Porto to Régua, Pinhão & Pocinho
Portugal's most scenic train ride takes you along the Douro Valley from Porto (Portugal's second city) to Régua, Pinhão & Pocinho. It makes a great day trip from Porto, although it's too far for a day trip from Lisbon. The line currently ends at Pocinho, but over the next few years they plan to reopen the 28km from Pocinho to Barca de Alva on the border with Spain. Indeed, until 1984 the line continued all the way to Salamanca.
Train times
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There are 10-12 trains per day from Porto to Régua, of which 5 or 6 continue to Pinhão & Pocinho. Porto-Pocinho takes around 3h25.
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Check times from Porto to Régua, Pinhão or Pocinho using the journey planner at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt.
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Or download a timetable in .pdf format at www.cp.pt/.../comboios-regionais-porto-regua-douro.pdf (please let me know if the link stops working).
You can catch any of these trains from the main Porto Campanhã station, but some start/terminate at the wonderful Porto São Bento station, located right in the UNESCO-listed old city and one of Europe's most beautiful stations. Start from there if you can.
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The best trains to take are the ones called MiraDouro, these use classic carriages built by Swiss firm Schindler, with wide opening windows. There is a page about these services with a timetable of when this specific type of train runs at www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/how-to-travel/For-leisure/Nature-and-Culture/miradouro-train (please let me know if that link changes). Some of these start at San Bento station.
How much does it cost?
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Porto to Pocinho costs around €14 each way, Porto to Régua around €10 each way. Fixed-price, unlimited availability, cannot sell out.
How to buy tickets
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You can buy tickets at www.cp.pt (in €) or Omio.com (in €, £ or $) and print them out or show them on your phone, but as there are no reservations, tickets have unlimited availability and cannot sell out, you may as well just buy at the station on the day.
Travel tips
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Start at Porto São Bento: São Bento station with its classic wall tiling is a Porto attraction in its own right, so for the full experience take one of the morning trains that start at São Bento.
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Which side of the train to sit? The river is on the right hand side going east from Porto through Tua to just before Ferradosa, then on the left to Pocinho. If the train isn't crowded, you can switch seats at Ferradosa.
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Food & drink: The trains are inter-regional trains with no catering, so bring your own food & drink.
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Combine train with river boat: Any hotel in Porto can book you onto a river boat trip along the Douro, for example from Régua to Pinhão. You can then take the train from Porto to Régua and Pinhão back to Porto, a DIY day trip from Porto by train & boat. Indeed, you can find one-way river boat trips all the way from Porto to Régua which allow you to return to Porto by train, or vice versa. Or cruise between Régua & Pocinho, with travel to and from the boat by train. Try www.cruzeiros-douro.pt.
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Short of time? You'll still get a good appreciation of the wonderful Douro scenery travelling from Porto to Pinhão. One correspondent recommends lunch in Pinhão at the Casa do Escritor restaurant, dourorenaissence.wixsite.com/writersplace.
Porto São Bento station
Porto São Bento is a terminus located in Porto's UNESCO-listed historic centre. Built between 1904 & 1916, the azulejo tiling in the main hall makes it one of Europe's most beautiful stations, and a Porto attraction in its own right. Make sure you call in here! It's not served by mainline trains to or from Lisbon, but frequent suburban trains link it with Porto Campanhã every 5-15 minutes, journey time 4 minutes. A few Douro Valley trains start from here, before serving Porto Campanhã. See larger photo of the interior. See location map. See Wikipedia page about Sao Bento.
Along the Douro in pictures
All but one photo in this section are courtesy of Paliparan.com.
Heading east along the river on a morning train...
Ermida...
Regua station...
Alongside the river Douro near Tua. Photo courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip
Between Tua & Pocinho, sometimes just feet from the river... Photo courtesy of www.youtube.com/c/nonstopeurotrip
Now on the way back towards Porto...
And relax... If you return to Porto Sao Bento station, how about a beer & unique crispy hot dog or Portuguese sandwich at the iconic Gazela Cachorrinhos da Batalha snack bar 2 minutes walk outside the station?
What are the trains like?
Locomotive-hauled: Some train are locomotive-hauled, with a mix of former Swiss Railways carriages or stainless-steel cars made in Portugal. They're not air-conditioned, but have a major advantage - the windows open, for reflection-free photography. All the trains are 2nd class only.
Air-conditioned diesel units: Some departures are operated by diesel units, air-conditioned but without opening windows. Below, this is the lunchtime train from Porto to Pocinho. Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com
