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Portugal Itinerary

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With our Portugal itinerary, you'll experience Europe of old and new, where youthful cultural scenes meet undisturbed, traditional life. Portugal has the oldest borders in Europe and retained a lot of its ancient architecture. Add to the mix the sun-soaked beaches and friendly, relaxed nature of the Portuguese and it’s a great place to kick-back and take it easy. The country is well connected by train and its modest size means you can experience all of its regions in just a few weeks. All train travel within the country is covered by the Eurail Portugal Pass .

Itinerary in short

Cities visited on this trip:.

Click here or on the map to view this route in our Trip Planner

Porto, Portugal

A port of call for historic maritime voyages, Portugal’s second city is the perfect place to begin your own adventure. Stroll along the quayside between the colorful ancient buildings of the Cais da Ribeira and traditional boats parked on the River Douro . A free walking tour, starting at Lion’s Square (Praça de Gomes Teixeira), provides a great introduction to Porto’s history and culture. Linger at the Ribeira Square (Praça da Ribeira) afterwards and you’ll realize why UNESCO recognized the Historic Centre of Porto as a World Heritage site.

From Porto to Pinhão

Travel time:

Porto São Bento

Pinhão, Portugal

Save yourself a day to take the Douro Line (Linha do Douro) from Porto to Régua. Start at São Bento Train Station , which alone is worth visiting for its 100 year old, beautifully tiled walls. Return later in the day to Porto Campanhã Train Station. Portugal’s most stunning train ride takes you through 20 tunnels and across 30 bridges along the Douro valley. Stop at the terraced vineyards of Pinhão on the way, to sample the region’s world-famous port wines – you’re in Porto of course!

From Pinhão to Coimbra

Reservation needed:

Reservation required

Porto Campanhã

Coimbra, Portugal

Coimbra is home to Portugal’s oldest university and no fewer than 6 of Portugal’s kings were born here, including the first ruler Afonso I. No surprise then that the city is rich in history. Visit the tomb of Alfonso I at the Santa Cruz Monastery and don’t miss the Biblioteca Joanina , Coimbra’s extravagant 18 th -century library. Spend an evening at Fado au Centro for a thrilling live performance of Coimbra’s distinctive fado folk music.

From Coimbra to Lisbon

Lisbon, portugal.

Lisboa Oriente

Lisbon (Lisboa), Portugal

As Europe’s second oldest capital city, Lisbon is bursting with historic charm. Take a classic yellow tram to the Moorish Castle of São Jorge for a hilltop view of the city. Then descend on foot through the narrow alleyways of the Alfama district for a taste of old-time Lisbon. Start your evening late, and make sure dinner in the lively streets of the Bairro Alto district in on your Lisbon itinerary. Look in the menu for bacalhau , one of Portugal’s national dishes made from dried and salted cod. For delicious cocktails and fine Portuguese hospitality, head to Bar A Paródia in the west of the city. This hidden gem is one of the oldest bars in Lisbon and one of the most atmospheric too.

From Lisbon to Sintra

Lisboa Rossio

Sintra, Portugal

Be sure to add a day trip to Sintra to any stay in Lisbon. Natural and man-made beauty combine in this fairytale town. Climb the lush wooded hills to the spectacular Pena Palace (Palácio da Pena) with its vibrant turrets and arches in yellow and red. Nestled in the woodland you can also climb the ramparts of the brilliant 8 th century Castle of the Moors . Back in the main town, pop into the little shops and cafés along the narrow, steep lanes. Try ginjinha , a sour cherry shot that comes in a tiny chocolate cup. Look out for locals selling them from their windows.

From Sintra to Faro

Lisboa Entrecampos

Faro, Portugal

Faro is best known as being the provincial capital of the Algarve. Here you can chill by the sea, in one of the many waterfront cafés or beaches. A short bus ride will take you to the popular town beach, Praia de Faro , for soft sand, friendly vibes and a beautiful sunset. Choose to stick within the harbor and Old Town (Centro Historico) and you’ll find plenty of historic delights, none more so than the Igreja do Carmo church. Its eerie bone chapel has walls constructed of femur bones and contains 1245 skulls originating from the Carmelite monks who lived there.

From Faro to Lagos

Lagos, portugal.

Lagos is a hotspot for backpackers who bring beach-party vibes and a lively nightlife. It’s also a place to relax to the max and find your personal beach paradise. The closest, Meia Praia , has a long stretch of golden sands, beach bars and water sports. For cliffs, caves and hidden alcoves, try the more secluded Praia do Camilo . For the best surf, take a bus to Sagres at the southwestern tip on Portugal. Further on, you can head to Cape São Vicente , which ancient Europeans perceived as being at the “End of the World”. On the way back, take a boat out to Ponta da Piedade and discover the spectacular grottoes and rock formations.

Experience this itinerary with the Eurail Portugal Pass!  

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• Portugal by High Speed Train - Porto, Douro & Lisbon

Explore Portugal by train! Tour Portugal with visits to rich historical and cultural cities, beautiful landmarks, as well as the wine region, travelling between cities on first-class trains. A 7-night package including Lisbon, Douro, Porto and more!

• Departure Dates

Tour Highlights

• Guided tours of Porto, Lisbon, Sintra, Cascais
• 6 Bridges Cruise in Porto
• Lunch with wine tasting in the Douro Valley

Your Tour Includes

• Arrival transfer from Porto airport to Porto hotel*.
• First-class hotels, rooms with private facilities.
• Breakfast daily.
• Full Day Small Group guided visit or Porto + 6 Bridges Cruise / Pick up and drop off at your accommodation.
• Full-day Small Group visit of Douro Valley + wine estate visit + wine tasting and lunch. Pick up and drop off at your accommodation.
• Private transfer from hotel in Porto to Porto Station.
• First Class train ticket from Porto to Lisbon, reserved tickets.
• Private transfer from Lisbon train station to hotel in Lisbon.
• 4-hour Shared Tour of Lisbon / Meet the guide at a meeting point / Drop off Lisbon city center.
• 5-hour Shared Tour of Estoril, Sintra, Cascais / Meet the guide at a meeting point / Drop off Lisbon city center.
• Touring by modern air-conditioned vehicle.
• Luggage handling.
• Return transfer from Lisbon hotel to Lisbon airport*

Not included

• City Tax to be paid at the hotels.
• Transfer to meet the guide for your guided visits, unless differently specified.
• Return transfer at your hotel after the guided visits, unless differently specified.
• Items not noted on the itinerary as included.

Day 1 | Arrive in Porto

Welcome to Portugal! Upon arrival at Porto Airport, private transfer to your accommodation. Overnight in Porto.

Day 2 | Porto

Embark yourself in a full day exploration of Oporto, voted Best European Destination 2012 by the European citizens. This is also known as "Cidade Invicta" (unvanquished city). Its distinct and unique character gave Porto a World Heritage classification. Aligned with the river Douro, rich in contrasts and well-preserved treasures, it is the ancient city of the Port of immeasurable beauty. After a walking tour of the heart of the town, enjoy a tasty lunch. The tour will end with a relaxing cruise of the Six Bridges. Overnight in Porto. (B)

Day 3 | Douro Valley

Explore the fantastic Douro Region, a traditional place born in the culture of wine production. Visit the most famous Wine Estates and taste its delicious Port Wines. Embark on this adventure through the Douro Valley on a river cruise and enjoy the majestic vineyards around you, loaded with grapes. Discover the best road in the World, N222, which connects Peso da Régua to Pinhão. The journey includes a guided tour to two of the main Douro Wineries. You will enjoy a typical regional lunch in a local restaurant. Finally, relax with a scenic cruise on the Douro River in Pinhão. Overnight in Porto. (B, L)

Day 4 | Porto - Lisbon

Meet your private driver-guide and private transfer to Porto train station. Enjoy a first-class train ride to Lisbon. Upon arrival, private transfer to your accommodation. Overnight in Lisbon. (B)

Day 5 | Lisbon

Meet your knowledgeable guide in the vibrant heart of Lisbon and embark on a captivating tour of this enchanting city. Lisbon boasts a truly unique lighting ambiance, regardless of weather conditions. It mirrors the essence of Lisbon-a city steeped in rich history and enduring traditions. Framed by the picturesque Tagus River, our tour ventures to monumental landmarks, bearing witness to historic sea voyages and providing access to one of Lisbon's most enthralling museums. Explore Alfama, an ancient and traditional Lisbon quarter resonating with the melancholic sounds of Fado, and Baixa-Chiado, the bustling commercial heart of Lisbon. Overnight in Lisbon. (B)

Day 6 | Sintra & Cascais

Discover one of the most famous attractions in the country, grandly located at the top of the Serra de Sintra - the Pena Palace. Your expert guide will walk you through its richly decorated rooms and introduce fascinating facts about Portugal's history. In the historic center of Sintra, enjoy free time to explore the narrow streets full of regional shops. On the return to Lisbon, discover the villages of Cascais and Estoril, traditional fishing areas known as the "Portuguese Riviera". Overnight in Lisbon. (B)

Day 7 | Lisbon

Today is yours to explore and discover the region. There is something for everyone in Lisbon; make the city yours! Overnight in Lisbon. (B)

Day 8 | Depart from Lisbon

Transfer to the airport or train station.

Rates & Hotels

Featured Hotels

Tour details, your land package begins: / your land package ends:.

(As most International flights are overnight flights - please book air accordingly)

Flight Details

Accommodation details.

• Check In Date
• Select Number of Rooms   1   2 3 4 5 6 Return Date

Porto Hotel

This tour utilizes the Turim Oporto Hotel or Similar. [ more ]

Lisbon Hotel

This tour utilizes the Turim Av Liberdade, or similar. [ more ]

This package is based on a minimum of two (2) persons traveling based on sharing one double room. This tour can be booked online or via our call center. No single rooms available for this tour.

• Items not noted on itinerary
• Transfers to and from guided visits, unless otherwise specified
• Lunches (with exception of Lunch in Douro Valley)
• City Tax to be paid locally

We have resumed individual airfare for the 2024 season. This can be booked online or via our call center. Please note, airfare offered on this tour is published non-contracted airfare, which full payment is due at time of booking and would be non-refundable and non-changeable. Airfare can be booked 10.5 months before departure.

Departures & Transfers

Departure date is the date one begins in Portugal. Air date should be booked one day prior to allow for overnight flights to Portugal.

• Destinations

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Portugal train guide | how to travel portugual by train.

The Savvy Backpacker's guide to traveling Portugal by train

Transportation

Portugal is quickly becoming one of the hottest destinations in Europe and one of the best ways to explore its amazing cities and towns is by taking the train. In this Portugal Train Guide, I’ll cover how to travel through Portugal by train—including how to buy train tickets, how to find the best prices on train tickets, and other helpful tips for using Portugal’s rail system.

How To Buy Train Tickets In Portugal

Ok, let’s start with how and where to buy train tickets for trains in Portugal.

Where To Buy Train Tickets in Portugal

Other than buying tickets at the train station (via the ticket window or automated ticket machines), there are only two ways to pre-purchase train tickets for trains in Portugal—either from the Official Portugal Rail Website ( Comboios de Portugal ) or through the third-party reseller Omio .

The Comboios de Portugal website suffers from some weird translation issues and some international users might have trouble making credit card payments so I recommend sticking to Omio .

Luckily, Omio is much more user-friendly than the Comboios de Portuga website, it accepts all international credit cards, it has a nice smartphone app (where your digital train tickets will be stored), it has a way better user interface, and it’s all in English. Omio sells tickets at the same price as the Comboios de Portugal website but they add a small service fee (around $2)—which I’d rather pay than deal with the Comboios de Portuga website.

Train tickets purchased via both Omio and Comboios de Portugal are digital tickets and can be accessed from their respective smartphone apps (they can also be printed at home). That’s why having a phone with reliable data is important. Check out my Guide For Buying A SIM Card and Mobile Data Plan in Europe to learn how to get affordable mobile data.

When To Buy Train Tickets To Get The Best Price

Train tickets in Portugal generally are available for purchase about 60 days before departure so there is no point in trying to book super far in advance.

Tickets for the Portuguese Alfa Pendular train (their high-speed, long-distance train which connects major cities in Portugal and international routes that connect to cities in Spain) are cheapest if bought a few weeks in advance—but generally buying 5-8 days is good enough.

For example, a ticket from Lisbon to Porto costs €16-€20 when bought a week early but sometimes they have extra cheap €10 promo fares. However, if you buy last minute, expect to pay €25-€35. Poke around Omio to see what you find to get a better idea of prices for your itinerary.

