ELVAS - how to get there by train or bus and how to get around

INFORMATION CHECKED AND UPDATED 30th OCTOBER 2024

PLEASE CHECK AT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITES FOR THE TIMES ON THE EXACT DATE YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL
REDE-EXPRESSOS LONG DISTANCE BUS (COACH) TICKETS ARE AVAILABLE ONLY 30 DAYS IN ADVANCE
CURRENT TIMES WILL BE OK FOR PLANNING PURPOSES. THEY RARELY CHANGE.

Elvas (pop.16,600, urban area 23,000) is an historic town of eastern Portugal, very near the border with Spain. It is not in the Algarve - I was visiting! The town is about 130 miles / 210 km by road from Lisbon. It is about 164 miles / 265km from Albufeira by the shortest route, but 210 miles / 338km by the quickest route. There is no direct train or coach (long distance bus) between Algarve towns and Elvas. See below.

From Lisbon Airport and City to Elvas and Badajoz (Spain) by train

Elvas has only two trains a day. The ONLY possible journeys from and to Lisbon as below. Train timetable in full here.
Elvas station is nearly 3km from the town centre. Map here. Taxis are not available at the station unless you call for one. There are no useful buses.
This is the train. Click to see the picture larger size.Take some water with you at least!

Train times valid until further notice	Daily	Daily	SPANISH TIME IS 1 HOUR AHEAD OF PORTUGAL	Daily	Daily
Lisbon Santa Apolónia (city centre) leave	0800	1230*	Badajoz, SPANISH TIME	1409	1941
Lisbon Oriente (closer to airport) leave	0809	1239*	Elvas leave PORTUGAL TIME	1325	1857
Entroncamento arrive (change trains)	0857	1332*	Abrantes arrive (change trains)	\|	2051
Entroncamento leave	0909	1336	Abrantes leave	\|	2105
Elvas arrive	1139	1611	Entroncamento arrive (change trains)	1552	\|
Badajoz arrive SPANISH TIME	1254	1726	Entroncamento leave	1559	\|
			Lisbon Oriente (closer to airport) arrive	1652	2217
			Lisbon Santa Apolónia (city centre) arrive	1700	2225
Alfa Pendular or Intercity train - reservation compulsory Regional train - no reservations * there is a train an hour earlier. A four minute connection would not be entirely trustworthy I think! Tickets can be purchased at https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets Prices vary according to which train(s) are taken. 'Normal' fare is shown. Standard adult fare Lisbon - Elvas 2nd class €21,15 using Intercidades (IC) trains between Lisbon and Entroncamento. Discounts are usually available for advance purchase. Lisbon - Badajoz ticket standard ticket as above is €21,85 Tickets for the return journey should be purchased at the website or app. Elvas station has no ticket office.
Connections are available at Lisbon Oriente to / from Lisbon Entrecampos and Lisbon Sete Rios using local trains.
Connections are available at Entrecampos from Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra etc. Consult the CP website. No connection from Porto on Sundays unless you leave VERY early.
Connections at Badajoz to and from Madrid - not all run every day! Tickets for the Spanish trains should be booked at www.renfe.com - reservations are compulsory. Book early, these trains DO sell out. These connections are NOT guaranteed. This information correct for timetable valid until December 2024. PLEASE CHECK in case of any short-term changes. Badajoz arrival 1254, train to Madrid Atocha leaves at 1420 daily, requires a change of train at Puertollano. Arrival Madrid Atocha 2041. Badajoz arrival 1726, train to Madrid Atocha Cercanias and Madrid Chamartin leaves at 1743 except does not run on Saturdays. Arrival Madrid Atocha Cercanias 2218 Madrid Chamartin 2239. If you miss the connection, you are stuck in Badajoz until the next morning. Badajoz departure 1409 - train at 0851 from Madrid Chamartin at 00830, Madrid Atocha Cercanias arrives 1334 does not run on Sundays. There is no early train on Sundays and holidays. Badajoz departure 1941, train at 1055 from Madrid Atocha Cercanias arrives 1605 daily; change of train at Mérida (There is a later local train from Mérida at 1820, arriving Badajoz 1905, except Saturdays) BY TRAIN SEVILLE TO LISBON AND PORTO VIA BADAJOZ AND ELVAS - INFORMATION HERE If you are thinking of going by long distance bus / coach between Madrid and Badajoz (or Badajoz and anywhere else for that matter), the bus station in Badajoz is 3.2km (2 miles) from the railway station. There are buses between the two - see http://tubasa.es/lineas-y-horarios and it's líneas C and C2 - look for the stops marked Junto Est. Autobuses and Carolina Coronado Est FF.CC

