Portugal by Train with Kids: A Family Guide to Lisbon & Porto

I’ll be honest — when we first started planning our Portugal trip, I had the same instinct a lot of American families have: rent a car, throw everything in the trunk, and hit the road. But after doing some research and talking to other traveling families, we decided to ditch the rental and lean into Portugal’s train network instead. Best. Decision. Ever.

We’ve now ridden the CP (Comboios de Portugal) between Porto and Lisbon twice — once heading north and once heading south — and I can confidently say it is one of the most enjoyable and stress-free legs of travel we have had as a family. No parking to figure out. No navigating unfamiliar highways with tired, cranky kids. Just assigned seats, beautiful scenery rolling past the windows, and snacks. Lots of snacks.

If you’re on the fence about whether train travel in Portugal with kids is worth it, this guide is for you.

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Navigate to where you want to go:

• Why We Love Train Travel in Portugal with Kids
• Understanding the CP: Which Train Should You Take?
• Alfa Pendular vs Intercidades: What’s the Difference?
• How Much Does It Cost? (+ Kid Discounts!)
• How to Book CP Train Tickets
• Stations to Know: Porto Campanhã & Lisbon Santa Apolónia
• What the Ride Is Actually Like with Kids
• What to Pack for the Train
• Tips for a Smooth CP Journey with Kids
• Adding a Stop: Coimbra Day Trip by Train
• Final Thoughts

Why We Love Train Travel in Portugal with Kids

Let me paint you a picture. You board a clean, modern train. Your kids have window seats. There is a café car on board. No one has to parallel park or decipher a roundabout. You arrive directly in the city center, steps from the metro, ready to explore.

   

That is the Porto–Lisbon train experience — and it genuinely made us feel like the most organized traveling parents – at least in this one respect.

Here’s why we would keep choosing the train over renting a car for this route:

No car seat stress. Traveling without having to install and uninstall car seats at every stop is a game changer, especially with younger kids.

City center to city center. Lisbon’s Santa Apolónia station sits right in the city center, and trains also stop at Lisbon Oriente for those staying in the east side of the city. Porto’s Campanhã station connects easily to the metro. No airport-style transit headaches.

Assigned seats. You book your specific seats in advance, which means no scramble to find spots together as a family. We always snag a table configuration or window seats when booking.

Budget-friendly. With generous child discounts (more on that below), the train often beats the total cost of a rental car when you factor in gas, tolls, and parking.

Understanding the CP: Which Train Should You Take?

CP, or Comboios de Portugal, is Portugal’s national rail network. They operate several service types: Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, Internacional, Regional, and urban suburban lines in Lisbon and Porto.

For the Porto–Lisbon route, you have two main options worth knowing about:

Alfa Pendular — the one we experienced both ways and the one I recommend for families.

Intercidades (Intercity) — the slower, more affordable alternative.

Alfa Pendular vs Intercidades: What’s the Difference?

Alfa Pendular

The Alfa Pendular is equipped with free Wi-Fi, reclining seats with power sockets at every seat, and restrooms in all carriages — including one adapted for wheelchair users and equipped with baby-changing facilities. It also has an onboard café-bar.

The journey from Lisbon to Porto spans approximately 337 kilometers and can be completed in just under 3 hours aboard the Alfa Pendular.

This is the train we have taken both times and honestly — it felt like a treat. The seats are spacious, the ride is smooth, and the baby-changing facility was a lifesaver on our first trip when our youngest was still in diapers.

Intercidades (IC)

The Intercidades trains are fully air-conditioned with both first and second class, and also have a café-bar. Power sockets are available at some first-class seats but not in second class. They take around 3 hours 23 minutes between Lisbon and Porto.

   

The IC is a perfectly fine option if you’re on a tighter budget or the Alfa Pendular is sold out. It’s just a little older and slower.

Our verdict: Splurge the small difference for the Alfa Pendular with kids. The power sockets alone are worth it for keeping tablets and headphones charged on the journey.

How Much Does It Cost? (+ Kid Discounts!)