The route popularity can also have an effect on price so popular departure times are often slightly more expensive than less desirable times.

Pay Attention To Train-Type And Number of Transfers

When looking at potential train tickets, it’s super important to pay attention to both the type of train (AP high-speed, Intercity, local/regional, etc.) and the number of changes (direct, one change, two changes, etc.).

• AP = Alfa Pendular high-speed train that goes up to 135mph. These trains generally only stop at major towns/cities.
• IC = Intercity trains. These trains are still quick and hit speeds of 120mph but make more stops than the AP trains. Many IC trains will connect the same cities as AP trains but the journey will take longer.
• All other trains are local/regional trains. These travel at much slower speeds and make very frequent stops as they’re designed to service smaller towns and villages.

Some train routes are direct and others will have a transfer (or multiple transfers) where you’ll have to change trains at a train station—these stopovers can be super quick (~10-15 minutes) but I’ve also seen longer 1hr+ waits. If possible, seek out direct trains since it’s much easier, quicker, and you don’t have to worry about missed transfers because of delays.

First-Class vs Tourist Class Train Tickets

First-class tickets on Portuguese trains generally cost 50% more than “tourist” class (i.e. second-class) tickets. The main perks are more legroom and larger seats. You can also order food but that’s extra. Seats are arranged in a 2+1 configuration—one row has one seat the other row has two seats.

Otherwise, the tourist/second class is perfectly comfortable. Seats are arranged in a 2+2 configuration—both rows have two seats.

The Types Of Trains In Portugal

The Portuguese rail network is comprised of three main types of trains and each has its own quirks.

Alfa Pendular Train (High-Speed Train)

The Alfa Pendular Train (AP) is Portugal’s high-speed train that travels at speeds up to 135mph. These trains typically connect major cities and it’s also the train that connects to cities in Spain. If possible, always book these tickets because it’s a faster and more enjoyable experience.

The Alfa Pendular Trains are modern, have air conditioning, and have comfortable seats. Each train has 1st & 2nd class cars as well as a cafe/bar car. There is also free WiFi & power sockets at all seats.

You’ll want to book these tickets at least a week in advance for the best price but booking even earlier might result in even cheaper promo fares. Check Omio to see current prices.

Intercity Trains 

Next are the Intercity Trains (IC) and these also connect main cities as well as a few smaller cities. These trains can still reach relatively fast speeds of 120 mph but they make more frequent stops which means trips will take longer.

Again, trains are air-conditioned and have both 1st & 2nd class. Most trains also have free WiFi and a cafe/bar car. Don’t expect power sockets in 2nd class but many seats in 1st should have them.

You’ll also want to book these tickets at least a week in advance for the best price. Check Omio to see current prices.

Regional and Local Trains

All other trains are slower regional trains that reach out to small towns and villages.

These trains can’t be booked in advance and prices are always the same, so simply buy your tickets at the train station.

NOTE: Some popular day trip routes (like Lisbon to Sintra) attract tons of tourists so the ticket lines can get very long. Arrive well before your train’s departure or buy your tickets from the station a day before you travel to avoid missing the train you want.

Popular Train Routes in Portugal

Portugal is a fairly small country so most visitors stick to a few main train routes. I’ve listed a few of the most popular routes and listed some helpful information for each route.

Lisbon to Porto By Train (Around 2.5h-3h)

Traveling between Lisbon (Oriente Station) and Porto (Campanhã Station) by train is easy and there are multiple direct trains daily. The Alfa Pendular high-speed train will take around 2h40min and the slightly slower Intercity train takes around 3h10min.

Single tickets start around €32 but you can save 50%+ by booking early. Check prices at Omio .

Lisbon to Sintra by Train (Around 45min-1hr)

Sintra is a very popular day trip from Lisbon. It uses a local train that takes around one hour and costs €2.30 each way. There are multiple trains every hour—sometimes as often as every 10 minutes during peak travel times.

You can only buy tickets from the station. The ticket lines can get very long during the busy season so arrive early to avoid the lines.

Lisbon to Braga by Train (Around 3hr 16min)

Braga is a city in the far north of Portugal. Braga is about 3hr15m from Lisbon via the high-speed train and 40m from Porto via the high-speed train.

There are a few direct trains between Lisbon and Braga but most require a change in Porto (which can add anywhere from a 10-minute stopover to over an hour stopover). So look for a direct train for the shortest and most convenient route.

There are multiple daily departures between Lisbon and Braga and tickets cost between €30-€40 but can get down to €12-€15 if booked early. Check prices at Omio .

Lisbon to Coimbra by Train (Around 1h30min-1hr50min)

The riverfront city of Coimbra is about halfway between Porto and Lisbon so it makes a popular trip from both cities. Direct train journeys between Lisbon and Coimbra take between 1.5-2 hours depending if you take the AP or IC train.

Standard train tickets between Lisbon and Coimbra cost around €20-€26 or €10-€15 if booked early. Check prices at Omio .

Lisbon to Faro by Train (Around 3hr 30min)

Sunny Faro is the best-known city in Portugal’s famous Algarve region. The high-speed AP train takes about 3 hours and the IC train takes about 3.5 hours from Lisbon. Check prices at Omio .

More Portugal Train Travel Tips

Here are some more random things to keep in mind when using Portugal’s train system.

Double-Check Your Train Station Name

Many cities have multiple train stations that serve different parts of Portugal or other countries—for example, Lisbon’s main stations are Rossio, Santa Apolónia, and Campolide. Don’t make the mistake of going to the wrong station.

Give Yourself Time At The Station

It’s generally easy to find your train once you arrive at the station but give yourself some extra time so you’re not rushing through the crowded station to get to your train.

Don’t Freak Out If You Don’t See Your Train On The Board

You’ll find your train platform via the departure board at the train station. Don’t worry if you don’t see your train because they often only display trains departing within the next 15-20 minutes.

Arrive Early If Buying Tickets At The Station

Ticket lines at the train station can get very long so you’ll want to arrive with plenty of time so you don’t miss your train. If possible, buy your tickets online so you can skip the lines but many local trains can’t be bought online so doing it in person is your only option.

Self-Service Machines Are In English

Don’t worry if you don’t speak Portuguese because the ticket machines (and train station signs) are all in English.

Cheap Tickets Are Non-Refundable

One downside to cheap train tickets is that they’re non-refundable and can’t be changed.

Pack A Picnic

You’re allowed to bring your own food and alcohol on trains so bring some food along for those long train rides.

For more general trips about traveling by train in Europe, check out my Complete Guide To Train Travel In Europe . Also, check out my Guide To Using Rail Passes in Europe if you’re going to be taking multiple train trips as you travel.

More Europe Travel Tips From The Savvy Backpacker

Traveling to Portugal and beyond? Here are some helpful articles to help you plan your trip.

• Lisbon Travel Guide : The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide to visiting Lisbon on a budget.
• How Much To Budget For Lisbon : I do the math and break down how much it costs to visit Lisbon.
• The Best Hostels in Lisbon : My guide to my favorite hostels in Lisbon for every travel style.
• The Best Travel Backpacks : A list of my favorite backpacks that are designed for travel.
• Backpacking Europe Packing List : What you should take (and what you should leave behind) when traveling to Europe.
• The Complete Guide To Backpacking Europe : Just about everything you need to know about traveling Europe on a budget.
• How To Buy Train Tickets in Portugal : More in-depth tips for buying Portuguese train tickets.
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Popular Portugal Train Routes

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Portugal’s Douro Line is a scenic train journey to “nowhere”

Feb 8, 2023 • 5 min read

The antique wooden train station at Pocinho, the terminus of the Linha do Douro train route through northern Portugal © Austin Bush / Lonely Planet

Our slow travel series explores how you can take more-mindful journeys by train, boat, bus or bike – with tips on how to reach your no-fly destination, and what to see and do along the way. Here, Lonely Planet’s Austin Bush takes us along northern Portugal’s Douro Valley by train.

There isn’t much in the tiny town of Pocinho. But in the case of northern Portugal ’s Linha do Douro, the train line that connects this rural village and Porto , it’s more about the journey to get there. 

The Douro River bisects the top half of Portugal , carving a ragged gap from east to west. That glass of port you tasted in Porto? It got its start in the almost impossibly steep vineyards that frame the river valley. And while most visitors to Porto will experience the Douro River via a cruise, I wanted to do it by train.

Many consider the Linha do Douro, the train line that follows the valley, one of the  most beautiful train rides in Europe . Under 125 miles (200km) long, the line terminates at Pocinho, just shy of the  Spanish  border. This means that the train doesn’t really get you anywhere in particular, and you have to return the way you came. But if done right, it’s possible to approach the Linha do Douro as a slow and contemplative – yet also occasionally dramatic – day trip, one that even offers a break for lunch and wine tasting. 

The departure

To ensure that you have time for lunch or (and?) wine tasting, it’s necessary to take the first train of the day, which departs from Porto’s legendary São Bento Station at 7:15am. I was obliged to change trains in the town of Ermesinde, just northeast of Porto, and it was here that I boarded my Linha do Douro train. The stock – made in Switzerland, painted a ’70s-era orange and virtually empty – could easily have featured in a Wes Anderson film.

The next hour, you’ll traverse Porto’s urban sprawl – predominantly gray, semi-industrial feeling suburbs. Your first tunnel (of 23 total) is in Caíde, which is also where the views start to become more rural. The town of Ribadouro offers your first glimpse of the Douro, and it’s from this point on that things get interesting.

Spending diaries: What I spent on a cheap-ish weekend trip to Porto, Portugal

The train snakes along the river, with incredibly steep terraced vineyards and tiny villages clinging to hillsides rising on either side. Whistle-stop stations boast charming tiles; at some points the train tracks are virtually at river level. I did the trip in late January, and while mist and fog obscured the views they created an otherworldly, remote atmosphere. Be sure to sit on the right-hand side for the best views. You may be tempted to hop off in the large-ish city of Peso da Régua , but a wiser stop is Pinhão , where you’ll arrive at about 10am.

The interlude

The terminus for one-day boat trips from Porto, Pinhão is a funny little town, a mix of crusty old winemakers and wide-eyed tourists. It also offers enough to occupy you for a few hours. Take the obligatory photo of the tile murals at the station, and after a walk along the charming waterfront, start planning lunch. A handful of cafes and restaurants are in the center of town, with eateries such as Veladoura or Cozinha da Clara located a short walk away.

Alternatively, Pinhão is also home to a legendary butcher, Talho Qualifer – Quinta das Barrocas, where you can taste smoked meats in-house or assemble a riverside picnic lunch. Of course, you’re in the heart of Portugal’s most prestigious wine country, so pencil in time for a tasting session. Several houses, including Croft , Quinta do Bomfim and Quinta do Noval are located right in town, and offer tastings of standard and fortified wines. 

Satiated and slightly buzzed, it’s time to continue to the end of the line: Pocinho. I recommend taking the train that departs at 3:43pm: this allows you nearly five hours to dine and wine in Pinhão, and also catch a not-too-late return train from Pocinho back to Porto. 

The final hour that connects Pinhão and Pocinho is arguably the most beautiful section of the line – and the section that the day-trippers on boats from Porto miss out on. Outside of Pinhão, the Douro narrows and the scenery becomes more rocky, rugged and wild. At Ferradosa, the train crosses a bridge (one of 35 along the route) to the south bank of the river. Shift to the left side of the train to see tiny train stations – shelters, really – that link to trailheads, abandoned wineries and vineyards that extend right to the tracks.

As you approach the end of the line, the landscape abruptly widens into a broad valley studded with olive trees, a dam and power plant ominously looming in the distance. In Pocinho, the original wooden station is still intact, though there’s not much else to see or do here.

Stretch your legs, take a bathroom break and board the train (most likely the same one you arrived on) returning to Porto, which departs at 5:14pm. If there are no delays, you should arrive in Porto around 8:30pm, just in time for dinner.

Practical information about the Linha do Douro

Best time to go.

I did the trip in January, which meant the weather was particularly wet and misty. If you’re serious about clear views or photography – or simply want to take advantage of the long days to take a later train back – make the trip during the summer months.

Food and drink on the journey

Pinhão is your best bet for food and drink. Alternatively, if you’re on a budget, pack a lunch and a bottle of wine ahead of time and plan a riverside picnic.

