Lisbon and Coimbra are two of Portugal’s most interesting cities. Coimbra is a historic university city, while Lisbon is the vibrant capital of Portugal.

Coimbra is also a popular destination for tourists travelling between Lisbon and Porto, and it makes a great base from which to explore central Portugal.

There are plenty of travel options between Coimbra and Lisbon, including express trains, intercity buses, or by car along the A1 toll expressway.

In our opinion, the best way to travel from Lisbon to Coimbra is by express train, which can take as little as 1 hour 36 minutes and costs from €25.70. Express buses have longer journey times of around 2 hours 15 minutes, but fares can be as low as €4.99.

 

 

This article will provide an independent guide on how best to travel from Lisbon to Coimbra, as well as links to transport companies and some useful travel advice.
Related articles: Lisbon guide – Coimbra guide

Coimbra university

Coimbra is located 180km to the north of Lisbon, and there are several options for travelling between the two cities. These include:

Driving along the A1 expressway – The fastest driving route follows the A1 expressway as it cuts through the centre of Portugal. The route is 200km long and takes 1 hour 50 minutes, but the tolls are expensive, costing €13.50. Driving in both Lisbon and Coimbra can be demanding, with erratic drivers, heavy traffic and limited parking.

Warning: If travelling by car, please be aware of tolls and how to pay them. Brisa, the company that manages the roads, has recently discovered that foreign tourists are a great source of funds and is quick to issue fines.

Train travel – The most comfortable way to travel between Coimbra and Lisbon is by train. The cities are connected by express trains called the Alfa Pendular (AP), with the journey taking 1 hour 36 minutes and a single ticket costing €25.70. There are also slightly cheaper Intercidades (Intercity) trains, with fares costing €21.30, but these have a longer journey time of 2 hours. Train travel between Lisbon and Coimbra is extremely comfortable, especially in first class, making it a great choice if you’re a higher-end traveller.

 

 

Trains depart Lisbon from the Oriente or Santa Apolonia train stations. In Coimbra, all trains stop at the ‘Coimbra B’ station, but this is 2km from the city centre and an additional train, taxi or Uber ride is required. For the latest timetables and ticket booking, please see the Comboios de Portugal website: www.cp.pt

Bus, FlixBus – This low-cost bus operator provides the cheapest bus fares between Coimbra and Lisbon. The direct service takes only 2 hours and 15 minutes, with fares being as low as €4.99 if booked far enough in advance, but its buses are almost always full. In Lisbon, FlixBus leaves from the Oriente bus station, but inconveniently terminates on the Rua do Padrão in Coimbra, which is near Coimbra B train station. The downside to the FlixBus low-cost business model is that buses need to be nearly full, and popular services will sell out. For bookings, see their website. FlixBus

Rede Expressos – The main intercity bus company of Portugal provides direct bus services from Lisbon to Coimbra. Their fares are typically more expensive than those of FlixBus, but are still much cheaper than train travel. The advantage of using Rede Expressos for the Lisbon to Coimbra route is that its buses terminate at the main bus station of Coimbra, which is within walking distance of the historic centre. rede-expressos.pt

Private transfer – This is the fastest and most convenient way to travel between Lisbon and Coimbra. However, it is also the most expensive, with prices around €250. This may be a good option if you are travelling as a group of four.

Advice: Whichever option you choose, it always makes sense to book directly with the transport company rather than through third-party ticket resellers. Buying directly will reduce booking fees and ensure each company is more accommodating if there are any issues.

The Alfa Pendular trains are the fastest way to travel around Portugal.

In terms of the journey time, bus and train travel is comparable when travelling between Lisbon and Coimbra. The main differences are the level of comfort and cost. Train travel is more spacious and comfortable than taking the bus, but it is more expensive.

For this journey, we would recommend taking the fast and modern Alfa Pendular train. If you are a budget-conscious traveller, you should choose FlixBus.

FlixBus and Rede Expressos provide very similar services, however FlixBus coaches will be around 80 per cent full, with Rede Expressos only half full.

Public transport is exceptionally good value in Portugal; two adult train fares from Lisbon to Coimbra costs approximately the same as driving once tolls and fuel are combined.

