R$4–6 gets you from POA to Mercado in about 20 minutes
MetrôTrensurb Aeroporto Station is the budget move out of Porto Alegre–Salgado Filho (Terminals 1 and 2), especially in daytime. Expect roughly 15–20 minutes from the airport to Estação Mercado, including the Aeromóvel people mover. Total cost for Aeromóvel + Trensurb usually lands around R$4–6, depending on the current tariff and any integration.
The metro itself is not inside the terminal. You exit the arrivals level at POA, follow the Aeromóvel signs outside for a short walk, then ride the elevated people mover to Estação Aeroporto. Trains on Trensurb run roughly every 6–12 minutes on weekdays during the day, with longer gaps on Sundays and late evenings, and the last departures are usually around 23:20–23:30.
Tickets for a single combined trip cost roughly the price of a coffee, quoted by locals as “troco de pão”. You can buy a regular single fare at Estação Aeroporto, or pick up a rechargeable cartão used by regular commuters to skip ticket lines at morning peaks. The Trensurb line serves Mercado, Rodoviária, Canoas, São Leopoldo and Novo Hamburgo off the same R$4–6 spend.
How to ride it step by step
- 1. Land at POA (Terminal 1 or 2) and clear arrivals; plan for at least 15 minutes to walk out, especially if waiting for bags.
- 2. Follow signs for the Aeromóvel; walk a few hundred meters outside the terminal to the elevated platform that links to Estação Aeroporto.
- 3. Ride the Aeromóvel (a couple of minutes), then buy your Trensurb ticket or top up your cartão at Estação Aeroporto.
- 4. Board any downtown-bound train; they typically come every 6–12 minutes by day, less often after about 21:00.
- 5. Get off at Estação Mercado for the historic center and Mercado Público, or at Estação Rodoviária for bus connections and many central hotels.
What regulars do and what to watch out for
Local commuters on r/portoalegre say they usually ride only as far as Estação Mercado or Estação Rodoviária, then walk or grab a short app car to their hotel. Some even ride one stop past the busiest station, then double back to grab a seat during 7:00–9:00 or 17:00–19:00 rush hours when trains are standing room only with minimal luggage space.
Complaints focus on crowds, stairs and late hours. Several Trensurb stations still lack elevators or escalators, which gets annoying with heavy suitcases, even though Estação Aeroporto itself is relatively accessible. Safety comments are mixed; locals suggest skipping Trensurb with visible luggage after about 22:00 and avoiding the system entirely after the last trains around 23:20–23:30.
One practical tip: if you land after 22:30 or on a Sunday night, check current Trensurb and Aeromóvel times on your phone before walking out of the terminal, so you don’t trek to the station and find the last train already gone.