Lisbon to Porto train trip
 

Booked our Lisbon-Porto train tix on RailEurope weeks ago. Emailed confirmation specifies date and train and class. I said to email tix, but they MAILED them. What arrived is a voucher of sorts, not specifying a particular day nor train time, and says for assigned seats we must go to the train station and pay an additional fee. We will, of course, but I’m confused as to why my email confirmation confirms the exact trip, but says that the email is not the ticket, and the tickets, per se, don’t!

RailEurope is a reseller of tickets, and best avoided.

For next time, check Seat61:
https://www.seat61.com/Portugal.htm
for good information on trains all over, and best places to buy (almost always the official rail of a particular country).

Yes, RailEurope is best avoided. When is the trip? I believe RE sells "tickets" before they are actually available from the rail company.

Those seem to be the tickets - RE does mail them usually not email except in few case - you have a full-fare tcket probably that can be used on any train of that class anytime- seat reservations seem optional and you must pay a few euros extra. So why not just call RE and ask?

Darn, I didn’t know!

I believe RE sells "tickets" before they are actually available from the rail company.>

Don't think so as they are tapped into European railways systems - owners are French and Swiss railways.