Trains Portugal Tickets, Timetables & Prices

Trains in Portugal

Because Portugal is not that large of a country geographically, getting around the country is quite easy especially when you use bus and train options. The primary rail provider in Portugal is Combios de Portugal. They offer a very modern and efficient fleet of trains and they generally run at or near scheduled departure and arrival times. Of the train lines offered the Douro Line that runs from Porto to Pochino offers some of the most amazing scenery you will find aboard a train line in the country.

Booking your ticket with Omio for Portugal

Quite possibly one of the best things about booking your trains for Portugal on Omio is that you can simply type in a departure and arrival city, add your travel date and possibly a return date, and the number of people that will be traveling, and then you receive great options to travel between those cities by train. From there you can then sort these choices by which ones are the cheapest, which ones make the trip the quickest, or you can sort them by the time that they depart from your departure city.

Train companies in Portugal

The main train provider that you will find for trains in Portugal when you book with Omio is Combios de Portugal. This train provider offers a large network of both urban trains in larger cities as well as regional and interregional connections that will serve points in the country that are farther away from the main cities. On quite a few routes you will find slower speed regional trains as well as higher-speed trains that travel between popular destination points. The classes of seating you will find on the trains can vary depending on the type of train you travel on but some trains offer a first-class experience.

Train travel in Portugal. Source: Shutterstuck

Popular international routes by train

The most popular country to visit by train from Portugal is Spain. Renfe operates trains between Portugal and Spain, connecting Lisbon to Madrid, San Sebastian and Salamanca. If you want to visit France from Portugal it is interesting to note that the route from Lisbon to Salamanca continues to Hendaye in the French Pyrénées.

When arriving by train in Portugal

Quite possibly one of the best features of traveling by train to Portugal is that the country is a combination of bustling and modern cities and smaller quaint towns offering amazing scenery, fantastic history, and marvelous architecture. The entire country offers a quite mild climate year-round so visiting at practically any time is always going to be a good time.

One thing that visitors to Portugal comment on time and time again is how Portuguese food offers simple ingredients that are then impeccably prepared. Their cuisine often emphasizes things such as fish, meat, tomato, and spices, and a favorite of this part of the world, olive oil. Being a predominantly Roman Catholic country, the population of Portugal prides itself on a very close-knit family ethic. The country of Portugal uses the euro as its currency and because the country is part of the Schengen Area and the European Union, traveling to many countries in Europe outside of Portugal is quite easy.

Train Provider in Portugal

The main provider of trains in Portugal is Combios de Portugal. This train company has built its entire network based on the notion of connecting larger cities in Portugal with some of the smaller towns and villages found farther inland in the country as well as taking people on international trips to major cities outside of the country. In the north of the country, a popular route is to travel from the large coastal city of Puerto to the smaller town of Pochinho. From Lisbon, many travelers make the trip to the small inland community Beja and from the southern coastal city of Faro, you will find travelers making the trip by train to the seaside community of Lagos.

Main train stations in Portugal

The Santa Apolonia Station in Lisbon station sits along the water to the southwest of the center of the city on Av. Infante Dom Henrique 1, 1100-105 Lisboa, Portugal and is about 1.4 miles (2.3 km) away. You can get to the station from the center of the city aboard bus route number 13B in around 20min and on train route 28E in about 22min. The station offers things such as restrooms, a small waiting area, a café, as well as a supermarket in the station.

The Oriente Station is the other station in the city and it sits well to the northeast of the center of town at Av. Dom João II, 1900-233 Lisboa, Portugal and is about 4.5 miles (7.4 km) away. It's a large and quite bustling station and offers quite a few amenities for travelers with the most iconic one being a large shopping mall located right next to the station.

The Faro station is around 0.6 miles (1.0 km) to the east of Faro at Largo da Estação, 8000-133 Faro, Portugal and you can get there in around 12min on bus number 3. The station offers comfortable seating and restrooms for passengers.

The Porto Campanha train station is at 4300-173 Porto, Portugal and is only about a 4min ride on the Aveiro bus line to make the trip of about 2.6 miles (4.2 km) to the center of Faro and you will find a ticketing counter and a cafe here.

Finally, the Braga station is at 4700-207 Braga, Portugal, and is around 0.8 miles (1.2 km) west of Braga and you can make the trip by foot in around 16min but there is no public transportation. The station is simple with restrooms and seating for passengers.

Popular journeys in Portugal

The most popular train journey in Portugal is the one that connects Lisbon and Porto. The trip takes around 3h 30min and costs approximately $23 (€20). To get from Lisbon to Faro the train takes around 3h 30min and the cost is around $17 (€15). To discover the Algarve, you can book a train between Faro and Lagos, this is a relatively short journey taking less than 2h. The price is around $9 (€8). If you want to travel from Faro to the small inland community of Evora you can make the trip by train in around 4h for a cost of about $33 (€30). Finally, if you want to go from Coimbra to Lisbon you can do so by train in around 3h for about $20 (€17).

Night trains from Lisbon

Lisbon is the largest and most popular city in the country of Portugal and this is a great place to catch night trains. There are three different trains that depart after 6 p.m. from Lisbon that head to Faro every night in around 4h. If instead, you would like to travel to the city of Porto, there are around 11 trains every night that depart after 6 p.m. to make the trip of around 3h. If you want to head south from Lisbon to Lagos, you can do that at night on the one train offered that departs after 6 p.m.

Travel by train in Portugal: Sustainable journey

Taking the train in Portugal and public transport in general is much more sustainable than travelling by car, as it generates less CO2 emissions per person. Opting for electric trains is a sustainable choice for your trip. For ideas for your next train journey in Portugal be sure to check out our online travel magazine, Window Seat.

Good to know when travelling by train to Portugal

When traveling by train in Portugal it is important to remember that there are four different types of trains offered. The Alpha-Pendular trains are the newest and most modern and offer the most amenities and you will usually find these trains on longer routes. Beyond that, you will find several inner-city, regional, and urban trains that often travel at slower speeds and offer fewer amenities but also are traveling shorter distances. In general, you will also find more than one class on most trains and the first-class options are going to offer quite a few more amenities than other classes.

Traveller reads on the train. Source: Shutterstuck

Travel to Portugal —travel tips

When researching reasons that you would want to visit a city like Lisbon you're probably going to find the same reason you would want to visit practically anywhere in Portugal. This is a city and a country that offers an incredibly mild climate most months of the year. Quite a few of the cities and towns in Portugal offer a great mix of older, red-roofed homes and architecture mixed with some very vibrant and modern touches.

One of the really amazing features of visiting Portugal is all of the fantastic food you will find here. One thing you will surely want to try here is Ginginha that is a cherry liquor inside of a small glass made out of chocolate. The country is also famous for many great coffee dishes as well. Perhaps one of the best reasons to visit the city in this country are all of the great waterfront locations that offer amazing beaches, bustling ports, and several fantastic resorts where you can lounge afternoons away soaking in all the country has to offer.