Who among us does not like to travel? Europe is a popular destination among Russians. Connoisseurs of gastronomy, art and shopping lovers come to warm countries - Spain, Portugal and Italy. Once in one of the countries, Spain, it is impossible not to visit the neighboring power with its unsurpassed capital - Lisbon, by taking a ticket on the Madrid - Lisbon train.
Features of traveling in Europe
From Russia to get to Europe is not difficult. Most airlines offer regular flights to European countries. Flights across Europe are carried out by such Tap Portugal, Air Europe. They offer budget flights, and the cost of a flight from the capital of Portugal to the heart of Spain will cost only 50 euros. But there is a more profitable and more comfortable way, especially for those who are afraid of heights - traveling by train.
Fast night train "Madrid-Lisbon" will take you to your destination strictly on schedule.
How to get from Lisbon to Madrid?
Travel lovers do not sit still. When planning to travel to several cities or states, do not forget to carefully prepare: plan your trip, follow and familiarize yourself with the possibilities of moving, choosing the most profitable option.
The opportunity to travel is the best gift, so take advantage of this opportunity.
If a visa to Spain is open and you are traveling to this country for the first time, expect that you will have to follow some rules. In this case, it is better to choose a direct flight from Moscow to Madrid, if such an offer is available. So, going on one trip, you can visit several countries without spending a lot of money on it.
What transport to choose?
Flying by plane is the fastest way to get from the capital of one state to another, but if there is a cheaper alternative, then why not take advantage of the opportunity to save money and not travel by train?
Fast train "Madrid-Lisbon" will take you to your destination in the morning. European trains are very different from those that we are used to seeing every day in our cities. There are several classes of trains that differ in price and conditions. The undeniable advantage of moving from Madrid to Lisbon or vice versa is a convenient schedule and train schedule, which makes the trip even more pleasant.
Which flight to choose?
Traveling by night train is the best option for a tourist.
One of the most popular trains on the Madrid-Lisbon route is the Train-Hotel night train operated by Renfe. Tickets for the train "Madrid - Lisbon" (night) are inexpensive. The popularity of this type of transport is due to a convenient schedule: from Madrid, from the Chamartin station, an express train leaves at 21.50. Night travel is convenient because the tourist has time to sleep, and already in the morning, at 7.20 upon arrival, he can have breakfast and go on an excursion to get acquainted with the cultural and historical heritage of the country.
The photo above shows the booking board for an electronic ticket for the Madrid - Lisbon flight. The train (the schedule of which is easy to remember) provides its passengers with maximum comfort. It really is a "hotel on wheels".
For the entire journey, "Madrid - Lisbon" makes only two stops, and returns from the capital of Portugal in the evening at 21.20 local time. Arrives in Madrid in the morning, around 8:30.
The ticket price depends on the type of carriage chosen by the passenger. For the seat of the corresponding class you have chosen, you will have to pay from 25 to 120 euros per person. There is a special Family fare for those who buy all the seats in a compartment or take several compartments in one car, which allows you to get a discount on your purchase. Sometimes you can save up to 100 euros per family.
Characteristics of the train Train-Hotel Renfe
The train "Madrid - Lisbon" consists of 8 cars, which are divided into classes:
- The first is Turista (tourist). Economy option, which is soft seating, reminiscent of the Aeroexpress.
- The second - Cama Turista is a four-seater coupe.
- The third is Cama Preferen in the form of an improved compartment for two or four people.
- Fourth - Cama G. Clase is presented as an improved compartment for two or four passengers with its own shower.
Features Train-Hotel
Each car consists of only 4-5 compartments. Duties of one conductor: serve 2 compartments in the car. The compartments themselves are modest, but comfortable. The beds in the compartment are immediately made up, and each of the mini-rooms of the train has its own sanitary area in the form of a washbasin and a locker with hygiene kits for each passenger.
The composition of the train is completed with a restaurant car for those who wish to have dinner or just a snack. Here you will be served delicious coffee and a fresh hearty sandwich, and such a snack will cost you only per person.
