Santiago to Lisbon

tdosser said:

Hello (again)
What is the best way to get to Lisbon from Santiago de Compostela? Bus or train? It looks like both ways are over 8 hours travel time.
Thank you!

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I made this trip just a few weeks ago. I got a coach from SDC to Porto and then a train from Porto to Lisbon. I stopped for the night in Porto in between. I got the coach to Porto because it was more direct than the train - you have to catch a train from SDC to Vigo and then change trains for Porto, whereas you can get a coach straight to Porto from SDC. Another problem is that the TrenCelta train from Vigo to Porto only runs a couple of times a day, so you have to time your connections right. Getting from Porto to Lisbon is comparatively far more straightforward - there’s a lot of trains each day between the two. And of course if you wanted to you could also get the coach from Porto to Lisbon. If you do get the coach, I suggest avoiding FlixBus - I went with them from SDC to Porto and the coach arrived 40 minutes late and didn’t have the advertised amenities. I spoke to other people about them and anecdotally they don’t have a good reputation. I gather ALSA are more reliable and better regarded. Personally I thought the train ride was more enjoyable than the coach one - you can stretch out and move about on a train more easily, the toilet are better, and there’s no restrictions on the amount of luggage.

Alsa bus has a direct connection from Santiago to Lisbon

I took the ALSA coach . It made one stop in Fatima for a leg stretch and grab a coffee . It's a long haul so have a book or some other means of breaking up the time for yourself .