Fast train Lisbon -Santiago

[J Willhaus]

La UE lanza una ruta ferroviaria entre Lisboa y A Coruña que operará la compañía privada Iryo - http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...oa-coruna-privada-iryo/0003_202302G1P6997.htm

Here's more about the fast train service between Lisbon and Santiago.

 

[peregrina2000]

Wow, great news! I thought that the bus ride between Santiago and Lisbon was really pretty bad. I know some forum members really like bus travel, but I would always go for the train if possible! The bus ride is long, monotonous, and has/had a 45 minute stop at a nondescript highway rest stop, which at least had a cafeteria.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

La UE lanza una ruta ferroviaria entre Lisboa y A Coruña que operará la compañía privada Iryo - http://www.lavozdegalicia.es/notici...oa-coruna-privada-iryo/0003_202302G1P6997.htm

Here's more about the fast train service between Lisbon and Santiago.

This is pretty much "wish list" stuff right now. Reading the full story re Ggl Translate, and having been following developments in the Portuguese train system for a while now...the highspeed tracks to run this train on do not exist as yet. CP (Portuguese Rail) is still working on the high-speed route between Porto and Vigo. I believe it will be finished next year. But the high-speed Lisbon - Porto will be a while after that. They're still muttering about routes.

 

[Steven Dwyer]

Wow, great news! I thought that the bus ride3 between Santiago and Lisbon was really pretty bad. I know some forum members really like bus travel, but I would always go for the train if possible!

It is possible to travel Santiago to Lisbon by train in 11 hours, although it requires changing trains in Vigo and Porto. Currently there is a train departing Santiago at 06:14 into Vigo at 7:41. This will get you onto the morning train from Vigo at 08:58 that reaches Porto at 10:20. Next a train departs Porto at 10:38 that could get you into Lisbon at 14:00. Renfe sometimes shows the route from Santiago to Porto, and sometimes shows no connection.

Going the opposite direction is a two day journey by train since the earliest train from Lisbon arrives after the morning departure from Porto. The evening departure from Porto arrives in Vigo at 22:34 after the last train to Santiago. Going north stopping over in Porto is recommended to catch the 8:13 departure which could get you into Santiago at 14:03.

I traveled the northbound direction last year and the trains were decent. I stopped a couple of days in Porto, and then another stop over in Vigo. Total cost for the tickets was $29.36 Which included using the CP Portuguese rail senior discount and then buying a Tarjeta Dorada in Vigo to use the senior discount there.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

It is possible to travel Santiago to Lisbon by train in 11 hours, although it requires changing trains in Vigo and Porto. Currently there is a train departing Santiago at 06:14 into Vigo at 7:41. This will get you onto the morning train from Vigo at 08:58 that reaches Porto at 10:20. Next a train departs Porto at 10:38 that could get you into Lisbon at 14:00. Renfe sometimes shows the route from Santiago to Porto, and sometimes shows no connection.

We did most of this southbound trip last year: mainly because we weren't allowed to enter Portugal directly by air from Canada, and so we "sneaked" (legally) into the country by flying into Spain, and then travelling by rail into Portugal.

We took the Vigo 08:58 train to Porto to arrive at 10:20. (Remember this will be 11:20 Spanish time). So the trip is not a fast one. And it is a small, oldish train with no café or other facilities.

Thus I recommend, if you do this trip, taking the 11:32 AP train Porto Campagna to Lisboa Oriente (for airport) or Lisboa Santa Apolónia (for downtown) for your next train, rather than the 10:38 IC (earliest connection). AP trains are faster, with less stops, so you arrive in Lisboa only 1/2 hour later than with the IC, and have time for a morning coffee and snack in the very nice café right next to the Porto Campagna railway station before you board the Lisboa train. (Then, if you're flying out sometime soon, de-train at Lisboa Oriente, and you're only 3 easy Metro stops from Lisboa Airport.)

That's what we did (took the 11:32), and it worked out well. We only went as far in Portugal as Entroncamento, since that's the closest main-line station to Barquinha.

 

[Friend from Barquinha]

More about fast trains in Europe, in general, and some in Spain/Portugal, in particular...

EU train travel on track to be faster and cheaper under new scheme

There’ll be no excuse to take flights within Europe when these new long distance train routes have launched.

www.euronews.com