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Traveling between Porto and Lisbon - Portuguese lesson
Lesson

Traveling between Porto and Lisbon

Topic

Taking the train

Key Phrases

Vais de comboio?

Are you going by train?

Qual comboio é melhor?

Which train is better?

A que horas sai o próximo?

What time does the next one leave?

Skills You'll Learn

Asking and answering about transport plans (going by train, from/to cities).

Perguntar e responder sobre planos de transporte (ir de comboio, de/para cidades).

Comparing options (faster vs cheaper) to choose between trains.

Comparar opções (mais rápido vs mais barato) para escolher entre comboios.

Asking for schedules and ticket-buying information (departure/arrival times, where to buy).

Perguntar horários e como comprar bilhetes (hora de saída/chegada, onde comprar).

Lesson Roleplay

Imagine you’re at Porto’s Campanhã station planning a train trip to Lisbon. You ask which train to take, check the next departure and arrival times, and then decide where to buy the ticket so you can purchase it right away.

Olá! Vais de comboio de Porto para Lisboa?

Hello! Are you taking the train from Porto to Lisbon?

Sim, vou. Qual comboio é melhor?

Yes, I am. Which train is better?

O Alfa Pendular é rápido. O Intercidades é mais barato.

The Alfa Pendular is fast. The Intercidades is cheaper.

Quero chegar cedo. A que horas sai o próximo?

I want to arrive early. What time does the next one leave?

Sai às 09:00 da Estação de Campanhã.

It leaves at 09:00 from Campanhã Station.

Lesson Vocabulary & Phrases

👋

Olá!

Hello!

Standard greeting in Portugal. You can stretch it a bit: “Oláá!” to sound friendly.

In Portugal, a simple “Olá!” with a smile is perfect; strangers don’t usually do big, loud greetings.

🚆

Comboio

Train

European Portuguese word for “train.” (In Brazil you often hear “trem.”) Pronunciation tip: com-BOI-o.

Portugal’s main operator is CP (Comboios de Portugal). Tickets and schedules are commonly checked on the CP app/site.

👉🚶❓

Vais?

Are you going?

2nd person singular of “ir” (to go): “tu vais?”. In Portugal people often use “vai?” (3rd person) in conversation too.

You’ll hear both “Tu vais?” and “Você vai?”—but “você” can sound a bit distant; many prefer “vai?” with the implied person.

🚆❓

De comboio?

By train?

“De + transport” means “by (transport)”: de carro, de metro, de autocarro.

Asking just “De comboio?” is a super common shorthand question in Portugal.

👉🚶🚆❓

Vais de comboio?

Are you going by train?

Natural word order: verb + mode of transport. You can also say “Vais de comboio para Lisboa?”

Between Porto and Lisbon, the train is a classic choice—comfortable and you avoid highway traffic.

📍🇵🇹➡️

Do Porto

From Porto

Contraction: “de + o” → “do”. “Do Porto” = “from the city of Porto.”

Locals often say “no Porto” (in Porto) and pronounce it quickly, almost like “n’Porto.”

➡️📍🇵🇹

Para Lisboa

To Lisbon

“para” = to/for. You’ll also hear “a Lisboa” in some contexts, but “para Lisboa” is very clear for destinations.

In Lisbon, long-distance trains typically arrive at Santa Apolónia or Oriente—Oriente is very common for Porto-Lisbon routes.

📍🇵🇹➡️📍🇵🇹

Do Porto para Lisboa

From Porto to Lisbon

Handy travel pattern: “de X para Y.” Example: “De Coimbra para Aveiro.”

This is one of Portugal’s main travel corridors; booking a bit ahead can get you better prices.

👍

Sim.

Yes.

You can also say “Pois” in casual speech, but “Sim” is safest.

A common polite combo is “Sim, por favor.” in shops and stations.

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