Portugal has exploded in reputation and guests are welcomed with a contemporary practice community able to whisk them all through the nation. And whereas practice ticket costs are reasonably priced in Portugal, I’ve created this information on learn how to purchase practice tickets in Portugal so you may get the most effective practice tickets on the most cost-effective value.
Buying Train Tickets in Portugal: A Quick Guide
The Comboios de Portugal is the official Portugal Rail Service. Anyone should purchase practice tickets immediately from the Comboios de Portugal web site.
However, it suffers from some bizarre translation points and a few worldwide customers may need bother making bank card funds. Therefore, I like to recommend sticking to the reserving web sites beneath (particularly for non-Europeans).
You can also’t purchase worldwide practice tickets (i.e. Lisbon to Madrid) on Comboios de Portugal.
Omio
Omio is my most well-liked rail service reserving service as a result of they discover the bottom practice tickets and it’s far more user-friendly than the Official Portugal Rail web site—no points utilizing a overseas bank card, no translation points, and many others. Omio prices a small service charge (round $1 per ticket) however the ticket costs are the identical.
Most practice tickets you ebook on Omio are digital so the e-ticket shall be despatched to your telephone (by way of electronic mail or the Omio App)—merely present the practice conductor the ticket in your telephone display screen when he/she comes by to examine tickets. If e-tickets aren’t out there, you possibly can print your tickets on the practice station utilizing your reserving affirmation code.
Trainline
Trainline is much like Omio, so it finds the identical tickets as Comboios de Portugal, and also you’ll pay a small reserving charge of round $1-$3.
Buying Tickets At The Train Station
You at all times have the choice of shopping for your practice ticket from any practice station in Portugal. The quickest and easiest method to purchase practice tickets is by way of the automated ticket machines (the machines all have English language choices). However, these machines don’t at all times settle for overseas bank cards.
You can even purchase tickets from the ticket window however the strains can get very lengthy throughout busy occasions. Most of the ticket sellers will converse satisfactory English however not at all times. That mentioned, the ticket window can usually settle for any bank card so strive the window if you happen to’re having points with the machines.
IMPORTANT: Ticket home windows (particularly at smaller stations and on weekends) usually open later within the morning, so this may pose an issue if you wish to catch an early practice! Book the day earlier than if doable.
Travel Tip: You’ll need dependable high-speed knowledge in your telephone if you happen to’re taking the practice in Portugal. I’ve written a couple of completely different articles about getting low-cost cellular knowledge in Portugal/Europe: Guide To Mobile Data Plans and Smartphone Phones in Europe, How To Buy A SIM Card and Mobile Data Plans in Europe, and The Best eSIM Data Plans For Portugal.
Step-By-Step Guide To Booking Train Tickets In Portugal
Now that you recognize the place to purchase Portuguese practice tickets, let’s bounce into my step-by-step information on learn how to purchase practice tickets in Portugal.
In this part, I’ll cowl the several types of practice tickets, methods for getting the most effective value, and different issues to recollect when trying to find your practice tickets.
Enter Your Train Travel Details
The first step is to go to a reserving web site (I like Omio) and enter your journey particulars—that is fairly simple, however I’ve listed a couple of beneath that it’s best to bear in mind:
- Departure & Arrival Stations: Make certain you’re coming into the right practice stations as a result of many massive cities have a number of practice stations.
- Number Of Transfers: Routes with zero transfers are at all times the best choice if it’s out there.
- Type Of Train (High-Speed vs Regional): High-speed trains are at all times my best choice.
- Departure Time: Most routes may have a number of departure occasions so click on round to seek out one which works for you. The departure time can even have an effect on the value of the ticket.
NOTE: If your search comes again with no trains then you definately’re in all probability making an attempt to ebook too far prematurely. Trains can usually solely be booked 60 days previous to departure.
Choose Your Ticket Type
Booking websites like Omio or Trainline show the most cost effective second-class ticket by default. A 1st class will value about 50% greater than second-class tickets however second-class seats are a lot comfy.
The most cost-effective tickets are “promo fares” which simply means they will’t be refunded or exchanged—so don’t miss your practice. “Normal fare” tickets could be canceled with a charge as much as quarter-hour earlier than departure however these tickets are far more costly than the cheaper promo fare tickets.
What Is The Pricing Structure Of Portugal Train Tickets?
Like many European nations, practice ticket pricing in Portugal can change based mostly on practice kind (excessive velocity vs native), demand, time of day, and many others.
Luckily, practice tickets in Portugal are typically reasonably priced so even full-priced fares aren’t very costly however let’s check out what impacts the practice ticket costs:
Alpha-Pendular (AP) High-Speed Trains
The Alpha-Pendular is the quickest and most fashionable practice in Portugal—it reaches speeds of 125mph. These high-speed trains join Portugal’s largest cities and have restricted stops. Ticket gross sales start 60 days previous to departure and get costlier because the departure date approaches—I counsel shopping for at the least two weeks early to get the most cost effective costs.
Ticket costs may even fluctuate based mostly on the departure time so the extra standard journey occasions are costlier than much less standard journey occasions.
Intercidades (IC) Trains
Intercidades are comparatively quick trains that run comparable routes because the Alpha-Pendular trains, however they make extra stops, so the journey shall be longer—the trains are additionally somewhat older and extra primary.
As with Alpha-Pendular trains, Intercidades Trains are cheaper when bought early, and costs rise because the departure date approaches.
