Is This Feasible?

[ssawjo]

Hello, we are boarding the Oceania Vista in Lisbon in September 2024.  I was thinking of flying to Barcelona to spend a few days there (the ship does stop in Barcelona but only for a day and probably at a different location), taking a train to Madrid for about two days, and then taking another train or plane to Lisbon.  

 

I was wondering if this is a good plan.  I really do not want to drive across Spain and Portugal.  The trains seem reasonably priced and frequent.  Nothing has been arranged, except the cruise.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks, Bill

[CCWineLover]

1 hour ago, ssawjo said:

Hello, we are boarding the Oceania Vista in Lisbon in September 2024.  I was thinking of flying to Barcelona to spend a few days there (the ship does stop in Barcelona but only for a day and probably at a different location), taking a train to Madrid for about two days, and then taking another train or plane to Lisbon.  

 

I was wondering if this is a good plan.  I really do not want to drive across Spain and Portugal.  The trains seem reasonably priced and frequent.  Nothing has been arranged, except the cruise.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks, Bill

Of course it is feasible!  and doable, if you are up to the task of planning it.

The high speed train from BCN to MAD is quick, but I'd still want to spent 3 nights/2 days there.  You should consider flying from Madrid to Lisbon (quicker) as the train will take a long time there.  Spend some days in Lisbon ahead of your cruise too!

God luck!

We are flying to Madrid, spending 4 nights, then flying to Porto for 3 nights, then train to Lisbon for 4 nights, before boarding a cruise from Lisbon (next month!)

 

[ssawjo]

1 hour ago, CCWineLover said:

Of course it is feasible!  and doable, if you are up to the task of planning it.

The high speed train from BCN to MAD is quick, but I'd still want to spent 3 nights/2 days there.  You should consider flying from Madrid to Lisbon (quicker) as the train will take a long time there.  Spend some days in Lisbon ahead of your cruise too!

God luck!

We are flying to Madrid, spending 4 nights, then flying to Porto for 3 nights, then train to Lisbon for 4 nights, before boarding a cruise from Lisbon (next month!)

 

Thank you for your quick response.  Yes, definitely planning at least 3 nights in BCN and about the same for MAD.  I like planning so it should be fun.  This will be our fourth time in Lisbon and to be honest we've seen/done it all.  So, just a quick overnight there.  We were also in Porto.  Wonderful city.  Bill

[MeHeartCruising]

I would absolutely do what you have planned.  And as said above, I also would use the train between Barcelona and Madrid but fly between Madrid and Lisbon.  The train route between the 2 capital cities just isn’t efficiently done. 

Edited November 10, 2023 by MeHeartCruising

[Hlitner]

My kind of plan :).  Just make sure you are capable of handling your own luggage.  I also suggest you purchase a luggage cable lock (you can find these on Amazon and elsewhere) to use for securing your luggage if it is out of your immediate grasp.  On trains, we often leave larger luggage in the rack at the end of a car, and will secure the pieces (by running the cable through the handles) to part of the rack.  

 

Hank

[alserrod]

On 11/10/2023 at 6:55 PM, ssawjo said:

Hello, we are boarding the Oceania Vista in Lisbon in September 2024.  I was thinking of flying to Barcelona to spend a few days there (the ship does stop in Barcelona but only for a day and probably at a different location), taking a train to Madrid for about two days, and then taking another train or plane to Lisbon.  

 

I was wondering if this is a good plan.  I really do not want to drive across Spain and Portugal.  The trains seem reasonably priced and frequent.  Nothing has been arranged, except the cruise.

 

Any thoughts would be appreciated.  Thanks, Bill

 

 

I think it can be a nice plan. You have one train Barcelona-Madrid every 20 minutes or so.

Search for all schedules in this webpage

https://www.thetrainline.com/en-us

 

and best option Madrid-Lisboa is a plane

 

Moreover.... Try to visit different cities rather than Madrid. Sometimes, the smallest, the prettiest

 

 

 

[cruisemom42]

There is a sleeper train between Madrid and Lisbon if that interests you. Not fast but you travel at night and it’s certainly an experience.