I bought my tickets in advance, yet given how few people ride the Linha do Douro nowadays, you’d probably be fine buying your tickets at the station. A round-trip ticket costs just under €30; breaking the trip into bits and buying three separate tickets as I suggest here will cost a tiny bit more.

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Portugal Trains: How to get around Portugal by Train

Portugal has a great train service. It’s old, and it’s a little slow in comparison to the trains in many other European countries, but it’s functional. Sometimes the air con even works as well!

There are four different types of train in Portugal:

• Alpha-Pendular: The fastest trains in Portugal. These are usually the newest and the most comfortable, and have additional luxuries like audio channels that you can listen to and televisions. This type of train is the most expensive, but the difference between Alpha-Pendular and Intercidades is usually only a few euros. 
• Intercidades:  This train is slightly slower than the Alpha-Pendular trains as it makes more stops, but it isn’t really significantly slower. Theses trains are older, the bar is a bit more basic, and they’re a little less comfortable. 
• Regional (R) and Interregional (IR):  These trains cover much shorter distances and are much more basic again. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance or online. 
• Urban (U):  These trains are common in larger cities like Lisbon and Porto and, again, are quite simple. Tickets cannot be purchased in advance or online. 

Train routes run throughout Portugal and connect all of the major regions by rail. Not every town has a train station, but the majority of the large towns and cities do. If you can’t find a train to the town that you want to visit, it may be worth looking at taking a bus or renting a car instead. 

In fact, sometimes it’s worth looking at where the train station is before booking a train: in some towns, the train is 5 or 10 km outside of the town (meaning you’ll need to get a taxi from the train station to the town centre). Bus stations, on the other hand, are usually always fairly close to the town centre. 

It’s cheap (and here’s how to get it cheaper)

What’s amazing about Portugal’s train service is the cost. Here are some sample prices (accurate at the time of writing in September 2023, and for booking around two months in advance): 

• Porto to Lisbon: €26.60 for a single
• Faro to Lisbon: €9.50 for a single
• Albufeira to Lisbon: €9 for a single
• Faro to Coimbra: €19 for a single
• Vila Real de San Antonio to Valenca (a 715km journey): €55.80 for a single.

All of those prices are for second class tickets booked more than eight days in advance to take advantage of the discounts. These are:

• Up to 56% off if you buy your tickets at least 5 days in advance
• Up to 65% off if you buy your tickets at least 8 days in advance

Note: Discounts aren’t available on all the tickets. The 7 am train pictured below doesn’t have any discounts available, for example. 

Those are for the Intercidades (IC) and Alpha-Pendular (AP) trains. The Urban trains (which can’t be booked in advance) are often even cheaper. These trains aren’t everywhere in the country, but are especially common around Lisbon and Porto. 

As well as advanced tickets, there are also discounts for:

• Under 25s: 25% off for those under 25.
• Under 30s: 12-30 year olds get 25% off with a European Youth Card .
• Group travel:  Travel as a group of 3 or 4 people on the Alfa Pendular or Intercidade trains and get up to 50% off.
• Those with special needs: Up to 75% off for you, and 25% off for your carer.
• Senior Citizens: Over 65s get 50% off. (It’s a good idea to take ID with you as you may need to show this at the ticket office and also on the train). 
• Under 3s: Half-price tickets for under 3s that don’t occupy a seat.

You can select any of these discounts when you’re booking online. If you have booked in advance, this is usually the best discount you can get. You can select a Senior Citizen or Under 25 discount, but this will actually be less than the advanced promo price. Unfortunately, you can’t combine discounts e.g. 5 days in advance and under 25.

Tickets can be booked through cp.pt , which is the official website for Comboios de Portugal (the Portuguese train company). You can pay with a credit or debit card or with PayPal. Some people have problems paying with a foreign credit or debit card: if that happens to you, try paying through PayPal (you don’t need a PayPal account to do this). 

Read more about discounted train travel in Portugal

1st class vs 2nd class

First class on Portuguese trains is a bit disappointing, at least in comparison to other countries like Spain and the UK where you are served a meal and drinks. It depends on the type of train, but first class on Portuguese trains could just mean more legroom and comfier seats. 

There are three types of train used in Portugal (Alpha-Pendular, Intercidades, Regional (R) and Interregional (IR), and Urban (U)) and only Alpha-Pendular and Intercidades offer a first and second class option. 

First class on Alpha-Pendular usually means you get a drink, a newspaper or magazine, and headphones. First class on Intercidades usually just means that you get larger and comfier seats and, on some seats, a plug socket (plug sockets are also available on some seats in second class). 

You can also book single seats on both Alpha-Pendular and Intercidades trains. This alone could be worth it if you’re travelling alone, and want a bit more space to yourself. The difference between first and second class is often less than 5 Euros, so it’s not a lot to spend to treat yourself to a little extra comfort. 

Do the trains have Wi-Fi?

Increasingly more and more trains in Portugal have wi-fi, especially the Alpha-Pendular routes, and sometimes it even works (but usually it’s very slow). 

Unfortunately, although some trains do have working wi-fi, it’s not a given which means you can’t rely on it if you want to work. Mobile internet connections are also pretty unreliable on the train, particularly when you’re going through more rural parts of the country, and the trains are also quite jiggly which can make you feel sick if you’re staring at a laptop screen. It’s fine for watching a movie, but not great for trying to work. 

Buying Train Tickets

The Comboios De Portugal (Portugal Trains) website is reasonably easy to use, and is one of the easiest ways to buy train tickets. There’s also an app for both iOS and Android, or you could buy your tickets at the counter in a train station.

You can get your ticket sent to your by SMS, which is much easier than having to print it off. You can also get your ticket delivered via the app.

A lot of people use Rail Europe for booking train tickets while travelling in Europe, but it’s much better to use the official website. Rail Europe doesn’t always have all the timetables, you can’t book tickets same day or next day for Portuguese trains, and you don’t get access to the discounts. Just use cp.pt instead.

Note: Regional train tickets (marked ‘R’ on the trains website) and Urban train tickets (marked ‘U’ on the trains website) aren’t normally sold in advance. You can buy them on the day from the train station or on-board if there isn’t a ticket office at the station.

If your long distance train journey includes a change onto a regional train, sometimes you can buy the whole journey in one ticket (this is the case when going from Lisbon to many places in the Algarve, for example). This isn’t always the case, though, and you may need to buy that ‘R’ ticket of your journey on the day. 

Tip: Try to avoid clicking ‘Train times’ (in English) or ‘Consultar Horários’ (in Portuguese). This section of the website feels like the section of the website where you buy tickets, but you can only look up the timetables. If you’re wondering why there’s no ‘buy now’ button, this is probably why.

Credit card problems? Try paying with PayPal instead (you’ll see the option at checkout). You don’t need to have a PayPal account to do this: you can pay with your card using PayPal. 

Ticket details for tax purposes? In Portugal, it’s common to add your personal tax number (known as a NIF ) to a receipt when making a purchase. Doing so can allow you to claim some taxes back.

If you don’t have a NIF number (which you probably won’t unless you’re living in Portugal) and you don’t want to add your personal tax number from your country of residency, you can skip this section.

Travelling with luggage 

A lot of people have asked questions about travelling on the trains with luggage. 

Yes, you can bring a suitcase or backpack onboard the train. Every passenger is entitled to bring one piece of luggage (such as a suitcase or a backpack) and a small bag like a laptop bag or handbag. Any more than that is considered excess baggage and you should have to pay extra to bring it but it’s not monitored. 

Luggage storage is generally in a rack above the seats. The racks are wide and can easily take a backpack or a cabin-size suitcase, but may not be suitable for a very large suitcase.

On the long distance AP and IR trains, there is normally a space for extra large bags at the entrance to each carriage (and sometimes in the middle of the carriage as well) however these can fill up. 

If you’re concerned about travelling with luggage, especially large suitcases, consider taking a coach instead. Baggage is stored underneath the bus so there’s more room for wider suitcases and you don’t have to lift it above your head. 

Travelling with pets

Yes, you can travel with a pet (for free) on the trains in Portugal as long as the pet is not dangerous, is housed in a properly enclosed transportation box, and as long as they don’t smell or there isn’t any reason that other passengers might object to travelling with them. 

On some trains, it’s also possible to travel with a dog that’s not in an enclosed transportation box. The dog will need to be muzzled and on a short lead, and the owner will need to bring the dog’s vaccination card and valid licence with them. They’ll also need to buy a ticket for the dog as well. 

Guide dogs can travel with the owner on all trains for free. 

For more information about travelling with a pet on Portuguese trains, visit CP.pt . 

Bringing your bike

Yes, you can bring your bike onboard any intercity train (e.g. from Lisbon to Faro). There is normally space for 1-2 bikes per carriage, and passengers are normally limited to 1 bike per passenger. 

More information about travelling with a bike can be found on CP.pt . 

Getting Train Timetables

If you want to see the train timetables, the easiest thing is to enter your dates and do a search. If you click the (+) button, you can see a list of all the stops on the journey.

International Tickets: Portugal to Spain, France & the rest of the world

It’s not possible to book international train tickets with CP.pt. There’s a route from Lisbon to Madrid, for example, but you need to book this through the Spain train website, Renfe.es .

Travelling further than that is even more complicated. I wanted to see if it was possible to book a train ticket from Lisbon to Barcelona or Lisbon to Paris, but neither RailEurope, GoEuro, or thetrainline.eu could do that for me. If you want to do an international trip like this, you will need to book all of the train tickets for each individual leg.

Spotted a mistake? Suggest a correction

Check out http://www.seat61.com – it tells you how to book trains from Portugal to other countries in Europe.

I love the trains in Portugal. The scenery is always amazing.

If you book a train ticket in advance ~eg for date X – do you also have to specify the actual train time or can you leave that open?

IF you have to specify the train, and then are late and miss it ~is the ticket just lost or can you get it changed on the next train without having to pay the full price again ?

What is the best route by train from Porto to Tomar ?

Hi Cathryn,

I believe you take the train from Porto Campanhã to Entroncamento, and then a regional train from Entroncamento to Tomar.

If you go to the “cp.pt” site, you will see that you can also leave from Porto Sao Bento, and you will find the times, prices, stops, and changes…..

How long it takes to take the train from Lisbon to Lagos and is it direct from Lisbon to Lagos or is there a transfer at Albuferia? Is it a high speed train?

What website can I visit to book tickets? Do the trains have club cars or does one have to bring their own refreshments? If I buy tickets in advance and decide to change my itinerary, can the tickets be cancelled and refunded at no charge?

Hi Margaret,

The fastest train from Lisbon to Lagos takes around 3h37. The slowest is a little under 4 hours. You will have to change, but that change takes place at Tunes and not Albufeira. Tunes is a very small station, so you won’t have any problem finding the other train.

As for high speed? Well, it’s the fastest one on that route but it’s not like what you’d find in other countries like France and Spain.

I’d probably recommend bringing your own refreshments. Some of the trains (see the article above) have refreshments like soft drinks and snacks, but they’re quite basic.

Tickets can be bought from cp.pt

You’ll find information about refunds (in English) here: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/passenger-information/Useful-information/refunds It depends on which train you take, but generally you will be able to get most of your money back (minus an admin charge) if you ask for the refund before the train journey.

really helpful. thanks. ive walked so much on thebeach the last few days i have blisters so taking a trip along the algarve coast – hopefully with a bik today.

Glad you’re enjoying yourself (blisters aside)!

hi, thank you so much for all this information, it’s very helpful! i’m trying to book a ticket from Faro to Lisbon for Sep. 11th but it won’t give me the discount for the 5/8 days in advance, only full price or other discounts im not eligible to. what am i doing wrong? (im using the app). thanks again!

Sometimes it helps if you go to this url rather than the homepage, which is more for timetables: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets

At the moment, it’s only showing me one discounted journey. Not sure what’s going on.

Great website and information. So just booked a train from Lisbon – Santa Polino to Tunes in June and just realized that I have to switch trains from a regional to an IC at Oriente station to catch my train to Tunes. Couple questions 1. The connection time is only 10 minutes in Oriente is that enough time. 2. Can I just not use the first part of my ticket for the Santa Paolino – and just go straight to the Oriente staion to catch my train to Tunes.

It should be enough time, but I can understand that this could quite stressful and it may not be something that you want hanging over you.

I don’t know if there are any rules preventing you from doing what you’re suggesting, but I can’t see why it wouldn’t be doable. Unlike the metro, there are no ticket barriers at the train station so you won’t have any issues there.

Thanks for the helpful site.

