How to get around Portugal: trains, buses and driving

Portugal is a compact country – you can drive from north to south in about six hours – and it's easy to explore without a car if you know which transport to use. Trains connect the main cities quickly, buses reach almost everywhere else, and a rental car is the best option for the Algarve, the Alentejo and the interior.

This guide covers transportation in Portugal: trains, buses, driving, city transport, domestic flights and ferries, with tips on tickets and passes.

Quick summary:

Trains in Portugal (CP)

Almost all trains are run by CP – Comboios de Portugal. The network covers the coast well but is limited in the interior.

Types of trains

Typical journey times and fares

Book early online for discounted fares on Alfa Pendular and Intercidades.

How to buy train tickets

• CP website or the myCP app (best option)
• Ticket offices and machines at stations
• Urbanos in Lisbon and Porto use the local transport cards (Navegante, Andante)

Intercity and Alfa Pendular tickets include a seat reservation. Regional and urban trains don't.

Passe Ferroviário Verde: €20 per month

If you live in Portugal, the Passe Ferroviário Verde is one of Europe's best travel deals:

• €20 for 30 days (also €40 for 60 days, €60 for 90 days)
• Valid on regional, inter-regional and Intercidades (2nd class) trains
• Since 26 September 2026, also valid on CP urban trains in Lisbon and Porto Check
• Not valid on Alfa Pendular or in Intercidades 1st class
• Intercidades journeys require a free seat reservation within 24 hours before departure
• Available to Portuguese and foreign residents
• Loaded onto a CP card (physical or digital); it can also be shown in the gov.pt or CP app

Buses in Portugal

Buses are often cheaper than trains and reach places with no railway.

Main intercity bus companies

• Rede Expressos – the largest national network, connecting hundreds of towns
• FlixBus – cheap fares on major routes and to Spain
• Renex / Citi Express – some intercity routes
• Regional operators – EVA/Vamus (Algarve), Transdev, Rodoviária do Oeste, Rodonorte and others

How to buy bus tickets in Portugal

• Online on the company's website or app (usually cheapest)
• At bus station ticket offices
• Sometimes from the driver on regional buses (cash may be required)

Typical bus fares

Main bus stations

• Lisbon: Sete Rios, Oriente, Campo Grande
• Porto: Campo 24 de Agosto and the Batalha area, plus Casa da Música for some services
• Faro: central bus terminal next to the marina

Driving in Portugal

A car gives you the most freedom, especially for the Algarve coast, Alentejo, Douro Valley, Serra da Estrela and small villages.

Renting a car

• Rental is cheap in winter and expensive in July–August.
• You'll need a credit card for the deposit.
• Check whether the car includes a toll device (Via Verde) – it saves a lot of hassle.
• Drivers usually need to be 21–25+ and have held a licence for at least a year.
• Living here on a foreign licence? See how to exchange it.

Tolls

Many motorways (autoestradas, marked "A") have tolls:

• Traditional toll booths: take a ticket and pay on exit (cash or card).
• Electronic-only tolls: no booths – your plate is photographed. Pay with a Via Verde device, register a foreign card at the border (Easytoll), or pay later at a CTT post office (after 48 hours, within 15 days). Check

Tolls were removed on certain former SCUT motorways (including the A22 in the Algarve) in 2025.

How the transponder works, rental-car fees and paying tolls with foreign plates: see how to use Via Verde.

Rules of the road

• Speed limits: 50 km/h in towns, 90 km/h on rural roads, 100 km/h on expressways, 120 km/h on motorways
• Drive on the right
• Alcohol limit: 0.5 g/l (0.2 g/l for new and professional drivers)
• Mandatory: reflective vest and warning triangle
• Roundabouts: traffic inside has priority
• Fines can be paid on the spot

Fuel and costs

Petrol and diesel prices in Portugal are among the higher ones in Southern Europe. Supermarket petrol stations (Continente, Intermarché, Auchan) are often cheaper.

Living here and thinking of buying a car? See owning a car in Portugal for taxes, insurance and inspections.

Getting Around Lisbon and Porto

Lisbon

• Metro – 4 lines, including a direct line to the airport
• Carris buses and trams – including the famous Tram 28
• Funiculars and the Santa Justa lift
• CP urban trains to Sintra, Cascais and the suburbs; Fertagus across the 25 de Abril Bridge
• Ferries across the Tagus to Cacilhas, Seixal, Barreiro and Montijo

Tickets: load a Navegante occasional card (€0.50) with single tickets, a 24-hour pass or "zapping" credit. Residents can buy a Navegante monthly pass that covers the whole metropolitan area.

Porto

• Metro do Porto – 6 lines, including the airport and Gaia
• STCP buses and historic trams
• CP urban trains to Braga, Guimarães and Aveiro

Tickets: the Andante card (€0.60) with zone-based tickets (Z2 for most central trips). Since 2026, registered residents of Porto municipality can travel free with the Cartão Porto. Check

Other cities

Coimbra, Braga, Faro, Aveiro and other cities have local bus networks. Coimbra also has the new Metro Mondego bus-rapid-transit line.

Ride-Hailing and Taxis

• Uber, Bolt and FreeNow operate in Lisbon, Porto, the Algarve and other major cities, usually cheaper than taxis.
• Taxis are metered and fairly cheap compared to Northern Europe; there are extra charges for luggage, phone bookings and night trips.

Domestic Flights

• Lisbon/Porto – Faro: possible, but trains and buses are often just as fast once you include airport time.
• To Madeira: flights from Lisbon (1h45) and Porto (2h) with TAP, easyJet, Ryanair and others.
• To the Azores: flights from Lisbon and Porto with SATA/Azores Airlines, TAP and Ryanair; inter-island flights with SATA Air Açores.

Ferries

• Lisbon: ferries across the Tagus (Transtejo/Soflusa).
• Setúbal – Tróia: car and passenger ferries to the Tróia Peninsula.
• Madeira – Porto Santo: daily ferry (about 2h15) on the Lobo Marinho.
• Azores: seasonal inter-island ferries (Atlânticoline), mainly in summer.
• Ria Formosa (Algarve): small ferries from Faro and Olhão to the islands.

Which Transport Should You Choose?

• City breaks (Lisbon, Porto): no car – use public transport.
• Lisbon + Porto + Coimbra: train.
• Algarve: car for beaches and villages; train or bus between main towns.
• Alentejo and interior: car.
• Douro Valley: train from Porto to Pinhão, or car.
• Living in Portugal on a budget: Passe Ferroviário Verde + city pass.

Final Thoughts

Getting around Portugal is easy and affordable. Use the train between the big cities, buses to reach smaller towns, and a car for the places public transport doesn't serve well. If you live here, the €20 Passe Ferroviário Verde can make rail travel almost absurdly cheap.