Taking the Train Around Portugal? Here’s the Only Guide You Need

When my husband and I took our quick trip down to Lisbon earlier this month, I noticed a bevy of tourists hop aboard at the Porto stop, looking totally bewildered about where to sit. For the first 20 minutes of the ride, they shuffled back-and-forth across cars trying to figure out their seat assignment.

I get it – I was them at one point too and it can definitely get confusing. So, if you’re traveling to Portugal and plan to take the train longer distances, here’s a quick guide on how to buy your tickets and determine your seat assignment.

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How to Buy Tickets

Ticketing Website

I like to buy tickets from Rail Ninja (you can buy train tickets for almost anywhere in the world). They have an app too, which I recommend downloading for ease when traveling.

Trainline is also an equally good option.

Rail Options

Once you select the date and destination of your travel, you’ll notice there are two rail options to choose from for long-distance travel (depending on where you’re going):

• Alfa Pendular | This is the high-speed train that hits the major stops between Braga and Lisbon (total train time to Lisbon: ~3h30 min). It’s the best option if you’re destination is one of the major cities along its route. Alfa is the pricier of the two trains but that’s because it’s faster and newer.
• Intercidades | This is the inter-city line, making comparatively more stops than Alfa (total train time to Lisbon: ~4h); it’s a great if your final destination is a smaller city. Intercidades is certainly a slower and older train line (though nonetheless comfortable); the benefit is that it’s slightly less expensive compared to Alfa.

AVIOTHIC TIP: Lisbon has two train stations: Oriente (closest to the airport) and Santa Apolonia (in the main city). Be sure to choose the correct station when purchasing your tickets. The good news is, even if you make a mistake, you won’t get thrown off the train since the stations are so close to each other (about 10 minutes). 😊

Business vs. Economy

Regardless of train line chosen, you will be prompted during the purchase process to select your preferred class of seating: Business or Economy. I’m not going to lie, Business is my preferred choice between the two – I appreciate the extra legroom and quieter environment; don’t get me wrong, Economy is also comfortable, albeit usually busier and slightly more compact.

Side note: Both train lines have a snack car, but Alfa Pendular ups the ante by also offering seat-side service too (at various points along the journey).

As you continue the ticket purchasing process, you’ll be asked to input your passport number, which is used to validate that you’re the ticket holder (once aboard the train when the conductor comes by to verify your tickets).

Before you check-out, you do have the option of selecting the type of seats you want as there is assigned seating on the train – options include:

• Window
• Aisle
• Face forward
• Table seat
• Facing each other (great for traveling in a group)

AVIOTHIC TIP: If you’re someone, like my husband, that gets sick from sitting backwards on the train, then do not skip this step.

Getting Your Tickets

Rail Ninja will email you a PDF of your tickets within ~24 hours of your purchase. It does not need to be printed for the ride. When you get your tickets, it’s very important to note the following:

• “Carruagem”: This indicates which train car your seat is located in
• “Lugar”: And this is your seat number; similar to an airplane, you will find your seat numbers above the seat by the overhead luggage rack

Day of Departure

Finding Your Train Car

On the day you leave, the train class will be indicated by big bold numbers on the exterior:

Alfa Pendular

• Cars are – generally – labeled 1-7 (more or less) with Business class located in car 1 and Economy in the others.
• To enter the train, you may need to press the button adjacent to the door in order to get aboard.

Intercidades

• Unlike Alfa Pendular, there are only one of two numbers located on the exterior of the Intercidades train: “Classe 1” (Business) or “Classe 2” (Economy).
• On each car is a small square that indicates the car number and the seat number range in that particular car; you’ll need to pay close attention to what your ticket indicates so you know where to sit (following the same instructions above).
• To hop aboard, there’s a metal handle by the door your turn to get on (watch your step getting onto this line as there tends to be a step-up and slight gap between the train and platform).

AVIOTHIC TIPS:

Car Location Depends on Travel Direction

• If you’re headed north to Porto and riding Business class, you’ll be in the last car
• If you’re headed south to Lisbon and riding Business class, you’ll be in the first car

Travel Lightly!

• If you can, prioritize traveling only with a carry-on size suitcase while in Portugal, especially since there’s minimal storage space at the front of each car. Although there is overhead space available above seats, it’s often not large enough to accommodate very over-sized luggage.
• Save yourself the headache by traveling lightly. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself.

Showing I.D.

Once you’re on the car, the conductor will come around at some point to validate that you’re the ticket holder and you’re seated in the right area. Usually, showing your passport is all you need but have your ticket handy (on your phone or printed) just in case

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And there you have it!

I absolutely love train travel and if you’re using it around Portugal, you’re bound to enjoy seeing its beautiful landscapes.

Hope you found this guide helpful – safe travels!

xoxox