Lisbon to Porto by Train or Bus or Flying
Lisbon and Porto are the two largest cities of Portugal and each has a unique appeal and charm. Lisbon is the vibrant and historic capital city, while Porto is more traditional and conservative. Both cities make for excellent holiday destinations and are connected by reliable and inexpensive public transport. This guide will detail how to travel from Lisbon to Porto using both bus and train.
Lisbon and Porto Train Stations
All departures from Lisbon stop at the Oriente Train Station and most (but not all) stop at the Santa Apolonia Train Station. The Oriente Train Station is part of the Parque Das Nações complex on the eastern side of the capital. The station is connected to the Red Metro Line by the Oriente Metro Station and is also convenient for passengers who are travelling from Lisbon Airport.
n Porto, all train services stop at the Campanha Train Station, this station is to the east of Porto and is outside of the city limits. Sao Bento is the central Porto Station and a second train must be caught from Campanha to Sao Bento. This is a short train journey of less than 10 minutes and there are multiple departures per hour. The journey from Campanha to Sao Bento is included in the ticket price and a further ticket is not required.
Porto to Lisbon Transport Options
Porto is 310km to the north of Lisbon and the journey takes approximately 2.5-3.5 hours by public transport. Driving is faster but the toll road network is comparatively expensive and the toll roads use an overly complicated automated system for collecting fees. If renting a car in Portugal, always check with the hire company regarding their process for paying tolls, as fines can be very expensive. There is no need to hire a car to travel between Lisbon and Porto as there are excellent public transport services and the cost of the road tolls is equivalent to the price of the bus or train ticket.
Train travel is much faster but is more expensive; the 2.5 hour train costs €30.30, the 3 hour train costs €24,30 and the 3.5 hour bus costs €19. The train is more relaxing and provides increased leg room, but the luxury buses do offer a high level of comfort comparable to the trains. Please read on for an in-depth guide about travelling from Lisbon to Porto by first bus and then train, including; fares, station information and useful advice.
Lisbon to Porto by Bus
There are twenty daily departures between Lisbon and Porto, with more at the weekend, when there is a higher demand. There are two main bus routes operated by Rede Expressos between Lisbon and Porto. The Route 50 is the faster at 3.5 hours and has a single stop in the religious town of Fatima. The Route 11 is longer, with three stops in Fatima, Leiria, and Coimbra and the total journey time is 4.5 hours.
A single ticket from Lisbon to Porto costs €19/€9/€15 (adult/child/senior) and can be purchased online at www.rede-expressos.pt or at the Sete Rios Bus Station. Online tickets can be purchased up to thirty days in-advance but require a passport number to complete the transition. Tickets cannot be purchased from the driver. Each passenger is allocated a seat and this will be clearly printed on the ticket. Heavy or large luggage will need to be stored in the luggage compartment on the side of the bus.
Lisbon to Porto by Train
The train service connecting Lisbon with Porto is fast, modern and comparatively inexpensive. There are two different train services between Porto to Lisbon; the Intercidades and the Alfa Pendular. The Alfa Pendular service is faster and offers a high standard of comfort and facilities (free WIFI and more leg room) but is significantly more expensive than the older Intercidades trains. Both train services are direct and depart from the same train stations.
he Alfa Pendular train journey takes 2.5 hours while the intercity train service is just over 3 hours. There are 14 daily departures in each direction but check the CP website for exact departure times. A single ticket on the Alfa Pendular Train from Lisbon to Porto costs €42.40/€30.30 (Conforto class / normal class) while the Intercidades costs €35.90/€24.30 (first class/ second class). Alfa Pendular trains are the recommend means of travel from Lisbon to Porto and are a whole hour faster than the bus service for only €10 more.
