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Madrid to Lisbon by train from €40
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Incredibly, there is now no direct train between Madrid & Lisbon, two adjacent EU capitals. The overnight sleeper train Trenhotel Lusitania was temporarily suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and Renfe (Spanish Railways) then used this as an excuse to discontinue it permanently. New fast lines are under construction in both Spain & Portugal, we may yet see a Madrid-Lisbon high-speed train from 2024. But in the meantime, you can travel the 737 km (458 miles) between Madrid & Lisbon using a 3-train combo with 2 bookings and 3 tickets, not fast, but a comfortable, interesting and scenic ride. Feedback or photos if you take this route would be appreciated.
Timetable 2023
From 9 October CP doubles its Badajoz-Entroncamento cross-border regional service from one train to two per day, allowing 2 Madrid-Lisbon services on most days as shown below. On the early morning departure from Madrid you take a Spanish intercity train from Madrid Atocha Cercanias to Badajoz, then a Portuguese regional train to Entroncamento and a Portuguese Intercity train to Lisbon. On the late morning departure, you take a Spanish Media Distancia train from Madrid to Merida & a connecting one from Merida to Badajoz, then a Portuguese regional train to Abrantes & a Portuguese Intercity train to Lisbon.
SIC = Spanish Intercity train, an articulated air-conditioned Talgo train hauled by a separate locomotive. It has standard & comfort class with power sockets at all seats and a cafe-bar, reservation compulsory.
MD-MD = Media Distancia express train between Madrid & Merida & another between Merida & Badajoz. 2nd class only, limited catering. You also need to change trains at Merida if you use this option.
R = Portuguese regional train, a single-coach Allan railcar, built in 1954-55 but completely modernised in 2000 and fully air-conditioned. 2nd class only, there is no catering, so bring your own food & drink. There are no seat reservations, you sit where you like.
IC = Portuguese Intercity train, reservation compulsory, 1st & 2nd class, cafe-bar.
Tip: There's a cafe at Badajoz station which you can use between trains.
Tip: Spanish time is 1 hour ahead of Portuguese time, all the times shown above are local time. Badajoz is in Spain so all Badajoz times are Spanish time.
Tip: Westbound, don't worry about tight connections at Entroncamento or Abrantes, Portuguese IC and R trains are designed to connect and the onward train may be held if there's a delay.
Tip: Eastbound, I recommend taking the earlier of the two services if you have important eastward connections from Madrid next day. Connections at Badajoz are not guaranteed, but the Portuguese local train usually keeps good time with slack in the schedule and I believe the 10-minute connection into the 17:36 IC to Madrid is intended to work. Although Badajoz is a good town for an overnight stop if not! Feedback appreciated.
How much does it cost?
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Madrid to Badajoz by Intercity train starts at €22.10, the price varies like air fares.
Madrid to Badajoz by Media Distancia (MD) train it's €40.10, the price doesn't change.
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Badajoz to Entroncamento costs €12.30. Fixed price, cannot sell out.
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Entroncamento to Lisbon or vice versa costs €13 in 2nd class or €17 in 1st class. If you book in advance at www.cp.pt, fares start at €6 in 2nd class or €12.50 in 1st class.
How to buy westbound tickets
Option 1, book Madrid to Lisbon in one go at Omio.com
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The easy way to buy tickets from Madrid to Lisbon is at Omio.com. Omio is currently the only ticket retailer that links to both the Spanish and Portuguese ticketing systems so you can buy both tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.
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Book from Madrid to Lisbon.
If all sectors are open for booking and assuming the Spanish train isn't full, this should work as one seamless transaction.
It only seems to find the earlier departure from Madrid, if you want the 10:55 you should use option 3. If booking from Madrid to Lisbon all in one go doesn't work, try options 2 & 3.
Option 2, book Madrid to Lisbon in two stages at Omio.com
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Step 1, book the Spanish train from Madrid to Badajoz.
Booking should open 60 days ahead, but in practice Renfe loads trains when it feels like it, so it could be much less than this, occasionally more. If you want the later 10:55 departure, you may need to use option 3.
You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, book the Portuguese trains from Badajoz to Lisbon - Santa Apolonia.
Booking normally open 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: You'll see more than 1 option in the search results. I'd go for the option involving the regional train from Badajoz plus a premium Alfa Pendular train to Lisbon (with time for a coffee in Entroncamento), but by all means choose the option involving the regional train from Badajoz plus another regional train, it won't be as swish but you'll get to Lisbon 20 minutes earlier.
