There are two main routes into Portugal by train. The first is to travel from
Austerlitz station in Paris, changing at Irún on the French-Spanish border,
then continuing on to the Portuguese border town of Vilar Formoso in the
north. The train splits near Coimbra, heading north for Oporto and south for
Lisbon, coming into Santa Apolónia station. The entire journey from London
to Lisbon, using the Eurostar to reach Paris, takes 30 hours.

The alternative route is to travel on the overnight train from Madrid,
passing through Marvão and Santarám, then on to Lisbon. Travel from Madrid
into Lisbon takes 10 hours. This train, called the “hotel-train”, has
luxurious carriages, some of which have showers.

Most areas of Portugal are served by rail, although the more remote lines,
such as Tua to Mirandela, have sadly been made obsolete as new roads are
built. A bus service covers any gaps in the system, although it is wise to
confirm that the service you require exists before setting off.

There are several categories of train in Portugal. The most comfortable and
quickest is the modern Alfa Pendular, which travels between Lisbon, Coimbra
and Oporto. The Rápido Inter-Cidades (IC) is only marginally slower,
although less luxurious, and connects most important towns and cities. Most
smaller towns and villages throughout the country are served by the Regional
and the Inter-Regional lines. These local lines are considerably slower than
the Rápido and Alfa Pendular, and the trains are less comfortable, with
fewer facilities. However, they stop at a great many more stations.

Lisbon has four rail termini. Santa Apolónia  station, on
Avenida Infante Dom Henrique, serves the north and all international
destinations. Oriente , by the Expo site Parque das Nações,
was opened on the same line as Santa Apolónia in 1998. It serves the south.
For more routes south and east, cross the river (using the Fertagus train
service, which runs on the 25 de Abril bridge) to catch a train from Barreiro  station. Trains for Estoril and Cascais (a
30-minute trip) leave from Cais do Sodré  station.

Rossio  station, near Praça dos Restauradores, used to serve
Sintra and stations along the coast as far north as Figueira da Foz, but it
is closed indefinitely. Trains to Sintra now leave from Entre Campos Metro
station. Care should be taken on the Lisbon to Sintra line at night.

Coimbra has two mainline stations: trains from Lisbon and Oporto stop at Coimbra B , a five-minute shuttle ride from the central Coimbra .

Oporto has two mainline stations: international and long-distance trains come
into Campanhã , to the east of the city; regional and
suburban trains come into São Bento  in the centre. From
here there is a shuttle service to Campanhã  station. The
former rail station at Trindade will become a Metro station.

Fares within Portugal are fairly cheap in comparison with other European
countries, and there are numerous discounts available. Children under the
age of four travel free, and those from four to twelve pay half-fare. There
are also discounts for groups, students and pensioners.

First-class travel on Portugal’s trains is 40 per cent more expensive than
second class, and second-class travel, while fairly basic on some lines, is
usually sufficiently comfortable.

Visitors who intend to do much travelling by train might consider buying a
tourist ticket (bilhete turístico) . This is valid for an
unlimited number of journeys for 7, 14 or 21 consecutive days, and can be
used on all the different types of train.

Families can save money by using the cartão de família ,
which gives good discounts, but only on journeys over 150 km (90 miles). It
works as follows: one member of the family pays full fare, other members
over 13 years of age pay half the full fare, and those under 13 pay a
quarter of the fare.

An Interrail pass for young people under 26 gives unlimited travel on all
European trains for a month, so will allow travel both to and within
Portugal (if it is bought outside the country). The slightly more expensive
Interrail 26-plus pass does not allow travel in Spain. For journeys within
Portugal only, the Eurodomino pass offers unlimited travel for three, five
or ten days, with a reduced rate for those younger than 26.

Tickets for Alfa and Rápido (IC) trains can usually be booked up to 30 days
ahead, although some services only offer 10-day advance bookings, so it is
important to check first. Reservations can be made at stations or travel
agents. If you want to buy a ticket the day you travel, arrive early as long
queues at the ticket office are normal, especially during peak hours and
holiday periods. It is important that you buy a ticket before boarding,
otherwise you are liable to be fined on the spot by the conductor.

Main stations in Portugal provide a complete rail timetable, the Guia do
Horário Oficial, which details all routes for Alfa Pendular, IC,
Inter-Regional and Regional trains. A section in Portuguese only has details
of the tickets and discounts that are available.