a travel blog by renata green
On my railroad trip through Portugal, I’ll show you that travelling the country by train is easy-peasy, cheap, and fun.
Let me guide you from mesmerizing Porto all the way to Lisbon – with some amazing whistle stops in between.
Do you hear the whistle blow? Quick – jump on the train and let’s go!
At the beginning of my railroad trip, I spent two days in Porto – enough time for a grand tour of the city.
Road trips are my passion. Preferably railroad trips. Buses are fine, too. But trains are classier. There is no legendary Trans Siberian Bus, no illustrious Orient Coach, after all. Nope, legends on wheels are always trains.
And getting to Porto by train undoubtedly keeps the legend alive.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Let me guide you to Figueira da Foz, a charmingly old fashioned seaside resort. It is the epitome of a South European vacation destination, indeed.
For about ten years, I hadn’t been to a European beach. I was thinking that Asia or Latin America were the places to be(ach). Arriving at Figueira da Foz, about two hours south of Porto and the second stop on my rail-trip along the Portuguese west coast, I stood so corrected.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Let me guide you through the most important landmark of Coimbra, namely the university founded in the 13th century and combining beauty with knowledge.
At this magisterial institution, knowledge is dressed in incredible beauty.
This Way to the Whole Story ->By the time I got to Lisbon, I was an expert on trains and train stations in Portugal. I definitely knew the drill.
What, on the other hand, I still didn’t really get – being such a flatlander from Hamburg – was that Portuguese cities are very hilly. That makes them beautiful and grants their visitors with stunning views. But for the arriving passenger, it’s quite a challenge.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Although I had just arrived in Portugal’s capital, I decided to go on a day trip to Sintra right away: It’s one of the most popular tours from Lisbon, it’s extremely touristy, and I was afraid that on the weekend, it would be even more packed since all the Portuguese daytrippers will join the foreign tourists.
Guide to Belém – which is, technically, a suburb to Lisbon but definitely the city’s treasure box.
Therefore, this glorious place definitely deserves its own guide.
This Way to the Whole Story ->Another very popular day trip from Lisbon is a short train ride to the very popular beaches of Estoril and Cascais. Albeit not really dreamy, especially on hot summer days, a day in these sophisticated retreats on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean can be the perfect break from Lisbon’s big city life.
If you spend more time in Estoril, you should stay away from the beach and go on a day trip to Sintra. Even by public transportation, this town of palaces is less than an hour away.
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