Looking at cp.pt for a trip from Tomar to Coimbra. The best timing for us is to take a regional train from Tomar to Entromcomento, then an IC train from Entroncomento to Coimbra-B. The cp.pt site lists the first regional train but under the “Buy Tickets” section does not list that regional train for purchase.

I have read that you can’t book regional trains in advance-is that true? If so, can I reasonably rely on getting on that regional first train? Would buying a ticket in Tomar the day before the train ride make any difference?

Thanks for the help-much appreciated!

It is true that you can’t buy regional train tickets in advance (although often it’s possible if it’s part of a longer journey like the one you’re doing). This means that you wouldn’t be able to buy them the day before either: only on the day at the train station (if there’s a ticket office) or on-board (if there isn’t a ticket office at the station).

I don’t think you need to worry about not getting a seat but, if you are concerned, take a slightly earlier train just to be on the safe side. It looks like there are a lot of journeys on that route, so it wouldn’t add too much time onto your trip.

Hi, My friend and I are going to be based in Lisbon for 6 days of travel to other towns and cities and I saw the One Country Ticket by Interrail on line which quotes Eu236 to cover the 6 days to go anywhere. It LOOKS like a really good deal having seen the prices for daily normal ticket prices, do you recommend it please?

I don’t think it’s a good deal for Portugal if it’s just for one person. Maybe for other countries where train travel is more expensive, but here train travel is quite cheap.

A single ticket from Lisbon to Porto costs around €30 (but could be as cheap as €16 if you go for the slower train and book in advance). Even at €30, and even if you travelled every day, it would still cost you less than the Interrail ticket.

Work out your itinerary and use cp.pt to get an estimate of how much it’ll all cost, but I can’t imagine 6 days of train travel coming to more than €236 unless you were travelling extremely long distances every day.

I booked an overnight train from San Sebastián to Coimbra because Renfe would not let me book into Porto (or our eventual destination Pinhao). We arrive 4:45am. I see on the CP website that there is an IR train 5:10 to Porto-Campanhã and 7:14 IR train onward to Pinhao daily but no way to purchase a ticket. Are these not able to be purchased in advance? And if not, will the ticket office be open at 4:45am when we get into Portugal?

Yes, some journeys can’t be booked in advance.

I don’t know if the ticket office will be open at that time, but I’m guessing not. In that case, you’ll be able to purchase them on the train.

We will be travelling from Lisbon airport to Porto (Sao Bento), and were wondering which Lisbon train station is closest to the airport? What is the best way to get from airport to train station? Thanks 🙂

The nearest train station would be Oriente, which is in Parque das Nações. It’s about 3 stops away on the metro.

I would either take the metro or a taxi/uber.

Can you get on and off the train with one ticket from Porto to Lisbon? Or would we have to have tickets for each destination?

I’m pretty sure you would need to buy multiple tickets for several smaller journeys.

You’re reserving a seat (e.g. seat 10) for a specific time e.g. the 9 am train to from Porto to Lisbon. If you get off for an hour and get back on another train, it’s not the 9 am train anymore but the 10 am train and someone else will probably have reserved seat 10.

If you want to hop on and hop off, you’ll either need to break the trip up into several trips or rent a car.

Be aware that if you want to book Lisbon – any location in the Algrave, the connecting R train is usually the next available one to your final destination. It is not possible to choose which R train connection to select. For instance, I wanted a 3 hour connection in Faro (to eat lunch). The only option for this particular Lisbon train connection is only 11 minutes. I have to book Lisbon-Faro instead and then buy the connecting R ticket at the station.

Yep, that’s a good point.

We’re traveling from Porto to Viana do Castelo on 12/09/19. I was hoping I could order the tickets 60 days in advance but September 12 is disabled on the schedule. Is this trip considered a local – buy the day of travel? Thanks, really excited to be going to Portugal.

Hi J. Bradley,

It does look like it’s a local train and that you won’t be able to buy the tickets in advance (I tried some dates next week, and it wasn’t possible to buy tickets either).

Where are you headed to in Portugal (apart from Viano do Castelo and Porto)?

Hi James, we’re going to Lisbon and Evora, and some side trips to Pinhao and Aveiro. I was able to buy the tickets today to Viana, though they are two part tix. Short ride to Nine on the AP, and seats are reserved. Then change to a regional train. Seats aren’t specified, and there was no seat selection for the regional train portion of the journey. Does that mean you just take any seat that’s available on the regional? Thanks, Janice

Yes, on the regional trains that I’ve been on there was no seat selection and I was able to sit anywhere.

Good Afternoon, If we are purchasing tickets to Sintra at Oriente Station, do we have to purchase the Viva Viegem Card and if so, is it a one stop purchasing event at the ticket counter? Thanks

Hi Maryann,

Most people just buy the Viva Viagem cards from the automatic machines, which you’ll find in all the metro stations around Lisbon as well as the train stations. They cost €0.50.

You don’t buy a ticket for Sintra (or anywhere else you’re using the card), but preload it with credit. The cost of the journey is then taken off. For Sintra, I think it’s around €2.25 at the moment. You’ll also need to come back, which will cost another €2.25 (there isn’t a return ticket for this journey) so you’ll need to have at least €4.50 on the card. You can top up with €5, so you’ll pay 0.50 for the card and €5 for the credit for a total of €5.50 and there’ll be 0.50 left on the card.

Unless Sintra is one the first day of your trip to Lisbon, I would recommend buying your card (and topping it up) in advance. Reason being that the train station will be quite busy with other people going to Sintra and, if you already have your card, you’ll be able to go straight to the train.

It’s not a big deal, but it’ll save you a little time.

Hi, I was looking into urban train ticket from Aveiro to Porto that only costs 3.35Euro from the cp.pt website. However, there’s no option to buy this ticket online. Do we need to buy this ticket at the station on the day off? Isn’t it risky in case the train is full? Please advise. Thanks

Yes, this usually means that it has to be bought on the day (and not online).

You’ll be able to get a seat. That route also has very frequent trains, so worst case scenario you’ll need to get on the next train.

Hi James, I’m booking tickets for my son, wife and 2 yr old daughter from Lisbon to Porto (fast AP trains both ways) and choosing first class as a treat. When I look at the “change seats” option, it’s not clear if there are tables for the passengers to sit round together, or are they just where shown as a grey block? (Only a small number in each carriage) Very grateful for any help Tony

Just so you know: First Class isn’t that much of a treat in Portugal if you’re coming from the UK. It’s definitely better than Second Class, but it’s not the same as First Class on many train lines in the UK (and other countries).

As for the table, it is the grey block and, yes, there aren’t that many of them surprisingly.

Hello, I am traveling with a group of 13 senior citizens from Porto to Lisbon on Aug. 17. Want to do the Alfa Pendular, but not sure how to book? Also which station in Lisbon to get off? Staying in Liberdale area. We will be arriving in Porto by boat and will take taxis to correct?, station. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Roni

You’ll find the largest number of options if you choose Porto – Campanha to Lisboa – Oriente.

The metro goes to Campanha in Porto (there are also taxis of course). From Oriente, you can get a metro station to one of the stations nearest your accommodation (Avenida station maybe?).

Hope that helps.

Hello. Thanks for the info in the article. I have an additional question – we would like to travel from Porto (Campanha) to Aveiro. But it seems we cannot buy online ticket for many from the trains marked “U”. Does it mean, we have to buy them at the station? They are significantly cheaper than AP and IC trains, which have the possibility to buy a ticket online.

Yes, thanks for pointing that out. Those tickets can only be purchased from the ticket offices on the day. They aren’t available to buy online.

Thank you for the reply. Are the “U” and “R” trains ok? We would like to use them for trips Porto-Miramar (20 min), Porto-Aveiro (1 hour) and Aveiro-Coimbra (1 hour).

They’re fine. Not the most comfortable or beautiful, but they’re perfectly safe.

Hello! I have a question regarding the tickets you can’t book in advance. Is the price going to be the same as it’s up online (less than 4e for Porto-Aveiro), or that can be changed as well? Thanks in advance 🙂

The price will be the same 🙂

Hello James, we are arriving to Lisbon on Aug 23rd at 17.40 and want to take a train to Porto immediately. Should I buy a ticket in advance? I dont see any discount on the cp.pt for the trains we would need. Or is it OK just to come to the station and buy tickets there? I am also not sure, if we are able to make it to the train at 18:10, or rather 19:10.

Thanks for your advice 🙂

Hi Kristina,

It’s up to you, but you can do either.

If there aren’t any discounts available, the only reason to buy in advance would be to make sure you get a seat (especially together as you said “we” rather than “I”).

I probably would buy in advance just in case tickets sell out for some reason. It’s up to you, though.

On 20 October 2019, my wife and I (both over 60), leave a cruise at Porto. We want to go by train to Faro. 1. Which station do we leave from? 2. When will tickets be available? 3. Can we get concessions?

Hi Stanley,

All trains go through Porto Campanhã, so that would be the one to aim for (esp if you’re getting public transport to the train station). However, I think the cruise port is a little bit outside of Porto so you could get a taxi to a train station like Ermesinde and start your journey just outside of Porto.

Tickets are available around 60 days in advance, so you should be able to buy tickets for October 20th in the next few days. There are often discounts for buying in advance, so it’s worth doing this.

Concessions are available, yes (both online and in person).

Hi, I plan to go by train from Monte Gordo to Lisbon, starting with a regional train with no possibility to buy a ticket at the station. Can I buy on board a ticket to Lisbon or only to Faro? Buying a ticket in Faro for the rest of the trip is impossible beccause there are only 7 minutes to change the train

As far as I know you can buy the Monte Gordo to Lisbon ticket online from cp.pt. Surely that’s the easiest option?

If that’s not possible, you could buy the Faro to Lisbon section online and just buy the local Monte Gordo to Faro ticket on the train.

Unfortunately, I don’t know whether you can buy a ticket all the way to Lisbon on the train or whether it’s just regional tickets.

Can you get a train at the Lisbon Airport or how close to the airport?

You can get a metro at Lisbon Airport.

The nearest train station is Oriente. Otherwise, look at Entrecampos. Both of them have metro stations.

We are planning to use the train system in Portugal quite expensively in late Sept for a month, entering from the north west of Spain.

For some of the smaller stations, we are assuming that there are no machines that issue tickets, so hopefully there is a ticket office.

We are assuming that this would require having cash, rather than card?

As well, is it expected that a ticket be bought at the station, rather than on the train (assuming that you can buy a ticket from the train conductor?

Do tickets need to be validated before boarding the train? We got caught out with a fine for not doing so in Italy

I imagine the ticket offices will have card payment machines, even in the smaller stations, but I would still carry cash with me as these card machines often don’t like non-Portuguese bank cards. You will also be able to buy some tickets online, which is also worth doing.

As for ticket validation machines, you might find them on the urban trains around Portugal and Lisbon but I don’t think this is common in the rest of Portugal – particularly rural parts of Portugal. It’s also not a thing on the longer distance trains, as the tickets are checked onboard.

Every time we have taken the train we have found people in our seats and have had to ask them to move. Is this common?

Yes, it’s quite common.

I don’t think everyone that gets on the trains has a reserved seat. People who get on at smaller towns, for example, often have to buy their ticket onboard, so they just sit in the nearest empty seat. Often that’s a seat that’s empty then but reserved for another leg of the journey.

I wish they would put a sign on the seats that are reserved e.g. this seat is reserved from Lisbon to Coimbra. Would make life a lot easier for everyone.

I am currently on AP first class to Porto right now. Curious if the free drinks offer still on? My dad and I just got charged for the coffee and the staff doesn’t seem to respond to my question. Try to look up their website and can’t find info. 🙁

Thank your for all the information. My husband and I will be traveling around Portugal almost exclusively by train over the course of 10 days. I have purchased the trains through the CP site. So if I have a trip that has a short regional leg then and IC portion, I still have to pay for the regional ticket although I have the purchased tickets through the CP phone app?

Also, we are each traveling with a standard rolling suitcase and a small back pack. Is there plenty of room for these near the seats? Thanks!

There are some cases where you can buy the long distance + the regional train together online, but generally you can’t buy urban or regional train tickets online or advance. So, if you haven’t been able to buy it in advance, you’ll need to buy that section separately. If you’ve already bought it, there’s no need to buy it twice.

As for the luggage, there are racks above the seats and also usually some racks at waist-height when you enter the carriage. They are wide enough to take a small suitcase.

Can I take luggage in the trains Lisboa to Porto?

Yes, of course.