Lisbon - Porto
- Departure station : Lisboa santa apol (R. dos Caminhos de Ferro 4 1100 Lisbonne)
Lisboa oriente (Via Recíproca 1800 Lisbonne) - Arrival station : Porto campanha (Largo da Estação de Campanhã 4300 Porto)
Lisboa, the capital of Portugal
Lisbon, the capital city of Portugal Lisboa, commonly known as Lisbon in English, is the capital city of Portugal. It is found on the banks of the Tagus River on the western coast of Portugal. The city is a major tourism, financial and international trade hub. The charm of Lisbon is characterized by its many historic quarters. What gives a unique dimension to the city are these old quarters with medieval origins which have a characteristic and familiar environment with small houses and narrow streets. The city of Lisbon is the gateway to discover Portugal by train. Indeed Lisbon is just 2h30 away from Porto.Porto magnifico
Porto, the splendid city of the wine. Portugal’s second-largest city gave the whole nation its name. With their mélange of architectural styles, the cobbled streets of Porto’s historic centre have UNESCO World Heritage status. On the other side of the Douro river, granite houses and Port wine cellars crawl up the steep slopesPortugal has two real jewels for cities that should be a part of any Iberian adventure. Plus, transport between the two is quick, easy and cheap, making it a no-brainer to visit both when you visit Portugal.
On this page, youll find all the information you need to get from Lisbon to Porto by bus, train, car and flights.
Whats the Best Way to Get from Lisbon to Porto?
There isnt much difference in price between the bus and train, so Id take the considerably quicker train.But if youre staying near the bus station, you might prefer that option rather than commuting to the train station.
But why not consider a stop en route? The university town of Coimbra is a fantastic stop along the way between Porto and Lisbon. Alternatively, the bus stops in Fatima.
Porto as a Day Trip from Lisbon
With trains leaving Lisbon at 6am, 7am and 8am and with the last train back at around 9pm, you can get a full day out of a day trip to Porto. I think Porto deserves a lot more time than a day, but if your main aim is to try the Port wine at a tasting session by the river, you can certainly do this in a day.
Staying in Porto
Still, Id say Porto deserves at least a nights stay. If you want to have make a speedy return to Lisbon, your best bet is stay close to Campanha train station in Porto. However, if youre staying longer in the city, staying near Sao Bento station will give you better access to the city center.Taking the Train
There are frequent trains from Lisbon to Porto. The journey takes about 2h45 and costs around 25€.Trains leave from Santa Apolonia and Oriente train stations. Santa Apolonia is the more central station and more likely to be where you want to get the train from, though Oriente is closer to Lisbon airport.
Lisbon to Porto by Bus
The bus from Lisbon to Porto takes about 3h30 and costs about 20€. There are buses every hour or half hour throughout the day. The bus station, called Sete Rios, is a little to the north of the city. In most cases, itll be easier to get to the train station.Book from Rede Expressos.
Driving to Porto from Lisbon
The journey from Lisbon to Porto takes three hours and is about 300km.Is it Worth Flying?
There are flights from Lisbon to Porto but they arent worth it. Flights can be cheap as 80€ return but the train is cheaper and quicker when taking into account check in time at the airport.Lisbon and Porto are the two largest cities in Portugal! Thus, travelers can count on good access, as well as good transport options between these two cities.
If you are looking for train travel, please know that Lisbon Porto trains are operated by CP, Comboios de Portugal, the company that manages the railways in the country. The Lisbon Porto buses are from Rede Expresso. At the moment, neither company is a GoEuro partner, that is, you will not find neither bus trips nor Lisboa Porto trains on our website. On the other hand, you will find plane trips from Lisbon to Oporto. For a long time, TAP was the main company operating flights from Lisbon to Oporto. Recently, Ryanair also started operating this flight, offering low cost flights from Lisbon to Porto frequent.
The change has been such that nowadays air travel between these two cities has become common, because not only is the journey faster (Lisboa Porto flights last about an hour) but also because of the flights. The offer of Ryanair low cost flights has forced TAP to lower prices and nowadays it is possible to travel between the two cities for 11 euros - much cheaper than the train or bus prices! Add to this the fact that there are around eight Lisbon Porto flights daily and the popularity of air travel between these two cities is explained!