Many people ask the question: choosing the route "Madrid - Lisbon", how to get by train from one point to another? It's simple: find out the timetable on the official website of the company offering the service, and arrive at the station 40-60 minutes before the train departs.
It is easy to get to the station itself: it is only 10 minutes drive from the center of Madrid. You can get to the station by public transport or taxi. If possible, it is better to use the second option to get to the point of departure without problems and delays. By the way, a taxi in Madrid is inexpensive.
Traveling by train over short distances has undeniable advantages over air travel.
Spain and Portugal are one of the hottest European countries, which annually gather those wishing to sunbathe on sandy beaches. Some travelers want to take a ride from Portugal to Spain to get acquainted with the culture of Spanish and Portuguese cities, see the sights rich in Barcelona and Lisbon.
Spain and Portugal on the world map
Spain – a kingdom located in the southwestern part of the European Union. Its total area, including the Canary and Balearic Islands, occupies almost 505,000 km2. The shores of the country are washed on one side by the Mediterranean Sea, on the other - by the Atlantic Ocean.
The most popular tourist cities in Spain:
- Barcelona;
- Madrid;
- Seville;
- Granada;
- Valencia.
What to visit in Spain first of all:
Portugal is a European country located in the southwestern part of the Iberian Peninsula. The coast of Portugal is washed by the Atlantic Ocean, and the state also borders on Spain.
Popular cities in Portugal:
- Lisbon;
- Porto;
- Sintra;
- Cascais;
- Faro;
- Coimbra.
What to visit in Portugal:
- Torri di Belen - a symbol of Lisbon and Portugal, a tower built in the 16th century;
- Jeronimos - the Gothic monastery of Lisbon;
- Pena Palace is a palace located on top of the Sintra cliff.
Sagrada Familia in Barcelona
Transport links between Portugal and Spain
Transport communication between the two countries is established at a high level, you can get from one country to another in several ways: by plane, by train, by car, by taxi.
Spain to Portugal by train
To travel from Spain to Portugal by train, you need to make several changes both in buses and trains.
Travel time is almost 13 hours. The ticket price is 240 euros.
Barcelona - Lisbon traffic algorithm:
- In Barcelona, arrive at the station called Barcelona Sants, to the Ave train, which runs every 2 hours. Get off at the Madrid-Puerta de Atocha station.
- At the Madrid-Puerta de Atocha station, transfer to the Spanish carrier train and get to Sevilla Santa Justa in 2.5 hours.
- Near the train station, at José Laguillo station, take bus line 21. In 12 minutes, it will take you to the Plaza de Armas stop.
- Then transfer to the Hernani-Lagos bus, they run every hour. The average travel time to the Faro stop is 2.5 hours.
- At the same station, buy a train ticket called Entrecampos - to the final destination, to the Entrecampos station. Travel time - 3.5 hours
Attention: You can travel to Portugal by train from 3 main cities in Spain - Barcelona, Madrid and Seville. From other places you should get by bus, car or train.
Square in Lisbon
Distance from Barcelona to Lisbon by car
By car from Barcelona to Lisbon, the distance of 1250 kilometers can be covered in 12 hours, given all the traffic lights, traffic jams and speed limits. This trip will cost about 200 euros, if we consider only the cost of gasoline.
How to get from Spain to Portugal
Many tourists who visit major cities in Spain also want to go to Lisbon on their own, as it is much cheaper and brings a lot of new positive experiences.
From Barcelona to Lisbon
From Barcelona to the capital of Portugal can be reached by plane or by bus.
The plane is the fastest mode of transport of all listed, and the flight from one city to another will last 4.5 hours. You can get to the airport through Passeig de Gràcia train station. Take the R2 Nord train and get off at Barcelona Airport T2. Trains run twice an hour and Barcelona Airport is 17 minutes away.
After that, you need to go to the airport building and board the desired flight to Lisbon, the price of an air ticket is from 30 to 150 euros.
Note! In general, a trip from Barcelona to Lisbon by plane will cost 40-150 euros per person one way.
