Portugal Transportation: 5 tips for saving on trains, buses, rental cars and flights
When it comes to eating, drinking, and sleeping, Portugal’s a steal of a deal compared to other countries in Western Europe, even in popular destinations like Lisbon, Porto, and Braga. But what ways to save on transportation in Portugal?
What should you expect to spend getting from Lisbon to Sintra, and Porto to Guimarães and back again? Will hopping a train or booking a rental car break your budget?
As it turns out, probably not. Throughout Portugal transportation costs are very reasonable and savvy travelers can save even more by following through with the tips below.
Related
• 10 Days in Portugal: A budget-friendly itinerary
• A Budget travel guide to Lisbon
• 10 Ways to save on your trip to Portugal
5 Tips for getting around Portugal on a budget
Taking the train to Porto means you get to travel through this stunning station. Photo: Jumilla
1. Hop on the train for views and low-key travel
On the train in Portugal, it’s easier to soak up views and relax. For about the same price as taking the bus — and half the travel time — it’s much more comfortable and the train routes are usually more picturesque than what the tollway buses travel. Plus, with no need to get behind the wheel, you won’t have to worry about swearing off Vinho Verde at lunch.
That said there are some limitations to train travel — the trains just don’t go to some places. If you want to explore Portugal’s tiny villages, you’re better off with a rental, a GPS and a detailed regional map.
Check rates and destinations on the official Portuguese train website (Comboios de Portugal).
Hailing a taxi in Lisbon might not be the cheapest option. Photo: McPig
2. Book a rideshare before an Uber or a taxi
Taxis in Portugal are cheaper than in destinations like France or Germany, but they’re still quite expensive when compared to public transit. But how do they compare to Uber and rideshares?
First off, at the time of writing, Uber isn’t widely available in Portugal, so for the best and most dependable Uber experience, you’re pretty much limited to the Porto and Lisbon metropolitan areas.
Secondly, even for short trips in those cities, Uber is only slightly cheaper than taking a cab (most of the time). But your savings are only likely to be a few euros at best, so if there are taxis waiting at a stop or transit station nearby, you may not find it worth your while to wait around for an Uber driver — although Uber has one major advantage — no cash necessary.
For longer trips, (20 minutes or more) Uber is about half the price of a taxi, but depending on the distance and route you may also be able to book a ride with a European ridesharing company called BlaBlaCar for a fraction of the cost. (Check out our guide to using BlaBlaCar in Europe, here.)
If getting to your destination as quickly as possible is your priority, you may want to spend a few more euros on an Uber or a taxi — rideshares often make multiple stops to drop off passengers along a route.
3. Skip the bus (most of the time)
Portugal is connected by multiple bus and coach lines run by public transit authorities, as well as private companies such as ALSA, Bus Rede Expressos, Bus RenEX, and Bus Groupo AVIC. While these buses are reasonably priced and comfortable, they can also be terribly slow with limited timetables and destinations.
To find the cheapest possible deal on bus travel (or any travel) between a route in Portugal, head to Rome2Rio.com and search for your route. Under your results, in the bus section, you’ll see an approximate price and the names of companies that operate on it.
For the most part, buses are cheap (if very slow way) to travel between off-the-beaten-path destinations that aren’t connected via national rail routes, although you’ll often have to make multiple connections to get to Portugal’s truly tiny villages.
All things considered, buses are rarely the cheapest option for longer trips. Between cities, driving, ride sharing, training it, or even hopping a budget flight is usually as cheap as (and sometimes cheaper) than taking a bus. If you’re traveling deep into Portugal’s gorgeous rural areas, a rental car is almost always a better and cheaper choice. And speaking of rental cars…
Driving along the Douro River in a rental car. Photo: pedrik
4. Go where you want (and when) in a rental car
If you’re traveling in a group of two or more, or are committed to seeing lots of small towns and villages, renting a car is the best bet for your money, personal comfort, and time. Having a vehicle will allow you to sleep in less expensive towns (make sure your accommodations include free or cheap parking) and will save you time spent waiting on trains and buses.
For the cheapest rentals, book as far in advance as you can manage. You can pick up your rental at a major airport (Porto, Faro, or Lisbon). Check rates for car rentals in Portugal and across Europe
For more tips on the cheapest and safest ways to drive in Portugal see our guide to driving in Portugal. Don’t forget to bring your international driver’s license!
Nice view! Flying Ryanair over the Azores. Photo: Adamina
5. Get there faster (and sometimes cheaper) on budget air carriers
If you want to get from the one end of this long and skinny country to the other in short order, your fastest (and sometimes cheapest) option may be to fly between big hubs on budget carriers. Ryanair has flights from Lisbon to Porto for as low as €20 round trip, and we found flights with TAP starting at €68.
In short, it’s worth at least checking budget flights before booking ground travel. We recently tested out a trip from Porto to Faro and found we could spend five hours on the train (from €35), a rideshare (from €36) or a rental car (from €85). Or you can get there in one hour and 10 minutes for €26 on a cheap flight (plus time getting to and from the airport, of course).
CheapoSearch: Check airfare for budget flights across Europe
About the author
Last week I spent 5 days in Porto. I found it very difficult to use the local bus system, much more difficult than in Lisbon. Bus stops aren’t clearly identified. Hop-on Hop-off buses’ stops are marked only by small round signs that say only “Tour.” This site has some good information about riding local buses in Porto and a link to the bus route map: http://www.localporto.com/travelling-by-bus-porto/.
Hi Libbie,
Thanks for the tip! Using local bus systems can be one of the most challenging aspects of traveling in Europe, especially in smaller cities. But as Cheapos, we always try to avoid more expensive taxis, so this site looks very helpful.
Craig