”, or take the Blue Line to “Portagem”. Both stops are just a 2 to 3-minute walk from the hotel. The journey takes approximately 5 minutes, with departures every few minutes, and tickets – sold on the platform machines – costs €1 (plus € 0.50 for the re-usable travel card).
Once in the city centre, the Metrobus can continue to be part of your Coimbra experience, making it easy to reach different areas and discover other sides of the city.
Heading towards Praça da República, the route passes Mercado D. Pedro V, one of the best places to experience everyday life in Coimbra. Among stalls selling fresh produce and flowers, alongside local shops, the market remains part of the daily routine of those who live in the city and offers a different kind of stop from the usual sightseeing routes.
Shortly afterwards, you reach “Praça da República” square, one of the locations most deeply associated with student life in Coimbra. Surrounded by cafés crowded with students every day, it is a great starting point for discovering this part of the city. From “Loja do Cidadão”, close to Hotel Oslo Coimbra, you can take the Red Line or Green Line towards REPÚBLICA / HOSPITAIS and get off at “República”, a journey of around 3 minutes.
Right next to the square is “Jardim da Sereia“. Continuing on foot towards the university area brings you to the Monumental Stairs, whose 125 steps lead directly to the University of Coimbra area. If you would rather avoid the climb, you can combine the Metrobus with SMTUC city buses, taking route 103 or 34 from “Praça da República” and getting off at “Universidade de Coimbra”, a journey of around 5 minutes.
Another stop along the way is Solum, offering a different side of Coimbra from the historic Baixa and Alta. Predominantly residential and commercial, this area reveals a more contemporary side of the city and provides easy access to Estádio Cidade de Coimbra Stadium, Dr. Mário Mexia Multipurpose Sports Arena (Pavilhão Municipal Multidesportos Dr. Mário Mexia) and the Olympic Swiming Pool Center, as well as a variety of restaurants and shopping areas, including Alma Shopping Mall. From “Portagem”, close to Hotel Oslo Coimbra, you can take the Red Line or Blue Line towards VALE DAS FLORES / CORVO / LOUSÃ / SERPINS and get off at “São José” for the stadium or “Solum” for Alma Shopping.
But Metro Mondego is not limited to Coimbra. The network continues towards Miranda do Corvo, Lousã and Serpins, as the urban landscape gradually gives way to the Serra da Lousã and the natural landscapes that characterise the region.
From “Portagem”, close to Hotel Oslo Coimbra, the journey to “Miranda do Corvo” takes 37 minutes. Once in town, you can explore the centre and continue to Parque Biológico da Serra da Lousã, around a 17-minute walk away. Home to more than 300 animals from 60 species, the park offers an opportunity to discover the region’s flora and fauna, as well as traditions connected to rural life. The park is also home to Museu da Chanfana, a restaurant that serves as a living museum of regional cuisine, where chanfana, goat meat traditionally slow-cooked in clay pots, naturally takes centre stage.
Continuing to Lousã, the journey from “Portagem” takes 50 minutes, getting off at “Lousã Estação”, in the town itself. From here, you can explore the centre and some of its main points of interest, including Igreja Matriz, the Pelourinho and Museu Municipal Prof. Álvaro Viana de Lemos, which is also home to the Welcome Center of the “Aldeias do Xisto” (schist villages).
Lousã is also one of the main gateways to the Serra da Lousã and the “Aldeias do Xisto” (schist villages), where small villages of stone houses are nestled among mountains and forests. The Metrobus does not travel directly to these villages, but it allows you to cover much of the journey from Coimbra and use Lousã as a starting point for exploring the mountains and other places in the region.
For visitors spending several days in Coimbra, the Metrobus can therefore be an easy way to venture beyond the city and discover a different part of Central Portugal.
How to Use the Metrobus?
For visitors to Coimbra making occasional journeys, using the Metrobus is simple. Tickets are loaded onto a contactless card, which costs €0.50 and can be purchased from the ticket machines available at every station. Several tickets can be loaded onto the same card and used as needed.
Fares are straightforward: travelling within Coimbra costs €1, travelling from Coimbra to Miranda do Corvo costs €2, and continuing to Lousã costs €3. Tickets are valid for 90, 120 and 150 minutes respectively, from the first validation.
The ticket machines at the stations allow you to purchase the card and load tickets, with payment available by cash, bank card or QR code. Before boarding the Metrobus, you must validate your card on the platform. Simply hold it close to the validator and wait for the green light and short beep confirming that it has been successfully validated.
Within Coimbra, services are frequent, with intervals of around 5 minutes during peak periods (7:30 am–9:30 am and 4:00 pm–7:00 pm on weekdays) and 7.5 minutes at other times. On suburban services, Metrobus services can run as often as every 10 minutes to Miranda do Corvo and every 15 minutes to Lousã during periods of higher demand, with intervals of up to 30 minutes at other times. More information on schedules is available here.
For guests staying at Hotel Oslo Coimbra, much of the historic centre remains easy to explore on foot. The Baixa, the Mondego River and the streets leading up to the Alta are all just a short walk from the hotel. Metro Mondego now adds new possibilities to that experience.
It offers an easy way to reach the hotel from Coimbra-B, travel from the city centre to Praça da República, discover a different area such as Solum and the Coimbra City Stadium and sports facilities, or continue beyond Coimbra towards the landscapes and traditions of the Serra da Lousã.
Coimbra still invites you to explore its streets on foot, wander through its narrow lanes and discover what lies between the Baixa and the Alta. With Metro Mondego, there is now also an easy way to travel further and include new places in your visit to the city and the surrounding region.
Map and Directions
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