Getting Train Reservations in Douro Valley
 

Went on www.cp.pt to check train schedules and prices for Regua to Pinhao to Pocinho and possibly to Barcad'Alva and back to Regua to see how long the trips will take, make reservations. Only found Pinhao on the train station list. Help!! Also, what segment of the train would be the most scenic, less accessible by car. We will have a car, so should see a lot driving around, unless driving is too hairy/difficult in that area?

My impression, after taking these trains, is that these are regional trains on which reservations are not required nor even possible. Try the German rail website - www.bahn.de for schedules - it is infallible IME and easy to use - for a good way to reach the English schedule page of the Wunderbar bahn.de - which has schedules for all of Europe - is to go to the homepage of budgeteuropetravel.com and there is a link titled something like "All european railways schedules" - click on it and up pops the English schedule page - simple two boxes, from and to and date and time of day - the reason i highlight this homepage link is that it also gives you several valuable tips on how to fully use the bahn.de site so at some point you can see whether the train is 'subject to compulsory reservation' or not - it may say 'please reserve' but this only means reservations are possible. If it does not say anything about reservations then usually none are possible and you just buy your ticket - usually cancelling it yourself before boarding the train in cancelling machines - andhop on board - trains on this sideline route are not likely to be crowded IME

In my opinion, the segment east of Pinhao is by far the most spectacular. I started in Regua, and it´s very pretty between Regua and Pinhao, but it was incredible after Pinhao. (And there are no riverside roads between Pinhao and Pocinho). Regua to Pocinho (end of the line) is about an hour and a half; Pinhao to Pocinho is about an hour. There´s about a 45 minute wait at the end of the line for the return trip, and we sat in a cafe with the train crew and also bought some home made wine and oil from the family that runs the cafe in the train station. It wasn´t at all bad.

Palenque is right that there´s no way to reserve, they are very small chug a chug trains. We went around 11 am on a weekday in June and there were very few people. I think we got our ticket about 15 minutes before departure.

I have driven on several different occasions in the Douro Valle and environs, and the roads are fine, nothing scary.

Thank you, but nowhere can any train information be found for Barca D'Alva or Pochinho. Help!!!!!

travel333 - the bahn.de link which i mention above shows several daily trains between Porto and Pocinho (no ch - so use Pocinho) and they take just over three hours and require a change of trains at Regua - to a sideline running off the mainline. Try the bahn.de link

But Barra d'Alava does not appear in bahn.de data base so i gather it is not on a rail line?

Thank you, Palenque. Followed your instructions and now have the train schedules which is critical for daily planning. Reservation do not appear to be doable online, hopefully it won't be a problem to get them when arrive.

EC 32 Eurocity
"Subject to compulsory reservation"

travel333 - if you click on "details for the above" after the first schedule synopsis box comes up if a train requires a reservation the above wording will appear - meaning you must reserve a seat before boarding the train

But if the wording is "Please reserve" this only means that reservations are possible - not really that you need to reserve

But in your case, and in most of Portugal IME, seat reservations are not even possible - open seating, first come first serve and as the train starts in Porto you will be on board first in the very unlikely event these trains are packed and even then folks will get off and on many places so seats will open - in the rare event the train is full for some reason - and you can always board these trains even if it's SRO

So since under the Products column on 'details for the above' since it said nothing about reservations that means simply reservations are not possible. Put angst to rest because you should have no problem getting seats IME on these type trains and when i took them they were sparsely filled.

Trains from Pinaho are frequent, inexpensive and lots of fun. We did it last year, and there was no crowd..Also, altho the roads can be mountainous, they are pretty good everywhere we have driven, and we have been to Portugal several times. They may be narrow, but folks drive well, and most of the freeways are toll, very well maintained. I wouldn't worry at all. We are going again in the autumn.

For a different but memorable rail journey right in Porto hop on the vintage tiny electric trams that do a semi-circle loop around the city, including going by the beach area. Few of these antique trams are still running in Europe and these are in regular service though i think they may also run tourist specials.

Rather than www.bahn.de, use the Hafas website. This is the database that covers train travel in entire Europe.
http://hafas.bene-system.com/

@ travel333
There is a special tourist train (steam train), operated by the Caminhos do Ferro Portugueses, that runs between Peso da Régua and Pinhâo (50 min.) and further on to Tua (90 min. total). Note that this is NOT the regular train! Reservations to be made with [email protected]
The Linha da Tua is said to be one of Portugal's most beautiful narrow gauge railway journeys.
Look here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fySqEcGzTf4

If you are interested in a taste of what you might see on your train trip do a search in the Search the Forums box at the top of the page here:
Portugal By Train.
A very interesting and comprehensive post about train travel in Portugal with pictures.
It might give you an indication of the types of trains that you would use in the Douro.
Enjoy

ttt

If the skies above Dublin stay clear of ash tomorrow I hope to go on one of these trains shortly, I will report back

On Saturday 8th May I bought return train tickets from Oporto (Ermesinde station) to Regua, costing 13.05€ each, then later decided to buy returns from Regua to Pinhao, 3.60€. These were bought on the day, in the stations (they accept credit cards). I had to specify which trains I would use, but I don't know if there is any penalty for using a different train if you change your mind. The line to Vila Real is closed for renovations, but they hope to have it ready (I think) for the summer.

All,

Your blogs are really good and informative. I need your help. I need to plan travel from Porto to somewhere exotic in the Douro valley and make Dec. 31st memorable for the party of 4 I am travelling with. The entire travel arrangement is on me. Can somebody suggest possibilities? If we travel from Porto to Pinhao as you have suggested in your blogs here, it appears I need to get off at Regua and take another train. Is there anything to do in Regua? Can we possibly stay the night there and occupy our time well after the train ride, and do something fun for New Year's Eve, then hop on another train to Pinhao and possibly spend the night of Jan. 1st there. Are there things to do and see either in Regua or Pinhao? Please help.

Some of the trains go all the way from Porto to Pinhao. I think when we went we didn't know where to go so tried Regua first. It was pleasant enough to walk around in May, some interesting shops. I think there are boat trips on the river. It may be rather cold in December, and I imagine many places will be closed. I hope someone else can be more informative.