The most important advice to take from this article should be to book your tickets (for both bus and train) well in advance of your journey. This will not only save you money but also secure your seats, as popular services often sell out during peak season.

Express train services between Lisbon and Coimbra have a limited number of seats. Once sold out there will be no more tickets available, as there is no standing allowed on either the Alfa Pendular or Intercidades trains.

Buses between Lisbon and Coimbra can get extremely busy during popular times, including Friday evenings and weekends.

Both FlixBus and Rede Expressos use dynamic pricing, where seat prices start low and increase with demand. FlixBus is generally cheaper than Rede Expressos, however it is always worth checking both websites.

Coimbra lies on the main north-south railway, and travelling by train is safe, fast and extremely comfortable. There are two different train services between Lisbon and Coimbra; the express Alfa Pendular (AP) and the Intercidades (IC - intercity).

The Alfa Pendular is faster and offers a high standard of comfort and facilities, such as free Wi-Fi and more legroom. The Intercidades have slightly longer journey times, as there are more stops along the route.

Insight: There are regional train services between Lisbon and Coimbra, but these are incredibly slow (taking over 4 hours) and should be avoided. Regional train fares are cheaper (€14.95) than the express IC or AP services, but if you are looking to save money, we’d advise taking the bus.

Both Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains take direct routes from Lisbon to Coimbra and depart/arrive at the same stations. A summary of the train services between Lisbon and Coimbra can be seen on the CP website:
www.cp.pt/StaticFiles/horarios/longo-curso/comboios-alfa-pendular-intercidades-lisboa-norte-sul.pdf

This link is a PDF, so it may download on certain mobile phones.

Insight: Instead of looking at confusing timetables, you may find it easier to use the search feature on the Comboios de Portugal website.www.cp.pt

Tickets for all express trains need to be purchased before travel, and there is a limited number of seats. Each ticket is for an assigned seat, so popular train services do sell out – never just turn up at the train station and expect to get a ticket!

The journey on the Alfa-Pendular takes 1 hour 36 minutes, while the intercity train service takes 2 hours. A single ticket on the Alfa Pendular train from Lisbon to Coimbra costs €36.60/€25.70 (1st/2nd), while the Intercidades is slightly cheaper at €26.85/€21.30 (1st/2nd).

There are reductions for children (50 per cent discount), seniors 65+ (50 per cent discount), under 25s (25 per cent discount), or when buying a return ticket (10 per cent reduction). These age-related discounts can be applied when purchasing online, during the ‘options’ stage of the booking process. Always travel with valid ID to prove your age if using these age-based discounts.

Insight: There is often confusion when the train arrives as to which carriage your seats are in. You will see the words ‘carruagem’ (carriage) and ‘lugar’ (seat number) on your ticket. Carriage number ‘21’ will represent the first carriage of the second class – and doesn’t mean that there are 21 carriages! The carriage number is displayed on a small sign by each door.

The Intercidade train to Coimbra.

In Coimbra, the express trains stop at ‘Coimbra B’ station GPS 40.225, -8.440 - link to Google Maps), which is situated 2.5km north of the city centre. A short train ride connects ‘Coimbra B’ to Coimbra station, which is in the city centre.

This extra train journey is only a slight inconvenience when heading from Lisbon to Coimbra, however it often causes tourists to miss their train when heading from Coimbra to Lisbon. Visitors often turn up at ‘Coimbra’ station instead of ‘Coimbra B’ and don’t have enough time to travel to the correct station when realising their mistake.

In Lisbon, there are two stations from which the Lisbon to Coimbra express trains depart: Oriente and Santa Apolónia.

All express trains to and from Coimbra stop at Oriente, while the majority also stop at Santa Apolónia.

Insight: The Algarve to Lisbon to Porto Alfa Pendular express trains do not stop at Santa Apolónia. It is advisable to always check the departure station on your ticket.

Santa Apolónia train station is located on the southern side of the Alfama district (GPS 38.714, -9.122) and is convenient for most visitors, since it is close to the historic centre of Lisbon. If you are based in the Baixa, Alfama or Cais do Sodré districts, this is the best station to use.

Santa Apolónia train station is the final stop on the blue metro line. The station has six platforms but is easy to navigate and is much less busy than Oriente.

Oriente train station is located to the northeast of Lisbon and is situated in the Parque das Nações district, GPS: 38.7675, -9.099.

