Coimbra's old university buildings above the Mondego river
Trip planning

First nights in Portugal: hostels for Erasmus and international students

Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and Faro: where to sleep while you look for a room, how to get in from the airport, and the paperwork to sort first.

By Portugal Best Hostels Sources checked 6 Oct 2026

Most students arrive before they have a room. The student networks' own advice is the same in every city: stay somewhere short-term, view rooms in person, and sign nothing you haven't seen. This page gives you the first part, a bed for the first nights, plus the practical steps around it.

The hostels below come from our own hostel data, ranked by rating; prices show the date we checked them. Everything else links to the official source: the universities' housing offices, ESN, the transport operators and the government.

Checklist before you fly

  1. Book your first three to five nights

    Both ESN Lisboa and ESN Algarve suggest starting in a hostel and viewing rooms in person. A hostel with a kitchen and a locker keeps the first week cheap.

    Source: ESN Lisboa, ESN Algarve

  2. Get a NIF (tax number)

    The government lists opening a bank account among the things that need a NIF, and landlords and phone shops may ask for it too. Anyone, resident or not, can request one, online through the Portal das Finanças e-balcão or in person at a tax office by appointment. It's free with a Portuguese citizen card; in other cases, for example through a tax representative, it can cost money.

    Source: gov.pt: request a NIF

  3. Bank account, or not

    If your home card works abroad, you can start without one. If you want a Portuguese account, the basic bank account (conta de serviços mínimos bancários) is open to anyone with the right to live in an EU country who holds no other current account, and its fees are capped at €5.37 a year in 2026. Students from outside the EU should ask the bank what it needs.

    Source: Banco de Portugal: basic bank account

  4. Phone data from day one

    EU phone plans roam in Portugal at home prices. From outside the EU, an eSIM you install before you fly means maps and messages work at the airport.

    Source: Your Europe: roaming

    Compare eSIMs for Portugal

  5. Find a room through official channels

    Start with your university's own housing office and its residences, then ESN's guides. Insist on a written contract, and don't send a deposit for a room you haven't seen.

    Source: ESN Lisboa, ESN Algarve

Lisbon

ESN Lisboa puts a room in the centre at about €350 to €450 a month and suggests checking into a hostel for a few days so you can view rooms in person.

Getting in

The airport has its own metro station on the red line, open from 06:30 to 01:00. The airport says the metro reaches central Lisbon in about 20 minutes. A single Carris/Metro ticket is €1.90, valid for 60 minutes, loaded on a reusable navegante card that costs €0.50.

Source: Metro de Lisboa: Aeroporto station, Metro de Lisboa fares, Lisbon Airport: public transport

First-night hostels in Lisbon, from our data

Where students in Lisbon find rooms

All hostels in Lisbon by neighbourhood

Porto

The University of Porto runs its own residences, including vacancies for visiting students and researchers. Apply early, and book a hostel for your first nights in case your room isn't ready.

Getting in

Metro line E (violet) runs from the airport into the city every 20 to 30 minutes, according to the airport. Porto's metro fares go by zone: buy a ticket for your destination at the machine in the station, on an Andante card that costs €0.60.

Source: Porto Airport: public transport, Metro do Porto fares

First-night hostels in Porto, from our data

Where students in Porto find rooms

All hostels in Porto

Coimbra

Coimbra has no airport and, in our data, no hostels yet, so we won't name one. ESN Coimbra puts rooms at about €200 to €350 a month and warns that university residence places are limited.

Getting in

Fly into Lisbon or Porto and take the train. Alfa Pendular trains between Lisbon and Porto stop at Coimbra-B; CP's 2026 fare table lists Lisbon to Coimbra-B at €27.10 and Coimbra-B to Porto Campanhã at €19.70 in standard (Turística) class. Coimbra-B is the main-line station; check CP for the connection into Coimbra's city-centre station.

Source: CP Alfa Pendular fares (Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto)

We haven't added any Coimbra hostels to our data, and we don't list places we haven't checked. Book a short stay you can cancel, then look for a room from there.

Where students in Coimbra find rooms

Faro

The University of Algarve has residences in Faro, Gambelas and Portimão. ESN Algarve's advice for the first days is to stay in a hostel, and never to transfer money for a room before you've visited it.

Getting in

Próximo buses 14 and 16 link the airport with Faro; timetables are on proximo.pt and you can pay contactless on board. Faro airport puts the average taxi fare into Faro at €10.

Source: Faro Airport: public transport

First-night hostels in Faro, from our data

Where students in Faro find rooms

Hostels in Faro and the Algarve

FAQ

Should Erasmus students stay in a hostel when they arrive in Portugal?

It's what ESN Lisboa and ESN Algarve both suggest: stay a few nights in a hostel, view rooms in person, and only then sign a contract and pay a deposit.

Do I need a NIF as an international student in Portugal?

Usually yes. You need one to open a bank account, and landlords may ask for it. Residents and non-residents can request one through the Portal das Finanças or at a tax office by appointment.

How much does a student room cost in Lisbon or Coimbra?

ESN Lisboa puts a room in central Lisbon at about €350 to €450 a month; ESN Coimbra puts rooms in Coimbra at about €200 to €350. Both figures are from their housing pages, checked 6 Oct 2026.

How do I get from Lisbon airport to the city centre?

Take the metro red line from the Aeroporto station (06:30 to 01:00). A single ticket is €1.90 on a €0.50 navegante card, and the airport says the trip to central Lisbon takes about 20 minutes.

For university and ESN teams

You're welcome to link this page. If something here has changed, send us a correction.

Portugal Best Hostels

An independent hostel guide to Portugal. We link official sources for anything about visas, housing and paperwork, and we date every price we show. Hostel booking buttons may earn us a commission at no cost to you.