You’ll remember how on the way to Costa da Caparica, we used the ferry–bus combo, which was pretty long. I will say, however, that that way is useful if you’re coming from downtown Lisbon. However, if you’re staying further north (like we were), your best option by far is the 161. It reminded me of New York’s X1 bus – express route, nice coach buses, and an amazing bridge crossing.

The bus waiting at the Costa da Caparica bus station.

As I mentioned, the 161 used coach buses for its route. They had plush seats and were generally quite comfortable. Anyway, we left the bus terminal and headed up Av. Dr. Aresta Branco, going by apartments and businesses.

Swanky!

We then turned onto R. Horacio da Silva Louro, picking up a bunch of people at a stop in front of an apartment building. This street merged into route A38, which climbed into the hills and left the city behind. Soon it became a full highway, with exits and everything. It was rural, running mostly through fields.

Eventually we reached a cloverleaf interchange and curved north onto the IP7. Soon after that, we came to a toll plaza, using some form of E-ZPass to get through. From there, we passed Lisbon’s version of Christ the Redeemer, then went up onto the 25 de Abril Bridge. And let me tell you, even though it was dark, the view of Lisbon was incredible.

Of course, it was nighttime, so the pictures were terrible.

Here’s another one.

After crossing the Tagus River and soaring over Lisbon for a bit, we took the first exit and curved around to Ac. Ceuta. There was a stop at the Alcantara suburban station, then we continued up the mostly leafy street. We sped down this road for a while without much in the way of scenery, then it became Av. Calouste Gulbenkian and we went under an old aqueduct.

This street was highway-esque until it became Av. Berna. Now it was a local street lined with apartments and businesses. We passed the park containing the Museu Calouste Gulbenkian, then later on we had a stop at the Campo Pequeno Metro station. We went by a cool circular building and a huge bank, then around a rotary. This was Areeiro Station, with a simple shelter for the bus stop. The trip had only taken about 45 minutes, and it was amazing. If you’re staying in the northern part of Lisbon and you want to go to the beach, the 161 is a must.

The bus in nighttime Lisbon.

Okay, so it turns out there’s a faster bus from Cacilhas to Costa da Caparica, but we ended up on the slow one. That made things more interesting, though, since we got to see a bunch of local neighborhoods. Of course, maps on the TST website are pretty much nonexistent, the only one being this horrible comic sans network map. So I’ll be relying on the Google Maps one to figure out the crazy route of the local 124 bus.

By this point, I was having to take pictures with my mom’s iPhone, which explains this atrocity.

And this one.

Cacilhas had a large bus station with many different berths. One of those berths was for the Metro – yes, there was a light rail metro system down here. I was very mad that I didn’t get to take it, but it doesn’t go anywhere to which tourists would want to go.

On the 124, we left the bus station and headed down Av. Alianca Povo MFA, which paralleled the Tagus River. We were following the Metro, which along with us, turned onto Av. 25 de Abril de 1975. This street was very urban, with tall apartment buildings and a few businesses lining the road.

There was a nice Metro station at Gil Vicente as we continued to follow it, the street now called Av. Dom Afonso Henriques. We went around a rotary while the Metro plowed right through, and now the street was called Av. Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira. We continued down here for a while, the street still lined with modern apartments.

After another rotary at Almada, we left the Metro by turning onto R. Dom Joao de Castro. Along here the tall apartments from before shrunk into two-story ones. We then crossed over the IP7 highway, which becomes the 25 de Abril Bridge into Lisbon. This was also where we left the city for good.

There was a rotary, then we headed down R. 3 Vales, going through some fields. There was another urban section after, with tall apartments once again. The street curved south, leaving the buildings behind. We had a stop at the Formega Metro station, but after following the line for a bit, we turned off once again.

We squeezed down the narrow R. Trabalhadores Rurais, going past tight businesses with apartments on top. The street then curved back up and we rejoined the Metro for a bit, only to leave it for the last time, going by a university (and some marshland). We crossed over the A38 highway, then headed down R. do Areeiro, which was quite narrow.

Turning onto the N10 road, we entered a town, with smaller apartments alongside the street. The road got narrow when we got to a downtown area, squeezing through some tight businesses. It got slightly wider when the surroundings got more residential, with individual houses.

There was a view of the ocean and the buildings of Costa da Caparica at a rotary, which meant we were getting close. We turned onto the A38 highway, running down the rural hillside. Once we reached Costa da Caparica, though, it was instantly urban. We turned onto R, Vitimas da Guerra Colonial, running by lots of businesses. Soon after that, we pulled into the Costa da Caparica bus station, dropping off all the remaining passengers.

Aw man, that destination board is garbled…

So, is the ferry+124 combo worth it? Not if you’re looking for speed. The 124 takes 40 minutes to get from Cacilhas to Costa da Caparica, and every time there was a sign for the latter, we’d go in the opposite direction. That said, it is quite scenic and you get to see a lot of local areas, but those looking for speed would prefer the 20-minute 135 bus. However, there is a faster way of getting to the beach from Lisbon, which we’ll be looking at in the next and final Portugal post.

The bus terminal didn’t have much – just some shelters.

When we got back to Lisbon, we only had one full day left in Portugal, with one thing we wanted to do: go to the beach. Now, Cascais is the city’s main touristy beach, but we found out that the water there can get so polluted that you can’t even swim in it! So we decided to head to where the locals go – Costa da Caparica. This beach is more out of the way, requiring one to take a ferry and a bus to get there. Let’s start with the former.

