Alfa Pendular - Portugal

[skyhigh]

I'm planning on travelling from Faro to Lisbon in early August via Alfa Pendular. Has anyone on here used this before?

I have a FIP coupon so if I use that it'll only cost me €4 for a reservation each way. Looking online I can see Advance fares are available on the day I want to travel for €9 - is it worth waiting until I get there a couple of days before to book the reservation or is it likely to sell out, in which case the Advance would be a better option? I can also see an advance in First class for €14 - is there any benefit to this?

I can't find much info online about Alfa Pendular so any tips would be appreciated.

 

[30907]

I'm planning on travelling from Faro to Lisbon in early August via Alfa Pendular. Has anyone on here used this before?

only north of Lisbon.

I have a FIP coupon so if I use that it'll only cost me €4 for a reservation each way. Looking online I can see Advance fares are available on the day I want to travel for €9 - is it worth waiting until I get there a couple of days before to book the reservation or is it likely to sell out, in which case the Advance would be a better option? I can also see an advance in First class for €14 - is there any benefit to this?

I can't find much info online about Alfa Pendular so any tips would be appreciated.

First gets you 2+1 seating, not much else unless you want to use the onboard media - standard European stuff. See
https://www.alfapendular.com/

 

[BahrainLad]

I use both the AP and the IC from Tunes (north of Albufeira, its the junction where the South line meets the Algarve line) to/from Lisbon a few times a year. I would strongly recommend booking a seat on the service you want *now*, especially as you’re travelling in the peak holiday season. The last time I took the IC up to Lisbon, around 8am on a Tuesday morning in early June, it was completely full in 1st class - lots of American tourists going on a cruise with lots of luggage!

The Alfa is very comfortable and has recently been refurbished. The cafe/bar is laughably cheap - 0,80€ for a coffee, 1,20€ for a beer. Timekeeping is OK…I find you lose time on the twisty bits in the Alentejo but by the time you get to Pinhal Novo a bit of haste and timetable slack means you’re on time. The views from the 25 Abril bridge are spectacular. If you want the centre of Lisbon, I would get off at Entrecampos and then metro/bus/taxi to your final destination. A cab from the rank (will be plenty there) at Entrecampos to Cais do Sodre (for the Cascais line) will be €9 or so. Oriente is further out and takes a while to get into the centre But it’s very close to the airport if you want that.

 

[Chriso]

I used this a few weeks ago Lisbon to Porto and found first class to be very comfortable. As previously mentioned my train was full in first so I would book as soon as possible to avoid disappointment