Getting There

By Air

Scheduled Flights

tap Air Portugal (www.tap.pt) is Portugal’s national airline and it has wide international links. Flights, particularly from Paris, can get very heavily booked in the summer (July/August) and around Christmas and Easter.

Many major airlines make non-stop direct flights to Lisbon from capital cities in Europe and other continents. There are several flights a week from New York, Los Angeles and Boston.

You may also, from some countries, fly directly to Porto in the north, Faro in the south and to Madeira and the Azores. Links with London are particularly good.. Budget airlines also operate between the UK and Lisbon, including Easyjet (www.easyjet.co.uk), Ryanair (wwwryanair.com) and Monarch (www.monarch.co.uk).

Visitors from the USA and South America can travel on Sata Airways (www.sata.pt) which has seasonal flights from São Salvador da Bahia (Brazil) to Lisbon; between Toronto and Porto and Lisbon; between Oakland, California and Terceira, Azores; and between Boston and Lisbon, Porto, and Ponte Delgada, Azores; as well as various routes between Portugal and the rest of Europe.

Between regular airlines and charter companies the choice is considerable – and ticket prices vary a great deal.

Charter Flights

Because Portugal is a popular tourist destination, charter flights from Britain and continental Europe to Lisbon and Faro are frequent in summer, less so in winter. There are similar flights from the United States. Although primarily intended for holiday-makers buying a complete package, including accommodation, spare capacity is sold off as seat only, and often at a discounted rate.

Airports

In Lisbon and Porto the international airports are on the outskirts of the city. Taxis will take you to the city centre. All have meters and lists of charges for out-of-town journeys. The website for Portugal’s airports is www.ana.pt. In Lisbon, taxis cost around €10 and drivers are entitled to charge an excess for luggage over 30kg (66lb). The easiest way to reach the town centre, if you don’t have much luggage, is the Metro extension, which was completed in 2012. The red line runs from Aeroporto, and you can change at S. Sebastião for the blue line to Restauradoros or Baixa-Chiado, which will take around 35 minutes; trains run from 6.30am to 1am. The Aerobus runs from the yellow bus stop outside the airport every 20 minutes and takes about 20 minutes to the centre of town, and can be quicker than a taxi when traffic is heavy. Tickets allow you a free day’s travel on the city’s transport system. Porto and Faro also have bus services to their city centres and good air links with each other.

Aeroporto de Lisboa

Tel: 218 413 500

Aeroporto Dr Francisco Sá Carneiro (Porto)

Tel: 229 432 400

Aeroporto de Faro

Tel: 289 800 800

Aeroporto da Santa María (Azores)

Tel: 296 820 020

Aeroporto des Horta (Madeira)

Tel: 292 943 511

By Train

Nowhere in Portugal is yet linked to the superfast tgv system, but there’s a busy international (and national) train service run by the national railway company, CP (Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses; www.cp.pt). A daily train, the Sud-Express, runs as a night train between Lisbon and Irun, from where you can take the TGV to Paris; likewise there are night trains on the Paris–Porto route, changing at Irun. The Madrid to Lisbon/Porto service (usually twice a day) is a sleeper and takes around 10 hours.

There are also routes from northern Spain (Galicia) or southern Spain (Seville) into Portugal. These latter services tend to be slow and time-consuming. Once in Portugal, you have a good, fast north–south route (Porto–Lisbon–Faro) as well as slow, scenic rides, if you care for them, especially in the north.

Special Tickets

Various discounts are available, including for groups, seniors, students, youths and children. Eurail offer train passes for periods of three, four, five or six days

By Road

By Car

Good roads link Portugal with its Spanish neighbour at numerous border points. Main east–west routes to Lisbon are from Seville via Beja; from Badajoz via Elvas; from Salamanca via Viseu (via the IP5 highway).

If driving from England, using the channel ferries, or the Channel Tunnel, allow three days; or, via Plymouth–Santander or Portsmouth–Bilbao, two.

By Bus

Eurolines (www.eurolines.com) operates buses between Paris and Lisbon. Although cheap, it may not be as cheap as a no-frills carrier. Tickets tend to be open, so make sure you book a seat for the return journey. Busabout (www.busabout.com) offer seven-day day ‘adventure’ bus tours around Spain and Portugal aimed at young travellers.

