Visit these beautiful cities with Portugal’s €49 rail pass

Portugal is one of the latest European countries to encourage sustainable travel with a new rail pass.

The €49 pass can be purchased each month and allows you to advantage of unlimited journeys on Portugal’s regional trains.

The pass can’t be used on the Alfa Pendular, Intercidades, InterRegional and Internacional services, but that just means taking the journey slow and enjoying the ride.

Follow this itinerary to make the most of your monthly ticket.

How to travel around Portugal by train

If you’re coming from another country by train (or by plane), you’ll likely arrive in the capital Lisbon.

While you purchase your Comboios de Portugal (CP) card at the ticket office in Lisboa Oriente or Lisboa Santa Apolónia stations, which is necessary to buy the €49 national rail pass, pause to take in the sights of the city.

Head to the historic Alfama district for steep streets, ice-cream-coloured houses and road-side cafès.

Climb up to the Miradouro de Santa Luzia or the Miradouro das Portas do Sol viewpoint to watch spectacular sunsets over the city and the Tagus river beyond.

Óbidos: A prime example of a medieval walled town

Heading north along the coast, make your first stop Óbidos, just over two hours away by train.

The medieval town is famed for its impressively well-preserved walls – which visitors can walk along – containing the historic centre. They date back to the Moorish period.

From Óbidos station, you enter the town past the castle (now a luxury hotel) which dates from the 12th century built by order of King Dinis I.

Wander the Rua Direita, the town’s main street of whitewashed houses with blue and yellow decorations. Walk right to the Porta da Vila gateway at the other side of town which has a little chapel lined with pretty Azulejos tiles.

Óbidos hosts a mouthwatering Chocolate Festival each spring and ginjinha, a cherry liquor typical of the town, is traditionally served in tiny chocolate cups.

Figueira da Foz: Sandy beaches and a glitzy casino

For a cool coastal city, continue north for two hours to Figueira da Foz, alighting at Figueira da Foz station. It’s known as the Queen of the Beaches for its seaside bars and restaurants and soft white sand.

If you tire of the water, you can head up the Serra da Boa Viagem mountains and eat lunch at a picnic station shaded by eucalyptus and pine trees.

Don’t leave without an evening at the Casino Figueira, the oldest and largest gambling establishment in Portugal.

Aveiro: A network of canals and colourful boats

At Aveiro station, two hours from Figueira da Foz, you’ll find a peaceful city set on the Rio de Aveiro lagoon.

A network of canals – which have earned Aveiro the moniker the Venice of Portugal – lined by rainbow-coloured buildings run through the centre. You’ll also see colourful traditional boats called barcos moliceiros which are used to harvest seaweed.

Wander the centre admiring the ornate tiled Art Nouveau buildings and the grand Cathedral of Aviero founded in 1493.

Porto: Port wine and palaces

End your trip in Portugal’s second city, Porto (disembarking at central station Campanhã), which sits astride the Douro River.

Head to the Ribeira district for decadent 18th-century townhouses and the majestic Palácio da Bolsa with glittering gilded interiors.

The narrow streets are lined with atmospheric bars and restaurants where you can try local delicacies like grilled sardines.

For a panoramic view over to the port wine cellars on the other side of the river, walk uphill to Porto Cathedral which dates back to the 12th century.