There are several routes to get to Portugal by bus:
- First way will take 19 hours and 25 minutes. To get to the place, you need to make one transfer. Take the ALSA bus from Barcelona station, then get off at Lisboa Oriente station after 18.5 hours and transfer to Carris buses, which take 35 minutes to Cais Lingueta station. The first bus runs 1 time per day, the second daily with a break every 2 hours. The average cost of a trip is 80 euros.
- Second route takes a little longer - 21 hours and 15 minutes. The bus will depart from a stop called Barcelona Sants Station. The ALSA bus will take you to the Lleida station in 1 hour and 51 minutes and a fee of 90-130 euros per person. This route runs hourly. This is followed by the second transfer - by InterNorte carrier's car, we drive to the Lisboa Oriente station for 17.5 hours. Then the transfer follows again - to the bus following line 208, the journey time is about 45 minutes. He goes often - every half an hour. The final stop is Martim Moniz.
Note! All buses run with different frequencies and frequency, so you need to check the schedule of the necessary routes in advance.
Torri di Belen - the symbol of Lisbon
Barcelona - Porto how to get there
They get to Porto by plane, by bus, by car.
There are 2 ways to fly to Porto from Barcelona:
- Get to the city airport and choose a flight to Porto, then on arrival transfer to the metro and get to the Trindade station. The average travel time is 4.5 hours.
- Fly to Vigo airport, then take the L9a bus and after 25 minutes get off at the Jenaro de la Fuente 11 stop, change route again, taking the Autna bus and reaching the Porto stop after an hour and 20 minutes.
Trains can also be reached in several ways:
- The first way takes 20.5 hours on the way. Once a day, an InterNorte bus departs from the Barcelona - Nord stop in the direction of Porto - Casa da Música. This route does not involve transfers, the ticket price is approximately 80-85 euros.
- The second way takes almost 21 hours of travel. There is an hourly bus from Barcelona Sants Station to Lleida Station. (Travel time is almost 2 hours). At the same station, change to another bus (you should check the schedule in advance, because this bus runs only 3 times a week), get off at the Porto stop.
By car, the road to Porto takes a little more than 11 hours. Distances over 1000 km. On average, the cost of gasoline, and it will take about 92 liters, will be 200 euros.
From Porto to Santiago de Compostela
How to make a return route from Porto to Santiago de Compostela? Basic transport options: bus, taxi, car.
Two of the three routes require a transfer, one runs non-stop, but only on demand.
- From Portugal to Spain can be reached in 3 hours 17 minutes, if you choose the first route. Tickets cost an average of 36 euros. The Autna company launches scheduled buses at the request of passengers, you need to get to the Vigo stop, which takes an average of 1.5 hours. Next, transfer to another bus L12a and go to the stop Gran Vía 25 - Corte Inglés. Then transfer to the Ir train, which runs every day every 3 hours, to the Santiago de Compostela station within 50 minutes.
- The second route takes 3 hours and 40 minutes, the trip will cost 25-28 euros. Land at the Porto station and follow to the Vigo stop. Then take the C2 bus, we get to the Tva de Vigo 30 stop. And the last transfer to the bus 8719-8717, which will take you to the Santiago de Compostela - Avenida Rosalia de Castro station, takes about 1.5 hours.
- There is also a direct route from the Porto – Boavista stop to the Santiago de Compostela stop, which takes 4.5 hours. The bus runs at the request of passengers. The ticket price is 50 euros.
Note! If you can’t find the right stop or attraction, you can ask the Portuguese, they will be able to help and show you the way.
Taxis are more expensive, but more convenient. The main convenience is that the driver will surely meet the passenger at the airport and take him to the hotel. It is better to book a transfer in advance to be sure of safety and price.
If you have the right to drive a car, both in Spain and Portugal, you can always rent a car for the required number of days. From Porto to Santiago de Compostela by car is only 2.5 hours non-stop. The distance between the two cities is approximately 232 kilometers, which will require an average of 19 liters of gasoline to overcome. At local rates, you can spend about 35-40 euros on this.
