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Why not?  It's easy to reach Portugal by train from London, taking Eurostar from London to Paris, a high-speed TGV from Paris to Irun on the Spanish frontier, then the famous 'Sud Express' overnight to Lisbon, with sleeping-cars, couchettes, restaurant and bar - the civilised way to reach Portugal..!  Or you can take Eurostar and the overnight 'trainhotel' to Madrid, spend a day there, then take the 'Lusitania Trainhotel' overnight to Lisbon.  This page will tell you train times, approximate fares, and how to book.

On this page:

London to Lisbon  (direct via the Sud Express)

London to Lisbon  (with day in Madrid)

London to Oporto

London to Faro & the Algarve

Sponsored links:

Train times London ► Lisbon:

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 11:05 and arriving Paris Gare du Nord at 14:20.  Cross Paris by métro to the Gare Montparnasse.

• Travel from Paris to Irun on the Spanish frontier by high-speed TGV, leaving Paris Gare Montparnasse at 15:50 and arriving at Irun at 21:25.  A café-bar is available.  At Irun, it's an easy change across the platform to the waiting Sud Express.

• Travel from Irun to Lisbon overnight on the famous Sud Express, leaving Irun at 22:00 and arriving Lisbon (Oriente station) at 10:54 and Lisbon (Santa Apolonia station, for city centre) at 11:03 next morning.  A sleeping-car (1, 2 & 3 bed compartments, recommended) and couchettes (basic 6-bunk compartments) are available, plus a restaurant-bar in Portugal.  Does not run on 24 or 31 December. 

• Map of Lisbon showing Santa Apolonia station.  Map showing Lisbon Oriente station.

On board the TGV:

TGV Paris - Spanish frontier		TGV 1st class		TGV 2nd class

On board the 'Sud Express':

The Sud Express has an air-conditioned sleeping-car with 1- 2- and 3-berth rooms, an air-conditioned couchette car with 6-bunk compartments, and (for the part of the journey within Portugal) a restaurant and bar.  Book a berth in the sleeper if you can, as a sleeper berth is not much more expensive than a couchette, but is a lot more comfortable.  On the outward journey, enjoy a leisurely breakfast in the restaurant car.  On the return journey, treat yourself to a waiter-served evening meal in the restaurant car (it isn't expensive), then grab a bar-stool and prop the bar up for a bit before retiring to your sleeping-car berth for the night...

The Sud Express from Irun to Lisbon. The blue vehicle is the air-conditioned sleeping-car, the stainless steel car nearest the camera is the bar-restaurant.		2-bed sleeper on the Sud Express, convertible from bedroom to sitting room for the daytime parts of the journey...		6-bunk couchettes on the Sud Express - upper, middle, lower bunks each side with sheet & blanket.

Enjoy a drink at the bar - wine, beer and spirits are all served...		The restaurant car serves dinner & breakfast.  The 3-course evening menu costs about 19.50 euros...
Sud Express photos courtesy of David Edge. More pictures of the Sud Express sleeping-car, restaurant car (Japanese website)

Train times Lisbon ► London:

• Travel from Lisbon to Hendaye on the 'Sud Express', leaving Lisbon (Santa Apolonia station) daily at 16:06 or Lisbon (Oriente station) at 16:14 and arriving Hendaye at 07:10 next morning.  In the northbound direction interchange between Spanish and French trains happens at Hendaye on the French side not Irun on the Spanish side.  It's an easy transfer across the platform to the waiting TGV train to Paris.

• Travel from Hendaye to Paris by high-speed TGV, leaving Hendaye at 07:58 and arriving in Paris Gare Montparnasse at 13:45.  Cross Paris by métro to the Gare du Nord.

• Travel from Paris to London by Eurostar, leaving Paris Gare du Nord at 15:13 (15:07 on Saturdays & Sundays) and arriving London St Pancras at 16:37.