The entrance to the Cais do Sodre ferry terminal.

Oh, and since we’re at Cais do Sodre again, I get an excuse to show the rabbits!

The ferry terminal at Cais do Sodre was clean and modern. Featuring boarding areas for each of the ferry routes, the place was organised as well. Plus, the ferries used the same Viva system as the rest of Lisbon transport, so you could get into the boarding area simply by tapping your card and going through turnstiles.

There were a few shops inside the terminal.

Turnstiles going into the boarding areas.

The boarding area was simple, with benches running along the walls. When the boat came, it let all its passengers out, who headed for a separate exit that bypassed the boarding area. Then a big orange door opened up…and it was chaos. Getting onto the ferry was basically a free-for-all, with everyone pushing through to get through the doors onto the boat.

The boarding area.

The boat coming in.

The boat had a lot of capacity, with many seats inside. As for the ride, it was fairly short, but the views of the city across the water were great. After the jaunt across the Tagus River, we reached Cacilhas, which had a simple ferry terminal. Overall, I’d say the ferry ride is worth it, even if you’re not taking it anywhere.

The inside of the ferry’s second deck.

Check out that view!

The 25 de Abril Bridge.

A washed-out view of Lisbon.

The ferry terminal at Cacilhas.

As you know, when we were going from Lisbon to Porto, we took the slightly-fast Intercidades train. That one could go up to about 120 MPH, which is speedy for sure. But if you want a true high-speed experience, the Alfa Pendular is the way to go. Running from Braga in the north to Faro in the south, via Porto and Lisbon, this train gets up to about 140 MPH – the fastest in Portugal. As luck would have it, we got to take this service going back to Lisbon, and it was fantastic.

It honestly felt like an airline. Stewardesses kept coming past to give refreshments. These headphones were for…

…this TV. It didn’t show anything interesting, but it was a nice addition, I guess.

Our car was not very crowded, for some reason.

This screen showed how fast we were going, and it was very fun to watch. The fastest we went was 226 km/h. Plus, these high speed trains could tilt around corners!

The inside again.

The windows had curtains that could be lowered by the push of a button.

Of course there’s a bathroom picture – this one was pretty cramped.

A screen on the side of the train.

The train at Oriente, back in Lisbon.

Although the independent section of Line E is incredibly short, it’s still important, as this line serves Porto’s airport. The line splits off from Line B at Verdes Station, which was an interesting one due to its stacked design. Line B had side platforms, while Line E had depressed platforms in the center, since it went underground just past this station.

You can see the Line B platforms rising up on either side.

The view of Maia from the station.

The shelter on one of the platforms.

The train coming in.

As I mentioned, the line went underground past Verdes. We made a turn in the tunnel and surfaced in the median of Av. de Aeroporto. After a stop at Botica (where the surroundings were mostly industrial), we entered another tunnel, curved north, and surfaced at Aeroporto Station, the last stop. Told you the ride was short.

Lots of people getting out of the train.

The train waiting for everyone to get out.

The grassy tracks leading back toward Porto.

Aeroporto was a very nice station, with a big glass shelter.

The entrance from inside.

A big sign for the airport.

And here’s the train again, back at Ponte de Cuco.

The F is the only line that goes eastward beyond Estadio do Dragao, and when we rode it, it didn’t even get the dignity of having its own letter – they were just through-running every other Line A train to Line F’s terminus. My camera was out of battery by this point of the adventure, so this will be purely text. Sorry, Line F…

Leaving Estadio do Dragao, we paralleled a suburban rail line, rising up to an elevated station at Contumil. We then turned onto the median of an unnamed street which went past…nothing much, really. We went below a rotary, then into a tunnel.

We surfaced at Levada Station, which was close to a huge shopping mall. Running in our own right-of-way from there, we twisted through areas of various density (there was even some farmland). After Baguim, we went under another rotary and surfaced in the median of another unnamed street. We went through a town with some apartments, but the next and last stop, Fanzeres, had a rural feel to it. However, it also had a parking lot with free parking for Metro users!

And here’s a bonus – the funicular!

There’s one more thing that’s technically part of the Porto Metro system, and that’s the funicular. It uses the same fare system, but for some reason the funicular costs double. I have no idea why, since it’s a pretty short ride, but it does save a long walk up steep steps.

The ticket booth.

We didn’t have Andante Cards yet when we rode the funicular, so we got these special tickets.

This sign showed how many more people could enter. The cap was 25.

Now, the funicular could be a great link between the bustling riverside and the city up a hill, but the problem is the wait. The way funiculars work is with a weight-counterweight system, and usually the counterweight is a second vehicle – here, however, it’s literally just a counterweight. And with a limit of 25 people in a vehicle, you could end up waiting 20 minutes just for a 3 minute ride.

The funicular coming down the hill.

That one was too busy for us, so we had to wait for the next one.

The funicular is articulated, since it’s not at the same slope the whole time.

Stupid counterweight…

As for the inside of the funicular, there wasn’t much to talk about. It was small, clean, and it got the job done. There were a few benches, and of course a big window, since the view going up the hill was fantastic.

The Luis I Bridge.

The bridge again, but from higher up.

Looking down the hill.

And the bridge again.

Looking across the river.

The inside of the funicular.