If you are not planning to spend time in Lisbon, you will need to get from the Airport to LISBOA ORIENTE station. Obviously, taxis are available. However, this is very simple using the Lisbon metro (subway) from the airport station. Trains run to Oriente station every few minutes from 0630 until 0100 every night. The journey takes about 5 minutes, ticket price €2,30 including 50 cents for the rechargeable ticket card, or €1.80 by contactless payment. There is also city bus 744 to Oriente. City bus details at http://www.carris.pt/

If you are not planning to spend time in Lisbon, you will need to get from the Airport to LISBOA ORIENTE station. This is now very simple using the Lisbon metro (subway) - trains run to Oriente station every few minutes from 0630 until 0100 every night. The journey takes about 5 minutes. There is also city bus 744 to Oriente.

Reservations for train trips in Portugal can only be made up to a MAXIMUM of 60 days in advance. You can reserve on line at www.cp.pt and print your own ticket. A big discount is available on many trains for tickets purchased more than 8 days in advance. DO NOT use RailEurope etc as they cannot issue the required seat reservation for which you will pay extra.

Lisbon - Elvas by bus (coach) - Operated by Rede Expressos

You can now pay for Lisbon metro journeys using contactless payment. Each journey including transfer to another line if needed will cost €1,80.

You will need to make your way to the SETE RIOS bus terminal. This is about 3 miles/5km from the airport and is linked to it by the underground metro line. Take any train to the end of the line at São Sebastião, then change to the Blue Line for a two stop ride to Jardim Zoológico station, which is adjacent to Sete Rios. Trains run every few minutes from 0630 daily. The journey will take around 25 minutes and cost €2,30 (cash) including 50 cents for the rechargeable ticket card.

The direct Aerobus service between the Airport and Sete Rios is no longer operating.For your bus options from elsewhere in the city check the city bus website at http://www.carris.pt/

From the city centre or elsewhere in Lisbon, make your way by metro to Jardim Zoológico station. The Rede Expressos bus terminal is outside the station exit, well signposted. By city bus you head for Sete Rios. Their bus stops are within 50 metres of the long distance terminal.

Consult the long distance bus website www.rede-expressos.pt for Lisbon - Elvas times and tickets, remember it's LISBOA on the timetable search. Some journeys may call at Lisboa Oriente bus station, which is much nearer the airport than Sete Rios.

One-way fare is currently €19.00 (discounted fares are often available for advance booking) and the journey on average takes 3 hours. There are currently seven journeys each way, daily.

Porto - Elvas by train

Two trains each weekday, one with a very early start! The option for the early train is not available at weekends or on public holidays. Consult https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets you can leave from either Porto São Bento (city centre) or Porto Campanhã, the main station in the eastern suburbs. You change trains at Entroncamento. Overall journey time is between five and six hours.

One way standard fare 2nd class ticket is €27,40. Discounted fares may be available for advance reservation.

Take the METRO DO PORTO Line E from the Airport to Campanhã station. You may need to change trains, which I recommend you do at Lapa station where this is done on the same platform, no need for steps, tunnels etc. Trains are currently running about every 15 minutes daily between about 0700 and 2000, about every 30 minutes at other times. The first train from the airport is at 0604 on weekdays, 0558 on Saturdays and at 0557 on Sundays and public holidays That will take about 35 minutes and costs €2.75 - a Z4 (four zone) ticket. More details at the METRO DO PORTO website. By the way, don't throw away your 'ANDANTE' ticket if you are coming back to Porto. It is rechargeable. You can use it until it wears out and saves you €0.60 on each subsequent ticket of the same type. Tickets are sold at the Airport tourist office, but if it's not open you will need some coins for the ticket machines. The service to the Airport from Trindad starts at 0558 on weekdays, 0622 at weekends and on public holidays, with the last train at 0037 every night. The first direct trains from Campanhã station to the airport are at 0707 on weekdays, 0706 on Saturdays and 0703 on Sundays and Holidays. The last train from Campanhã is at 0031 every night. If no direct train is shown, take any WESTBOUND train and change at Trindad station.

Please note that reservations for train trips in Portugal can only be made up to a MAXIMUM of 60 days in advance. You can reserve on line and print your own ticket. big A discount is available on many trains for tickets purchased more than 8 days in advance. DO NOT use RailEurope etc as they cannot issue the required seat reservation for which you will pay extra.

Porto - Elvas by coach (bus) - Operated by Rede Expressos

From Porto (Campanhã Bus Station) the journey is about seven hours. There are no direct services, you go via Lisbon and change there.