Fares:

1. London to Paris:  by Eurostar:	Return fares start at £59 2nd class,  £149 1st class.  One-way fares start at £44 2nd class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares.  Child, youth & senior fares
2. Paris to Irun  by TGV:	One-way:  Between £18 & £47 2nd class, £32 & £70 1st class. Return:    Between £36 & £94 2nd class, £64 & £140 1st class.
3. Irun to  Lisbon  by Sud Express:	In a seat (not	In a couchette	In the sleeping-car
	recommended)	6-berth	3-berth	2-berth	single
One-way:	£50	£71	£81	£94	£148
Return:	£80	£114	£130	£150	£237
You can check fares at www.spanish-rail.co.uk (look for 'International trains' then 'Surex').  Other agencies may charge higher prices.

How to buy tickets online:

If you're making a one-way westbound journey from London to Lisbon, you can book all these trains online at www.raileurope.co.uk.  If you're making a return journey, or a one-way eastbound journey from Lisbon to London, you can book all of these trains except the eastbound Lisbon to Hendaye Sud Express.  Here's how:

• French train bookings open 90 days in advance, although the Sud Express opens for bookings 60 days ahead.  You can't book until reservations open.

• Make a rough note of each specific train you want to book, and the date you want to book it, using the train times above.

• Go to www.raileurope.co.uk, and first book the Eurostar from London to Paris & back.  Add it to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.

• Now book the TGV from Paris to Irun as a one-way trip, add it to your basket and click 'continue shopping'.

• Now book the overnight Sud Express from Irun to Lisbon as a one-way trip, and add it to your basket.  Note that at time of writing, www.raileurope.co.uk seems to offer seats, couchettes and single-berth sleepers on this train, but not 2 berth or 3 berth sleepers. This teething problem may be resolved in due course.

• You can't book an eastbound Lisbon to Hendaye journey online, probably because reservations are held on the Portuguese computer reservation system which isn't linked to the French/Rail Europe system, so either book when you get to Lisbon at the station, or call a UK agency as shown below and book by phone.

• Lately, you can book the Hendaye-Paris train online, paying for all tickets at the end of the transaction.

How to buy tickets by phone:

In the UK, call www.spanish-rail.co.uk on 020 7725 7063 (lines open 09:30-17:30 Monday-Friday), or www.europeanrail.com on 020 7619 1083.  If you live overseas, call or email www.europeanrail.com on +44 20 7387 0444, they can send tickets overseas for a small fee. 

Top tip:  By all means ask the agency to book all your tickets (in other words, the London-Paris-Irun tickets as well as the ticket for the Sud Express), but it's worth checking the prices for London-Paris & Paris-Irun trains online at www.raileurope.co.uk, as you can then see exactly what cheap fares are available for yourself.  If the agency won't sell you the same cheap deals as you can see online (or wants to charge you another hefty booking fee for these!), book London-Paris & Paris-Irun online at www.raileurope.co.uk, and just use the agency to obtain your Sud Express tickets.

For more information about booking European train tickets, see the How to buy European train tickets page.

Traveller's report...

Traveller Nick Stone reports:  "...Instead of flying to Lisbon to join friends, earlier this month for sightseeing in the city, I took the train and what a marvellous trip it was.  Bought a return £59 Eurostar ticket from London to Paris, than a Prem's 43 euro TGV ticket from Paris Montparnasse to Irun.  It would have been 25 euros if I'd travelled on a day other than a Friday.  From Irun, it was a £72 ticket for the Sud Express from Irun to Lisbon.  I paid for a shared cabin but ended having it to myself..! There was a restaurant car which opened up soon after we left Irun.  There were 3 courses (soup, beef or fish, fruit) for 19.50 euros.  A bottle of wine and brandy added another 10 euros.  Included in the ticket was breakfast the next morning of orange juice, coffee and toast.  The Sud Express is highly recommended, especially the scenery the next morning through Portugal."