Soon after passing the counterweight, the funicular went underground. It was in tunnel for a while until we arrived at Batalha, the underground northern terminus. It was a clean station with a nice entrance – I do wish the signage to Sao Bento from there was better, though. Overall, the funicular is pretty cool if you’re a tourist, but if you’re trying to get somewhere quickly, it’s meh. You’re probably better off walking if you can handle the hills.

Heading underground.

Looking down the tunnel.

The station.

And the entrance.

Continuing on with the Porto Metro, next up is Line C! A note about this one is that it doesn’t go all the way to Estadio do Dragao where the other lines terminate – it ends one stop earlier, at Campanha. I guess Estadio de Dragao doesn’t have enough capacity for five whole lines.

A train at Fonte do Cuco.

Fonte do Cuco Station.

Fonte do Cuco is where the C splits off the main line, and it’s where we got on. From there, we went through fields for a little while, then crossed under a highway. After that, we snaked through small villages with fields in between, making stops at each one. The line then went over Parque da Maia, with an elevated station of the same name.

Going over the park.

We returned to ground level, taking over a street in downtown Maia. Maia is a city with over 135,000 people and even a skyscraper. We went right by that skyscraper on the train and had a stop close by, at Forum Maia. This was also the point where we discovered that some Line C trains terminate at Maia…the hard way.

There’s the skyscraper.

Ah. Should’ve read that destination board.

The station.

Yeah, you just sit there and lay over.

Looking the other way.

Now at this stage, we could’ve given up and just taken the train back to Porto. But I wanted to go the extra four stops to the real end of the C, so we decided to stick it out for 15 minutes until the train to ISMAI came. While we waited, we went to this cheap bakery and got some really good bread. Returning to Forum de Maia, the train arrived and we were off to ISMAI.

There’s a welcome sight.

Continuing north, we went through a rotary and then rose up to an elevated line. After crossing a highway, we went underground in an industrial area, stopping at the aptly named Zona Industrial Station. We came out of the tunnel again, running next to Via de Francisco Sa Carneiro on a grassy right-of-way.

The view from the elevated section.

We then left the road and the factories behind, turning off and running through woods and fields. After that, we reached another town, Castelo da Maia (I didn’t see any castles), then we arrived at the elevated ISMAI Station.

Goodbye!

The station.

Looks like a building’s under construction near ISMAI.

ISMAI, as it turns out, is a university, and a new one, too – it was formed in 1990. Still, though, its station felt pretty desolate, and I was looking forward to get out of there. Looking at the countdown clock, the next train to Porto was only…29 minutes away? Well…looks like we’re gonna be here awhile.

Yeah, you just sit there and wallow in your shame.

Line D, meanwhile, is completely separate from the other lines. Its only connection with them is at Trindade, but whereas the other ones go east-west through the city, Line D goes north-south. It’s also the shortest and most urban line. Plus, it has the absolute best view on the system.

The underground Santo Ovidio station.

The place where the two cars are coupled.

Although the southern terminus, Santo Ovidio, was underground, we rose up to street level soon after we left the station. This part of Line D was similar to Boston’s Green Line, running right down the median of Av. Republica. The only difference was that Line D actually moved quickly, since it got the right-of-way at traffic lights. The street was lined with tallish apartment buildings along this whole section,

At General Torres, there was a connection with suburban rail. After that, we went through a small park, stopping at Jardim do Morro. And from there, we crossed over the Luis I Bridge into Porto. Line D runs on the upper deck (the lower deck is for road traffic), meaning it offers a spectacular view of the city. It was amazing – just look at the pictures!

Soaring over the city!

This side of the River Douro has a bunch of wineries.

And there’s the city!

I wish the pictures weren’t so blurry…

It’s hard to tell, but there’s a train zooming over the bridge here.

Once we crossed into Porto, we went underground, stopping at Sao Bento Station soon after. This is pretty much the only Metro station in the touristy part of Porto, and it’s pretty big. But is all that space occupied? Nope. Sao Bento has this massive mezzanine with pretty much nothing in it.

A crowded entrance to the station.

Another entrance.

See that line to the ticket machine? It moved slowly.

Hm..lots of space here, isn’t there? Perhaps there could be room for, I don’t know, some more ticket machines?

Ah, this hallway is so big…I’ll be they could fit a few ticket machines in here.

The platform.

Oh, yeah, the system has countdown clocks! I think I forgot to mention that…

A train coming in.

The next station north was Aliados, and I also used that one. It was almost exactly the same as Sao Bento – indeed, all of the underground stations on the Porto Metro have a very clean, consistent style. So yeah, that made Aliados a “good” station by default.

The entrance.

This mezzanine isn’t as big, but it’s still huge.

Hey, there’s some sort of shop here!

Going down the stairs.

The platform.

A train coming in.

The next stop was Trindade, where you can change for all the other Metro lines. The Line D station is underground, though, unlike the other lines. Does it look exactly the same as every underground station on the Metro? You bet.

A train leaving Trindade.

The platform.

Hm…I think this TV is trying to tell us something…

Here’s another TV with an error message.

The line continued underground north of Trindade, stopping at no fewer than five subway stations. After Polo Universitario, we finally surfaced, making a sharp turn coming out of the portal. Running alongside R, Alfredo Allen, we were in an interesting neighborhood. I would call it a mix between Kendall Square and an office park.

It’s hard to tell, but of course I couldn’t forget a tram inception picture!

