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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 Trenhotel Lusitania sleeper train was suspended in March 2020 due to the pandemic and Renfe (Spanish Railways) used this as an excuse to discontinue it. New fast lines are under construction in Spain & Portugal, we may yet see a Madrid-Lisbon high-speed train, possibly in 2027. 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 appreciated if you take this route.
Timetable 2024
There are now 2 Madrid-Lisbon services most days as shown below. On the early morning departure from Madrid you take a swish Spanish Alvia train from Madrid Atocha Cercanias to Badajoz, then a Portuguese regional train to Entroncamento and a Portuguese express train to Lisbon. On the late morning departure, you take a Spanish Media Distancia train from Madrid to Merida & a connecting regional express train from Merida to Badajoz, then a Portuguese regional train to Abrantes & a Portuguese Intercity train to Lisbon.
Alvia = Alvia train, an articulated air-conditioned Talgo train with standard & comfort class, power sockets at all seats and cafe-bar, reservation compulsory.
MD-RE = Media Distancia express train from Madrid to Merida, then Regional Express from Merida to Badajoz. 2nd class only, no catering so bring your own food & drink. So you also need to change trains at Merida if you use this option.
RE-MD = Regional express train from Badajoz to Merida, then Merida to Madrid by Media Distancia train, so you 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.
AP = Portuguese Alfa Pendular 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 times shown above are local time. Badajoz is in Spain, so 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 17:43 Alvia 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) & Regional Express (RE) trains is €41.30, fixed price.
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Badajoz to Entroncamento costs €12.30, fixed price.
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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.
Tip: Renfe often only opens Madrid-Badajoz ticket sales a few weeks ahead, not months in advance, don't be impatient!
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.
Renfe opens ticket sales as and when it feels like it, often just a few weeks ahead, not months.
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.
Renfe opens ticket sales as and when it feels like it, often just a few weeks ahead. Not months, weeks!
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.
Renfe opens ticket sales as and when it feels like it, often just a few weeks ahead, not months. 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).
Renfe opens ticket sales as and when it feels like it, often just a few weeks ahead, not months. 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. Try making this using the official Eurail/Interrail reservations service, it may or may not work, try and see. If not, make the reservation at the station in Madrid or Lisbon (CP has Renfe's ticketing system installed in Lisbon Santa Apolonia ticket office), there are usually seats available even on the day although Spanish trains do sometimes get full, especially on Fridays or Sundays and at Christmas or Easter - so book ahead if you can.
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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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You need a reservation for Entroncamento-Lisbon if you use an Alfa Pendular or Intercity train. This cannot be made online or anywhere outside Portugal, just make it on arrival at Entroncamento station, there are plenty of trains on this section so there are always places. Or on an Intercity train you can simply approach the conductor and pay €5 to travel on the train, he will find you a seat. Alternatively, you can use a regional or Inter-regional train instead, these are slower but need no reservation, just hop on and show your pass. Check times at www.cp.pt.
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.
The red dotted line is a high-speed route under construction, parts are already open.
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
This is the air-conditioned Intercity train between Madrid & Badajoz, at Badajoz. It's now been upgraded to an Alvia service. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
Comfort (1st) class seats on an Alvia train.
The cafe-bar and standard (2nd) class seats on an Alvia train.
Wonderful arid scenery on the Spanish plateau between Madrid & Badajoz. Photo courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
Step 2, Badajoz to Entroncamento
It's an here change at Badajoz. Above, the express from Madrid to Badajoz is on the left, the single-car Allan Railcar from Badajoz to Entroncamento is in the centre. On this particular day it was unusually formed of 3 single-cars coupled together. Photo courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
The single-coach Allan railcar from Badajoz to Entroncamento. It's comfortable and looks modern, but in fact dates from 1954-55. 2nd class only. Bring your own food & drink. Photos courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com (left) & @AscotPhill
Castle, seen from the Badajoz to Entroncamento railcar.. Photo courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
The railcar pauses at wayside stations such as Elvas, with lovely tiling. Courtesy of DiscoverByRail.com.
Step 3, Entroncamento to Lisbon
Westbound, Entroncamento to Lisbon Santa Apolonia is usually by Intercity train like the one shown below, with 1st & 2nd class and cafe bar. Eastbound, the 08:00 from Lisbon is a swish Alfa Pendular tilting train, the later departure is an Intercity. However, there are lots of trains between Entroncamento and Lisbon, including regional trains without seat reservations which cannot sell out, so you'll never be stranded, even if you're using an Interrail or Eurail pass.
Portuguese Intercity train arrived at Lisbon Santa Apolonia.