Advice on Lisbon/Porto Train and Douro Tours
 

We are arriving at the Lisbon airport on a Saturday morning and want to travel directly to Porto via a train. I've reviewed the train web site at www.cp.pt but can't find any information about buying tickets on the day of travel. I don't want to buy tickets via the web site in case our flight is delayed and we can't make the train time. Will we have problems buying tickets at the train station for the Alfa Pendular on the day of travel?

Also, during our stay in Porto we'd like to take a day trip on a Douro River cruise. I've found numerous cruise options but not many reviews of which are good. Does anyone have any recommendations?

Douro Azul offers high quality cruises with excellent service,including continental breakfast and multi-course lunch. You can book online.

You will have no problem buying train tickets on this or any other Pportugeuse trains upon arrival - right before the train - the worst you'd have to do is go first class but these trains are dirt cheap in a pan-european context. Don't worry about that.

In tourist (2nd) class Lisbon-Porto (Alfa Pendular train) it costs 27 euros each way and it's nice and confortable enough. It takes about 2h45min. Buy at the station (Oriente Station), it's no problem.

I took a douro cruise from the small town of Regua, and not from Porto. But I do believe departing from Porto is much nicer. Douro Azul is the most famous company and with the most sophisticated boats, but you'll find other options by the Porto or Gaia waterfront. The point is to enjoy the view, so any company would be good enough for me -- it now depends on if you want a cruise with a meal, etc. See
http://www.golisbon.com/portugal/cities/porto.html for more.

I did a day druise from Porto to Regua some years ago with Douro Azul (www.douroazul.com). Breakfast and lunch with wine were included, as were samples of port. The return journey from Regua to Porto was by train (also included in the fare). The scenery is superb. Other cruises go from Regua upstream to the Spanish border. There are several other operators as well:
www.barcadouro.pt
www.douroacima.pt
www.rotadodouro.pt
www.viadouro-cruzeiros.com

I am also intrested in the Douro river by train or boat. Are people generally agreed that the best place to take a cruise/train from is Porto itself? We had thought we would not go to Porto (we can do that in a weekend another time) but actually head up further in the Douro valley. Any recommendations of scenic stretches to do by train or car without necessarily leaving from Porto?
thanks

grenelle. If you write in the search box on this Forum at the top of the page: Matt and trains and choose Portugal as the country you will see several posts from Matt about scenic train travel in Portugal.

I've taken a train from Porto part way up the Duoro River to where it becomes gorgeous and vine clad - regular trains from Porto quite frequently. We got off at one town for a few hours and took another train back.

bookmarking

We will be visiting Portugal the first two weeks in November. I wasn't sure if the area would be as scenic then?

In November you may run into some rain.