After a stop at IPO, which is a hospital, we took a right and had another stop at Hospital Sao Joao, which is…another hospital. This was also the last stop – the northern end of Line D only has two aboveground ones. Stick to the south for this one, if only for that bridge crossing.

It was dark by this point, but Hospital Sao Joao Station isn’t anything special, anyway.

The Porto Metro is actually the biggest metro system in Portugal. Despite being twice as long as the Lisbon Metro, though, it only gets a third of the ridership. Unlike Lisbon, Porto’s Metro system is light rail, and is mostly above ground. But hey, that second bit is a plus, isn’t it?

My Andante Card, otherwise known as the bane of my existence.

Okay, so the Porto Metro fare system certainly is…something. First of all, they have this really, really confusing zone system. They try to explain it on the website, but it really makes no sense at all. Then there’s this whole “validation” thing. Basically, the Metro uses an honor system, but you have to “validate” your card on these little machines for it to be considered valid. It must be done “at most, with 10 minutes of antecedence before beginning the travel.” Uh-huh…

A validator, otherwise known as the other bane of my existence.

The thing with validation is that when you validate your ticket for the first time, it puts a time limit on it. But if you validate again, you get extra time on the ticket. This means you could theoretically get off at each stop and run out to validate, then run back onto the train to get more time – and people did do that. Plus, sometimes validators at stations are broken, so you have to run out of the train at the next stop in order to validate. And since it’s an honor system, they have occasional checks, and if your ticket isn’t validated, that’s 95€ out of your pocket.

The list of existence banes keeps getting longer…

Okay, the ticket machine situation was horrible. I mean, having only one ticket machine at above-ground stations makes sense, since most of them are simple and quiet. But having just two of them at one of the busiest stations on the system is ridiculous! The Sao Bento subway station had this huge mezzanine with nothing in it! How about investing in a few more ticket machines so there’s not a massive line at the only working one, huh?

Yup, that makes so much sense.

If this is too confusing for you, you can read the longest FAQ ever on the Metro website.

Right, now that we’ve gotten that madness out of the way, we can talk about the Metro itself. It has six lines, five of which take the same path through the city. The A is one of those five, and it’s also the shortest of those. Unfortunately, on the day I took the A, my camera was out of batteries, so this will be purely text. Sorry about that.

This is an E, but it gives you an idea of what the trains look like on the outside.

On the inside, the trains are pretty nice. They have really wide doors that are opened by buttons, which I always like. The seats mostly forward or backward, and there are simple automatic announcements saying the name of the next station.

Looking down the train.

The A started in this full-on industrial area at Senhor de Matosinhos Station. As we travelled down the side of Av. Eng. Duarte Pacheco, we went by huge cranes and shipyards. After the next stop, Mercado, we got a private right-of-way, running right through Matosinhos, going by lots of restaurants and businesses.

We then turned onto Avenue da Republica, running in the median. There were still some businesses, but it shifted to a lot of apartments, too. After going through a rotary, we turned onto R. Dom Nuno Alvares Pereira, then onto the median of Av. Villagarcia de Arosa. Shifting to the side of the road, we went by a park (Parque de Real), then a hospital.

We had our own private right-of-way for a bit, running under a highway, then we entered the median of Av. Calouste Gulbenkian. The street turned north, lined with apartments. We turned onto Av. Vasco de Gama, then Rua da Lagoa, and then Av. Fabril do Norte, joining Lines B, C, E, and F on the “main line” into Porto.

After Senhora da Hora station, considered to be the western “hub” of the system, the street was mostly residential. We turned onto Rua Fonte das Sete Bicas, then went down below ground level. Returning to the surface, we stopped at Ramalde, then crossed over a highway.

Ha! I got pictures of the main line when we were on a different train! This was when we were below ground level.

Going over the highway.

Going by a residential area.

We had a proper underground station at Casa de Musica, then went elevated. There was a nice view of the city between Carolina Michaelis and Lapa Stations, then we went into a longer tunnel. When we came out again, we were at Trindade, the hub of the system. This is where you can also change for Line D, the one line that runs separately from the other five.

Alas, this was the best picture of the elevated section I could get.

The mezzanine at Trindade.

The platform.

There were tunnels on either side of the station.

We went into another tunnel after Trindade. This is the only legitimate subway section on the main line, as stopped at three underground stops. At Campanha, we popped above ground again, stopping right next to the suburban station. We continued, following the suburban line tracks, which eventually went under a highway. From there, we reached the last stop, Estadio do Dragao, right next to a huge stadium. The only line that continues past here is the F, but that’s for another post.

And now…

…Line B!

Line B is by far the longest line on the system, running way out to Povoa de Varzim, northwest of the city. It’s so long it even has an express service! You may have also noticed that it uses different trains. Lines B and C use these sleek ones that can go faster and are also more comfortable. The only problem with them is that they don’t have doors in the middle articulated section, which can be annoying if you happen to be in the middle of the platform.

I mean, just look at those cushioned seats!

The screen showing the stop names.

After Senhora da Hora, where Line A turns off, we continued, the C splitting off at the next stop, Fonte do Cuco. Our line went elevated, going over a highway. After that, it just got rural all of a sudden, with farmland on either side of the line. We went over a small river, then passed some huge…tarped mounds? I don’t know what to call them.

Fields between us and a highway.

I see you, factory.

Some apartments loom beyond the field.

