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The best way to get from Lisbon to Porto depends on what the day is for, and most travellers choose between three: the train for speed and simplicity, a car for freedom along the way, or a transfer or tour that turns the journey into a day of sightseeing. The two cities are 315.3 km (195.9 miles) apart by road, and the fastest train covers the distance in under three hours.
For most people the train is the answer. The Alfa Pendular runs from Lisbon to Porto Campanhã in 2 hours 58 minutes, with a standard single at 33.90 euros, and the slower Intercidades takes about 3 hours 23 minutes for 26.85 euros. Trains run every hour or two. A car or a transfer with stops makes sense when the towns between the two cities are part of the plan.
Two ways to make the journey itself worth the day: a private driver with stops in towns along the route.
PrivateFrom Lisbon: Private Transfer to Porto with City Stops
Groups and families who want door-to-door travel with sightseeing stops
Two stopsLisbon: Transfer to Porto with Obidos and Nazare
Travellers who want Óbidos and Nazaré on the way north
The options at a glance
The common mistake is to compare only the ticket prices. The real difference between the options is what happens to the day: a train leaves most of it free in one city or the other, a drive gives you the route, and a transfer with stops fills it with sightseeing.
The train is fastest from station to station. Arriving from abroad, a Lisbon airport to Porto transfer by private car goes door to door without the change between the airport, a station and a hotel, which suits a family with luggage or a late arrival more than the lowest fare does.
Driving is the most flexible option and the slowest in practice: the route is 315.3 km (195.9 miles), about 3 hours 28 minutes at the wheel with no stops and no traffic.
A tour or a transfer with stops is the longest option in hours and the fullest in what it shows. It is also the only one that asks no planning at all between the two cities.
Lisbon to Porto compared
| Option | Time | Price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alfa Pendular train | 2 h 58 min | 33.90 EUR standard single | Speed and comfort |
| Intercidades train | About 3 h 23 min | 26.85 EUR standard single | A lower fare |
| Car | About 3 h 28 min driving, 315.3 km | Fuel and car hire | Stops at your own pace |
| Transfer or tour with stops | 8 to 12 hours | See the booking | Sightseeing on the way |
- Time
- 2 h 58 min
- Price
- 33.90 EUR standard single
- Best for
- Speed and comfort
- Time
- About 3 h 23 min
- Price
- 26.85 EUR standard single
- Best for
- A lower fare
- Time
- About 3 h 28 min driving, 315.3 km
- Price
- Fuel and car hire
- Best for
- Stops at your own pace
- Time
- 8 to 12 hours
- Price
- See the booking
- Best for
- Sightseeing on the way
Train, car or a driver
For speed, the best way to travel from Lisbon to Porto is the Alfa Pendular. At 2 hours 58 minutes it beats the drive by about half an hour before any stop, and it takes you to Campanhã without tolls, parking or navigation. The Intercidades is the budget choice at 26.85 euros against 33.90 euros, for about 25 minutes more. Children and seniors travel at half price and under-25s at a quarter off. Timetables and tickets come from Comboios de Portugal.
Going from Lisbon to Porto by car makes sense when the car is part of the trip: a rental you will keep for the Douro Valley, or stops in towns the train does not serve. The drive itself is about 3 hours 28 minutes without breaks, and a realistic day with lunch and a stop is much longer.
A private driver sits between the two: the route and the stops of a drive, without the planning, the navigation or the parking.
- Road distance
- 315.3 km (195.9 miles)
- Driving time, no stops
- About 3 h 28 min
- Fastest train
- Alfa Pendular, 2 h 58 min
- Train frequency
- Every hour or two
- Cheapest standard train
- Intercidades, 26.85 EUR
- Train discounts
- Children and seniors 50%, under-25s 25%
When a tour beats the train
A Lisbon to Porto tour takes the whole day, and that is the point: the towns along the way become the trip rather than a view from a train window. For a traveller who would otherwise spend a separate day on a side trip, combining the journey and the sightseeing saves a day.
The train is the better choice when the stops do not interest you, when you want the afternoon in Porto, or when the budget is tight.
Flying into Lisbon and heading north on the same day changes the calculation. Planning a train from Lisbon airport to Porto means adding the journey from the airport to the departure station before the ride north, so check the departure station and times at the railway's site before you book the flight connection. For a late landing, that combination is long, and a private transfer from the airport or a night in Lisbon is often the calmer choice.
From Lisbon: Day Trip to Porto, Óbidos, and Nazaré
★ 4.5 · 1,514 reviewsA 12-hour day trip from Lisbon to Porto with stops in Óbidos and Nazaré, back to Lisbon the same day.
Transfers with stops, and when to go
Tours from Lisbon to Porto that end in Porto are usually sold as transfers with stops. Depending on the operator, they call at towns such as Óbidos, Nazaré, Fátima, Tomar or Aveiro, and they run for about eight to ten hours in total, which makes them a way of changing cities and sightseeing on the same day.
Many are private. Check which towns are included and how long each visit lasts before choosing, because two listings with the same towns can plan very different days.
The best time to visit Lisbon and Porto on one trip depends on how much of it is outdoors. Porto's winter is wet, with December averaging 181.0 mm of rain, so a winter itinerary that ends in Porto should leave room for wet days there. From June to September Porto's rainfall is at its lowest, and July averages just 20.4 mm, which suits a trip built around long days outside.
Transfers with stops call at towns such as Óbidos, Nazaré and Tomar.Porto as a day trip from Lisbon
A Lisbon to Porto day tour is a long day: the round trip covers about 630 km (392 miles) of road, and a typical tour lasts about 12 hours, with stops on the way. It suits travellers based in Lisbon who have one day for Porto and want to see the city's riverside and historic centre without changing hotels.
Porto's historic centre, together with the Dom Luís I Bridge and the Serra do Pilar monastery across the river in Gaia, has been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1996, so a day trip can reach the part of the city most visitors come for.
The trade-off is time. With about seven hours of the day on the road, the visit itself is short. Travellers with two days or more to spare will see far more by taking the train to Porto and staying a night, and those who plan to continue north can use a transfer with stops instead of returning to Lisbon. For the return journey south, private transfers run the other way with the same kind of stops.
From Porto: Private Transfer to Lisbon w/ up to 4 City Stops
★ 5.0 · 227 reviewsHeading south: a private transfer from Porto to Lisbon with up to four city stops.
Common questions
How long is the train from Lisbon to Porto?
The Alfa Pendular takes 2 hours 58 minutes and the Intercidades about 3 hours 23 minutes. Trains run every hour or two.
How much is the train from Lisbon to Porto?
A standard single costs 33.90 euros on the Alfa Pendular and 26.85 euros on the Intercidades. Children and seniors pay half, and under-25s get 25 percent off.
How far is Lisbon from Porto by car?
315.3 km by road, about 3 hours 28 minutes of driving without stops or traffic.
Can you visit Porto as a day trip from Lisbon?
Yes, with a day tour of about 12 hours, but most of the day is spent on the road. Two days or more with a night in Porto shows far more of the city.