Option 3, book Madrid to Lisbon in two stages at renfe.com & cp.pt
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Step 1, book the Spanish train from Madrid to Badajoz at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (a little fiddly, in €, may reject some overseas credit cards) or www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (both easy to use, in €, £ or $, small booking fee).
The latter are much easier to use, but if you want the 10:55 departure from Madrid, you might have to use Renfe.com.
Booking should open 60 days ahead, but in practice Renfe loads trains when it feels like it, so it could be much less than this.
You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, go to www.cp.pt and book the Portuguese trains from Badajoz to Lisbon - Santa Apolonia.
Booking normally open 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: You'll see more than 1 option in the search results. I'd go for the option involving the regional train from Badajoz plus a premium Alfa Pendular train to Lisbon (with time for a coffee in Entroncamento), but by all means choose the option involving the regional train from Badajoz plus another regional train, it won't be as swish but you'll get to Lisbon 20 minutes earlier.
How to buy eastbound tickets
Option 1, book Lisbon to Madrid in one go
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Unfortunately, in this direction, if you ask Omio for Lisbon to Madrid all in one go it will find no trains. You have to break the journey down.
Option 2, book Lisbon to Madrid in two stages at Omio.com
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Omio.com is currently the only ticket retailer that links to both the Spanish and Portuguese ticketing systems so you can buy both tickets in one place, in plain English, in €, £ or $.
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Step 1, use Omio.com to book the Portuguese trains from Lisbon - Santa Apolonia to Badajoz.
Booking normally open 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
Tip: You'll see more than 1 option in the search results. I'd go for the 08:15 Intercity + regional train to Badajoz.
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Step 2, go to Omio.com and book the afternoon train from Badajoz to Madrid.
Booking normally open 60 days ahead, but Renfe loads trains when it feels like it and it's often much less than this. You print your own ticket.
Option 3, book Lisbon to Madrid in two stages at cp.pt & renfe.com
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Step 1, book from Lisbon to Badajoz at the Portuguese Railways website www.cp.pt.
Booking usually opens 60 days ahead. You print your own ticket.
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Step 2, book the afternoon train from Badajoz to Madrid at the Spanish Railways website www.renfe.com (quite fiddly, in €, can reject some overseas credit cards). It's easier to use www.thetrainline.com or www.raileurope.com (in €, £ or $, small booking fee).
Booking normally open 60 days ahead, but Renfe loads trains when it feels like it and it's often much less than this. You print your own ticket.
Interrail & Eurail passes
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All these trains are covered by Interrail & Eurail passes as they're run by national operators Renfe & CP.
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You need a reservation for the Spanish Madrid-Badajoz train. You cannot make this online. Make this at the station in Madrid or Lisbon (CP has the Renfe ticketing system installed at Lisbon Santa Apolonia ticket office), there are usually seats available even on the day although Spanish trains do sometimes get full, so book ahead if you can. Alternatively, you can make reservations in advance by emailing andy@railtravelcentre.com, he can arrange passholder reservations in Spain, if necessary even at short-notice. He'll reduce his normal handling fee if you quote 'seat61' in your email. Remember to tell him if your pass is 1st or 2nd class.
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No reservation is needed for the Badajoz-Entroncamento regional train, just hop on and find any empty seat.
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A seat reservation is required for the Entroncamento-Lisbon train, this cannot be made online or indeed at stations outside Portugal, so just make it on arrival in Entroncamento at the station, there are plenty of trains on this section so there are always places.
Route map
Click for larger map. Highlighted = Madrid-Lisbon route. Green = scenic sections. Red = high-speed line
Reproduced with kind permission of the European Rail Timetable people. Buy a copy of the European Rail Map at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu.
Madrid Atocha to Lisbon Santa Apolonia is 737 km (458 miles) by train via this route.
What's the journey like?
Step 1, Madrid to Badajoz
Step 2, Badajoz to Entroncamento
Step 3, Entroncamento to Lisbon
Westbound, there are two possible connections, an earlier but slower regional train which admittedly gets you to Lisbon 20 minutes earlier, or a later but faster connection by Alfa Pendular train like the one shown below. I'd have a cup of coffee or a beer in Entroncamento and take the swisher train! Eastbound, the Lisbon to Entroncamento connection is by Intercity train.
Lisbon Santa Apolonia station. Click for city map
For the city centre, you want Lisbon Santa Apolonia station, the train's terminus. If you're heading to Faro & the Algarve, these trains start at Lisbon Oriente station so change there. Trains from Lisbon to Porto usually leave from Santa Apolonia and also call at Oriente.