At Verdes, Line E finally split off and we were on our own. We went through a small town, then it was back to open farmland. After an even smaller town, we passed through a forest, then the fields were back. There were some tiny settlements, then all of a sudden we went by a massive suburban mall (no stop, though).

A train at Verdes.

A town.

What is this, Kansas?

We passed through a small industrial area, then it went back to houses and fields. After a nice bridge over the River Axe, we entered Vila de Conde, which is a legitimate city with some actual interest to tourists. The Metro doesn’t really go to the downtown area, though, running in the medians of various streets.

That’s lovely.

There’s a nice-looking church!

Look! It’s a…lighthouse?

We passed through an undeveloped area on our own right-of-way, then it got urban again at Sao Bras station. We travelled in a street median from there to the next and last stop, Povoa de Varzim. This station had a small parking lot and even its own cafe! Overall, it was a nice simple terminus to the longest line on the Porto Metro.

Another inside shot.

The plaza next to the Povoa de Varzim.

Povoa de Varzim’s shelter.

Two trains side-by-side, with a third one off to the left.

The train heading back to Porto.

Oh, yeah, that’s an aqueduct from the 1700s! This was on the way back.

The aqueduct looms in the distance.

And finally, the other side of the River Axe, with a more urban view!

As I mentioned before, our train from Lisbon arrived at Porto’s Campanha Station. Campanha is Porto’s main station for long distance and suburban trains, but the problem is that it’s not particularly close to the city. One way of getting there is the Metro, but that makes a bunch of stops and you have to switch lines. The other option is the suburban rail, which runs direct and very frequently to Sao Bento Station, right in the city. But first, let’s take a look at Campanha.

The platform is very simple.

And so is this hallway.

Gee, this electric train sure is nice, isn’t it? Well, it sure ain’t the one we took.

I’m pretty sure all the Porto suburban lines are electrified, so I’m not sure why they still have old, terrible diesel trains. Nonetheless, that was the type of train we ended up on going to Sao Bento. The inside was…I don’t want to call it horrible, but it wasn’t the best. I’ll call it “bland”.

Mmm…yep.

The train (this is at Sao Bento).

The ride to Sao Bento was short but also scenic. The line was high above the River Douro, offering excellent views. It also kept diving in and out of tunnels through the hills of Porto. Eventually we went through a long one, popping out at Sao Bento Station on the other end.

That’s beautiful!

Sao Bento in the heart of Porto is considered to be one of the most beautiful train stations in the world. This is because of its entrance area, which has these huge azulejo (tile) murals depicting the history of Portugal. It really is amazing, and the station is beautiful even aside from those.

However, the gap at Sao Bento was ridiculous.

This is beautiful!

The large area on one end of the platform.

This is so amazing.

Okay, this is slightly less amazing, but still important.

Just look at that mural!

More morals on the side of the platform entrance.

The outside of the station.

On our trip, we also spent a few days in Portugal’s second-largest city, Porto. How did we get there? Well, take a guess…yep, the train! There are two classes from Lisbon to Porto – one is the high speed Alfa Pendular, which we didn’t take on the way there; the other is the slightly slower Intercidades, which makes more stops. This meant we got to see some smaller towns of Portugal, as well as some countryside. Our train, like all long-distance trains, started at Oriente Station, which was quite modern.

Not only was it modern, it was huge.

The station was hard to navigate, though, with multiple levels of chaos.

A waiting area, I guess.

This platform is amazing!

Looking the other way.

The train really did come at exactly 11:39 and left a few minutes later.

Unfortunately, this was the best picture I could get of the train.

Up close and personal.

One of the cars.

Inside the train, we had first class! It was nice, but I never took a trip to second class to see what it compared to. The train also had an overpriced dining car, but it’s a train – I guess they have the right to jack the prices up.

Aw, yeah, first class!

Need a place to put your luggage? Well, here it is.

Bathroom photos? You know it!

This one seems pretty futuristic.

These glass doors opened pretty easily…

…but these red ones required force.

Man, this dining car is fancy!

It got pretty industrial leaving Lisbon.

Okay, very industrial.

Along the banks of the Tagus River.

A road bridge over the river.

Some parked cars.

A huge green field.

Another road over the river.

Some farmland.

A hill.

Some more fields and hills.

Houses!

A castle! Even better!

Aw, back to houses.

A horse stands alone in a field.

A small town.

And here’s a proper city! This is Coimbra, in the middle of the country.

Still urban.

Another factory.

Crossing over a highway.

Another town.

We’re getting closer to Porto!

Get ready for a lot of beautiful views.

Like this one.

Or this one.

Or this one.

Crossing over the Douro River.

Here’s yet another great view. We arrived at Porto’s Campanha Station soon after this, but…I’ll talk about that in the next post.

Sintra is a village to the west of Lisbon that’s considered a must-see if you visit Portugal. And indeed, it’s quite a lovely, if touristy village, with multiple palaces and castles. But how do you get to Sintra? Well, your best option is certainly the frequent suburban train from Lisbon, operated by CP Urban Services. Let’s take a look.

But first, here’s a view of the village from atop an old moorish castle!

Trains to Sintra run from either Oriente or Rossio Stations – on the way there, we used the latter. Rossio is right in downtown Lisbon, and it’s a beauty. Honestly, just look at the pictures and see for yourself.

An electronic destination board.