Getting Around

By Car

Thanks to EU funding, many of Portugal’s roads have improved considerably over the past decade or so. However, many rural routes continue to be poorly maintained and narrow. In the cities, traffic can be heavy, especially in rush hour, and towns can be difficult to negotiate. The best plan is to find a car park and walk. Remember to drive on the right, giving priority to traffic on your left.

You will need a blue zone parking permit to park in most major cities. You can acquire these free of charge from the local police. Do not park within 18 metres (60ft) of a road junction, 15 metres (50ft) of a bus or tram stop. Park facing the same direction as the moving traffic on your side of the road. Car parks are increasing in number and are obviously the most secure option.

Seat belts are compulsory in both front and rear seats, and children under 12 must travel in the back. Talking on a mobile phone while driving is also illegal. Offending against these and other regulations is subject to heavy on-the-spot cash fines. Watch out for compulsory dipped-headlight signs on motorways in the north. By law you should also have a red warning triangle and a fluorescent yellow jacket in the car (provided in rental cars). If you break down, 24-hour assistance is available via the Automóvel Clube de Portugal (www.acp.pt).

The alcohol limit is 0.5g/litre and a blood/alcohol reading of more than 0.12 percent will result in steep fines. There are four categories of highway:

AE are motorways on which tolls are levied (120kph/75mph speed limit)

IP are itinerários principais (main trunk roads, 100kph/62mph)

IC are itinerários complementares (complementary trunk roads, 100kph/62mph)

AN are estradas nacionais (main roads, 90kph/53mph)

The speed limit in urban areas is 50kph (30mph).

Car Hire

To get the best car hire deals, book in advance with internet-based brokers, like Holiday Autos (www.holidayautos.com). Alternatively, the major international car hire companies have offices at the airport, including Hertz, Avis, Alamo and Europcar – along with several local, generally less expensive, companies. Reliable local choices include Auto Jardim (www.auto-jardim.com) and Guerin (www.guerin.pt); the latter has offices at Faro and Lisbon airports, as well as in the cities of Porto and Lisbon.

To rent a car in Portugal, most agencies require you to be at least 21 years old and to have had a valid driving licence for a minimum of one year. An international licence is not necessary.

By Air

tap Air Portugal is the national airline. There is daily service between Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Madeira and the Azores.

The airline Portugália also operates a solid domestic and international service, and has a good reputation. The offices are located at Rua C - Edifício 70, 1749-078 Lisbon, tel: 218 425 500.

By Train

Trains in Portugal range from the comfortable and speedy alfa rápidos to the painfully slow regionais. Generally, the most efficient routes are the Lisbon–Coimbra–Porto and the Lisbon–Algarve lines. Algarve trains depart from Gare do Oriente. Santa Apolónia is where to catch trains to northern and central Portugal. Rápidos (alfa)are fast and punctual and cost more. Some rápidos have first-class carriages only; others have a very comfortable second class as well. Next in line are the directos intercidades, which make more stops and travel more slowly. These have both first- and second-class compartments; second-class here is likely to be less comfortable than in the rápidos.

Finally, the semi-directos, and especially the regionais, seem to stop every few metres and take longer than you could have believed possible. On directos, semi-directos and regionais, second-class seats are not assigned, and the train company, Caminhos de Ferro Portugueses (CP), has no qualms about issuing more tickets than seats if the need arises. If you want to be certain of a seat, board early. On rural routes, trains are almost always regional.

Furthermore, to reach more remote – or even not-so-remote – destinations, it may be necessary to change trains, and timetables are seldom coordinated. Unless you are catching rápidos (and intercidades), which are punctual, leave yourself plenty of time between transfers. Note also that only the international trains like the Sud-Expresso and the Faro–Porto Comboio Azul have restaurant cars.

Stations in Lisbon

There are four railway stations in Lisbon. Cais do Sodré and Rossio are commuter stations. International and long-distance trains to the north and east leave from Santa Apolónia, just to the east of Praça do Comercio. Trains south to Alentejo and the Algarve leave from Gare Oriente.

