Travel from Lisbon to Porto in September

[Winggs]

My wife and I are planning on walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto in September.
We have a few questions. We will be traveling to Porto from Lisbon and are looking at the best way to get to Porto from Lisbon in mid-September. How difficult is it to travel by train at that time of year? We can’t see any train or bus schedule this far in advance. We are also looking at how soon should we book tickets for our train or bus trip from Santiago to Porto at the end of our Camino? Can someone make suggestions as to hotels in Santiago and how soon should we make reservations. Thank you for any help.

 

[Tincatinker]

Train and bus timetables, and reservation opportunities are usually published and open between three months and 30 days in advance depending on the individual service provider. That said timetables rarely change significantly so you can use coincident weekdays for planning purposes. I wouldn't book an exit from Santiago until I knew when I would get there. There is unlikely to be a need to book more than a day or two in advance if at all. I have never pre-booked trains or buses and have never not got a seat.

September in Santiago? Make your reservation as soon as you can once you know where you want to stay. Given the wealth of accommodation available and that you have not given any indication of preference for Albergue or 5 star I can't make a recommendation. I've enjoyed both Roots&Boots and the Parador. Other accommodations are available

 

[Deleted member 43780]

I would ride bus not train Lisbon to Porto.

Rode bus, ALSA, from Lisbon to Porto few times.
Easy ride.
When arriving at the bus station in Porto go downstairs and catch metro to your destination in Porto.
Hope you are taking a extra day to see Lisbon and a extra day to see Porto.
At the Lisbon bus station ALSA buses pull in front of their small office in the Lisbon bus station.
Found down stairs at the end of the elevated walkway. Be safe use elevated walk way. Goes over all the bus slots.

lisbon bus station is on metro line. Easy to get to from downtown Lisbon.

Do you have a place reserved in Porto?
I will post names of places I have stayed at in Porto.
Get first stamp at cathedral in Porto. Small office in small building by cathedral.

most ride train few stops out of Porto to start walk.
Thus avoiding built up areas, traffic, etc

ditto what tincatinker stated above. I have never booked a bus reservation. Always got a seat.
At most purchased ticket the day before.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

I would ride bus not train Lisbon to Porto.

Rode bus, ALSA, from Lisbon to Porto few times.
Easy ride.
When arriving at the bus station in Porto go downstairs and catch metro to your destination in Porto.
Hope you are taking a extra day to see Lisbon and a extra day to see Porto.
At the Lisbon bus station ALSA buses pull in front of their small office in the Lisbon bus station.
Found down stairs at the end of the elevated walkway. Be safe use elevated walk way. Goes over all the bus slots.

lisbon bus station is on metro line. Easy to get to from downtown Lisbon.

Do you have a place reserved in Porto?
I will post names of places I have stayed at in Porto.
Get first stamp at cathedral in Porto. Small office in small building by cathedral.

most ride train few stops out of Porto to start walk.
Thus avoiding built up areas, traffic, etc

ditto what tincatinker stated above. I have never booked a bus reservation. Always got a seat.
At most purchased ticket the day before.

 

[CanuckPaul]

My wife and I are planning on walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto in September.
We have a few questions. We will be traveling to Porto from Lisbon and are looking at the best way to get to Porto from Lisbon in mid-September. How difficult is it to travel by train at that time of year? We can’t see any train or bus schedule this far in advance. We are also looking at how soon should we book tickets for our train or bus trip from Santiago to Porto at the end of our Camino? Can someone make suggestions as to hotels in Santiago and how soon should we make reservations. Thank you for any help.

Try Alsa bus great daily service. Excellent website can book on line use google translator or click on English on website Bom Camino , Bom dia, Paul.

 

[gloria lowe]

The train ride from Porto was beautiful. Also the walk from the Cathedral down to the river is shirt and simple. I found the walk out of Porto along the river to the sea beautiful.

 

[trecile]

I entered a random weekday in March on the Portuguese train site and came up with 19 departures for that day. Duration of travel between about 3.5 and 4 hours, with prices starting around 20€.