- Be sure to book hotels in advance, otherwise there will be nowhere to stay.
- Take your driving license with you - you can travel by car from one country to another.
- In Spain and Portugal, most of the beaches have received blue flags - the water in them is clean and absolutely safe.
- If you plan your day correctly, you can go to one of the countries for a few hours and come back.
- The timetable and ticket prices for trains can be viewed online on the website.
Thus, a vacation in Spain or Portugal will allow travelers to get acquainted not only with local attractions, but also go for one or more days to another country. Established transport links and top-level service make these trips as fast and comfortable as possible.
I turn to the luminaries. Essence of the question: A direct flight to Portugal and back is expensive. Will it be cheaper if you fly to Barca, and then on something (I don’t know what else) to go (fly) to Portugal. Will there be problems with the border guards? Or if Schengen, then how many times do you want to enter and leave the same number? Interested only rest savage. And the most budget.
I wanted to add: there are no rights, only planes / trains / buses are considered as transport from Spain. Perhaps I got excited by writing to Barca, you can also consider Madrid. It’s just that tickets to Barca are initially cheaper, and this is what attracts them.
I would not limit myself to Spain either - Portugal is located in such a way that transit through most European countries makes sense. When I chose in August (though only from flights of one AK with a through ticket), the cheapest flight for our dates was a flight through Helsinki by FinnAir, based on convenience, we chose Swiss through Zurich.
I don't know, Tamara, where you plan to fly from.
In September we took the following route: Tampere-Frankfurt-Madrid, from there by car though through Salamanca to Porto Lisbon-Algarve, back the same route. Ryanair Airlines. Tickets cost 170 USD.
There were very inexpensive tickets directly to Porto (Tampere-Frankfurt-Porto), but they refused this option only because they had to fly back from Madrid, and if you take a car in one country and return it to another, its cost increases by 1.5 times -2.
Dear forum users, thank you for not disregarding my post. I live in the province, the salary is appropriate, so I'm only interested in budget vacations. It is more convenient for me to fly through Moscow, I will have to make a big detour to St. Petersburg. My vacation is only 2 weeks, every day is precious. Flying through Europe and spending the night there - something like that doesn’t look like an option. I watched a branch where they considered the cheapest options to Portugal through European countries. I understand that not very big savings are obtained, which is covered by physical and nervous costs. The M-B-M flight is by far the most economical in terms of price, and if KD-avia recovers from losses, then there will be even cheaper options, and even from my city directly. Is it possible to get from Barca to Portugal by public transport? What does it lead to? Has anyone traveled? Haven't looked at your links yet. Thank you.
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To date, the cheapest flight is advertised as 35 euros, and 50 of them have increased.
I have a lot of questions for Nastya about Ryanair.
1. How did you get to Tampere? If by car, where did you leave it and how much does it cost?
2. Ticket 170 euros.
Is this what the Ryanair website gave you with all the fees and taxes?
Were there any other surcharges at the airport itself when checking in for a flight?
3. Regarding flight connections. Did it work out for you in one day or did you have to spend the night in Hahn?
4. If you had a successful connection, were you checked in for the Frankfurt-Madrid flight immediately in Tampere, or did you have to collect your luggage and check in again?
5. Ryanair feeds in flight or only for extra. fee?
If possible, in more detail, please. And then I found it. cheap tickets via Frankfurt(HHN) and now in deep thought.
Lidia SPb, although I am not Nastya, I will answer you!
1) There are several ways to get to Tampere:
a.taxi. the price of the issue is 50 euros from the nose. Call companies that offer delivery "to the place." I once bargained for 35. True, there were 8 of us.
b. buses: you go to Helsinki 10-12 euros, change to a regular bus to Tampere 27 euros. There's a bus to the airport - 5 euros. That is, not a very big difference, especially considering that making such a long journey, you will want to eat and so on ...
