Unless you have time for a fascinating road or rail trip across southern Europe, the easiest and fastest way to reach Portugal is by plane: Lisbon and Porto are two to three hours from most Western European capitals.
By plane
Twenty years ago flights to Portugal were few and expensive; today competition between airlines, including low-cost carriers, makes it easy to find affordable direct flights from many cities. The main options are:
- TAP Air Portugal, the national airline, with direct flights from across Europe, North and South America and Africa to Lisbon, and many to Porto;
- the major European airlines, such as British Airways, Lufthansa, Air France, KLM and Iberia, to Lisbon and Porto;
- low-cost airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air, Vueling and Transavia, with flights from many airports to Lisbon, Porto and Faro, especially in summer.
Routes change frequently with the seasons: compare them on search engines and book early, especially for summer. Madeira and the Azores have direct flights from several European cities, or you can connect in Lisbon or Porto; there are also direct flights from North America to Lisbon, Porto and Ponta Delgada. Airport information is on the page on Portuguese airports. If your flight is delayed or cancelled, remember that EU rules may entitle you to compensation.
By train
The train is slower, but sometimes the journey is worth it, especially for young people on Interrail, for many the adventure of a lifetime. From northern Europe you travel via Paris to Barcelona and Madrid on high-speed trains. The direct Madrid-Lisbon night train, the Lusitânia, was withdrawn in 2020: today it is best to continue from Madrid by bus, or to enter Portugal from the north, on the train linking Vigo, in Galicia, with Porto. The journey takes at least two days with an overnight stop.
By bus
Several companies, such as FlixBus and Spain's Alsa, link Portugal with Spain and the rest of Europe: Madrid to Lisbon takes about 8 hours. From further afield the trip is long and requires changes, but can be cheap.
By car
From Paris to Lisbon it is about 1,750 kilometres, through western France and Spain, a drive of at least two days. From the UK you can save time with the ferries from Portsmouth or Plymouth to Santander or Bilbao, then drive about 900 kilometres to Lisbon. French, some Spanish and Portuguese motorways are tolled; in Portugal some have electronic-only tolls, so check the payment options for foreign cars. The Automóvel Club de Portugal has useful information.
Useful websites
- TAP Air Portugal: flytap.com
- Spanish railways Renfe: renfe.com
- Portuguese railways CP: cp.pt
- FlixBus: flixbus.com
- Automóvel Club de Portugal: acp.pt
Once there, to find your way among the destinations, see the page on holidays in Portugal.
Once there, see suggested itineraries and scenic trains; for those moving, moving to Portugal.