Regional (R), Interregional (IR), and Urban (U) Trains:
These gradual, short-haul regional trains join smaller cities/areas/suburbs. Prices are fastened and might’t be bought on-line.
How Early Should You Buy Train Tickets?
Long-distance, high-speed practice tickets could be booked round two months prematurely. These tickets begin low-cost after which get progressively costlier because the departure date approaches. For instance, a ticket is likely to be round €10 if booked a month early however can value €35 if booked the day of journey—so it pays to purchase your practice tickets early.
In basic, tickets bought 5 days early shall be 50% off the full-price fare, and tickets purchased 8 days prematurely shall be round 60% off the full-price fare.
The solely draw back is that these low-cost tickets usually are not refundable or changeable, so that you’ll have to have your plans set. You will pay extra for refundable tickets if you happen to’re nervous about your plans.
Collecting Your eTickets or Physical Train Tickets
Nearly all practice tickets bought on-line are cellular eTicket tickets. If you purchase your tickets by way of Omio or Trainline, the tickets shall be saved within the reserving app, or you possibly can have the tickets emailed to you. You present the practice conductor your e-ticket in your telephone and so they’ll scan its QR code.
Physical tickets bought on the practice station should be validated if there isn’t a particular time printed on the ticket. You validate the ticket by scanning it on the ticket machines positioned across the practice platform. Failure to validate might result in an costly nice.
Most Popular Train Routes In Portugal
Most vacationers solely go to Lisbon, however there are many different locations in Portugal value testing. Below are a couple of of the preferred routes:
LISBON TO SINTRA BY TRAIN (AROUND 45MIN-1HR)
Sintra is the preferred day journey from Lisbon. It makes use of an area practice that takes round one hour and prices €2.30 every method. There are a number of trains each hour—generally as usually as each 10 minutes throughout peak journey occasions.
Tickets can solely be purchased on the station. Ticket strains get very lengthy in the course of the busy season, so arrive early to keep away from the strains.
LISBON TO PORTO BY TRAIN (2.5H-3H)
Traveling between Lisbon (Oriente Station) and Porto (Campanhã Station) by practice is simple and there are a number of direct trains each day. The Alfa Pendular high-speed practice will take round 2h40min and the marginally slower Intercity practice takes round 3h10min.
Ticket costs begin round €32 however it can save you 50%+ by reserving early. Check costs at Omio.
LISBON TO BRAGA BY TRAIN (3HR 16MIN)
Braga is a good metropolis within the far north of Portugal. Braga is about 3hr15m from Lisbon by way of the high-speed practice and 40m from Porto by way of the high-speed practice.
There are only some direct trains between Lisbon and Braga however most require a change in Porto (which may add anyplace from a 10-minute stopover to over an hour stopover). So search for a direct practice for the shortest and most handy route.
There are a number of each day departures between Lisbon and Braga and tickets value between €30-€40 however can get all the way down to €12-€15 if booked early. Check costs at Omio.
LISBON TO COIMBRA BY TRAIN (1H30MIN-1HR50MIN)
The riverfront metropolis of Coimbra is about midway between Porto and Lisbon so it makes a well-liked journey from each cities. Direct trains between Lisbon and Coimbra take 1.5-2 hours relying if you happen to take the AP or IC practice.
Standard practice tickets between Lisbon and Coimbra value round €20-€26 or €10-€15 if booked early. Check costs at Omio.
LISBON TO FARO BY TRAIN (3HR 30MIN)
Sun-soaked Faro is the best-known metropolis in Portugal’s well-known Algarve area. The high-speed AP practice takes about 3 hours and the IC practice takes about 3.5 hours from Lisbon. Check costs at Omio.
General Portugal Train Travel Tips
Here are a couple of extra issues to think about when taking the practice in Portugal. You can even try my Portugal Train Guide for extra in-depth recommendation.
Check Your Train Station
Many cities in Portugal have a number of practice stations, so double-check that you’ve got the right one.
Luggage Allowance
You’re technically solely allowed a private bag and a suitcase on trains in Portugal however this isn’t monitored except you’re taking a loopy quantity of bags on the practice. There are massive baggage areas between the practice vehicles and smaller racks above the seats.
Seat Reservations on Trains
Your ticket robotically comes with a seat reservation on the high-speed AP and IC trains. Local and regional trains have open seating.
Food and Drink On Trains
You’re free to deliver meals and drinks (together with alcohol) on any practice. Most high-speed trains even have a restaurant automotive with snacks, espresso, and alcohol. Some trains may even have a restaurant automotive with a spread of choices.
International Trains
Portugal is geographically faraway from the remainder of Europe however the preferred worldwide practice route is Lisbon to Madrid, Spain—the journey takes round 14 hours. So most individuals select to fly.
More Portugal Travel Tips From The Savvy Backpacker
Here are some extra articles I’ve written about touring by means of Portugal and Europe:
James Feess is the creator of The Savvy Backpacker and the writer of the ebook “The Savvy Backpacker’s Guide To Europe On A Budget”. He’s been running a blog about finances journey in Europe since 2010.
No Funny Business
The Savvy Backpacker is reader-supported. That means while you purchase merchandise/companies by means of hyperlinks on the location, I’ll earn an affiliate fee—it doesn’t value you something further and it helps assist the location.
Thanks For Reading! — James
Questions? Learn extra about our Strict Advertising Policy and How To Support Us.