2) I can not answer this question, but how it was with us:
when buying an e-ticket, you usually pay:
a. the cost of the ticket (i.e. the fare, which is often 1 cent)
b. TAX
in. luggage (if needed! we usually order only in the opposite direction, because we carry almost nothing there)
d. check-in fee (if you are a citizen of Russia, then this item is inevitable. But if you have a passport of one of the Schengen countries, then you can check-in online and not pay for a check-in at the airport)
e. transaction fee
e. insurance (of course, if there are no extra 15 euros, you can leave it, but we always uncheck this box)
and. priority boarding. It's kind of business class. Joke. You can just be the first to board. First, those with "priority bording" coupons, then everyone else. It costs about 5 euros. We usually also remove this checkmark and always sit where we want.
this is how the overall price goes.
3. I won't say anything for sure. Although no, I will say. We wanted to fly through Frankfurt so many times, but we always changed our minds, and if possible we fly through Bremen for the reason that there is an a / p in a 10-minute tram ride. (Most of the time it's free, by the way.) and the time of arrival in Frankfurt, as far as I remember, is inconvenient. Finding a hotel near the airport is not a problem, but do you want to spend money on it?
4. If you are flying with some kind of connections with Ryanair, then no one knows about it except you. thus, you need to fly in, get your luggage, then, together with the rest, go and check in to another flight, check in your luggage, etc. If the plane is late and you do not have time to transfer, then this is also not a concern for ryanair. such a low cost.
5. Feeds for an additional fee. And it's tasteless.
And where, if not a secret, did you find the tickets?
I'll try in order...
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We traveled on our own in our car. The flight was at 16.50, we left in the morning at 9 o'clock. The car was left in the parking lot directly opposite the entrance, upon arrival there is a machine that issues coupons indicating the date and time of arrival. When we flew back, we got into the car and at the exit from the parking lot they put a piece of paper into the machine, it showed the cost, the card was taken there and the money was withdrawn. If in cash, then with this ticket in the airport building (if you can call it a small building with one entrance / exit :) you can pay in cash.
Parking cost $60. For two weeks.
We were just in a hurry, but they say that there is cheaper parking a little further.
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I wrote the total cost with all surcharges and fees.
Tickets were cheaper, but we paid $15 each. per flight - this is 10 c.u. baggage 5 c.u. for check-in for the flight.
Those. if you do not pay 10 c.u. for luggage, you can only take 10 kg of things into the cabin, with a certain size. If you pay, you can put another 15 kg in luggage.
And registration, then only citizens of the European Union can register via the Internet. So you have to pay 5 USD for one flight.
In general, in addition to the ticket price of 110 USD. we paid $60 each. = so it turned out 170 c.u.
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We were unable to connect flights on the same day. There are many departures from Khan in the morning once a day, and from Tampere on the required dates there were only departures in the late afternoon.
On the way there, we flew to Hahn at 6 pm and spent the night at the hotel right opposite the entrance to the B&B Hotel Frankfurt Hahn-Airport, the room cost 54 USD. The next day at 2 pm we flew to Madrid.
On the way back, we arrived in Hahn at 15:00 and immediately left on a regular bus to Frankfurt, the journey is 1 hour 45 minutes, the bus comes to the central station. They spent the night in a simple hotel 5 minutes from the station, the room cost 45 USD. In the morning we took the same bus back to the airport.
We checked in for each flight, luggage was received / handed over all the time. But with Rineair it is so simple and fast that there is no burdensomeness and long waiting times - like in a minibus, I handed over my things, sat down, flew, received and was free)))
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In flight, they feed only for an additional fee. We took a couple of times coffee, tea, broth, wine, sandwiches. Hot food is presented but most of the menu is out of stock. And so, we ate very well before the flight, when we were waiting for landing in the same Khan and we didn’t feel like eating on the plane for 2 hours of flight
If you write general impressions - I liked it, Ryanair did not disappoint. Planes are clean and tidy. All flights without a single delay. Luggage is unloaded within 10 minutes, which is convenient, no need to wait for it and waste time. In short, they work clearly and harmoniously. And even the fact that they don’t give a specific seat on the plane was not a problem. Who wanted to stand at the exits for 30 minutes and ran first on the plane to take their seats. We usually crawled one of the last and sat down normally, well, maybe not all nearby (there were 6 of us), but two by two.