Fare gates leading to the station – we had a bit of an issue with the ticket machines but some nice employees helped us out.

A map of the network.

Just look at that!

The tunnels leading out of the station.

Looking down the station.

The mezzanine, which was kinda boring, to be honest.

The train!

The train again!

Some destination screens.

Since the Sintra Line is a commuter line, the trains have some degree of comfort inside. However, this is also a busy commuter line, so there are poles for standees, too – and there were standees. The train also had screens displaying the next stop, but I seriously can’t remember if it had automatic announcements or not…

The inside of one of the cars.

“Next stop,” says the screen.

Right after Rossio Station, the line went into a tunnel. It was underground all the way through the city until we surfaced at a yard, heading west from there. The first stop was Benfica, which we had previously visited on our 729 ride.

That aforementioned yard.

The Sintra Line is consistently urban most of the way.

After Benfica, the stops came often and were very close together. After Monte Abraao Station, it went from four tracks to two and the surroundings got a bit more rural. But soon after that, it was urban once again when we reached Cacem Station. A small branch line split off after that, while we continued to the modern Rio de Mouro Station.

A small field.

Some apartments.

A small parking lot.

Up on a hill.

What a view!

Again, what a view!

Whaddayaknow, another great view!

Some buildings going up a hill.

We stopped at a few more stations, then went by a small yard. We went under a highway and through a brief rural section before reaching Portela de Sintra. This is the station for the more local part of the village, but we were going one stop further to where all the tourists go. And after a short tunnel, we reached Sintra station, which was a nice and simple terminus.

An urban parking lot.

Some smaller houses.

An open area.

The right-of-way got tight in Sintra.

The train at Sintra.

Looking down the platform one way…

…and the other.

The small entrance area.

The station from outside.

Although Sintra does have a bus system run by Scotturb, we weren’t able to ride any of their buses. The train ride back to Lisbon was a bit different than the one there, however. For one thing, the inside was slightly different, but for another, our train was going to Oriente instead of Rossio. In terms of views, it didn’t matter for us since we took the train back at night, but it is above ground all the way to Oriente. We didn’t go that far, disembarking earlier at Entrecampos and getting on the Metro.

The train at the now-quiet Sintra Station.

Ooh, this one is fancy! I wonder if there’s any significance to the two random red seats.

The train at Entrecampos.

Speeding away into the darkness.

Looks nice!

The platform.

And finally, the spacious mezzanine, heading for the Metro home.

Okay, we’ve steadily been getting less touristy and more local here. The 28 was pretty much entirely for tourists, while the 15 was a mix. Well, now we’re on the 729, and this bus route is all locals. Yes, you’re not gonna find any tourists on this well-used bus in the outskirts of Lisbon.

The Alges bus station.

The route starts in Alges, the area where the 15 terminates. Alges has both a suburban rail station and a bus station, where the 729 and a bunch of other routes board. It’s simple in terms of architecture, with berths and shelters for each route. Geographically, however, it seems like it would be incredibly difficult to find a route. Luckily there was a 729 waiting at its berth when we got here, but if the bus isn’t there, it must be hard to find.

A bus a little further down the route, since I wasn’t able to get a picture at the bus station. This isn’t the vehicle I rode.

The inside of the bus was nice, as you can see.

The “stop request” picture is blurry, as usual, but here it is. There weren’t automatic announcements.

The first part of the 729 follows the 15 tram to Belem. Thus, we made our way to R. Pedroucos over the tram tracks. The street was leafy and lined with apartments. After we passed the amazingly titled “Colegio de Bom Sucesso” (College of Good Success), it got incredibly touristy all of a sudden.

An elevated highway.

That building looks abandoned…

A bus.

Another bus.

And another bus,

The street became Praca Imperio, and we were surrounded by big parks, buildings, and sightseeing buses. We then turned onto the turnaround loop for the 15, then onto Calcada Galvao, going uphill. One side of the street was lined with apartments, while the other side had a botanical garden.

That’s beautiful!

Heading above the 15’s loop.

We left the botanical garden behind, continuing uphill with apartments on both sides of the street. Those apartments became walls, then we turned onto R. Acucenas, following tram 18. Almost right after that, though, we left it behind, turning onto R. dos Marcos with individual houses. From there, we turned onto the wide Av. Universidade Tecnica, stopping at – what else? – the Universidade Tecnica. We then made a u-turn and went back the way we came.

The shelter is a bit…uneven because of the hill.

Looking down a residential street.

Some apartments.

The view from the university was incredible!

Another great view.

That bridge is magnificent!

Looking at a more local area.

The university building – no windows, it would seem.

We turned onto Estrada de Penedo. We were now in the massive Monsanto Forest, and so (obviously) we were surrounded by trees. Surprisingly, people were still getting on and off throughout this section. The road was windy, snaking through the woods. We crossed over the A5 highway, then went around a rotary onto Estr. Monsanto.

There was lots of this kind of view throughout this section.

I like how this shelter sort of blends into its surroundings.

Going over the A5.

Ooh, it’s starting to thin out.

We got some good speed along here, since it was a straightaway with no stops. There was a rotary where we merged onto Estrada do Calhariz de Benfica, which winded under another highway (A37). After going under it again, we made our way to R. Venezuela, once more going under that same highway. There was a stop at the Benfica suburban station, then we turned onto R. Garridas, which was lined with houses.

A local street.