 

If you’ve done Lisbon, consider visiting Evora as a day trip or spend a day and night in Coimbra. Both are charming with lots on offer from Roman ruins to bone chapels, an impressive old university and library, and beautiful ceramics.

[alserrod]

1 minute ago, cruisemom42 said:

There is a sleeper train between Madrid and Lisbon if that interests you. Not fast but you travel at night and it’s certainly an experience.

 

If you’ve done Lisbon, consider visiting Evora as a day trip or spend a day and night in Coimbra. Both are charming with lots on offer from Roman ruins to bone chapels, an impressive old university and library, and beautiful ceramics.

 

 

There's not any train Madrid - Lisbon

 

There was one train until March 2020. It departed from Irun (transfer from Paris) and Madrid, joined in Medina del Campo and continued to Lisbon.

Service was halted almost four years ago and that train didn't return.

 

Madrid deserves a two day visit but.... I always encourage to visit other corners that you would not return in the future. This is.... in the future it will be easier to come back to Madrid rather than other cities.

 

In that way I recommend

- stop at Zaragoza and have a 1 day visit (middle way Barcelona - Madrid)

- from Madrid choose a day visit to Toledo, Alcala, Avila, Segovia, Aranjuez, etc...

[cruisemom42]

4 minutes ago, alserrod said:

 

 

There's not any train Madrid - Lisbon

 

There was one train until March 2020. It departed from Irun (transfer from Paris) and Madrid, joined in Medina del Campo and continued to Lisbon.

Service was halted almost four years ago and that train didn't return.

 

Madrid deserves a two day visit but.... I always encourage to visit other corners that you would not return in the future. This is.... in the future it will be easier to come back to Madrid rather than other cities.

 

In that way I recommend

- stop at Zaragoza and have a 1 day visit (middle way Barcelona - Madrid)

- from Madrid choose a day visit to Toledo, Alcala, Avila, Segovia, Aranjuez, etc...

Apologies, I did the sleeper from Lisbon to Madrid pre-Covid. Just assumed it still existed. Or maybe it only ran one way…

[alserrod]

There aren't sleeper trains in Spain, nor in Portugal after covid.

It is weird.... but they haven't returned.

 

Moreover... Spain and Portugal (and Morocco) will organice football world cup in 2030 and there aren't any other international trains rather than Vigo - Oporto.

 

It is possible to go by train but it doesn't worth. Schedules are joined to have fast transfers even in Spain, in Portugal or in the border but.... four trains, transfers in Merida, Badajoz and Entroncamento. Some out of them are regional trains calling in all stations and.... get a plane!!!

 

 

Hint, I encourage to visit Zaragoza, middle way Madrid - Barcelona and some cities around Madrid

[LB1211]

Hello 

We are Linda and Steven from Maryland 

This will be our first Oceania cruise 

Lisbon to Barcelona September 2024

Any suggestions or advise regarding excursions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 

[alserrod]

1 minute ago, LB1211 said:

Hello 

We are Linda and Steven from Maryland 

This will be our first Oceania cruise 

Lisbon to Barcelona September 2024

Any suggestions or advise regarding excursions would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 

 

 

One day in Lisbon and one day in Barcelona or you will stay for more days?

 

Any other city?

[LB1211]

We plan 2 days in Lisbon and 3 in Barcelona.

[alserrod]

Just now, LB1211 said:

We plan 2 days in Lisbon and 3 in Barcelona.

 

 

I asked about ports of call too

 

 

I cannot recommend you anything about Lisboa. It was a long time I visited it (I could about Porto, I was there last summer)

 

About Barcelona

 

>> DIY for city centre, Gothic quarter and Born quarter

 

>> DIY for Montjuic mountain in Barcelona

 

>> Wanna more?. One day in Zaragoza (easy to arrive from Barcelona)

 

 

>> Guide about Barcelona transport

 

 

 

 

>> Guide about some customs in Spain