Rail travel in Portugal Voyage Tips and guide

Rail travel is a common way to travel long distances in Portugal, being faster than buses in most cases, although more expensive and less frequent. Local metro systems are also used frequently to travel within the two largest cities of Lisbon and Porto.

Portugal uses two different gauges for its railways. A majority of lines use Iberian gauge (1668 mm), while some use metre gauge (1000 mm).

The main train operator is the state-owned Comboios de Portugal ("Trains of Portugal"). Their website can be used to see timetables and routes, and book tickets. Fertagus also operates regional services near Lisbon, and separate companies run metro systems within the major cities of Libson and Porto.

The main railway junction in Portugal is at Entroncamento; from here all the main lines branch out and all passing trains stop.

Portugal has one high-speed rail line, which runs along the coast, connecting Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Santarém, Lisbon, Albufeira, and Faro.

The trains which serve this line, named Alfa Pendular, run at a maximum speed of 220 km/h (140 mph). They have on board WiFi and sockets for charging devices, as well as a cafeteria in carriage 3, with comfortable first class.

It is recommended that you book Alfa Pendular tickets in advance, as they sell out quickly. Advance tickets are also discounted.

Coimboios de Portugal run two types of low-speed services. Intercidade (Intercity) trains connect major cities, especially inland, such as Évora, Beja, and Guarda.

The Regional and InterRegional routes serve smaller, more rural stations.

Portugal has two metro systems: One in Lisbon and one in Porto. Both are operated by independent companies and are clean, modern, and air-conditioned.

Rail crossings from Spain are somewhat limited, with there being no direct international service between major cities. The main crossings are Badajoz, Vilar Formoso and Valença, via regional low-speed trains. There are plans to build a high speed line between Madrid and Lisbon, scheduled to open in 2030.

There is also a line which runs twice daily between Porto and Vigo.

Tickets for each route have a fixed price, as listed on the Comboios de Portugal website. Return tickets cost 20% less than two single fares.

If bought more than 5 days in advance, long-distance (Alfa Pendular and Intercidade) tickets can be up to 65% off. Each route will have a limited number of discounted tickets, so book sooner rather than later for a guaranteed cheaper fare.

When booking tickets, customers must select the specific train they are taking; there is no flexible ticket as in other countries. However, full-price tickets can be refunded or exchanged up to 15 minutes before the train departs, so changing the booking is easy if plans change. Advance tickets can only be exchanged, paying the difference in price if the discount is no longer available on the newly booked ticket.

Other discounts are available for different age groups:

• Children aged 3 or under travel free
• Children aged 4 to 12 get 50% off
• Seniors aged 65 or over get 50% off
• Youths under 25 get 25% off
• Anyone with a European Youth Card up to 30 gets 25% off

Only one discount can be applied at a time, so unfortunately seniors booking long-distance trips in advance cannot get 115% off.

Several other discounts are also available for large groups of people, disabled people, and veterans.

Both Eurail and Interrail passes are valid within Portugal, but similarly terrible to use as is the case in Spain.

• Rail travel in Europe
• Rail travel in France
• Rail travel in Spain