We turned onto Av. Grao Vasco, where it was suddenly urban with businesses and apartments lining the street. From there, we turned onto Estr. de Benfica, where it became all apartments. The street curved south, then we turned onto Av. Colegio Militar, which went back north. We pulled into a busway for the Colegio Militar/Luz Metro station on the Blue Line, which was right next to a huge shopping mall.

Another local street.

Woah, look at the plastic bag! That’s pretty cool.

That’s a huge sidewalk.

Some apartment buildings and another bus.

The busway at Colegio Militar/Luz.

We went down Av. Lusiada, passing the Hospital da Luz, then turned onto the wide Av. Mal. Teixeira Rebelo. After going by another Metro station, Carnide, we turned onto Estr. Correia. Soon after that, we pulled into the busway for Pontinha Station, the last Metro connection on the route. The 729 does go a few stops further, but for us, we were heading to the Blue Line.

Leaving the Luz busway. There’s a big stadium in the background.

Going under an elevated road.

The Carnide Metro station.

There was also a bus yard at Pontinha.

Our bus leaving to finish the route.

While the 28 runs primarily as a tourist attraction, Lisbon’s other main tram line, the 15, gets strong local traffic, too. The 15’s only real tourist appeal is that it serves Belem, which has a few attractions – other than that, the line serves local neighborhoods to the west of Lisbon. Since the Metro doesn’t run out here, the 15 is the only option for many people, but…this ain’t no metro. Indeed, it can hardly even be considered “light rail” with all its mixed traffic sections. But see for yourself – let’s take a look.

Shoot, we just missed the Coca-Co…I mean tram.

That tour tram got in the way of my picture of the stop at Praca Figueira.

Another tram coming in.

As you can see, the 15 doesn’t use the historic trams of the 28. Instead, this line uses modern, articulated vehicles. They make for a much smoother ride than the old ones, but they do lack a certain character. Regardless, these trams have automatic announcements as well as ticket validators at each entrance, so all doors can open. It’s kind of an honor system, but it does speed up boarding.

These screen pictures never come out well on my camera.

All the doors are controlled by buttons pushed by passengers who want to get in or out.

Looking down the tram.

Another shot, this time turning.

Might as well get the obligatory “tram inception” photo out of the way now.

The line starts at Praca Figueira (Figueira Square), right near Rossio Station. The vehicle wasn’t too crowded as we turned immediately onto R. dos Fanqueiros, running through the historic Baixa neighborhood. This part of the route was mixed traffic, and it was odd being on such a modern tram running through such an old neighborhood. We then turned onto the north side of Praca de Comercio, Lisbon’s massive riverfront square, and picked up some more passengers.

Lots of crisscrossing tram tracks here.

Crossing over the east-west 28 tracks.

The massive Praca de Comercio.

A tram in the Baixa – not the one I took, obviously.

Heading down Rua de Arsenal, we reached a rotary and twisted around it. From there, we had our own bus/tram lane segregated from the road. After a stop at Cais do Sodre Station (where a bunch of people got on), we followed the Cascais suburban line to its next stop, Santos, which was close by.

Going around the rotary.

That’s Cais do Sodre station…but it’s kinda hard to tell.

Some cranes.

A tram at Cais do Sodre.

The surroundings got industrial from there until we turned onto Av. 24 de Julio. Though we still had our own lane along this section, it wasn’t totally segregated anymore. We then turned onto R. 1o de Maio, going under the incredibly high 25 de Abril Bridge. We were in mixed traffic now, the road lined with apartments and some businesses.

A Christ the Redeemer-esque statue across the Tagus River.

A view of the bridge!

Gosh, that bridge is high up.

A tram yard.

Another view of the bridge through some trees.

The street widened and became Rua da Junqueira. We had our own segregated lane now, running in the middle of the road. After two large buildings, it got more residential, with small apartments lining the street. The apartments eventually became tighter and the road got narrower – we were in mixed traffic now.

A big sculpture in a garden.

After going by a garden, the street became R, Belem. And a few blocks after that, we entered a turnaround loop. I was a little confused until I found out that apparently every other 15 terminates in Belem, where we were. Well…good to know. The full line goes out further, but I did most of the remaining part of the 15 (and much more) on a bus, which I’ll cover in the next post!

That building is so big!!!

Going around the small loop.

The tram laying over at its terminus.

We walked a ways down the rest of the route, meaning a few more tram pictures.

A tram going by.

Some people walking to get on.

A tram dropping passengers off.

A tram behind parked cars.

I’ll be honest, the 28 is almost entirely meant for tourists. During the summer, all the trams are packed with out-of-towners taking pictures and seeing the sights. That’s completely justified, though, since this tram line is incredibly scenic. The line is windy and hilly, meaning it has to use old-fashioned vehicles from the 1930’s. What more could you ask for?

A tram at its terminus.

That one looks crowded already!

The 28 begins to the west of the city in a pretty local neighborhood at a rotary. Leaving the terminus, we went around the rotary and headed down R. Saraiva de Carvalho. After going by a church, the street became lined with local businesses and apartments on top. We then turned onto R. Domingos Sequeira, going down a hill.

Pickpockets are indeed a problem on the 28 – be sure to watch your bags here.

I love these stop request buttons!

Looking toward the front of the tram – it had quieted down by the time I took the picture.

That’s a cool building!

And indeed, that’s another cool building.