One way standard fare ticket is €34. Discounted tickets may be available for advance purchase. Tickets can be purchased at the Rede Expressos website www.rede-expressos.pt or using their app. Porto Campanhã bus station is adjacent to the railway station and metro station Porto Campanhã, a little way east of the city centre.

Badajoz (Spain) to Elvas by bus

Local buses between the two towns no longer operate. So far as I can establish the long distance bus operators do not carry passengers for this short trip. The distance is about 18km (11 miles) by taxi if available.

Algarve to Elvas

You can do what I did, take a train to Lisbon, stay overnight and get up early next day for the train. The ride is scenic. The sensible way is to go by train or coach (long distance bus) to Lisbon and on from there. Total journey time 6 - 7 hours. From some places in the Algarve you can also go via Évora, but it's the same journey time, more or less and much less frequent.

Arriving in Elvas by bus / coach

Elvas town is built on top of a tall and steep hill. The bus station is about 800 metres / 1/2 of a mile from the centre, down at the bottom. I don't know if taxis wait for arrivals there. I didn't see any. Map link https://goo.gl/maps/4aUSfw65bfR9Nst6A

The railway station is 2 miles (3.3km) from the town. There is one bus each weekday between the two. I saw no taxis at the railway station, probably because I was the only person getting off the train!

Getting around in Elvas

Once you are up in the old town it is walkable, although some streets are very steep. You cannot drive around there anyway! There no bus service inside the walls.

Further afield from Elvas - local and regional buses

PLEASE CHECK AT THE OFFICIAL WEBSITES FOR THE TIMES ON THE EXACT DATE YOU PLAN TO TRAVEL
Most buses do not run on Elvas Municipal Holiday 14th January.

There are almost no local bus services around Elvas of any value to the visitor. No service is provided at weekends or on public holidays. Buses do not show these numbers, they are just timetable references. Most bus routes have only two or three journeys each day.

8015 on schooldays to Vila Boim and Terrugem at 1830, inbound journey at 0722. During school holidays outbound 1830, inbound 0727

8061 Portalegre to Elvas at 0845 and 1815 on schooldays, 0845 and 1740 when schools are closed. Elvas to Portalegre at 0650 and 1635 on schooldays, 0700 and 1615 when schools are closed. There are also buses from Elvas to Santa Eulália at 1345 all weekdays also at 1815 during school holidays, 1830 on schooldays0, from there to Elvas at 0730 and 1430 all weekdays.

8069 Barbacena - on schooldays from Elvas at 1345, 1635 and 1830. From Barbacena to Elvas at 0730 and 1410. During school holidays, only one bus each way, from Elvas to Barbacena at 1830, from Barbacena to Elvas at 0730.

8083 to Campo Maior via Elvas station at 1845, inbound journey at 0730.

8940 One bus each way between Elvas and Estremoz via Terraguem on schooldays at 1635, 1610 when schools are closed. Connection at Estremoz for Montemor-o-Novo. One journey from Estremoz to Elvas at 1735 on all weekdays. This bus comes from Montemor-o-Novo.

8945 Schooldays only to Vila Boim at 0740, from there at 1340 and 1835. From Elvas 15 minutes later to Vedor and São Vicente. Inbound from São Vicente at 0725 via Vedor at 0735.

8976 Weekdays only Elvas to Évora at 0710 stopping only at larger villages arrival Évora 0845. The return fast journey leaves Évora at 1815 again on weekdays only. There is a slower bus on weekdays at 1330 via Vila Boim, Terrugem, Vila Viçosa and many small villages to arrive Évora at 1534. This bus runs 15 minutes later on schooldays. From Évora to Elvas there is a bus on weekdays, but only during school holidays, at 0815 requiring a a change of bus en route at Vila Viçosa. Finally, there is an extra fast bus only on Fridays from Évora to Elvas at 0900, arriving at 1030, returning to Évora at 1600.

The long distance buses of REDE EXPRESSOS offer four daily journeys between Elvas and Évora, five between Elvas and Estremoz. You must 'book' for these journeys either at the website or at the bus stations in Elvas or Évora, at the ticket agent in Estremoz.

Football Stadium in Elvas

Elvas has a team playing in the Campeonato de Portugal (fourth tier) of Portuguese football. They play at the Estádio Municipal Domingos Carrilho Patalino.

Comments and updates

If you have any comments or updates for this page, I will be pleased to receive them by email. For more about Elvas as a city, please see this article in Wikipedia.

I take no responsibility for any inconvenience caused as a result of later changes to times etc. This page is for general guidance only and you must check details before making commitments and decisions!

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