Lisbon is the capital and largest city of Portugal, located on the 7 hills. Lisbon is also a main railway junction in the country. It’s a perfect starting point to explore the country by train. Trains in Lisbon connect the capital with many large cities in Portugal and many tourist destinations. There are urban trains, suburban trains, Intercity and Alfa Pendular trains. Most popular are one-day train trips to Sintra, Coimbra and Evora. Railway enthusiasts should visit the National Railway Museum in Entroncamento.
Tourist tickets
24h Carris/Metro/CP ticket – ticket valid on all Lisbon urban trains, Carris buses, elevators, funiculars and trams and the Lisbon Metro for 24 hours. You can hop on and off wherever you want. This pass is loaded onto a “Navegante Ocasional” card that is only valid for one person. A reusable “Navegante Ocasional” card is valid for a year and is very cheap. The pass can be purchased in any Lisbon urban train ticket offices or ticket vending machines. The ticket is also valid on trains from Lisbon to Cascais and Sintra.
Comboios de Portugal – more information
Comboios de Portugal offers also a very cheap Tourist Travelcard for Lisbon urban trains provides unlimited travel for 1 or 3 days (24 or 72 hours in a row), on the Sintra/Azambuja, Cascais and Sado lines, The ticket is loaded onto a Navegante Ocasional Card. Each card can only be used by 1 person. The tickets are on sale from ticket offices and ticket vending machines.
Trains in Lisbon – timetable and online shop
Comboios de Portugal – national operator
Fertagus – private operator (Lisbon – Setubal route)
Lisbon Metro – official website
Railway stations in Lisbon
There are many railway stations in Lisbon. Most important are four stations:
Lisboa Oriente – one of the main Portuguese intermodal public transport hubs and main railway station in the Lisbon. The station is located in the civil parish of Parque das Nações, 6 kilometers from the city centre. It is interconnected with bus station and metro station. The bus station is main location in Lisbon for Flixbus. Metro station is located on the lowest level of the Lisboa Oriente Station and metro provides easy access to main tourist sights in the city center. Close to the station is Vasco da Gama shopping mall.
Lisboa Santa Apolonia – the oldest railway station in Lisbon, inaugurated on 1 May 1865. The station is situated in the Alfama district of Lisbon, near the River Tag. The station is situated 1,5 km from the city center.
Lisboa Santa Apolonia train station
Lisboa Rossio – most beautiful train station in Lisbon built in Neo-Manueline style. The station is very familiar to tourists, because trains to Sintra start here. The trains run from early morning until late evening every 20 minutes. The trains are often crowded because they are very popular among tourists visiting Portugal. The station is located 1,5 km from the city centre.
International Airport in Lisbon doesn’t have a train station. Portela Airport in Lisbon is located about 3 kilometers from Lisboa Oriente station. The Red Metro Line and Aerobus connect railway station and the airport. Metro trains leave the airport metro station every 6 to 10 minutes and journey time from Portela Airport to the city center is about 20 minutes. The Red Metro Line operates daily from 06:30 am to 01:00 am. Journey time from Portela Airport to Lisboa Oriente is 10 minutes.
Sete Rios – intermodal public transport hub. Most long-distance Rede Expressos coaches operated services depart from Sete Rios Coach Station. Suburban trains to Azambuja and Sintra operated by Comboios de Portugal and commuter trains to Setubal operated by Fertagus stop at the station. Intercity trains between Gare do Oriente and Faro stop at Sete Rios Station thrice daily in both directions.
Trains from Lisbon to Cascais depart from Lisboa Cais do Sodre station.
Long-distance trains in Lisbon
Trains from Lisbon reach the most important cities in Portugal. Comfortable and fast trains are relatively inexpensive, and Portuguese Railways offer a variety of promotional tickets, allowing you to explore Portugal by train inexpensively. Suburban and regional trains don’t require a seat reservation and you don’t need to buy tickets in advance. In contrary, seat reservation in Intercity and Alfa Pendular trains is mandatory and is highly recommended to reserve a ticket at least one day before your journey.
Train travel in Portugal– an ultimate guide
Long-distance trains in Lisbon
Lisbon – Porto (via Coimbra, Aveiro)
Lisbon – Faro
Lisbon – Obidos (one train daily)
Lisbon – Braga (via Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto)
Lisbon – Guimaraes (via Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto)
Lisbon – Valenca (via Coimbra, Aveiro, Porto)
Lisbon – Evora
Lisbon – Guarda (via Covilha)
Commuter and regional trains in Lisbon:
There are many commuter and regional trains from Lisbon. Most important train connections:
Lisbon – Sintra
Lisbon – Azambuja
Lisbon – Tomar (via Entroncamento)
Lisbon – Caldas de Rainha
Lisbon – Cascais (from Lisboa Cais do Sodre station)
Lisbon – Setubal (operated by Fertagus)