If the place is important, then you can pay 10 USD. like and you will sit exactly on the first 3 rows.
I hope I was able to help you and I wrote everything clearly enough.
If you have any more questions, I'll be happy to answer!
Europe, of course, is already tired, but the idea of seeing the ocean outweighed everything else. We were going to go to Portugal, the country of port and green wine. However, tickets from Moscow to Lisbon in the period of time we chose (mid-April) turned out to be expensive, so it was decided to go to Spain (Moscow-Barcelona), and from there make a trip to the Portuguese-ocean coast.
There was little time, and I wanted to see a lot of things, so the trip turned out to be very eventful. For a week we drove along the route Barcelona-Figueres-Madrid-Lisbon-Sintra-Porto-Madrid-Barcelona. At the same time, we spent three nights in tents (once in a city park in the center of Barcelona, the other - on the ocean in a small resort town near Porto, the third - in a small picturesque bay on the Mediterranean coast in the Costa Brava), spent three more nights in intercity buses, and only the remaining time spent the night in hotels-hostels. We managed to see all the main sights, visit a bunch of legendary places, see the creations of the great crazy Gaudi and Dali, appreciate the beauty of nature and feel the local flavor.
Barcelona greeted us with palm trees, sea air, floral freshness and crowds of young people hanging out. It feels like (air, heat) you are flying as if to some kind of eastern country, but before your eyes - uniform Europe. The combination is unexpected and pleasant. The city itself is very beautiful and interesting. Worthy of attention are the narrow winding streets of the Old City, and the ancient buildings of the Gothic Quarter, and the diamond-shaped squares of the Eixample lined with incredible accuracy, and, of course, the crowded embankment with a crazy number of white yachts and long sandy beaches. Naturally, having been in Barcelona, one cannot help but see the world-famous modernist buildings of Gaudi - the Sagrada Familia, Pedrera, as well as admire other buildings in the same style, which are not few in the city.
On weekends, especially on Saturday evenings, there are very few places in the hotels and hostels of the city. Finding something is almost impossible, even out of season. But now we know a very cozy little park next to the bus station, where we set up tents and spent a wonderful night at the very beginning of the journey. Two more nights, already at the end of the trip, when we got back to Barcelona, we slept in a hotel (50 euros) and a hostel (15 euros). All in all, plan ahead for your overnight stay in Barcelona and book your spot in the sun ahead of time, especially if you're visiting this beautiful city over the weekend. Well, if it suddenly didn’t work out, the wonderful park is always open to travelers.
From Barcelona we got to Figueres (by train about 2 hours), where we visited the house-museum of Salvador Dali. From the creations of a madman, I expected a little more craziness than I saw. But to look at the flight of surrealistic thought is still worth it. The city itself is quite picturesque and you can wander around it with pleasure. There is also a fortress in Figueres where you can climb some catacombs, however, we limited ourselves to drinking wine near the fortress walls.
As for “hotel Spain”, all the towns along the Costa Brava make an extremely bad impression: the hotels are small, somehow uncomfortable in appearance, and in general, nothing good can be expected from tourist centers. But we found a pretty lagoon-bay there, surrounded on three sides by boulders and overlooking the sea. There they set up camp, spending the night almost at the very edge of the water the penultimate night. The sea was cold, but the air was warm and completely calm. Only the sound of the waves, the hiss of a gas burner preparing mulled wine from delicious Spanish wine, and the songs of six tired but contented travelers broke the silence of that night.
By the way, you can ride the metro in Barcelona for free, if you show a little ingenuity and stock up on impudence. It is easy to step over the turnstiles, climb over or crawl under them. Moreover, this can be done even in front of the cashiers - they still will not pay any attention to you by 90%. As for the electric trains, there are sometimes controllers here, but only where there are no turnstiles at the stations. Where there are turnstiles - again, you can safely ride a hare. You can eat (drink coffee with buns, eat paella or pizza) in any of the many Barcelona cafes, and the prices in them do not depend on the location of the cafe, that is, they are approximately the same both at train stations and near the main attractions, and even in the wildest slums . There are also many supermarkets and shops where you can buy all sorts of marine reptiles, cheeses, wine and have a bite to eat in some park.
