Travel to Portugal

Flying to Portugal

Portugal's national airline is TAP Air Portugal (www.flytap.com) which runs direct flights from London and New York to Portugal, as well as from other UK cities. Alternative airlines flying to Portugal from the UK include British Airways (www.ba.com), easyJet (www.easyjet.com) and Ryanair (www.ryanair.com). Prices tend to increase in July and August.

Major airports are: Madeira Cristiano Ronaldo Airport, Lisbon Portela, Porto Francisco sa Carneiro International Airport and Faro Airport.

Airport Guides

Flight times

To Lisbon: from London - 2 hours 40 minutes; New York - 7 hours.

Departure tax

None.

Travelling to Portugal by Rail

Travelling from the UK, the quickest way is to travel by Eurostar through the Channel Tunnel to Paris (journey time - 2 hours 20 minutes) and, from there, to Portugal. The Sud-Expresso runs between Hendaye/Irun (linked to Paris by TGV) and Lisbon, offering first- and second-class seats, sleepers and a restaurant car. For further information and reservations, contact Eurostar (tel: +44 1233 617 575, in the UK; www.eurostar.com) or Voyages SNCF (tel: +44 844 848 5848; www.voyages-sncf.com).

Caminhos De Ferro Portugueses (tel: +351 707 210 220; www.cp.pt) offers international rail services to Vigo and Madrid.

Rail passes

InterRail: offers unlimited first- or second-class travel in up to 29 European countries for European residents of over six months with two pass options. The Global Pass allows travel for 15 days, 22 days, one month, five days in 10 days or 10 days in 22 days across all countries. The One-Country Pass offers travel for three, four, six or eight days in one month in any of the countries except Bosnia & Herzegovina and Montenegro.

Travel is not allowed in the passenger's country of residence. Reductions are available for travellers under 26. Children under 12 are free when travelling with an adult using an Adult Pass. Supplements are required for some high-speed services, seat reservations and couchettes. Discounts are offered on Eurostar and some ferry routes. Available from Voyages-sncf.com (tel: +44 844 848 5848, in the UK; www.voyages-sncf.com).

Eurailpass: offers unlimited train travel in up to 28 European countries. Tickets are valid for 15 days, 21 days, one month, two months, three months, five days in 10 days, 10 days in two months or 15 days in two months. The Global Pass allows travel across all participating countries. The Select Pass is valid in four bordering countries. The Regional Pass lets you travel in two bordering countries. The One Country Pass offers travel in one of 27 countries.

Adult passes are valid for first-class travel, while youth passes (under 26) are valid for second-class travel. Children under 12 are free when accompanied by an adult using an Adult Pass. The passes cannot be sold to EU citizens or residents. Available from Eurail (www.eurail.com).

Rail note

Portugal is not noted for its train services like France and Spain, therefore be prepared to take it easy. A good book or people watching are the best way to avoid frustration.

Driving to Portugal

The quickest route from the UK is via ferry from northern Spain. For the more adventurous, there is the option of taking the ferry or Channel Tunnel to France and driving down. Brittany Ferries (tel: +44 330 159 7000, in the UK; www.brittany-ferries.co.uk) runs from Plymouth to Santander, and from Portsmouth to Santander and Bilbao.

Eurotunnel (tel: +44 844 335 3535, in the UK; www.eurotunnel.com) operates 24 hours a day through the Channel Tunnel between Folkestone in Kent (with direct access from the M20) and Calais in France.

Coach travel to Portugal from the UK and other countries is possible, although it can be a long, hot and laborious journey. Eurolines (tel: +44 871 781 8177, in the UK; www.eurolines.co.uk) runs services to Portugal from Victoria coach station in London, but you need to change at the Area Suco interchange in Spain.

Getting to Portugal by boat

Main ports: Lisbon (www.portodelisboa.pt), Leixões (Porto) (www.apdl.pt), Funchal (Madeira) (www.portosdamadeira.com) and Portimão (Algarve).

Cruise ships

Portugal is not known as a major cruise destination; nevertheless you can join cruises that head around the Mediterranean and up the coast which stop off in Lisbon. Cruise ships also go to the Azores and Madeira.

Ferry operators

There are no international ferries into Portugal. If travelling from the UK, you need to take the ferry to France or Spain and continue down to Portugal by car, coach or train.