This is where the CP really wins for families. The child discounts are excellent.

• Under 4 years old: Free (no seat; they travel on your lap)
• Ages 4–12: Children between the ages of 4 to 12 years old pay half the price of a regular ticket for every CP train service. Presentation of an ID is mandatory when buying at the station and when traveling on the train.
• Ages 13–25: 25% off with a youth discount.

For a family of four (two adults, two kids), you are looking at paying for roughly 2.5 tickets instead of 4 — that adds up to real savings on a route that already costs a fraction of what a rental car + tolls + parking would run you.

CP also offers early-bird discounts of up to 65% when you book Alfa Pendular or Intercidades tickets in advance, and group discounts of up to 50% for parties of 3 or 4 people.

Money-saving tip: Book as early as possible. The best Alfa Pendular fares sell fast, and last-minute tickets on a popular route like Porto–Lisbon can jump significantly in price. We were able to secure discounted tickets for both routes by purchasing 4-5 weeks in advance of our travel dates.

How to Book CP Train Tickets

There are a few options for booking:

Option 1: CP Website (cp.pt) Book directly at cp.pt — this is where you will get the best fares without any booking fees. The English version of the site works well. Select your seats at checkout (we always choose a row and leave a window seat open).

Option 2: Omio Omio is a third-party booking platform that compares multiple routes and lets you book through one interface. It’s slightly easier to navigate than the CP site for first-timers, though you may pay a small service fee. We have used both and found either works fine.

Tips for booking:

• Book as soon as your dates are confirmed — especially in summer or around Portuguese holidays
• Choose seats together at checkout; don’t assume adjacent seats will be available
• Take a screenshot or save your PDF tickets — you’ll need to show them on board
• Bring your children’s passports or IDs to verify the child discount if asked

Stations to Know: Porto Campanhã & Lisbon Santa Apolónia

Porto: Campanhã Station

Campanhã is Porto’s main intercity rail station and your departure or arrival point for the Lisbon route. It is not the gorgeous azulejo-tiled São Bento station you’ll see in every Porto photo — that one is a must-visit, but it’s actually just a local/suburban hub, not where intercity trains stop.

From Campanhã, it is about a 35-minute walk to Porto’s old town, but the metro connection is easy and well-signposted. Take the metro Line A, B, C, or E into the city center in about 10–15 minutes.

Family note: Campanhã has elevators, a waiting area, and basic food/drink options. Give yourself 20–30 minutes before departure with kids.

Lisbon: Santa Apolónia & Oriente

Most Alfa Pendular trains from Porto arrive at Lisbon Santa Apolónia, which is the closest station to Lisbon’s historic center. From here you can grab an Uber, a taxi, or connect to the metro’s Blue Line.

Many trains also stop at Lisbon Oriente about 9 minutes earlier — if you are staying in the Parque das Nações area or want to connect to the red metro line, this is your stop. Oriente Station is a stunning piece of modern architecture designed by Santiago Calatrava, and it integrates directly with Lisbon’s metro, buses, and taxis. Our oldest thought it looked like a giant dinosaur skeleton — honestly, fair.

What the Ride Is Actually Like with Kids

I want to give you the real, unfiltered version here because I think the most useful thing I can offer is what we actually experienced — not just the brochure version.

The good: The Alfa Pendular is genuinely comfortable. The seats are wide and cushioned, the ride is smooth (the tilting mechanism means very little motion sickness in our experience), and the windows are big and clean. Our kids loved watching the Portuguese countryside roll past — rolling hills, vineyards, small villages, the Douro and Mondego rivers. It is genuinely scenic and kept them entertained for stretches we didn’t expect.

The café car was a highlight both trips. We grabbed sandwiches, juice, and coffee (for the adults — essential), and the kids thought going to the “train café” was the most exciting thing ever. Budget a few euros for the onboard snack run — it’s worth it for the novelty alone.

The honest stuff: The journey is about three hours. That is a decent chunk of time with young kids, and you will want to come prepared. We downloaded shows and audiobooks in advance, packed more snacks than we thought we needed, and let our son have more screen time than we normally would. No regrets. The baby of the group enjoyed his busy book and napped (lucky us!).

