The Best Day Trips from Porto by Train

Porto is a brilliant base for day trips by train: one of Europe’s most scenic railway lines runs up the Douro Valley, and cheap suburban trains reach Braga, Guimarães and Aveiro in about an hour. Here are the best day trips from Porto by train.

Quick answer: take the scenic Douro line to Pinhão (about 2h20), urban trains to Braga (about 1h15) and Guimarães, and the train to Aveiro (40 minutes to 1h20). Coimbra is about an hour by Alfa Pendular, and Viana do Castelo about 1h–1h30.

Why go by train

You don’t need a car for most of northern Portugal’s highlights. Trains leave from the city centre, fares on the urban and regional lines are low, and you skip parking in old towns with narrow lanes. On the Douro line, the train is the main event: the track hugs the river for much of the way, so you see the valley without anyone having to drive the bends after a wine tasting.

The best day trips

The Douro Valley (Pinhão)

From São Bento, the Douro line follows the river through terraced vineyards. About 2h20 to Pinhão, with a river cruise and quinta tastings within walking distance. Sit on the right heading east. See the Douro without a tour.

• What you see: the line meets the river around Pala and then runs beside it through Peso da Régua to Pinhão. Pinhão station itself is decorated with blue-and-white tile panels of vineyard life.
• Go further: the line carries on to Pocinho, about 3h20 from Porto. The stretch beyond Pinhão is arguably the prettiest, but it makes for a very long day.
• Historic train: in summer, CP runs a vintage train between Régua and Tua on some weekends (in 2026, from June to October). Book on cp.pt.
• Time needed: a full day. See Pinhão.

Braga

Urban trains from São Bento take about 1h15. See Bom Jesus and its water-powered funicular, the cathedral and the old centre. See Braga and Guimarães.

The cathedral is Portugal’s oldest, and Bom Jesus do Monte, a hillside sanctuary with a zigzag Baroque stairway, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits a few kilometres outside the centre, so take a city bus or a taxi from town, then ride the funicular up or climb the steps. Allow most of a day.

Guimarães

Urban trains from São Bento, a little over an hour, to the birthplace of Portugal, with its castle and medieval squares.

The historic centre is a UNESCO site and is easy to see on foot: the castle, the Paço dos Duques de Bragança and the arcaded Largo da Oliveira. A cable car climbs to Penha hill for views. Half a day is enough, so you can pair it with Braga if you start early.

Aveiro

About 40 minutes by Intercidades or Alfa Pendular from Campanhã, or about 1h10–1h20 by the cheaper urban train. Moliceiro boats, Art Nouveau and the striped houses of Costa Nova. See Aveiro.

Look out for the tiled old station building next to the modern one. Try ovos moles, the sweet egg-yolk treat in wafer shells. Costa Nova is a short bus or taxi ride away. See Costa Nova.

Coimbra

About an hour by fast train to Portugal’s old university town. See Coimbra.

Fast trains stop at Coimbra-B, on the edge of town. The old city-centre station closed in 2025, so take the Metro Mondego bus link (free with a CP ticket at the time of writing) or a taxi into town. The main sight is the hilltop university with the Joanina Library, where entry is by timed ticket, so book ahead.

Viana do Castelo

About 1h–1h30 north along the coast to the Minho’s capital, with the Santa Luzia funicular and basilica. See Viana do Castelo.

The same Minho line continues to Valença on the Spanish border. Note that the international Celta service to Vigo now uses a replacement bus between Valença and Vigo (from April 2026), so check the current arrangement before you plan a hop into Galicia. See Valença.

A sample day: the Douro line

• Morning: take an early direct train from São Bento. Direct trains are few, so check times the day before.
• Midday: lunch in Pinhão, then a one-hour river cruise from the waterfront.
• Afternoon: walk up to a quinta for a tasting (book ahead in harvest season, September to early October).
• Evening: catch the late-afternoon train back, arriving in Porto in time for dinner.

Tips

• Stations: São Bento (central) for urban and regional trains; Campanhã for Alfa Pendular and Intercidades.
• Tickets: urban trains use the Andante card or tickets from machines; book fast trains on cp.pt. See Porto public transport.
• The Douro line has only a few direct trains a day, so plan your return.
• Seats: urban and regional trains have no seat reservations, so arrive early on summer weekends.
• Strikes: check CP the day before. See the Portugal train guide.

More: the best day trips from Porto and the best tours in Porto.

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