Summer in Portugal has arrived with a new, sustainable and economical option for locals and foreigners to travel by efficient and low-polluting transport.
This is a National Rail Pass, a monthly pass with no limit on the number of trips or restrictions on duration or distance to be able to board any regional train that runs in Portugal.
The railway operator Comboios de Portugal has revealed that this pass, which will be valid for 30 days, will cost 49 euros and is available from August 1.
How to Use It?
This new ticket is used like any other season ticket: it will have to be loaded on a ‘CP Customer‘ card and recharged on a monthly basis if it is to be used repeatedly.
It should be noted that the Portuguese authorities clarified that the ticket will not be valid on the so-called “urban” trains, which serve the metropolitan areas of Oporto and Lisbon, nor on the Alfa Pendular rapid trains or the InterRegional semi-fast trains. However, it is possible to travel across the country from north to south and from east to west, as regional trains serve most stations.
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For example, the major capitals can be reached from stations bordering Spain: Valença do Minho (on the border with Galicia), Vilar Formoso (next to Salamanca), Elvas (near Badajoz) or Vila-Real do Santo António, bordering the province of Huelva.
This line, which serves the tourist area of the Portuguese Algarve, is one of the most popular during the summer months. The complete map of destinations can be consulted here.
Option for Travelers
For those who want to complete their trip with stays in the big cities, CP also has tourist passes for sale from 6 euros per day to make use of the local trains that allow to reach very popular points such as Sintra or Cascais, in the surroundings of Lisbon; or the beach town of Aveiro, south of Porto.
Comboios de Portugal also offers significant discounts for certain age groups. For example, those over 65 years of age have a 50% discount on all the company’s trains, being able to purchase these tickets on the website, app and stations.
In the same line, those under 25 years of age have a 25% discount on all services. These discounts, a priori, will not apply to the new National Rail Pass of 49 euros.
