Coimbra is located in central Portugal, 120 km south of Porto, 195 km north of Lisbon. One of Portugal’s biggest crossroads, Coimbra is served by the A1, the main highway of Portugal, and by the Alfa Pendular and Intercidades train services. Those travelling from outside the Iberian Peninsula will probably fly to Lisbon or Oporto, from where there are good train connections to Coimbra. Rail travel from both Lisbon and Oporto is regular, fast and reliable provided you take the Alfa Pendular or Intercidades services.

Which airport to choose?

Train connections between Lisbon and Oporto are equally good (Coimbra is one of the stops of the Lisbon to Oporto line). Thus, our advice is to choose based on the flights available.

From Lisbon airport:
– By Train:

• 1. Once you arrive at Lisbon you should go to the railway station “Gare do Oriente”. There are several options:
  • 1.1. Take the subway red line straight from the airport to Gare Oriente.
  • 1.2. Take the bus Carris #44 to Oriente. The ticket may be purchased from the driver as you board the bus.
  • 1.3. Take the aeroshuttle bus Carris 96, available everyday, every 30 minutes between 7am and 11pm. The ticket can be purchased onboard and also in the Tourism Office at arrivals (public area).
  • 1.4. Take a taxi (about 10 minutes). Both the airport and Oriente station lie to the north east of the town centre.
• 2. “Gare do Oriente” can be slightly confusing due to the lack of signs. You arrive at the ground floor. You can buy the tickets on the 1st floor. The train-lines are on the 2nd floor. Once you arrive you go to the 1st floor, search for the stairs that lead to lines 1 and 2. In front of those stairs (still on the 1st floor) there is a ticket office where you can buy your ticket. Alternatively, you can buy your ticket, consult schedules, etc. on the green ATM-like machines on the side of the ticket office. Tickets can also be bought online or in any ATM machine, but this is only advisable if you know your departure time in advance.
• 3. What type of ticket to buy? You should buy a ticket for an Alfa Pendular or Intercidades train to Coimbra. If you chose Alfa and buy a first class ticket you can have a meal while you travel. Other than that there isn’t much difference between first and second class.
• 4. You can consult the schedules here: www.cp.pt. Travel times range from 1h:30m to 2h00m (approximately).
• 5. Get off the train when you arrive at Coimbra B (the main railway station). You can take another train for Coimbra A station on the same ticket from where all the hotels are within walking distance. However, you can also get off at Coimbra B station and take a taxi to your hotel.

– By Shuttle:

Coimbra Airport Shuttle operates a door-to-door shared transfer between Coimbra and Lisbon airport from 36,00€.

The Coimbra Airport Shuttle service offers numerous daily shuttles going to or departing from the airports. Our schedules are regular, reliable, and adapted accordingly to the flights’ timetable. More information about Airport Shuttle timetables and tickets is available at www.airportshuttle.pt.

From Oporto airport:
– By Train:

• 1. Once you arrive at Oporto take the Tram-train to the Campanhã railway station (line E). You should buy a Z4 ticket (4 zones). The travel takes, roughly, 30 minutes. You can download the timetable from this address: www.metrodoporto.pt
• 2. Once you arrive at Campanhã you should buy a ticket for an Alfa Pendular or Intercidades train to Coimbra. If you chose Alfa and buy a first class ticket you can have a meal while you travel. Other than that there isn’t much difference between first and second class. Tickets can be bought at the ticket office or on the green ATM-like machines at the railway station. Tickets can also be bought online or in any ATM machine, but this is only advisable if you know your departure time in advance.
• 3. You can consult the schedules here: www.cp.pt. Travel time is, roughly, 1h00m.
• 4. Get off the train when you arrive at Coimbra B (the main railway station). You can take another train for Coimbra A station on the same ticket from where all the hotels are within walking distance. However, you can also get off at Coimbra B station and take a taxi to your hotel.

– By shuttle:

Coimbra Airport Shuttle operates a door-to-door shared transfer between Coimbra and Oporto airport from 29,00€. The Coimbra Airport Shuttle service offers numerous daily shuttles going to or departing from the airport. Our schedules are regular, reliable, and adapted accordingly to the flights’ timetable. More information about Airport Shuttle timetables and tickets is available at www.airportshuttle.pt.