The second famous Spanish city, and even the capital - Madrid, I somehow did not like. Maybe because it was raining there on the day of our stay, maybe a half-sleepy night on the Barcelona-Madrid bus (25 euros, 34 euros - 1st class) had an effect, or maybe the city really is not as beautiful as they write about it. But in any case, we walked around Madrid all day, watched palaces, parks with peacocks, cathedrals, architectural wonders in the form of a small Egyptian temple, allegedly donated to Spain by the Egyptians, admired, admired the monuments (for example, the monument to Cervantes - Don Quixote and Sancho Panso, but especially donkey succeeded in this monument). In general, the city is like a city, there is nothing super interesting and mind-blowing there.
If you travel from Madrid to Barcelona by train, then on the way you will first come across the unremarkable town of Guadalajara, where in the station cafe you can eat an awesome Spanish set lunch for 8 euros (soup, main course, wine, mineral water, dessert). In the same Guadalajara, you can look into the minizoo and admire all kinds of markhor goats, shy deer, grunting ostriches and other animals. And further along the path to the sea lies a mythical city with the beautiful name of Zaragoza (Zaragoza in Spanish). We never got there, but this city left an indelible mark on our souls, gave rise to a bunch of legends and tales. If you wake up in those parts, be sure to look into Zaragoza, you will not regret it!
And now about the most interesting - about Portugal. The country made a really strong impression, although it is very difficult to express what is so attractive about it. In general, absolutely everything is attractive - from the unusual architecture of the houses, the walls of which are lined with tiles, to the incredibly delicious Portuguese paella, from the narrow winding streets that run up and down steeply, to the fantastic beauty of the fabulous Pena Castle in Sintra , from the amazing similarity with us of the local population, to the real tropical jungle, not at all similar to our pine forests.
Lisbon is more like a large port village, nice, almost rural. Here it is interesting just to walk along the streets, looking at the patterns on the tiles of houses, studying the contents of local stores, which do not look like ordinary European boutiques, but rather resemble our tents, where everything is sold for 10 rubles. Here it is worth taking a ride through the narrow streets on a crazy tram with a breeze, almost touching the walls of houses with your hands sticking out of the windows. From the well-preserved fortress, located on the highest hill, there is an excellent view of the city, with its pile of red tiled roofs, with its wide squares, with its monument to Jesus Christ, who welcomes everyone entering the city.
Portuguese paella deserves a separate story, although I still can’t describe the taste of this yummy. Let me just say that a portion for one person must be taken for 2, or even 3, otherwise you will have to leave the dish half-eaten. You can drink the whole thing with green wine, slightly reminiscent of champagne, or port wine. Both here are national drinks, and I think it would be unnecessary to admire their taste. And it is so clear that in the homeland of port wine there can be neither bad wine nor unsuccessful port wine. In addition, you should definitely enjoy Portuguese coffee. They know how to cook it here correctly, so that after visiting Portugal you won’t want to drink ordinary coffee, even if it is ground and aromatic three times.
The most stunning, unimaginable, amazing castle that I, and not only me, managed to see is Pena Castle in Sintra (half an hour by train from Lisbon). There is no style here, which only adds sophistication to the structure. You can find something from oriental tales, from Moorish buildings, from Gothic techniques and medieval elements. But it's better to just enjoy the unspeakable beauty of the castle, looking at the fantastic views of the mountains from its carved verandas and pretty turrets. The insides of Pena are interesting primarily for the carved furniture, which is presented in large numbers in the rooms of the castle. And when you leave the chambers, a pleasant surprise awaits - a piece of cake, cookies or chocolate from the castle workers.