According to the trains website, a person can take one piece of luggage + a small bag like a handbag or laptop bag.

Hi there, I have traveled throughout Europe (and Australia!) via train and subway and I am a little confused for Portugal. By the way, really enjoyed your commentary above, it was mostly clear!! A gal pal and I are travelling to Lisbon then train-ing it to Lisbon on Saturday June 6th for 2 nights and wanted to know if it is important to actually book our tickets before we leave USA? As a planner and wanting things done prior to arriving, what do you suggest? I did go to the cp website but wouldn’t allow tickets to be purchased 6 months in advanced. We definitely want to have seats, not necessarily together, and would like to have eyes on our luggage.

What are your thoughts to how we do this the best way? I so appreciate your answer! (And I guess we need to figure out what station our air bnb is located in Lisbon as well as our place in Porto for accurate ticketing?)

Thank you very much!! Patty Adler

If you already know the dates of travel, I would book the tickets. It’s not so much that they run out of seats (although that does occasionally happen) but more that you want to get a seat next to your friend and you *might* get the tickets cheaper if you book in advance (see the section on discounted tickets above).

Six months is too far in advance, though. Put a note in your diary and come back to the site around 2 months beforehand.

Note: Some tickets can’t be booked in advance e.g. for Urban trains (see the article) and it’ll be pretty obvious as the website won’t have an option for buying them. You also can’t buy metro tickets in advance but this isn’t necessary.

As for the luggage, there’s normally a compartment above the seats which is the best place to put it (assuming it fits).

Please let me know if anything else wasn’t clear in the article, and I’ll try and improve it.

James, I have a Lisboa card and understand this covers my fare from the Rossio train station in Lisbon to Sintra and back. Do I need to precook a seat for this 40 minute train ride and if so where do I do that using the Lisboa card? Who do I show my Lisboa card to get on the train or once I’m on the train?

I don’t think you can prebook seats on the train to Sintra as it’s a commuter train.

The Lisboa Card works in a similar way to the metro card. It’s electronic, so you scan it to get through the gate and onto the train platform. Someone might check it on the train, and they’ll use a card reader to scan it.

I don’t quite know how it works, but presumably they can see where you scanned it and boarded the train.

thanks for all the helpful information! Do you have any advice on travelling with babies or small children? Is it possible to take (and store) a stroller or baby pram during the ride?

Thanks and best regards, Dennis

Yes, you can take a stroller or pram onboard. There is storage above the seats and also normally at the entrances to the carriages.

Children also normally get free or reduced-price tickets: https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/discounts-benefits/Discounts/children-half-price

Hi, Great site. I will be arriving in Lisbon Int’l Airport and was told to follow the signs to the metro and go to Oriente where I can then connect to the train network. My end destination is Estarreja. Can I buy a ticket that goes from Oriente to Aveiro to Estarreja? I was also told that there are 2 trains one make local stops and the other makes only 2 to Aveiro.

Any info would be great.

If you put the starting point and the destination into cp.pt it will show you the timetable. Under the column marked ‘detail’ there is a plus sign and you can expand it to see which stations the train stops at.

I imagine the local train you’re referring to is the Urbano (U) train. It looks like most of the journeys involve the U train, so I think you’ll probably end up taking it. It’s not a huge number of stops, though, and it only takes around 13 minutes. I don’t think it’ll be a problem.

Yes, you can buy a ticket to Estarreja. Depending on the route, you might need to buy the ticket on the day. Try putting in your trip to see if you can currently buy the ticket for the journey you want.

Thank you so much for the information. It has been very educational. We are planning a trip to Portugal in September and I had yet to do any research on train travel. We’ll only be considering it for transport from Porto to Lisbon so this site has been very helpful!

You’re welcome Wendy!

On the map of train service on this site and then further along in the informative texts I see Albufeira mentioned with a fare to Lisboa but not illustrated on the map of the cities serviced by train! ‘ I need to be in Lisboa on the 18th of March .I am presently staying in Agadir Morocco.Years ago I spent two weeks at the HAPIMAG in Albufeira flying to the Algarve airport in Faro I believe.I am curious about living in the future perhaps in the Alentejo so the train trip from the Algarve to the north seems an ideal introduction.Incidentally, what is one of the train stations in the Alentejo? My’homework’ now is to see how I will travel from Morocco to southern Portugal where I can travel on the Alpha-Pendular to Lisboa.I am older than 65 …nice to see how ‘social’ and fair the train fares are !

Hi Christopher,

Albufeira’s train station isn’t actually in Albufeira. It’s Albufeira-Ferreiras, which is about 5 km outside.

The trainline only covers part of the Alentejo, but there are plenty of buses as well. These long distance buses are all quite new and good quality, and very easy to get around on.

As for getting to the Algarve from Morocco, there are a few ways I think. One option would be to take the ferry over to Spain and then travel across by public transport. There are often flights to Seville, and there may also be flights to Faro.

There has been talk of connecting the Algarve with Morocco by ferry for many years, but it has yet to happen.

Hi James Thank you for such great info. I’m travelling to Portugal in September. Landing in Porto, hoping to hire a car to Lisbon, train down to Faro and then over to Spain. What is the best way to get to Seville from Faro?

You can get to Seville by bus (tickets at https://www.rede-expressos.pt/en ) or by renting a car and driving there. Bus is probably the better option, though.

There’s no train between Faro and Seville.

Hi James, can you please tell me how to change the ticket time if you have to go later. Is that what revalidation means? If so, how do you do that? Is it possible to change the ticket time on the website or can it only be done at the station? Thanks for all the good info!

According to the CP.pt website, ‘Journeys can be altered to a different day or a different train at any CP station or online, in “Your Tickets” area, if you bought your tickets from the Online Ticket Office or App CP.’ This is for AP and Intercidades trains. There’s more info for the other types of trains too

https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/how-to-travel/Useful-information/reissues

Hello, I will be in Portugal the entire month of April, 2022. When I look at the CP train time tables it notes what appears to be train changes from a urbano to an Intercidades with only 8 minutes between them. Are the trains close enough together to make these types of connections? Thank you so much!

Hard to say without knowing which train station you’re changing at.

James, I am wondering the same thing Gigi is. I’m going from Porto to Regua and it has a transfer in marco de canaveses and it’s only 4 mins. They are all 4-8 mins for the day we are going. Any thoughts on whether this is doable? I’m guessing they wouldn’t schedule all of them like that if it was an issue but I’m worried because we are taking the last train out on the way back.

I’ve never changed here so can’t say for sure, but it looks like this is a regular occurrence and I imagine one train will wait for the other to arrive if it’s late (this is the norm at small stations where changes happen).

This is really helpful. I am looking forward to touring Lisbon and Porto in May. Just wondering if you recommend https://thetrainline.com to purchase the round trip train tickets from Lisboa to Porto in advance since the ticket prices on this website are substantially cheaper than cp.pt. The ticket prices are doubled in cp.pt. Any thoughts?

Thanks so much for your help.

If you book a train from Lisbon (Santa Apolonia) to Porto and the train stops at Oriente, can you get on the train at Oriente instead of Santa Apolonia?

I’m not sure what the official rules are with regards to this, but you won’t go through ticket gates so you can get on the train at any stop. I don’t think tickets are normally checked until you leave Lisbon.

Hello trying to train book tickets from UK and the register site won’t accept my postcode, comes up with invalid box, any ideas to solve this? Thanks

Not sure Fay. Do you have the United Kingdom selected as the country?

I am trying to register for the Portugal Trains website (cp.pt) but it won’t accept my UK postcode. Any advice?

For some reason the new registration system won’t accept any letters. This means it’s fine if your postcode is 90210 but not CM23 3WE.

You could try registering with 00000 in the postal code area. When you go to buy a ticket, the payment section doesn’t take your postal code from your account so you’ll be able to enter your postcode. Failing that, there is the option to purchase through PayPal.

The only downside I can see to this is that if you need an invoice it may not say your postcode. Most people don’t need this though.

Do I need to change trains in Entroncamento going from Tomar to Lisbon Orient station?

Depends on the particular ticket you have. Most are direct but it looks like others (one that combines R and IC trains) involves a change at Entroncamento. Use the cp.pt website to see what your particular journey involves.

I am planning to buy Portugal Rail Pass (7 day Validity)

However, I just had a question as to if the train is AP or IC, will I have to pay any reservation fee if I already have purchased the portugal rail pass? If there is a reservation fee, please let me know the cost and whether it is a one time fee for all the trains or do I have to pay each time I take the train.

I would highly appreciate if you would please let me know.

The trains website doesn’t mention a reservation fee, but it does say that you need to go to the ticket office each time in order to get your ticket.

“Before each journey, you have to ask get your ticket from a ticket office or, exceptionally, from the ticket inspector on the train by presenting your card.”

Hello, I was wondering if we can get off and back on the next train with the same ticket? For exemple, if I buy a ticket from Porto to Pinhao, it is possible to get off the final destination (Pinhao), visit Regua and get back on the next train with the same ticket.

Hi Nathalie,

Like a hop on, hop off? I’m not sure, but I don’t think so. I think you would have paid for your seat at that particular time. But you could book a train from Porto to Pinhao and then another one from Pinhão to wherever on the next train.

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Discover the joy of slower travel

Forget busy airports, traffic jams and lack of legroom: rail travel is your ticket to slow down and enjoy the ride. Traveling by train isn't merely a means of getting from A to B – you'll share carriages with the locals and soak up the scenery before stepping off the platform into the heart of the action. Whether you want to embark on an iconic rail journey like the Reunification Express in Vietnam or zip through Japan on a super-speedy Shinkansen, climb aboard for a slower-paced, lower-carbon adventure.

Whether you’re a die-hard rail nerd or a novice train traveler, get on board because trains are the future of travel. Trains generally produce less carbon emissions than airplanes and fuel-powered cars, and by joining a rail trip, not only will you be taking a more scenic route, you'll be skipping those tedious airport commutes and security queues.

Most trains we take are a mode of transport for local people. Whether it’s an overnight train from Delhi to Varanasi or a misty morning ride through the Scottish Highlands, rail travel doubles as an immersive cultural experience. With a local leader to help bridge language barriers, there'll be plenty of opportunities to interact with your fellow passengers.

You might be able to fly between cities or countries, but are you really seeing them when you’re thousands of feet in the air? In a world that feels like it’s always going at full steam, rail travel invites you to settle in, turn to the window and appreciate the destination you’re in rather than rushing through it.

Up there with onsens, sushi and sumo wrestling, the shinkansen (bullet train) is a must-do activity in Japan. The shinkansen was the world's first high-speed rail and is renowned for its comfort and punctuality – the average delay time is less than one minute per year. Despite reaching up to 200 miles per hour, riding the shinkansen is a totally Zen experience with orderly carriages and polite passenger etiquette. Japanese railway meals, or ‘ekiben’, also put soggy train sandwiches to shame.

Spanning over 1000 miles between Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Reunification Express is an iconic railway line that symbolises the reunification of North and South Vietnam after the war. Weaving through sleepy fishing villages, rice paddies, mountains and cities, this hop-on-hop-off journey showcases the diverse beauty of Vietnam and is a great way to glimpse into daily life.

Are you ready to board the world’s highest railway? Hitting an altitude of 17,000 feet in the pristine peaks of the Tibetan Plateau, the Lhasa Express is about as scenic as rail journeys get. With never-ending views of snow-capped mountains, glistening lakes and vast highlands speckled with yaks, you won’t be able to peel your eyes away from the window. 

With over 160,000 miles of railway tracks, Europe has no shortage of train travel adventures. Whether you fancy rumbling along the world’s oldest railway system in Britain, savoring the lush Swiss countryside on the Gotthard Panorama Express, or uncovering the history and mystique of the iconic train route between Paris to Istanbul , there’s so much to see on an overland odyssey across the continent.

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Is rail travel comfortable?

For the most part, long-distance and inter-regional trains are very comfortable. They often provide more legroom than on planes, air-conditioning, snack bars or vending machines, power outlets and occasionally even wi-fi. 

Regional and metropolitan trains that cover shorter distances are a bit more basic, and because they're often filled with locals travelling for work or a weekend away, your group may need to stand for a short time. But what they lack in luxury, they make up for with convenience and great views. 

Are there toilets on board?

Yes, all trains will have toilets on board, though they may not be the Western-style toilets you’re used to. You should always bring your own toilet paper and hand sanitizer.

Are there power outlets on board?