You can also reach Lisbon travelling via Madrid.  This takes an extra night, but gives you a day in the Spanish capital.

Train times London ► Lisbon:

• Travel from London to Paris by Eurostar, leaving London St Pancras at 14:04 and arriving in Paris Gare du Nord at 17:26.  Cross Paris by metro to the Gare d'Austerlitz.

• Travel overnight from Paris to Madrid on the excellent 'trainhotel' with sleepers (some with private toilet & shower), restaurant and bar, leaving Paris Austerlitz at 19:43 and arriving in Madrid at 09:13.  See the London to Spain page for more details.  See www.elipsos.com for a virtual tour of the trainhotel.  You can then spend the day exploring Madrid.

• Take the equally excellent overnight Lusitania Trenhotel from Madrid to Lisbon, leaving Madrid (Chamartin station) daily at 22:45, arriving next morning at Lisbon (Oriente) at 07:51 and Lisbon (Santa Apolonia) at 08:00.  The Lusitania Trainhotel is identical to the Paris-Madrid trainhotel, with sleepers, restaurant and bar. 

• Map of Lisbon showing Santa Apolonia station.  Map showing Lisbon Oriente station.

Train times Lisbon ► London:

• The Lusitania Trenhotel leaves Lisbon (Santa Apolonia) daily at 22:00 and Lisbon (Oriente) at 22:09), arriving in Madrid next morning at 08:43.  Sleepers, restaurant and bar available.  Spend the day in Madrid.

• The Madrid to Paris trainhotel leaves Madrid at 19:00 arriving in Paris at 08:27 next morning.  Sleepers, restaurant and bar available.

• A Eurostar leaves Paris Gare du Nord at 10:13 and arrives London St Pancras at 11:28.

• See the London to Spain page for full details of the Madrid to London journey.

Fares:

1.  London to Paris  by Eurostar:	Return fares start at £59 2nd class,  £149 1st class.  One-way fares start at £44 2nd class.  Advice on one-way Eurostar fares.  Child, youth & senior fares
2.  Paris to Madrid  by trainhotel (per person)	1st class reclining seat	Tourist class Sleeper (4-berth)	1st Class  Sleeper ***		Gran Clase  Sleeper ****
			2-berth	1-berth	2-berth	1-berth
Special one-way fare *:	-	£51	£78	-	£110	-
Special return fare *:	-	£102	£156	-	£221	-
Normal one-way fare:	£98	£109	£176	£265	£216	£313
Normal return fare:	£156	£174	£282	£424	£346	£501
Child / senior / youth one-way **:	£73	£82	£132	£199	£162	£235
Child 4-11 sharing a bed:	£45	£45	£45	£45	£45	£45
Railpass holders one-way:	£34	£51	£78	£119	£111	£149
* Special 'Mini' or 'prems' fares:  Book at least 14 days in advance, no refunds, places limited at these prices.  In Tourist Class, Mini is available to solo travellers, but in 1st Class & Gran Clase 2 people must travel together. ** Child = 4-11 years old;  Youth = 12-25 years old;  Senior = anyone over 60. *** Fare includes breakfast.  **** Fare includes evening meal with wine in the restaurant & breakfast. Children under 4 go free, as long as the parents have sole use of a compartment. You can save about 6% on the trainhotel fares by paying in euros at voyages-sncf.com. Very slightly higher fares apply mid-June to mid-September & at Easter.
3.  Madrid to Lisbon  by 'Lusitania' trainhotel:	Tourist reclining seat	Tourist Sleeper (4-berth)	1st Class  Sleeper ***		Gran Clase  Sleeper ****
			2-berth	1-berth	2-berth	1-berth
Normal one-way fare:	£40	£55	£69	£99	£96	£133
Normal return fare:	£80	£110	£138	£198	£192	£266
Child 4-11 one-way	£24	£33	£42	£60	£58	£80
Inter-rail pass holders one-way:	£20	£36	£50	£79	£67	£91
Eurail, Eurodomino passholders one-way:	£5	£20	£35	£54	£64	£91
You can confirm fares and times for this train at www.renfe.es or www.raileurope.co.uk. *** Fare includes breakfast.  **** With private shower & toilet.  Fare includes evening meal in restaurant car with wine & breakfast.