This is the best train station to use if you are travelling directly from the airport, as it is only 3km away. Both the airport and Oriente station are on the red metro line.

The Santa Apolónia station is on the edge of the Alfama district and is convenient for most tourists.

Santa Apolónia is a calm and easy station to travel through.

The Estação do Oriente train station

In the last five years, intercity bus travel has significantly reduced in price and is now is much cheaper than the train. Bus travel in Portugal is safe and inexpensive, and the buses used by Rede Expressos and FlixBus are smart and modern.

There are direct services between Lisbon and Coimbra, with the journey taking approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes (depending on traffic).

Rede Expressos and FlixBus are the two main operators. FlixBus will have marginally cheaper tickets, but their buses will be fuller.

Both Rede Expressos and FlixBus employ dynamic pricing, with the cost of the ticket increasing closer to the departure time and with demand. Fares between Lisbon and Coimbra can start from as little as €4.99 with FlixBus.
For the latest timetables and to purchase tickets, please visit the Rede Expressos or FlixBus websites:
Rede Expressos - rede-expressos.pt/
Flixbus - FlixBus

FlixBus and Rede Expressos buses waiting at Oriente bus station.

There are two intercity bus stations in Lisbon: Sete Rios and Oriente.

Sete Rios bus station is used solely by Rede Expressos, but due to its limited size and capacity, certain Rede Expressos services will depart from Oriente. All FlixBus services depart from and terminate at Oriente bus station.
Insight: Always confirm the departure location on your ticket.

The Sete Rios bus station is located to the north of Lisbon (GPS: 38.741, -9.166) and is connected to the blue metro line by the Jardim Zoológico metro station. The bus station is a busy transport hub with many departures, a large ticket office and plenty of snack shops and cafes.

Oriente bus station (GPS: 38.767, -9.099) is situated in the Parque das Nações district, to the northeast of the city. Oriente bus station is connected to Oriente train station and is served by the red metro line. This bus station is very spread out and can be confusing to navigate; always give yourself enough time to find your departure location.

Sete Rios is a busy bus station.

In Coimbra, Rede Expressos buses stop at the ‘Terminal Rodoviario Coimbra’ (Coimbra bus station), which is just 600m from the city centre (GPS: 40.216, -8.437).

FlixBus services terminate further out on the Rua do Padrão (GPS: 40.219, -8.439) beneath the bridge carrying the N1 road. From the bus stop, it is a 1.5km walk to Coimbra train station or the Igreja de Santa Cruz, so you may want to take a taxi or Uber.

The journey from Lisbon to Coimbra follows the A1 expressway. This road has tolls, and the cost will be €13.50, almost the same as the cost of a train ticket.

The tolls are paid through the Via Verde transponder, which you should ask for when you are renting a car in Portugal. Full details are provided on their website:
visitors.viaverde.pt

If you are planning on driving a foreign registered car, please see this website:
www.portugaltolls.com/

It is always recommended to have a Via Verde transponder while driving in Portugal, as many expressways only have automatic toll collection. To estimate the cost of tolls in Portugal, use the website:
https://portagens.infraestruturasdeportugal.pt/

The issue with driving to Coimbra is that parking is very difficult to find, and parking restrictions can be confusing for foreign drivers. It is often better to park at the large free car park at ‘Coimbra B’ train station (GPS: 40.225, -8.442) and take an Uber or taxi to the city centre.

Lisbon Airport is the main international airport of Portugal.

The best option for travel from Lisbon Airport to Coimbra is to take the red metro from the airport to Oriente train station, and from here catch the express train to Coimbra. The metro journey from the airport to Oriente station only takes 10 minutes (3 stops) and costs €1.65 (plus €0.50 for the Navegante card).

A quicker option is to hire a taxi, Uber or Bolt from the airport to the train station, which is a particularly good option if you are travelling with heavy luggage.

It is possible to visit Coimbra as a day trip from Lisbon, but it will feel like a very long day, with at least 3 hours of travelling involved. There is a lot to see in Coimbra, and the city deserves more than one day of rushed sightseeing.

The other consideration when visiting Coimbra as a day trip by public transport is that tickets must be pre-booked, and there is almost no flexibility on return journeys.

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