There are several more castles in Sintra, where it makes sense to look, but we had too little time. A special bus carries all the sights here. Having paid 4 euros once, you can ride it as much as you like, however, it is better to use it as a means to enter the mountain where the castles stand (it is very difficult to go up), and go down already on foot. And I don’t advise you to go down just along the road (uncomfortable for your feet), it’s much more interesting to turn onto one of the many paths that go straight into the real jungle, with vines and everything laid out for the jungle. The walk will be really exciting. And breathe more and deeply - the air in Sintra is amazing!
For the first acquaintance with the ocean, we chose the westernmost point in Europe - the cape of Capa da Roca. From Sintra, you can get here in half an hour by bus, but not everyone can stand the road - those who are not very good with the vestibular apparatus should better refuse such a trip. The bus rushes at breakneck speed along the road, which will be more abruptly than the Crimean serpentine, and sharp acceleration and no less sharp braking here are in the order of things. However, torment for some is entertainment for others. Something like this trip looks like a cool attraction. In any case, the cape is worth it. Cliffs abruptly dropping into the ocean, covered with a carpet of some large white flowers. Fresh ocean breeze in the face. Waves, with a bunch of splashes breaking on the rocks. Here it is, the end of Europe. Ahead only distant Brazil.
And the ocean is so big, so gentle and cruel at the same time, so all-encompassing, so exciting, so exciting. The ocean gives me an incomprehensible melancholy. Perhaps the longing that I'm not the ocean. There is something in it that cannot be expressed in words, cannot be described, and even simply cannot be understood. I don't want to leave Capa da Roca. The ocean gleams in the rays of the setting sun and roars invitingly at parting. But we'll be back!
What could be better than spending the night on the ocean? On the way from Lisbon to Porto (about 3 hours by train) we got off in a small, during the season, probably very touristy town. Its streets are empty, as are the few hotels. Only local residents walk along the neat embankment. Meanwhile, there are beautiful long sandy beaches and very close - the main factory for the production of port wine. Not a bad place to set up a campground. So what, that in the morning the townspeople will be jogging near us. It's night now, and next to us is only the ocean. We cook mulled wine from delicious Portuguese wine on a gas burner (5 liters for 3 euros), set the table from all kinds of cheeses and marine reptiles. Another hour - and we are dancing on the sand, running from the ocean waves, rushing with wild cries along the night beach ...
Porto - the second city in Portugal, which gave the name to the whole country, is more like a capital than Lisbon. Perhaps due to the more massive and monumental architecture and the presence of the main street, completely packed with boutiques. However, the city is beautiful and incredibly picturesque. It was raining lightly, and roadworks were being carried out everywhere, but this did not spoil the charm of Porto. There are many ancient monuments here, the most interesting facades of houses, cathedrals completely lined with white and blue tiles. Three main bridges over the Dauro River look unusually from the train window, and the panorama of the city opens up simply amazing. Even the interior of the station is of interest here - I have never seen such beautiful interior walls in a public building.
Well, that's all - the journey to the ocean is over. It is sad to part, but new discoveries, new countries and new paths await us ahead. And interesting Barcelona and wonderful Portugal will forever remain in our memories.
Our way (Spain-Portugal):
Day 0 - night arrival in Barcelona, overnight in tents in the city park
1 day - walks around Barcelona, a trip to Figueres, transfer by night bus to Madrid
Day 2 - walks around Madrid, transfer by night bus to Lisbon
Day 3 - walks around Lisbon, a trip to Sintra and Capa da Roca, overnight at the hotel
Day 4 - walks around Lisbon, train towards Porto, overnight on the ocean
Day 5 - transfer to Porto, a walk around Porto, transfer by night bus to Madrid
Day 6 - by train to Guadalajara, a walk around Guadalajara, by bus to Barcelona, overnight at the hotel
Day 7 - walks around Barcelona, overnight on the beach in the southern part of the Costa Brava
Day 8 - walking around Barcelona, visiting the aquarium, overnight in a hostel
Day 9 - a walk around Barcelona, departure to Moscow
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