Stations in Porto and Coimbra

Porto and Coimbra each have two railway stations. Porto’s São Bento and Coimbra A are located in the respective town centres. Most long-distance trains, however, arrive and leave from Porto’s Campanhã station and Coimbra B station, outside the cities, and there are shuttle services between the central and outlying stations.

By Bus

Bus networks are privately run.The major carriers are Rede Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt) and Eva Transportes (http://www.eva-bus.com).

Except for routes between major cities, the bus is often faster than the train, and the system is certainly more extensive. This is particularly true in the north and between the smaller towns in Algarve and Alentejo.

There are quite a few private bus lines which specialise in particular areas of the country. Often they have more direct routes to smaller towns. Many travel agencies can book tickets on a private line, or may even run their own.

Boat Trips

Boat trips are offered in a variety of vessels, traditional and modern, on the country’s three main rivers, the Tejo, Douro and Minho. Many are privately run, so tourist offices do not necessarily have all the information. Hotels, particularly in the Douro region, should be able to tell you all the options.

Rio Tejo Lisboa Vista do Tejo is a state-run lunch and dinner cruise from Alcântara docks (tel: 213 913 030; www.lvt.pt).

Rio Douro Boats depart from the Cais de Ribeira in Porto. Trips range in length from an hour to several days, visiting quintas and stopping en route. The largest operating company is Douro Azul in Porto (tel: 223 402 500; www.douroazul.pt). The French shipping company Croise Europe (www.croisieurope.travel) has three boats. Portowellcome in Vila Nova de Guia also organises trips (tel: 223 747 320; www.portowellcome.com). The government-backed PortoTours, in the Torre Medieval just below Porto’s cathedral, organises boat and other tours (tel: 222 000 045; www.portotours.com).

Transport in Lisbon

Trains

Commuter trains to Cascais (stopping in Carcavelos, Estoril and other towns along the western coast) depart from Cais do Sodré station, west of the Praça do Comércio. Trains depart roughly every 15 to 20 minutes; the journey to Cascais (the end of the line) takes 35–40 minutes.

Trains to the northwestern suburbs, including Sintra, leave from the Rossio station at 15-minute intervals. The trip to Sintra takes about 45 minutes and operates from Campolide.

Buses and Trams

The city bus company, Carris, runs an extensive system of buses, trams (eléctricos) and funiculars. Bus stops are clearly marked by signposts or shelters. All stops display a diagrammatical map of the bus route; many have a map of the entire city system.

Pre-World War I trams ply the smaller, steeper streets where buses are unable to navigate. Some of them are quite beautiful, inside and out; they are slower and cheaper than the buses and are a good way to see the city. The tram is also supplemented with some larger, more modern vehicles operating along the riverside.

Carris also runs two funiculars and an elevator. The Santa Justa Elevador is near the Rossio. One funicular climbs the steep Calçada da Glória from Praça dos Restauradores, the other is in São Paulo. You pay on board, or they are covered by Carris tickets and passes.

Tickets and Passes

It is worth considering buying a Viva Viagem or 7Colinas card. These cost €0.50, and you can then charge up the card. You thus pay less per journey than you do if you buy regular tickets. They can be charged so that they’re useable only on the Carris network, or so that they can be used on the Carris and the Metro networks. Buying tickets for each journey works out more expensive. Don’t board the bus without paying, as ticket inspectors appear from time to time and the fine is steep.

The Carris information kiosks scattered all over the city provide information and sell tickets and passes. Two of the most convenient kiosks are in Praça da Figueira, near the Rossio, and near Eduardo VII Park.

Metro

The metro is useful for travel in the central zone of the city and travelling to/from the airport. The system is easy to use and cheap. You can buy single tickets and validate them at the machines next to the ticket booths. Carris kiosks and Metro stations also sell a one-/five-day Bilhete Carris/Metro ticket valid for buses, trams, funiculars and the metro. Alternatively the Viva Viagem or 7Colinas cards may be charged so that they are valid on the Metro.

Taxis

In all Portugal’s cities, taxis are plentiful and cheap. The great majority of them are cream, while older ones are black with green roofs. In the city, they charge a standard metered fare, with no additions for extra passengers. (They carry up to four people.) Outside city limits, the driver may use the meter or charge a flat rate per kilometre, and is entitled to charge for the return fare (even if you don’t take it). You should tip taxi drivers between 5 and 10 percent.