Power outlets will be available on many trains, but it’s a good idea to invest in a portable charger before your trip in case the outlets are out of use or hard to reach. Wi-fi will be available on some, but not all, trains.

Is train travel safe?

As with any style of travel, it's important to exercise standard safety precautions while traveling via train. Your leader will brief you on detailed safety measures before your train journey, but keeping your valuables close by, especially your passport and travel documents, is always a good idea. Don't leave daypacks or personal items unattended. Traveling with a money belt will reduce the chance of petty theft or pickpocketing, and keeping a lock on your suitcase will ensure peace of mind on your journey.

How fast do the trains go?

Train speeds vary depending on the destination you're visiting. Bullet trains in Japan and China can reach a staggering 220 miles per hour, making them fast and efficient. Trains in Europe tend to be a bit slower, travelling around 125 miles per hour in Switzerland and Italy, but slower is OK when you've got epic views out your window. Vietnam’s Reunification Express averages around 30 miles per hour. 

At times, we do use local/regional trains as transport, which tend to move at a more leisurely pace and make lots of stops.  

How fit must I be to participate in an Intrepid rail trip?

Rail trips can be enjoyed by just about anyone with a reasonable level of fitness, and good general mobility will play a big part in making your trip more enjoyable. 

You are expected to be able to carry your own bags for up to 30 minutes and lift them onto the train. Transport hubs may be crowded, and elevators aren't always available, so you'll need to be comfortable handling your belongings on stairs as you navigate from platform to platform. 

Sometimes you'll need to move quickly with your bags, especially if trying to make a tight connection... you do have a train to catch, after all! More info about pacing and physical rating can be found in the Essential Trip Information section of your itinerary. 

How much luggage can I bring?

On Intrepid's rail trips, you will be responsible for carrying your own bags, so it's a good idea to opt for luggage you can easily lift and move around. Many travelers prefer to carry a backpack, as public transport can often be cramped and may not have luggage racks for large suitcases. Luggage is stored in overhead racks on many trains, so the smaller the bag, the easier it will be to lift above your seat.

Be prepared to pack light, as storage space on trains is often limited, and you'll want to avoid blocking aisles or taking up extra seats. In Japan, luggage may be subject to strict size and weight restrictions on the Shinkansen, and oversized bags may incur an additional fee. You can find specifics under the "Packing" section of your Essential Trip Information. 

What are overnight trains like?

Although the idea of taking an overnight train can be overwhelming, it's an exciting way to immerse yourself in local culture... and it often ends up as a highlight for many travelers. 

Overnight trains are clean, comfortable and safe, and depending on the region you're traveling in, compartments typically hold anywhere from four to six passengers in bunks. Clean sheets and a pillow are provided, but you can bring your own if it makes you more comfortable. There are basic washroom facilities with toilets and sinks in each carriage, but it's good practice to bring your own supply of toilet paper, just in case.

Refer to your Essential Trip Information for more detailed descriptions of overnight trains.

What should I pack for an overnight train?

For the most part, overnight trains are comfortable, and you'll be able to survive with the basics. If you're looking to make the journey a bit more pleasant, consider packing:

Extra toilet paper and hand sanitizer 

A lightweight sleep sheet and pillowcase 

A portable device charger 

An eye mask 

Snacks and drinks 

Meals may be provided, but it’s a good idea to supplement, especially if you have dietary restrictions. 

A luggage lock or lockable bag 

Will I have my own cabin or compartment on an overnight train?

While we do our best to keep groups together on overnight trains, there may be circumstances where travelers are split between compartments and carriages. In some cases, you may share with other travelers in addition to group members, which is a great way to meet locals and experience the local culture firsthand. Your leader will always be close by to help you settle in and answer any questions once you're on board.

If you've booked a single supplement, overnight trains are an exception and you will be sharing a compartment with other members of your group.

Are the trains on time?

The punctuality of trains often depends on the local cultural perception of time. While it's very likely that the Shinkansen in Japan will depart and arrive exactly on time, trains in Italy may take a more flexible approach when it comes to timekeeping. The best way to handle this is to simply go with the flow and enjoy the journey. Delays are often minimal, but in the case of a longer delay, there's not much a deck of cards and a few local snacks can't fix. 

Can I take a rail trip with children?

Train travel can be fun and relaxing, and large windows are perfect for spotting popular landmarks. A dining car, snack trolley, or vending machine can provide good respite for hungry kids and adults alike, plus, onboard bathrooms mean fewer emergency toilet situations (we've all been there). Check out our range of Family trips to see which destination suits your family adventure best.

Do I need to purchase travel insurance before traveling?

Absolutely. All passengers traveling with Intrepid are required to purchase travel insurance before the start of their trip. Your travel insurance details will be recorded by your leader on the first day of the trip. Due to the varying nature, availability and cost of health care around the world, travel insurance is very much an essential and necessary part of every journey.

For more information on insurance, please go to: Travel Insurance

Are Intrepid's rail trips accessible for travellers with disabilities?

We're committed to making travel widely accessible , regardless of ability or disability. We ask that you carefully consider whether you are physically and mentally able to complete the itinerary you have chosen, recognising that on many trips, you will be required to carry your own bags on public transport. 

Where we can, we will make reasonable adjustments to the operation of our trips to facilitate the requirements of disabled travellers. Many travelers with disabilities have been able to enjoy our trips by traveling with a friend or companion who can assist with specific needs.

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Everything you need to know about a night (or two) on an overnight train

Everything you need to know about overnight trains in India

What to expect when you’re travelling by train in China (and why you should definitely do it!)

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Portugal to Singapore by train

• 1 Understand
• 4.1 Day 1: Lagos to Lisbon
• 4.2 Day 2: Lisbon to Madrid
• 4.3 Day 3: Madrid to Barcelona
• 4.4 Day 4, 5, 6: Barcelona to Paris and then Moscow
• 4.5 Day 7-13: Trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Beijing
• 4.6 Day 14: Beijing to Kunming
• 4.7 Day 15: Kunming to Vientiane
• 4.8 Day 16: Vientiane to Bangkok
• 4.9 Day 17-18: Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur
• 4.10 Day 19: Kuala Lumpur to Singapore
• 5 Stay safe

Portugal to Singapore by train is an intercontinental itinerary that runs from Lagos in Portugal to Singapore , crossing 13 countries by train.

Understand [ edit ]

Thanks to the completion in 2021 of a section of railway in Laos , it is now possible to go from the Algarve , an area in the south of Portugal, to Singapore almost entirely by rail: covering around 18,755 km, this is the longest train trip possible in the world. The railway section that was missing in Laos was built by the Chinese government, which was not as interested in long journeys to the Algarve as they were in moving faster in the opposite direction, from Beijing to Bangkok and Singapore. Before, one had to get off the train at some point, take a bus for a long journey, and get back on another train. The tracks inaugurated in December 2021 now finally connect Boten, which abuts the Chinese border, with Vientiane , the capital of Laos, from which one then reaches Thailand and Malaysia easily.

One tiny gap in the network remains, since the trains from China and Thailand to Laos use different rail gauges and terminate at separate stations in Vientiane, some 15 km apart. The gap will close once the Bangkok–Nong Khai–Vientiane high-speed line is operational, possibly as soon as 2028 (don't hold your breath).

Prepare [ edit ]

The complete itinerary crosses 13 countries. This means that visa requirements should be thoroughly checked well before starting the journey. A unique Schengen visa is needed for the first five countries. The Russian , Chinese and Belarussian visas are the most complicated to obtain for most nationalities, so check each country article and its links for up-to-date info. The other countries' visas should be relatively painless to get, if not unnecessary, for most travellers.

Get in [ edit ]

There are regional trains to Lagos in southwest Garve from Tunes, a few stops before Faro on the Coimbra – Lisbon – Faro line. You can get to Lisbon by sleeper trains from Hendaye in south-western France (with TGV trains from Paris ) or daytime with two transfers from Madrid . All the mentioned cities have flights. The easiest way is to fly into either Faro or Lisbon.

Go [ edit ]

The days below are obviously to be intended as a suggestion of days of travel; it would be unfeasible - and somewhat pointless - not to stop during such a long journey. Also, because of timetables and disruptions, it might be impossible to complete the journey in less than 20 or 21 days of travel.

Day 1: Lagos to Lisbon [ edit ]

If you are going all the way, then you will start from 37.129665 -8.669586 1 Lagos . From here go to Tunes and then change for the Alfa Pendular – a high-speed train, which runs at least twice a day to and from 38.736946 -9.142685 2 Lisbon , taking about 3 hours. The Inter City trains run more frequently but take a little longer, with more stops — 3½–4 hours. Even leaving very early, it is not possible to reach Madrid from the Algarve in one day. A stop in Lisbon is thus required.

Day 2: Lisbon to Madrid [ edit ]

To reach 40.416775 -3.70379 3 Madrid from Lisbon, travel from Lisbon to Entroncamento by Portuguese InterCity train, leaving Lisbon Santa Apolonia 08:15, arriving in Entroncamento 09:23 (€6-13 for 2nd class). Then travel from Entroncamento to Badajoz in Spain by Portuguese regional train leaving Entroncamento at 10:12 & arriving in Badajoz at 14:16 (€12.30). Ultimately, reach Madrid by Spanish Intercity train (daily, except Saturdays), leaving Badajoz at 17:36 & arriving at Madrid Atocha at 22:04 (€34.10). Spend the night in the Spanish capital.

Day 3: Madrid to Barcelona [ edit ]

Get from Madrid Atocha to 41.390205 2.154007 4 Barcelona by AVE high-speed train using any departure you like. They run every hour or two, with a journey time of around 2h40. Except for the period from 2nd July to 1st October 2022 (possibly 2023 as well), it won't be possible to reach Paris on the same day as there are no afternoon TGV departures.

Day 4, 5, 6: Barcelona to Paris and then Moscow [ edit ]

Get from Barcelona to 48.864716 2.349014 5 Paris by TGV, leaving Barcelona Sants 09:10 and arriving at Paris Gare de Lyon 15:46. To then get to Moscow there are more ways, depending on budget, timetables and political situation (as of September 2022 none of the options is available). The classic route would be the Paris-Moscow Express, which departs every Thursday (so plan accordingly) from Gare de l'Est at 18:58, and reaching 55.751244 37.618423 6 Moscow at 11:44 (or earlier, depending on Daylight Saving Time) on Saturday, with no need to get off the train. During its 3,483 km (or 2,164 miles) ride, the train stops in Berlin Hbf , Warszawa Wschodnia , Brest and Minsk , prices start at around €313. A cheaper alternative to reach 52.237049 21.017532 7 Warsaw and then Moscow might be to take a more frequent train to 52.520008 13.404954 8 Berlin via Mannheim and then change for Poland (starting at €67). From Warszawa Centralna an overnight service leaves at 19:15 every day and arrives at Moscow Belorussky at 16:58 the day after. This means an additional night somewhere, since Paris – Warsaw is only feasible if one leaves very early in the morning. The European railway network allows for several itinerary chances. Check also visa requirements, especially for what concerns Russia and Belarus . More info about timetables and prices on www.rzd.ru [dead link] and www.deutschebahn.de .

Day 7-13: Trans-Mongolian from Moscow to Beijing [ edit ]

Depending on the day of arrival in Moscow, spend some days in the beautiful Russian capital, and then hop on the Trans-Mongolian weekly train on Tuesday. It travels, as suggested by its name, through Mongolia , which means more bureaucratic hassle but also a unique journey. It leaves at 23:55 from Moscow Yaroslavsky , to reach 39.916668 116.383331 9 Beijing on Monday at 14:35, after 6 nights and 7622 km. It may be worth it to stop during the way to visit places otherwise incredibly remote, such as 56.015283 92.893248 10 Krasnoyarsk , 52.286974 104.305018 11 Irkutsk and Lake Baikal or 47.92123 106.918556 12 Ulaanbaatar .

Day 14: Beijing to Kunming [ edit ]

From Beijing reach 25.043333 102.706108 13 Kunming South Station (昆明南站 Kunmingnanzhan) in half a day with a high-speed connection in the morning (10 hours, ¥1250 or 13 hours, ¥1147), unless you prefer a cheaper and much slower alternative (35 hours, ¥317). Spend the night.

Day 15: Kunming to Vientiane [ edit ]

In December 2021, a high-speed standard gauge railway was completed, which runs from Kunming to 17.974855 102.630867 14 Vientiane . Cross-border passenger trains began operating on the line in April 2023. The train departs from Kunming South Station at 08:08 and arrives in Vientiane 10.5 hours later at 18:38. The fare is RMB ¥542 for a second-class ticket or RMB ¥864 for a first-class ticket.