How to buy tickets online:

You can buy tickets for all parts of this journey online at www.raileurope.co.uk, in both outward and return directions.  This is the cheapest way to book as there's no booking fee and all the cheap deals are there for you to see.

• Book from Paris to Madrid and back, then from London to Paris and back, following the step-by-step instructions in the London to Madrid section on the London to Spain page.

• When you've added those tickets to your basket, click 'continue shopping' and book from Madrid to Lisbon and back, selecting an evening departure.  You can pay for all tickets at the end of the process, as one transaction.  Note:  It's probably a teething problem with their new system, but www.raileurope.co.uk currently seems to offer 4 berth and single-berth sleepers on the Madrid-Lisbon train, but not 2-berth sleepers.  This may be resolved in due course!  If you have any problems, book by phone.

How to buy tickets by phone:

• In the UK, call Rail Europe on 0844 848 5 848 (lines open 08:00-21:00 Mondays-Fridays, 09:00-18:00 Saturdays, 10:00-17:00 Sundays, £6 phone booking fee) or www.spanish-rail.co.uk on 020 7224 0345 (lines open 09:30-17:30 Monday-Friday).

On board the trainhotels from Paris to Madrid & from Madrid to Lisbon...

The trainhotel's full-length bar - grab a barstool early, it gets crowded later on.!		The elegant trainhotel restaurant awaits first sitting for dinner...

Gran Clase sleeper, in evening mode with the seats folded out...		...return from dinner to find the attendant has made up the beds...		Gran Clase sleepers have a private toilet & shower...		The trainhotels from Paris to Madrid and Madrid to Lisbon are articulated Spanish 'Talgo' trains.

Train times London ► Porto:

• Follow the directions for London to Lisbon shown above, but get off the Sud Express at Coimbra B (when it calls there on its way to Lisbon) at 08:49.

• On Mondays-Saturdays, a fast modern tilting Alfa Pendular leaves Coimbra B at 09:52 and arrives Porto (Campanhã station) at 10:52.  On Sundays, leave Coimbra by by Alfa Pendular at 11:34 arriving Porto at 12:39.

Train times Porto ► London:

• Take the 15:47 air-conditioned Alfa Pendular tilting train from Porto (Campanhã) arriving at Coimbra B at 16:45.  Seat reservation required.

• The Sud Express leaves Coimbra B at 18:26 overnight to Hendaye on the French frontier, with connections for Paris, see the Lisbon to London section above.

Fares & how to buy tickets:

• See the London to Lisbon section for an idea of fares and how to buy tickets.  If you have any problems getting an agency to book the final Coimbra to Porto section, either try booking online at the Portuguese Railways website, www.cp.pt or simply buy this ticket at the station when you get to Coimbra.

You can easily reach the Algarve by train from London, either by train all the way via Lisbon (as shown below), or by train to Seville then bus (further below).  Train service from Lisbon to the Algarve has just been dramatically improved.  The line from Lisbon to Faro has been electrified and speeded up, and air-conditioned InterCity trains now run direct from Lisbon's new Oriente station, crossing the Tagus by bridge instead of requiring passengers to take a ferry to Barreiro station across the river from central Lisbon.

Train times London ► Faro:

• Travel from London to Lisbon as shown in the London to Lisbon section, but alighting at Lisbon Oriente station at 10:54.

• Travel from Lisbon to the Algarve by modern air-conditioned 'InterCity' train, leaving Lisbon Oriente station at 13:20 and arriving in Tunes at 16:48, Albufeira 16:54, and Faro at 17:22.  There are a range of trains daily between Lisbon and the Algarve, see www.cp.pt for the complete timetable and fares.

