For those averse to driving in Portugal, you may wish to consider travelling by train or by private taxi transfers. Train travel is one of the easiest and most economical ways of travelling within Portugal, especially between the major cities and towns. Cities such as Faro, Lisbon, Coimbra, Porto and Guimaraes are all connected by the state-run system operated by the Comboios de Portugal (CP).

There are three main categories of train service in Portugal, and we are able to pre-book the Alfa Pendular or Intercity trains for our clients. The Regional trains must be booked and purchased locally.

 

Categories of train service:
Alfa Pendular: Trains connecting the north and south of Portugal. The journey takes just under 7 hours with one change at Lisbon (Oriente Station).
Intercity: Regular intercity trains connecting most of the major cities.
Regional: Trains connecting all the regions of Portugal and covering more remote areas.

Private taxi transfers can be arranged for any of our featured properties in Portugal. However, many of our properties are located in isolated areas away from town centres and therefore car hire is recomended. Please telephone us for further details.

 

Over recent years many of our clients have asked us to arrange either trains or private taxi transfers for them. We list below some of the more popular routes.

 

 

Itinerary 1
Using direct scheduled flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick to Porto with TAP Portugal, and inclusive of intercity train tickets and transfers as detailed

No. of nights	Accommodation	Location
3	Hotel Pestana Porto	Porto
3	Pousada Nossa Senhora da Oliverira	Guimaraes

Train:	Porto - Guimaraes - Porto
Transfers:	Porto airport to Hotel Pestana Porto Porto train station to Porto airport
Approximate journey times:	Porto - Guimaraes = 1 hr

 

 

Itinerary 2
Using direct scheduled flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick to Lisbon with TAP Portugal (returning from Porto to London Heathrow or Gatwick), and inclusive of Alfa Pendular train tickets and transfers as detailed. 

No. of nights	Accommodation	Location
3	Hotel Heritage Avenida Liberdade	Lisbon
2	Quinta das Lagrimas	Coimbra
2	Hotel Mercure Batalha	Porto

Train:	Lisbon – Coimbra / Coimbra – Porto
Transfers:	Lisbon airport to Hotel Heritage Avenida Liberdade Hotel Mercure Batalha to Porto airport
Approx journey times:	Lisbon – Coimbra = 1hr 45mins Coimbra – Porto = 1hr

 

 

Itinerary 3
Using direct scheduled flights from London Heathrow or Gatwick to Lisbon with TAP Portugal, and inclusive of private taxi transfers as detailed.

No. of nights	Accommodation	Location
4	Hotel Lisboa Plaza	Lisbon
3	Hotel da Cartuxa	Evora

Transfers:	Lisbon airport to Hotel Lisboa Plaza Hotel Lisboa Plaza to Hotel da Cartuxa Hotel da Cartuxa to Lisbon airport
Approx. journey times by car:	Lisbon – Evora = 134km

  
Itinerary 4
Using direct scheduled flights from London Gatwick to Lisbon with TAP Portugal (returning from Faro to London Gatwick), and inclusive of Alfa Pendular train tickets and transfers as detailed.

No. of nights	Accommodation	Location
3	Hotel As Janelas Verdes	Lisbon
2	Pousada Dom Afonso II	Alcacer do Sal
2	Pousada Convento da Graca	Tavira

Train:	Lisbon – Alcacer do Sal / Alcacer do Sal – Faro
Transfers:	Lisbon airport to Hotel As Janelas Verdes           Faro train station to Pousada Convento da Graca Pousada Convento da Graca to Faro airport
Approximate journey times:	Lisbon – Alcacer do Sal = 1hr 20mins                  Alcacer do Sal – Faro = 2hr 15mins Faro – Tavira (by road) = 30 mins

 

NB: Remember, holidays of any duration can be arranged using the daily service with TAP Portugal.

 

 

Guideline Price £ per person: Prices based on 2-sharing a standard twin/double room, flights with TAP Portugal and trains and/or transfers as shown.  Single room supplement on request.

	Apr	May	Jul	Sep
Itinerary 1	£614	£592	£592	£585
Itinerary 2	£784	£784	£784	£774
Itinerary 3	£787	£787	£737	£778
Itinerary 4	£907	£876	£876	£864

 

As all our holidays are tailor-made, we have adopted a flexible pricing policy based on individual airline net fares which now, as a result of the changing airline industry, fluctuate on a regular basis. Our new computer system enables us to give up to the minute quotes on all properties. The price will reflect the latest flight prices and any offers from hotels.