Day 16: Vientiane to Bangkok [ edit ]

To get into Thailand from Vientiane , one must reach the Thanaleng terminus, 20 km east of the city and 4 km north of the border. There is a daytime train at 7:00 (10 hours, around 600 baht with connection from central Vientiane included) but the best option is probably to take the shuttle train from Thanaleng to Nong Khai and then the sleeper train to reach 13.736717 100.614021 15 Bangkok Hualamphong the following day at 6:00 sharp. A new high speed line allowing a direct connection is under construction, but will not open before 2028 at the earliest.

Day 17-18: Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur [ edit ]

Going further south, to reach 3.140853 101.693207 16 Kuala Lumpur it will be necessary to ride on two trains. The first journey will be from Bangkok (departure 15:10) to Padang Besar (arrival 9:50), right on the border with Malaysia , RM112. From there, after the border formalities, it is possible to hop on the first available ETS train towards KL (6 hours, starting at RM80).

Day 19: Kuala Lumpur to Singapore [ edit ]

The last section of the journey is not quite hassle-free as the previous ones. To reach the final destination 1.29027 103.851784 17 Singapore , one has to take an ETS train from Kuala Lumpur Sentral at 12:14 to reach Gemas at 14:52 and there switch for a shuttle train at 15:20 heading to Johor Bahru Sentral , arriving at 19:45; total RM52. To cross from Johor Bahru into Singapore , and at this point, it would be a pity not to do so through a railway, take the shuttle from JB to Woodlands Train Checkpoint , it runs more or less hourly, journey duration is just 5 minutes across the causeway over the Johor Strait. After the customs formalities, catch a bus or taxi to Marsiling MRT station, where you can see a downtown train Singapore , and enjoy a well-deserved Sling at the Raffles (or a hearty meal in a hawker centre, if it suits you more) or go to the furthest station you can go to make it even longer, Changi Airport . To go to Changi Airport Station, take the North-South Line to City Hall , (where you can do the above as it is at downtown Singapore), then transfer to the East-West Line to Tanah Merah before hopping to the namesake branch to Changi Airport.

Stay safe [ edit ]

Go next [ edit ].

If you're still not tired of travelling, since you're there, you might want to check out the rest of Southeast Asia , which is relatively easy to do from Singapore . Indonesia has an extensive ferry network if you want to head further east without flying. On the other hand, if you completed the itinerary going the other way, you could visit the beautiful Azores , easy to reach from the mainland Portugal or take a low-cost flight to anywhere in Europe. Alternatively travel to Tarifa , Algeciras or Gibraltar , from where Africa is just a short ferry trip away.

See also [ edit ]

Similarly long train itineraries:

• Moscow– Pyongyang is a bimonthly carriage attached to the Trans-Siberian mainline express. This is the longest passenger service in the world without changing trains.
• Moscow to Urumqi — from Eastern Europe into the heart of Asia.
• Orient Express — across Europe from Paris to Istanbul , roughly following the route taken by the Orient Express (1883–1977) with a certain literary and cinematic fame. In good times, when the borders are open and the trains aren't cancelled, you can extend this journey to Bangladesh but with a caveat: the rugged territory around Lake Van in eastern Turkey lacks a rail link, so you will have to take the irregular ferries bringing freight trains across if you want to stick to the railway theme, but otherwise frequent minibuses are the most common option.
• Across Canada by train — North America from the Atlantic to the Pacific.
• Across Australia by train — some of the longest train journeys in the Southern Hemisphere.
• Across the United States by train — Coast-to-coast across the contiguous United States
• Qinghai–Tibet railway — a major feat of modern engineering, allowing for through trains across China from Beijing to Lhasa .

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This Stunning Region in Portugal Is a Wine Lover's Dream — With Historic Train Rides, Scenic Boat Tours, and Luxury Hotels

Posted: May 31, 2024 | Last updated: May 31, 2024

Wine, forests, and boat tours. What else do you need?

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36 Hours in Porto, Portugal

By Seth Sherwood May 30, 2024

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By Seth Sherwood Photographs by Matilde Viegas

Seth Sherwood, based in Paris, is a longtime contributor to the Travel section who has been writing about Portugal since 2006.

First Lisbon; now Porto. The whole world seems to have fallen in love lately with the nearby beaches, old churches, seafood-heavy cuisine and historical UNESCO-listed streets of Portugal’s second-largest city, where the number of tourists has doubled in a decade. (The circus-like atmosphere along the Douro riverfront and outside Livraria Lello , a neo-Gothic 19th-century bookstore, are only the most obvious signs.) And the home of port wine is keeping pace with a slew of new offerings. Recent years have seen the opening, upgrading or expansion of museums , art centers , food markets , food halls and hotels aplenty — along with the inauguration of World of Wine, a dining and entertainment district .

Recommendations

• Cozinha das Flores , a classy nouveau Portuguese restaurant led by one of the country’s most successful international chefs, features design elements from a Pritzker Prize-winning architect, the Porto-area native Álvaro Siza Vieira.
• The Serralves Museum , a collection of contemporary art on the park-like grounds of the Serralves Foundation — a decades-old private institution that works closely with the Portuguese government — has a new wing by Mr. Siza.
• Mercado do Bolhão , a 19th-century food market, reopened two years ago after a total renovation.
• The World of Wine district, like a theme park for epicureans, features several food- and drink-themed museums, a wine school, and numerous restaurants and bars.
• Jardins do Palácio de Cristal , a 19th-century park, features fountains, ponds, peacocks, an art museum and views of the Douro River.
• The exterior of Capela das Almas church is covered with blue-and-white azulejos (painted and glazed ceramic tiles, brought to Portugal and Spain during the Middle Ages from Moorish North Africa) depicting biblical scenes.
• A Pérola do Bolhão is a fine-food boutique that sports an authentic Art Nouveau exterior.
• Café Majestic , opened in the 1920s, houses a soaring Art Nouveau dining room and serves everything from pastries to pastas to steaks.
• Igreja de Santo Ildefonso , an 18th-century church, features a facade covered with azulejo tiles.
• Batalha Centro de Cinema , an Art Deco movie theater, was renovated and reopened in 2022 with a bookshop and bar.
• Igreja de São Francisco is a church that dazzles with its gilded Baroque woodwork.
• Labels of Tomorrow is a two-level emporium with contemporary unisex fashion by Portuguese and international designers.
• Coração Alecrim specializes in vintage clothing for women and has its own retro-inspired line.
• Musubu Porto , a Japanese vegetarian cafe, operates from a niche in the back of Coração Alecrim.
• Apego jazzes up Portuguese cuisine with French ingredients and techniques.
• Fiasco serves creative cocktails and sells a wide range of vinyl albums.
• Terraplana Café channels an old-time urban saloon and has a backyard where you can enjoy the bar’s craft beers and signature cocktails.
• Capela Incomum is a wine bar inside a former 19th-century chapel.
• Genuíno is a lively bar that draws oenophiles for its natural wines from local vineyards.
• Design savvy and art-filled, the Rebello opened last year in Vila Nova de Gaia and offers knockout views of Porto, across the Douro River, from many of its 103 apartment-style rooms. A roof bar, pool, spa, restaurant and cafe are also in the converted 19th-century stone building, which is near the Ferreira port-wine house. Rooms from around 450 euros, or about $488, in June.
• The six minimalist white rooms of the Babel guesthouse, tastefully furnished with vintage and modern furniture, offer an excellent city-center base. Its lively downstairs restaurant serves local Portuguese ingredients with splashes of flavor from North Africa, the Middle East and beyond. Rooms in June start around €138.
• Roughly a mile east of the city center, a drab residential street hides Outsite Porto-Mouco , a modernist white building with 12 apartments, a coworking cafe, a library, a pool and grassy grounds. Apartments from around €123 in June.
• For short-term rentals among the central districts, Ribeira is rich in historical buildings and lies closest to the picturesque riverside, while Clérigos abounds with dining and nightlife.
• An efficient bus system and ever-expanding modern metro network cover much of Porto and surrounding areas, from the airport to the city center to the nearby coastal towns. An Andante card, available in metro stations, allows travel by bus or train in central Porto for €1.40 per ride. (Zones farther from the center have higher fares .) A three-day card for the entire bus and train network costs €16. Taxis are abundant and fairly cheap, as are trips with the ride-hailing app Uber.

Jardins do Palácio de Cristal

Gazing at the bridges and passing ships on the Douro River is a favorite Porto pastime. For sublime views far from the dense crush of the waterfront walkways, the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal , a manicured 19th-century park, is a relaxed, bucolic alternative and a favorite with locals. In addition to tree-shaded lookout points, the park includes ponds, fountains, lawns, flower beds and rotating art exhibitions in the free, multilevel Galeria Municipal do Porto . As you stroll, keep your ears open for the calls of the park's resident ducks and peacocks.

Cozinha das Flores

After decades abroad, cooking alongside international legends (Wolfgang Puck, Ferran Adrià) and helming kitchens of beloved London restaurants (Viajante, Chiltern Firehouse), the chef Nuno Mendes has planted his flag once again in his native land, overseeing the precise neo-Portuguese cuisine at Cozinha das Flores , a year-old restaurant along the pedestrianized Rua das Flores. Try tasty tiny snacks (crunchy sourdough crackers with razor clams), elegant comfort food (Azores squid sliced into pasta-like strands with a zesty stew of chickpeas and cod tripe) and unusual desserts (ice cream, made from and resembling egg yolk, on ribbons of sugary, fried egg-yolk, sprinkled with ham shavings). Note the abstract drawings on the pink-and-green mosaic wall: the Pritzker Prize-winning architect (and Porto-region native) Álvaro Siza Vieira contributed both. Dinner for two costs about 120 euros, or about $130, without drinks.

If you’re keen to avoid thronged streets and blasting music — hallmarks of the Mardi Gras-like Clérigos nightlife district — head east to Bomfim, a laid-back bohemian neighborhood of art galleries and indie boutiques. Sporting red walls and red banquettes, Fiasco is both Porto’s sultriest new cocktail bar and a mecca for vinyl record collectors, thanks to numerous racks of rock, rap, indie, electro, world-beat and other albums for sale. A Lusco Fusco Groove cocktail (Ysabel Regina brandy, Campari, fortified Portuguese wine and coffee) runs you 9 euros. Down the street, Terraplana Café channels an old-time urban saloon (tin ceiling, checkerboard floor) while dispensing original cocktails. The back garden is perfect for a Tropicalia cocktail: ruby port, sparkling rosé and guava-hibiscus syrup, brightened with salt (€11).

The Super Bock Arena, also known as Pavilhão Rosa Mota, seen from the Jardins do Palácio de Cristal.

Álvaro Siza Wing

Now 90 years old, Mr. Siza, the architect whose touches you spotted at Cozinha das Flores, has been keeping busy. This year, the Serralves Museum — a world-class contemporary art museum that he designed in the 1990s — added a splashy new wing that he also designed. Known as the Álvaro Siza Wing , the jagged white addition displays plans and models from the architect’s long international career, as well as works from the permanent collection, including strange fairy tale-like paintings from Paula Rego and abstract lithographs by Gerhard Richter. An apocalyptic installation by the Thai artist Korakrit Arunanondchai and a haunted playerless piano from the French artist Philippe Parreno are particularly potent. Admission to all buildings and grounds is €24.

Mercado Bolhão

Bearded and bespectacled, Joaquim Lucas resembles a scholar as he carefully slices presunto (€65 a kilo) from aged hocks of Alentejo ham. His stand, Charcutaria Princesa , is one of dozens inside Mercado Bolhão , a recently upgraded 19th-century covered food market in the city center that reopened in 2022. The smorgasbord also includes spice dealers, fruit sellers, cheese specialists, wine stands and more. Raw surf-and-turf comes courtesy of Casa das Ostras — which cracks open sea urchin (€5 each) and shucks Algarve oysters (three for €7) — and Talho do Toninho , a butcher stall serving toast slices topped with beef or deer tartare (€1.50). For dessert, Doçaria Portuguesa does a chocolate-rimmed pastel de nata (€2), the classic Portuguese egg tart. For a sit-down meal, several restaurants occupy the upper level. And a short walk south is a new food hall from Time Out, opened in May.

