Rua Augusta in Lisbon (photo © Angelo Cordeschi / dreamstime.com)
Crossing the border from Spain into Portugal
The railway is a fine way to take the pulse of Portugal and this route is designed to do just that. Route 23 is the sole journey in this book which crosses the Spanish-Portuguese border, but it is not the only way to reach Portugal by train. Bear in mind that there’s also the excellent Lusitania hotel train, which leaves both Madrid and Lisbon every evening to give an overnight link between the two Iberian capital cities.
MAP Double click on the map (or double tap on mobile) to zoom in. You can connect onto other routes in places shown in red. Change to a layer showing a more familiar road map view by clicking on the menu at the top right of the map. Get back to the original view by clicking on the house icon shown in the top left menu on the map.
Whether you are making a long grand tour or just planning a couple of weekend breaks, Europe by Rail is the perfect guide. The book describes 50 key routes in detail. Together, they span mainland Europe and the British Isles. Find out more about the guidebook below.