CP - Comboios de Portugal

Na CP - Comboios de Portugal pode consultar horários, comboios e descontos, bem como comprar bilhetes online. Saiba mais

www.cp.pt

 

[lt56ny]

My wife and I are planning on walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto in September.
We have a few questions. We will be traveling to Porto from Lisbon and are looking at the best way to get to Porto from Lisbon in mid-September. How difficult is it to travel by train at that time of year? We can’t see any train or bus schedule this far in advance. We are also looking at how soon should we book tickets for our train or bus trip from Santiago to Porto at the end of our Camino? Can someone make suggestions as to hotels in Santiago and how soon should we make reservations. Thank you for any help.
[/QUOTE]
I have booked once from SDC by train and once by bus. Both times I booked the day before and both times without any problem whatsoever. I went to Lisbon the first time and Porto last year. As Tinker said there are ALOT of choices to make with regard to where to stay. I usually try to stay at Hospederia San Martin Pinero. I get a pilgrim room that I think is 25E a night now including a really big buffet breakfast. Last year when I tried to book it in early December it was already booked completely. I called about 4 days out thinking this is December and I don't have to worry but guess what, I should have worried. I think you can get a private room for 2 with breakfast for not much more than two pilgrim rooms. I think (I may be wrong) that all pilgrim rooms are just one single bed, a chair and a small bathroom. It is really spartan, no tv, no nothing but I great value and a wonderful place to end you camino. It is quiet and just steps away from the Cathedral.

 

[Winggs]

I entered a random weekday in March on the Portuguese train site and came up with 19 departures for that day. Duration of travel between about 3.5 and 4 hours, with prices starting around 20€.

CP - Comboios de Portugal

Na CP - Comboios de Portugal pode consultar horários, comboios e descontos, bem como comprar bilhetes online. Saiba mais

www.cp.pt

Thank you looking forward to our trip.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

My wife and I are planning on walking the Portuguese Camino from Porto in September.
We have a few questions. We will be traveling to Porto from Lisbon and are looking at the best way to get to Porto from Lisbon in mid-September. How difficult is it to travel by train at that time of year? We can’t see any train or bus schedule this far in advance.

The trains from Lisbon to Porto are a mainstay of the Portuguese economy and culture, and there's never any shortage of trains. I just checked their website, and, as noted, September schedule isn't available yet, but April will be pretty much the same as September, so I checked that.

On a weekday, there are 19 trains, a mix of 9 alfapendulars (fastest at 3 hours), 6 intercity (slightly slower, with a few more stops, at 3 h 20 - 3 h 30) and 4 others, again slightly slower. You're never going to have to wait long for one of these trains, and reservations aren't necessary. Even when you buy just at the train station, you'll get an assigned seat.

Buying in advance does get you a significant discount--I think 40%, but if you're over 65, you don't need to bother; you just present your passport at the station when you buy your ticket, say "reformado"--"reh-for-mah-doo, por favor"-- (retired), and you get the ticket at half price regardless of not pre-booking. I believe there are youth prices to, maybe going up to 25 or so? There are a ton of other discounts. They really want people to use the train. And the seniors' discount applies on any CP train, anywhere, within the country, even for short hops from town to town.

Lisboa to Oporto--you have about an 80% chance of getting someone who speaks English at the ticket booth. Smaller towns--maybe 30/70?

CP discounts for all ages | CP - Comboios de Portugal

Check all the CP discounts for all ages. Buy your train ticket now from our Online Ticket Office.

www.cp.pt

The bus system is much less practical. Good from hubs (major cities) to villages and back, but not worth using intercity like Lisboa-Oporto.

 

[Deleted member 43780]

friend...
disagree with you!!
Your statement may be a little misleading to others.
Bus between Lisboa to Porto is worth using “intercity” as you say.

have you personally ridden ALSA bus service Lisbon to Porto??

I rode the bus Lisbon to Porto few times.
Did not find it less practical.
Got on at main bus station in Lisboa ( which is on the metro line).
Got off at Porto (station has metro stop directly under the bus station).

it only made two or so QUICK stops on the route.

so, was great Lisbon>Porto.

there are other bus companies that make the same run.
I just prefer ALSA.

confused by your statement

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

confused by your statement

I've ridden a fair number of the intercity buses, but I have to admit not the one between Lisboa and Oporto, so I'm glad to hear the service is good.

When I say the bus system is not as practical, I'm mainly talking about the number of selections (as we discussed earlier, there's 19 choices a day on the train), and the fact that you can get great discounts, particularly as seniors. Not usually the case on the intercity buses. Maybe ALSA? So for many people, the bus ends up more expensive and has less flexibility.

I'm happy to hear the bus service is convenient as well. The more options at an affordable price, the better!