Strolling nearby Rua Santa Catarina, a car-free shopping boulevard, provides both a digestive walk and an architectural exhibition. Start at Capela das Almas , an 18th-century church covered with blue-and-white azulejos (added in 1929) depicting divine episodes filled with saints, apostles, magi and cherubs. Heading south, you can admire the Art Nouveau façade of A Perola do Bolhão , a fine-food shop dating to 1917, and the grand Belle Epoque interior of Café Majestic , which opened in 1921. Finally, stop in Praça da Batalha, home of the azulejo-covered Igreja de Santo Ildefonso , an 18th-century church, and the Batalha Centro de Cinema , a 1940s Art Deco movie theater that was restored and reopened in 2022. In addition to an eclectic roster of films, the center offers a library, bookshop and bar.

Coração Alecrim

Your Saturday night wardrobe awaits inside Labels of Tomorrow , a two-level international fashion emporium a few blocks north of Livraria Lello in the Cedofeita neighborhood. Portuguese labels take center stage, from button-up blue maritime jackets for men from Sanjo (€149.90) to gauzy takes on 1950s ladies’ bowling shirts (€130) by Mustique. After your fitting-room adventures, a terrace cafe-restaurant and a backyard bar provide refreshment for shopping fatigue — or fuel for another spree. If you prefer threads with history, the nearby Coração Alecrim shop sells vintage clothing — fur coats (€70), sheer paisley dresses (€40) — and its own line of retro-inspired jackets, shirts and more. A Japanese vegetarian cafe, Musubu Porto , is tucked in back.

If France is too far away, you can enjoy Gallic flavors at Apego , a homey little restaurant in a quiet street north of Trinidade train station. Global music echoes off the high stone walls and yellow banquettes as the Franco-Portuguese chef Aurora Goy reinvents local cuisine with dishes like a savory tarte tatin (which replaces apples with eggs and mushrooms) and a bed of pomme paillasson — a crispy-fried cake of shredded potato — topped with mackerel and leeks in white-wine sauce. Desserts include a French-style sablé biscuit with pear and custard-like sabayon incorporating Madeira wine. A three-course dinner for two, without wine, costs around €90.

Gallery district by day, the zone around Rua Miguel Bombarda morphs into a destination for wine lovers as night falls. Occupying an elegantly repurposed 19th-century chapel, Capela Incomum allows acolytes of the grape to sip vintages likes Lapa dos Gaivões (€4.50 a glass) — a smooth red blend from the Alentejo region — in its burgundy-painted lounge or tree-shaded front yard. A block away, Genuíno is a lively Brazilian-owned restaurant and natural-wine bar outfitted with a disco ball, playful wine-themed posters, and vintage tables and chairs. Most wines come from small regional producers, including an agreeably dry, concrete-aged orange wine from Folias de Baco (€5.50 a glass).

A view over the museums in the World of Wine (WOW) district, with the Dom Luís I Bridge in the distance.

Igreja de São Francisco

By now you have noticed: Old churches beckon from nearly every corner. If you venture inside only one, Igreja de São Francisco pays off in gold — literally. Erected in the medieval period, the church’s soaring stony interior was enriched in the 1700s with talha dourada — elaborately carved and gilded wood. The effect is a dazzling symphony of radiant decorative themes — spiral-twist columns, swirls, floral patterns, coats of arms, cherubs and disembodied faces that burst from every surface. Downstairs, in the crypt, a transparent floor panel reveals a sea of white bones lurking below ground. Admission €10.

The Chocolate Story museum in the WOW district.

Did you know that the Chinese village of Jiahu might have produced the world’s first wine, several millennia before Christ? That Muscat from Alexandria was Cleopatra's favorite wine? That the signing of the Declaration of Independence was celebrated with a toast of Madeira? Educational nuggets fill the Bridge Collection (entry €25), a museum with a staggering array of historical wine information and antique drinking vessels in the World of Wine (WOW) entertainment district. Opened in 2020, WOW encompasses several museums — including ones devoted to chocolate, cork and rosé wine — as well as boutiques, a wine school, and numerous restaurants and bars. Root & Vine serves up a classic international brunch — eggs on toast, salmon bagels, waffles — and panoramic views of the city for a final snapshot. Museum admission €25 each.

Have a weekend to explore a destination? We’ve got the perfect travel itinerary.

Colorado Springs: ​​Colorado’s second-largest city, which brims with outdoor activities , is enticing visitors with a new museum and revamped hotels.

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Cape Town: Take a food and storytelling tour, cruise one of the world’s most beautiful coastal drives and see contemporary African art in this city with stunning views in every direction .

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Ukraine-Russia war latest: Moscow warns US of 'fatal consequences'; Russia suffers more than 1,000 casualties in 24 hours, Ukraine claims

Ukraine's grid operator has imposed daily energy restrictions across the country after critical infrastructure was damaged in Russian attacks. Meanwhile, one person has been killed and others injured in a strike on a recreation centre in the Kharkiv region.

Monday 3 June 2024 12:13, UK

• The big picture: What you need to know about the war right now
• Russia warns US against 'mistakes that may have fatal consequences'
• Moscow's forces 'suffers 1,270 casualties in 24 hours', Ukraine claims
• China hits back at Zelenskyy over summit disruption allegations
• Energy restrictions imposed across Ukraine after wave of Russian attacks
• Deborah Haynes: UK defence chief doubts Russia wants war with NATO
• Live reporting by Guy Birchall

The Institute For The Study Of War (ISW) has said allowing Ukraine to use Western air defence systems against targets in Russia is crucial to if Kyiv is going to repel Russian glide bomb and missile strikes against Kharkiv. 

Following President Biden's partial lifting of restrictions on how Ukraine can use military supplies sent by the US, Kyiv can now use American weapons to strike inside Russia.

Eleven other Western countries have also recently partially or completely lifted restrictions on Ukraine's use of Western-provided weapons to strike military targets in Russian territory.

"These policy changes will allow Ukrainian forces to use Western-provided systems to strike Russian firing and staging areas in Russia's border areas and airspace," according to the ISW.

"Ukrainian officials reported that Ukrainian forces downed a number of Russian military aircraft in February 2024, many of which were conducting glide bomb strikes in the Avdiivka direction.

"Ukrainian forces' ability to down Russian military aircraft in a frontline area indicates that Ukrainian forces will likely be able to replicate the same effects with both Ukrainian and Western-provided systems to protect northern Kharkiv Oblast and Kharkiv City from Russian glide bomb strikes launched from Russian airspace. "

President Zelenskyy has previously said that Russian forces would not be able to seize Kharkiv City if Ukrainian forces received two Patriot air defence systems to deploy to the region.

According to the ISW, deployment of these defence systems would have limited effectiveness, were they not able to strike targets in Russian airspace. 

Around 1.5 million men have registered for conscription in Ukraine, the defence ministry has said.

After the new law on mobilisation came into force on 18 May, military-aged men were given 60 days to update their personal data so that the state could locate them.

According to a video posted on the ministry's YouTube channel, the majority of the updates were done on the new Reserve+ online app.

In addition to using the app, Ukrainians can update their data in person at public service centres or enlistment offices.

The ministry added that 14,000 men living abroad across 124 countries had updated their credentials. 

Ahead of the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Britain's defence chief Admiral Sir Tony Radakin spoke about the comparisons made between the Second World War and the conflict in Ukraine.

He told Sky News he is confident we are not heading towards another world war and has every faith Ukraine would prevail in its fight.

Admiral Radakin added that by the end of June, 500,000 Russians would have died or been injured in the conflict.

Kazan's airport has imposed temporary flight restrictions for safety reasons today, Russia's aviation watchdog has said.

This is usually done in expectation of Ukrainian drone attacks.

Kazan is the capital of the Russian Republic of Tatarstan and is located about 500 miles east of Moscow.

The region has been repeatedly attacked by drones in recent  months, an indication that Ukraine has dramatically improved its ability to strike deep within Russian territory.

Ukraine has claimed the Russian military has suffered 1,270 casualties in the past 24 hours, the Ukrainian general staff said on Monday. 

If that toll, released by the Ukrainian general staff this morning, is correct, it would be one of the highest daily Russian casualty figures since the war began. 

Kyiv has regularly claimed that Moscow's forces have lost more than 1,000 men a day since Russia launched a new offensive in the Kharkiv region last month. 

The Kharkiv region, which borders Russia, and Kharkiv city, the administrative centre of the region, have been battered nearly daily, since the attacks intensified.

The news comes on the heels of last week's decision by President Joe Biden to approve the use of US supplied weapons to hit targets inside Russia that were involved in attacks on Ukraine's Kharkiv region. 

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said Donald Trump risks being a "loser president" if he retakes the White House and imposes a bad peace deal on Ukraine.

The Ukrainian president said he had "no strategy yet" for what to do if Trump wins in November and that Boris Johnson had approached the Republican on his behalf, according to The Guardian.

He said if Trump were re-elected, the Republican could impose a crushing defeat on Ukraine, should he so chose. 

It's widely thought Trump may end US military support for Ukraine if he gets into the White House.

"Ukraine, barehanded, without weapons, will not be able to fight a multimillion [Russian] army," Mr Zelenskyy told the paper.

"Does he want to become a loser president?" he said.

"A ceasefire is a trap," he added, saying that after a break in hostilities Vladimir Putin would "go further" and make Trump look "very weak" in the eyes of the world.

Donald Trump has previously claimed he could "end the war in 24 hours".

We're getting more warnings from Russia to the US now. 

The foreign ministry told the US not to make any "mistakes that may have fatal consequences" with regards to allowing Ukraine to strike targets on Russian soil, the Interfax news agency reported.

It comes after the foreign ministry earlier warned that Ukraine using Patriot air defence systems in Russia would escalate the conflict.

Beijing has hit back at Volodymyr Zelenskyy after he accused the country of helping Russia disrupt a global peace conference in Switzerland.

China has said it would not be attending the summit because Russia would not be taking part alongside Ukraine.

The Chinese foreign ministry said it believes all efforts should be recognised by all in supporting peace measures around the Russia-Ukraine war.

Beijing has never "fanned fire or fuelled the flames", said ministry spokesperson Mao Ning, addressing a question on the peace summit. 

She added that there was "no situation of China exerting pressure on other countries". 

In the same press conference, Ms Mao also said China wanted to "deepen oil and gas cooperation with Russia".

Yesterday, speaking at the Shangri-La defence forum in Singapore, Asia's premier security conference, Mr Zelenskyy said China is pressuring other countries and their leaders not to attend the Summit on Peace in Ukraine, scheduled for 15-16 June.

"Russia, using Chinese influence in the region, using Chinese diplomats also, does everything to disrupt the peace summit," he said.

"Regrettably this is unfortunate that such a big independent powerful country as China is an instrument in the hands of Putin."

Russia has said discussions over allowing Ukraine to use Patriot MIM-104 air defence systems over Russian territory show the West is on a "path of escalation".

The state-run TASS news agency cited Moscow's foreign ministry as making the remarks today. 

"Russia will take all measures to thwart such threats," the ministry added.

In April, the Pentagon said it would "rush" Patriot air defence missiles and artillery ammunition to Ukraine as part of its new $6bn military aid package.

However, Patriot systems for launching the missiles will not be sent, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin said at the time.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been forthright in saying the weapons are needed urgently and their absence is costing Ukrainian lives.

"Patriot" stands for "Phased Array Tracking Radar to Intercept on Target" and is a long-range, all-altitude, all-weather air defence system designed to counter tactical ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and advanced aircraft. 

The American-made missiles are produced by Raytheon in Massachusetts and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control in Florida.

The system is used by the US and some of its allies, including Germany, Greece, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Poland, Sweden, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Romania, Spain, and Taiwan.

Hungarian foreign minister Peter Szijjarto has said his country has not yet decided whether to join a global peace summit aimed at helping to end the war in Ukraine. 

He said that while he respected efforts by Switzerland to achieve peace, he doubted whether the summit made sense if "there aren't both parties to the war" present. 

Russia will not attend the summit, which is being held later this month. 

Hungary has repeatedly opposed Ukraine's accession to NATO and the EU, sanctions on Russia, undermined Western aid efforts for Ukraine, and maintained close relations with Moscow throughout the full-scale war.

In mid-May, it vetoed a Council of Europe resolution to officially recognise and support Volodymyr Zelenskyy's 10-point peace formula. 

"If both sides of the war are not represented, I think it is a legitimate question whether the whole summit makes sense in terms of the ultimate goal, which is to seek peace," Mr Szijjarto said.

"We [Hungary] believe that the peace summit has real meaning and gives the greatest hope for peace if both sides are at the table."

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