The Best Rail Holidays in Portugal

Groups accepted with a minimum of 6 pax.   This Rail Holiday will take us on some of the most scenic rail routes in Portugal, while we criss-cross the country from north to south. Along our tour we will enjoy stunning landscapes, have the opportunity to visit lovely towns and villages, and stop in strategic places to admire historic settings as well as gorgeously decorated train stations. We’ll also take time to wander and visit some UNESCO World Heritage Sites, impressive monuments, and look at Portugal with different eyes, not forgetting the opportunity to enjoy the excellent gastronomy and wines! We’ll start the tour up north with a train ride alongside the Rio Douro, one of the great unsung experiences of a visit to Portugal. The scenery is breathtaking, and many say it is one of the greatest railway journeys in the world. Viana do Castelo overview of basilica of Santa Luzia From our base, Porto, we’ll also visit Viana do Castelo the jewel of Minho; take a slow train to Guimarães, the birth town of Portugal and a World Heritage Site and Aveiro with its beautiful system of lagoons and gaily painted houses. In Porto, also a World Heritage site, we’ll ride on a charming tram to Foz and visit the National Tram Museum. And, of course, taste the famous Port wines. Going south, we head to the bustling capital of Portugal, Lisbon. From here, we’ll spend one day in Sintra, once a favourite summer residence for Portugal’s royalty and still a fairy-tale landscape with lush green hills and hidden architectural gems. Train in Douro line - Take the train, and enjoy your walking holidays in this timeless and magical place! Also, Tomar, once the seat of power for the Knights Templar, a secretive but influential religious order of warrior knights, had close associations to the Portuguese nobility. In Alentejo, crossing mesmerizing plane landscapes, we’ll visit Évora, a medieval walled city, and World Heritage Site. The trail leads us further South, to the coastal wonders of the Algarve, but seen from a whole different perspective. The train lines run along the Ria Formosa, a Nature Reserve, offering privileged sights. And while Portugal is a wonderful destination in itself, double your vacation fun with a visit to neighbouring Spain crossing on the old ferry in Vila Real de Santo António.   https://youtu.be/AwMagvRIWhc?list=PLuMAo-oYl9zgZ7THp1rusNGKOkYZUOfhp https://youtu.be/mK7rgh4fhYQ?list=PLuMAo-oYl9zgZ7THp1rusNGKOkYZUOfhp