Bus Vs. Train - a humorous tale of travel in Portugal

Whether exploring Portuguese cities via Metro hopping in Lisbon or traveling to the far reaches of the Algarve by bus or rail, you will need to keep a hold of your knickers while using the oxymoron known as an efficient public transportation system!

Hold on! (both metaphorically and literally).

Portugal invests heavily in its ever-expanding cornerstone of infrastructure, the transportation system.

And it shows! I love that I can rely on it to trek Portugal.

Outside of the cities still requires a car, or at least a motorized skateboard, but for travelers and expats learning the lay of the land in Portugal, there are a bevy of options for those of us who like to walk and have no interest in owning a motor vehicle.

Efforts to lessen car congestion and accidents in downtown cities and towns has led to a steady rise of scooters, ebikes, and buses, while the bigger cities like Porto and Lisbon brag of bus and Metro rides scheduled every 20 minutes or more frequently.

This includes relatively inexpensive cabs and Uber or Bolt ecars (Lyft is not here...yet).

Just be warned...this path may not be for the faint of heart.

I have frequented the oft-flooded New York City subways, pizza slice in hand, pushed my way into a wall of people to take the ‘T’ in Boston, dared the infamous rush hour traffic of I-95, the LIE, and the dysfunctional labyrinth of roads that lead in and out of Washington DC.

And Portuguese drivers can hold their own in the world-wide competition for most daring commuters.

Now the buses in Portugal, for travel near or far, are a forever game of Monopoly and Life combined; they are a fun and inexpensive method of gambling.

Let me explain.

Buses have a publicly posted schedule, and like the rail system, it is incredibly affordable.

But the caveat here is that the schedule must not be drivers’ union-approved, because no one is paying any attention to it.

Nearly all of the vehicles are clean and new, but you will often see a trio of buses following one another, because of an unofficial smoke break and cafe, and likely pastry, that the three comrades have together.

So you may miss a bus, ugh, and get one that pulls up right after (Wahoo!), or you may wait in a two-block long line of patrons cursing the bus for a half an hour straight.

Once on the bus, the best advice I have for you is to sit or stand with a hand on a fixed structure (and hold onto your fillings), because the electric and natural gas buses go really fast, are really big, and make each turn a daring adventure.

Now, the Metro system and the long-range trains are relatively punctual.

Give yourself wiggle time, in case they are late, and grab a cafe.

The carriages are spacious, many have food cars, and along with beautiful views are insanely cheap by comparison with the United States.

I will say transferring long-term trains as I did recently from Sao Bento in Porto to another to get to the medieval wonderland that is Obidos, a castle city, is every bit as stressful as battling the forces of evil at La Guardia Airport, in Queens, New York, for a slim chance at making a connecting flight out of hell.

Check out the new ExpatsEverywhere video “New Changes Won't Change a Thing.”

Because a local train in Portugal may be late, I can attest to its connection being late as well, and if it is still too late, there is likely another train that is on its way and on time.

The dice are rolled heavily, but usually the player walks away getting where they need to be, without going bust or being stranded.

Take deep breaths, hold tight, and enjoy that pastel de nata tasting across gorgeous northern Portugal!

Thinking of moving to Portugal?

Kalie is available for one-on-one consultations, or you can bundle a course and a consult.

Want to learn Portuguese?

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