How to get to Portugal: plane, train, bus

Portugal is a country that is famous for its rich history, delicious and original cuisine and an excellent selection of all kinds of wines. During the holiday season, thousands of divers, nightlife enthusiasts and numerous gourmets come to the local beaches. We will tell you how to get to Portugal on your own.

Even though the country is located on the European mainland, the choice of overland routes is not that great. We note right away that, of course, it is possible to travel by land, but it will take much more time and will “result” in a tidy sum. Now about everything in order.

If you are planning to visit the capital of Portugal, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with our itinerary for Lisbon for one day.

Air travel

The fastest and easiest way to get to distant lands is air travel. Today, numerous European and domestic companies offer their services to passengers. Until recently, the best option for a flight was the offer of the Turkish airline Turkish Airlines, whose planes made daily flights from Moscow to Lisbon. Of course, this path cannot be called fast. After all, I had to make one change in Istanbul.

The journey takes an average of 12 hours 45 minutes, and the ticket price is quite modest – the flight will cost only 11 thousand 250 rubles. But there are some nuances. Firstly, you will have to take off from Sheremetyevo very early – the aircraft enters the airspace at 5 hours 30 minutes. Secondly, in connection with recent events, Russia is considering the suspension of air communication with Ankara. Therefore, it is worth having a backup option in case the specified flight is cancelled.

Companies such as Ryanair, Iberia, British Airlines and many others are ready to please tourists with alternative offers that differ somewhat in terms of price. On the planes of these air carriers, you can get from Moscow International Airport to Lisbon for only 17,900-18,500 rubles, and the flight will take from 14 hours 30 minutes to 18 hours 20 minutes, depending on the chosen route. Accordingly, you will have to put up with the need to make one or even two transfers at the airports of European countries.

If you don't have that much time, we advise you to take a closer look at the offers of the Russian company Aeroflot and the German carrier Lufthansa, whose planes will take you to sunny Portugal in just 7 hours and 10 minutes! In this case, you only have to make one transplant. The cost of a ticket for the aircraft of a German company starts from 46,700 rubles, and a flight on an aircraft of a Russian carrier will cost at least 1,000 rubles more.

The list of low-cost airlines flying from Moscow to Europe is in our article.

As you can see, it is quite expensive to fly directly from Russia. Therefore, we advise you to use the relevant sites to search for more budget offers that belong to low-cost airlines. Although the road will include several transfers, and you will need to spend a little more time on the way, the price will pleasantly surprise you. One of the most popular low-cost airlines is easyJet, whose planes fly between Moscow and mainland European countries, from whose airport you can easily get to Lisbon without spending a lot of money.

A train

To date, direct trains do not depart from the capital's railway station, the route of which runs straight to the Cote d'Azur of Portugal. Therefore, if you prefer this particular way of traveling around Europe, we advise you to choose a route with transfers. The most optimal routes will be those that run through Spain and France. It is with these countries that Portugal has close rail links.

How to travel cheaply around Europe by train – a useful life hack.

In particular, you can get to Paris by train, which starts from Moscow and passes through Berlin. The cost of a one-way trip will be:

You can also get to Madrid in a similar way. Travel time from the Russian capital will be 33 hours, the route will run through Paris. The cost of tickets, depending on the type of carriage, will be from 17,900 to 54,800 rubles per person one way.

Upon arrival in Madrid, you need to purchase a ticket for the night train Lusitania Comboio, which departs from the platform at 22.25 hours daily.

Bus

You can choose a similar route that will run through the territory of European countries along the roads. There is no direct bus service to Portuguese cities from Russia. Therefore, you have to go with transfers. In particular, from Madrid you can easily get to the bus station of Lisbon on the transport company Avanza Bus. From the Spanish capital, buses depart twice a day – at 12 o'clock and 21 o'clock, and the journey will take no more than 8.5 hours.

Read about all the advantages and disadvantages of bus tours in our article.

Now you know how to get to Portugal and you can choose the best route for your trip.

In Portugal, be sure to see – Vasco da Gama Bridge and the village of Monsanto.