Lisbon to Porto Train Tickets: A 5-Step Guide

Most people sort out Lisbon to Porto by train in four decisions. Which train, which fare, where to buy, and which Lisbon station to start from. This guide takes them in that order. It ends with the case where a guided trip beats the train.

All times and prices below come from CP's own timetable and price tables, read on 21 October 2026. Check the date of your trip in the CP app before you pay, because timetables change.

Step 1: Pick the Alfa Pendular or the Intercidades

Two CP train types run between Lisbon and Porto. The Alfa Pendular is the fast one, and the Intercidades (the name means "intercity") is the cheaper one.

CP's Lisboa-Norte timetable, valid since 5 July 2025, shows nine Alfa Pendular trains from Lisboa Santa Apolónia to Porto Campanhã, between 07:00 and 20:00. A few run only on certain days. There is no Alfa Pendular between 09:00 and 12:00. The Intercidades leave from 06:30 to 22:00, and the last one reaches Porto at 01:13. Every train on this route has a cafeteria and bar. CP says all Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains have free Wi-Fi.

Both types stop at Coimbra-B and Aveiro. The Alfa Pendular is the fastest service on this route today. In 2022 the Portuguese government talked about a future high-speed line of 1 hour 15 minutes from Lisbon to Porto. It gave no finished date.

Second class on the Alfa Pendular costs €7.65 more than second class on the Intercidades. For that you save 25 minutes.

Key Takeaway In second class you pay €7.65 more on the Alfa Pendular (€35.70) than on the Intercidades (€28.05), and you arrive 25 minutes sooner.

Step 2: Work out your fare

The fares above are full fares, valid from 1 January 2026. A return ticket costs less than two singles. In second class a return is €64.50 on the Alfa Pendular and €50.50 on the Intercidades.

The bigger saving is the Promo ticket. CP discounts tickets for Alfa Pendular and Intercidades that you buy ahead. Bought 5 to 7 days before the trip, the discount is up to 56%. Bought 8 or more days before, it is up to 65%. A Promo ticket can be exchanged but not refunded. Since 10 August 2026 it is sold only online, in the app and at ticket machines.

Pro Tip With fixed dates, buy a Promo ticket for the 07:00 Alfa Pendular 8 or more days ahead. If your plans may change, pay full fare, because a Promo ticket cannot be refunded.

CP's price table is written from Lisbon. The same two train types run from Porto to Lisbon, so check the price in the CP app when you buy.

Step 3: Buy your Lisbon to Porto train tickets from CP

Buy from CP itself. The CP online ticket office sells tickets up to 60 days ahead and until 15 minutes before the train leaves. You can pay by card, PayPal or MB WAY, and you choose your seat as you buy. CP's app sells the same tickets.

At the station, use the ticket office or a ticket machine. The CP page on buying tickets lists the app, the online ticket office, station ticket offices, the customer care line and ticket machines. It also says you must hold a valid ticket before you board. The one exception is a station with no sales point. Do not count on paying on the train.

CP warns that some third-party websites are not official partners and can charge more than CP's own prices. If a site adds a booking fee to the €35.70, you are on one of them.

Step 4: Choose Santa Apolónia or Oriente

The trains to Porto leave from Lisboa Santa Apolónia. They call at Lisboa Oriente about nine minutes later. The fare is the same from either station, because CP's table lists one price for "Lisboa SA / Lisboa Oriente".

Pick whichever station is closer to your bed. Santa Apolónia is on the Metro's Blue line, and Oriente is on the Red line. The Metro page for each station lists the CP link to the Norte line, the line that goes to Porto.

Boarding at Oriente, check the time for Oriente, not for Santa Apolónia. The 07:00 Alfa Pendular calls there at 07:09.

Step 5: Decide whether a tour or a transfer is better

For Porto itself, the train is the better choice. It is the fastest way and the cheapest, and a train leaves every few hours from early morning to late evening.

A guided trip wins in a different case. It wins when you want the places in between, such as Óbidos and Nazaré. It also wins when you want a driver to take you and your bags to your Porto hotel. A tour also suits people who do not want to handle timetables and seat reservations.

Things to Do in Lisbon's count of GetYourGuide listings in October 2026 found four day trips and transfers from Lisbon to Porto. Prices run from €79 per person to €450 for a private transfer for up to three people.

The coach day trip to Porto, Óbidos and Nazaré takes 13 hours and costs from €82 per person. Porto is one of three stops, so you see it for part of the day. You can book it as a group tour or a private one. Free cancellation runs until 24 hours before. It does not include hotel pick-up, food or drinks.

The private transfer from Lisbon to Porto with city stops is a one-way private van with hotel pick-up and drop-off. You pick up to three cities from Aveiro, Coimbra, Fátima, Nazaré and Óbidos. It takes 4 to 10 hours. The price is from €249 per person as shown on the page, so check the final price for your group size.

For more ideas than Porto, see all of the day trips from Lisbon.

The cheapest way to cross Portugal is usually the one you book earliest.

When the train is the wrong choice

The train is the wrong choice if you want stops along the way, such as Óbidos or Nazaré, in one day. It is also wrong if you carry heavy luggage and would rather be driven to your hotel. And it is a poor fit if your plans change often, because the Promo fare cannot be refunded.