Luggage goes in the overhead racks or at the end of carriages — there is no massive baggage hold like on a bus, so pack smart. We did a rolling carry-on and a backpack each, which worked perfectly.

What to Pack for the Train

Here is our tried-and-true family train packing list for the Porto–Lisbon route:

Entertainment

• Loaded tablets or iPads with downloaded shows, games, and audiobooks (download before you leave — onboard Wi-Fi can be spotty)
• Headphones for each kid (this is non-negotiable)
• A small activity book or sticker book for little ones
• A chapter book for older kids

Snacks

• More than you think you need
• Portuguese pastries from a bakery near your hotel are a great breakfast-on-the-train moment
• Water bottles — refill at the station before boarding
• Easy, non-messy snacks: crackers, fruit pouches, granola bars

Comfort

• A light layer — the train is air-conditioned and can feel chilly
• Small travel pillow for nap-inclined kids
• Hand sanitizer and wipes (always)

Documents

• Printed or downloaded PDF tickets
• Passports or IDs for child discount verification

Tips for a Smooth CP Journey with Kids

A few things we learned — some the easy way, some the less easy way:

Arrive early. Give yourself at least 20–30 minutes at the station with kids, especially if you need to find the platform, wrangle luggage, and stop for a quick bathroom visit before boarding. Portuguese train platforms are not always signed far in advance.

Claim your aisle seats strategically. We book one window seat and one aisle seat per row so one adult can get up easily with a restless kid without climbing over anyone.

Use the baby-changing facility early. It’s in the accessible restroom carriage. We always changed diapers in the first hour rather than waiting until we desperately needed to.

Don’t stress the café car timing. It gets busy around the midpoint of the journey. Either go early (first 30 minutes) or wait until things settle down. With kids in tow, going early is the move.

Let kids be your excuse to slow down. When our son needed to stretch his legs, we walked a lap through the carriages — and honestly it was fun. The train has a real rhythm to it and kids generally love exploring.

Book the Alfa Pendular, not just any CP train. Not all trains on the Porto–Lisbon route are Alfa Pendulars. When searching on cp.pt, look for “AP” in the schedule — that’s your train.

Adding a Stop: Coimbra Day Trip by Train

One of the things we love most about the Porto–Lisbon train route is that it runs right through Coimbra — and stopping there is one of the best decisions you can make if your schedule allows.

Coimbra is home to one of the world’s oldest universities, a stunning old town built on a hillside, and a gentle, unhurried pace that felt like a breath of fresh air between two busy cities. Our kids loved climbing up through the old university quarter and exploring the medieval streets.

From Porto to Coimbra-B is about one hour on the Alfa Pendular. From Coimbra-B to Lisbon is about another hour and 45 minutes. It makes for a perfect two-leg journey if you plan an overnight stay, or a day trip if you are based in either city.

Important note: Coimbra has two stations — Coimbra-B (where the Alfa Pendular stops) and Coimbra (the central city station). A short connecting train links the two, and it runs frequently. Don’t panic when you arrive at Coimbra-B — just hop the shuttle to reach the city center.

Final Thoughts

If you are planning a family trip to Portugal and wondering whether to rent a car or take the train — at least for the Porto–Lisbon corridor — I hope this guide makes the decision a little easier.

We have done this route twice with our kids and would do it a dozen more times. It is comfortable, affordable (especially with child discounts), and honestly one of those travel experiences where the journey itself becomes part of the memory. There is something really special about watching your kids press their faces against a train window as the Portuguese countryside speeds by.

Portugal is an incredible family destination, and the CP makes it even more accessible. Book your tickets early, pack the snacks, charge the tablets, and enjoy the ride.

Have you taken the CP with your kids? Drop your best train travel tips in the comments below — we’re always looking to make the next trip even smoother!

And if you’re still in the planning stages, don’t miss our guides to Lisbon with Kids and Porto with Kids for everything you need to make the most of both cities!

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