The Night Train From Madrid to Lisbon

When I was living in Austria, I discovered what a great way train travel was to get around Europe. Not only is it more convenient and comfortable than air travel, it is, of course, much better for the environment. I am really passionate about helping the environment and I try to do my bit by being vegan and reducing how much plastic I use. However, I know that the amount I travel by plane is far too big. But although I'm not willing to give up plane travel entirely, I choose to travel by train or bus whenever possible.

I'd wanted to visit Portugal for a long time, so once I knew I was going to Madrid, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to spend a few days in Lisbon as well, given that it's only a train journey away. I managed to get a 35 Euro ticket for the Renfe Trenhotel, the sleeper train that goes between the two cities. It was my first time travelling by sleeper train, and I would definitely recommend it.

One thing I like about travelling by rail or road is that you get more of a sense of the distance you're travelling and the journey between the start and end destinations, whereas on a plane, you sit in a metal tube for a couple of hours and then get out in a whole new part of the world. 

During my journey I was monitoring the route we were following on Google Maps, which was really interesting. We actually went north from Madrid, which seemed rather counterproductive, and eventually crossed the border into Portugal at a town called Almeida before going south through the country. I'd be interested to know the reason why we followed that route!

The journey took about 10 hours, and I managed to get a decent amount of sleep during that time, because my bed was surprisingly comfortable. I was in a dormitory with three other women, but it's also possible to sleep in a single or double room. One disadvantage of the train was that all the corridors were very narrow (not ideal when there are lots of passengers with luggage trying to find their rooms!) and the toilet wasn't the cleanest. 😂

However, overall, I feel like it was a really convenient way to travel. Flights between Madrid and Lisbon are around the same price as the train ticket, but the train ticket also gives you accommodation for a night, whereas although the plane is quicker, you need to find somewhere to spend the night once you arrive.

So at 7am on the 12th November, I arrived at Estação do Oriente in Lisbon, ready to explore a new city. I'll write all about the time I spent there in my next few posts!

Image by veerasak Piyawatanakul from pexels.com