We turned onto Calcada de Estrela, a narrow downhill street. The line then split in two, with our single track heading down R. Sao Bento. Going by some quaint apartments, we then turned onto the narrow R. de Poco dos Negros. We rejoined the outbound line at Calcada do Combro.

The back of the tram is a very fun place to stand.

Not much traffic on this street.

So much for no traffic.

It must be horrible to drive along these narrow streets shared by the 28.

The sun appears to be going down.

I took some pictures of the trams earlier in the day on this section of the line.

A tram coming down a hill…

…and another tram coming from the other way.

The street became Rua de Loreto, then we made our way around a small plaza. The inbound and outbound lines split again after that, and we headed single-track down R. Antonio Maria Cardoso. We made a steep sharp turn onto R. Victor Cordon and rejoined the outbound line on the next block. After some curves, we headed up Calcada Sao Francisco, entering the historic (and touristy) Baixa neighborhood.

This pesky tram followed us for much of the journey.

The plaza.

I love how you can see at the top of the hill how the right track has to overlap with the left in order to make the sharp turn!

A residential street.

It didn’t take too long to cross the Baixa – we were on a straightaway and it’s a narrow neighborhood to begin with. After that was the Alfama neighborhood, which is where the route really starts to get interesting. We navigated our way to Largo Santo Antonio de Se, then onto R. Augusto Rosa. We passed the Se de Lisboa, a cathedral, then twisted and turned through hilly, constantly changing streets.

Did I mention the Baixa was touristy? Look at those crowds!

Looking down the street.

The other tram following us up a hill.

I love that mini-castle!

An overlook.

A church up in the hills.

A big ship out in the water.

I see you’re still following us, other tram.

Eventually we turned onto Escolas Gerais, which became so narrow that we were reduced to a single track. It became double again at Calcada de Sao Vicente, but the street was still tight, with old apartments along the sides. At Graca there was a loop for short-turn runs, but we continued up Rua da Graca. with the buildings getting slightly newer.

Look how narrow this is!

Making another turn.

Still incredibly narrow.

This is just after Graca.

We then turned onto R. Angelina Vidal, heading downhill. The inbound and outbound tracks split once more later on, where we went down Rua do Forno do Tijolo. After a few more sharp turns, it became double-track once more on R. Maria Andrade.

That second tram never strays far.

Making a slight turn.

I see you poking your head around that corner, second tram.

Making a single-tracked turn.

Blurrily looking up a hill.

We then turned onto Av. Alm. Reis, which was weird in that this was the first legitimately wide street on the whole trip! Wide as in it even had a little median with trees on it. We went by the Intendente Metro station and continued on this wide straightaway. After passing through a small Chinatown, we looped around a small plaza and reached the 28’s terminus, Martim Moniz.

Why’s the street so wide? This is weird!

Looking up into the hills.

A building with Chinese writing on it.

I love that rooster sculpture!

A castle in the hills (Castelo de S. Jorge).

A tram at Martim Moniz.

So is the 28 worth taking? Absolutely. Even if you’re not into public transportation or anything, the 28 is still amazing. The historic trams are awesome, you get to see some interesting parts of the city, and it only costs a bus fare! Now if you’re in a hurry, the 28 might not be for you since it goes pretty slowly, but if you’re looking to just see the sights, the tram is a must.

The Metro isn’t the only way to get from Lisbon’s airport to downtown. Another option is the Aerobus, run by Yellow Bus Tours. While Line 2 runs every half hour to the northwestern part of the city, Line 1 goes every 20 minutes to the center. The advantage of taking the bus is that it’s direct, whereas you have to change lines if you’re going to the city center on the Metro. Plus the lines of tourists at the Aeroporto Metro station are brutal.

The sign at the airport.

One downside to the bus is that it’s more expensive. While the metro is only 1,40€ for a single ride, the bus costs 3,50€. That 3,50€ does give you a 24 hour pass, though, meaning you have unlimited Aerobus rides for a day. That could be useful, as it does run between some local areas downtown.

The bus at the airport.

The boarding process for this bus was ridiculous. Since you had to buy your ticket in order to wait in line, it made no sense for the driver to only keep the front door open so he could check the tickets everyone already bought. The line was crawling, and we were standing at the back door (there were three). On the door, I noticed there was a button. Turns out the button opened it, so all of a sudden there was a mad rush of people getting in from the back. It also turns out we weren’t supposed to push it, as the driver yelled at the crowd before not really caring and getting in front.

Pretty crowded in here…

Leaving the terminal, we made our way out of the airport, going through a short tunnel and past lots of parking lots. After a rotary, we continued down Av. Alm. Gago Coutinho, going by individual houses (you don’t see a lot of those within Lisbon city limits). We then turned onto Av. Estados Unidos de America, which was lined with apartments.

Nice view!

A highway going over a rotary.

Some individual houses.

Now things are a lot more built up.

We went around another rotary at Entre Campos, turning onto Av. de Republica. After going under the elevated Entrecampos suburban rail station, we reached Campo Pequeno, passing a museum. From there, we reached Saldanha, which is actually where our hotel was. So we didn’t get to go that far down the line, but it was a quick ride (15 minutes), and we got to see a bit of the city unlike on the underground metro. I’m not sure if it’s worth it cash-wise, but it’s a fun ride.

That’s quite the rotary!

Here are some buildings. And a spot on the window.

That’s a really cool-looking museum!

Goodbye, Aerobus!