• For Lagos, change at Tunes.  A connecting train leaves Tunes at 17:01 arriving Lagos 17:55.

Above:  Modern air-conditioned InterCity trains link Lisbon with Faro and the Algarve several times daily.  Photos courtesy of Luisfer

Train times Faro ► London:

• Leave Faro by modern air-conditioned 'InterCity' train at 09:05, calling at Albufeira at 09:28, Tunes at 09:35 and arriving Lisbon (Oriente) at 13:06.

• Coming from Lagos, leave Lagos at 08:19 arriving Tunes at 09:14.  Change trains, arriving Lisbon Oriente at 13:06.

• Travel from Lisbon to London as shown in the London to Lisbon section.

Fares...

The fare from Lisbon to Faro is about £16 one way, £32 return in 2nd class, £23 one-way, £46 return in 1st class.  For fares London to Lisbon, see the Lisbon section above.

How to buy tickets...

• See the Lisbon section to buy tickets from London to Lisbon

• You can buy Lisbon-Faro tickets online at either www.cp.pt or (if a UK resident) www.raileurope.co.uk.

London to the Algarve  (via Madrid & Seville)...

It's also possible to travel via Madrid and Seville, if you don't mind a bus journey at the end.  This routing may be cheaper.

• Take a lunchtime Eurostar to Paris, the overnight 'trainhotel' to Madrid, then a high-speed AVE train to Seville next morning, as shown in the London to Seville section on the Spain page.  You arrive at Seville at 13:30.

• Travel from Seville to Faro by bus, a 3 hour 40 minute trip.  Buses run from Seville to Faro twice daily on Mondays-Fridays at 07:30 & 16:15, returning from Faro to Seville at 08:20 & 15:35 Mondays-Fridays.  No service Sats or Suns.  The bus company website is www.damas-sa.es, but you can also check times at www.eva-bus.com.  The fare is about 15 euros one-way, 30 euros return.

The Thomas Cook European timetable has train & ferry times for every country in Europe, plus currency & climate information.  Published since 1873 and costing £13.50, it's essential for any serious traveller and an inspiration for armchair travellers.  More information on what the Thomas Cook Timetable contains.  You can buy the latest monthly edition online at www.thomascooktimetables.com with worldwide delivery, or buy it in person from any UK branch of Thomas Cook (ask at the bureau de change).  Or buy the independent traveller's edition from Amazon.co.uk:  Winter 2007/8 edition (December 2007 to June 2008) or Summer 2008 edition (June to December 2008). 

The Thomas Cook Rail Map of Europe is the best and most comprehensive map of train routes right across Europe, from Portugal in the west to Istanbul, Moscow & Ukraine in the east, from Finland in the north to Sicily & Crete in the south.  High speed & scenic routes are highlighted.  Highly recommended!  Buy online at www.amazon.co.uk (worldwide delivery).  See an extract from the map.

Make sure you take a good guidebook.  I think the best ones out there for the independent traveller are the Lonely Planets and the Rough Guides.  Both books provide an excellent level of practical information and cultural and historical background. You won't regret buying one of these!  My own book, an essential handbook for train travel to Europe based on this website called "The Man in Seat 61", is due to be published in June 2008, and Amazon will let you pre-order now.

Click the images to buy at Amazon.co.uk

Or buy Lonely Planet guides direct from the Lonely Planet website, with shipping worldwide...

Find a hotel in Lisbon or anywhere in Portugal...

It's easy to book hotels online to go with your train tickets, just use the search box below.  This links to www.hotelscombined.com, a free search tool which checks all the main hotel booking sites (Expedia, Travelocity, LateRooms, Opodo, Venere, Asiarooms and many others) to find just about the widest range of hotels with the cheapest rates on the net.  Set up in 2005, it's an amazing system and probably the best place to start for booking any hotel online in any country, worldwide.

Search all major hotel booking sites at once...

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