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Vidigueira Portugal - how to get there by train or bus and how to get around

INFORMATION CHECKED AND UPDATED 1st DECEMBER 2024

This page was created following a very pleasant personal weekend visit in February 2023

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.

I have no easy means to check or update so please confirm through sources given below.

Vidigueira is a pleasant small town of about 5,000 inhabitants located in the Alentejo region of Portugal, on the road between Beja and Évora. It's an important and historic wine making region, noted since Roman times. I do not set out how to get there and how to get around by car. That's easy! What I do outline in this page is how to get to Vidigueira by public transport from Lisbon and further afield.

From Lisbon Airport and City to Vidigueira by train  cplogo

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

Vidigueira has no passenger rail service. The nearest large railway stations are at Beja (16 miles / 26km) and Évora (33 miles / 54km). Taxis would be available, but very few buses. See below. The railway station actually nearest the town is at Cuba, 11 miles or 17km away, but there is unlikely to be any taxi and there certainly isn't a bus.

If you are sufficiently brave to make the trip at least most of the way by train. There are only a few each day. These run from Lisbon Oriente station (near the airport) to Évora, stopping also in Lisbon at Entrecampos and Sete Rios stations. For Cuba and Beja you change trains at Casa Branca.

The railway and bus stations in Beja are about 1 mile (1.6km) apart at opposite ends of the town. Similarly in Évora. Even if there were usable connections between train and local bus to or from Vidigueira, there would still be that gap to cross.

The train timetable can be viewed in English at https://www.cp.pt/StaticFiles/timetables/lisbon-evora-beja-trains.pdf

Reservations are compulsory. Tickets go on sale maximum 60 days in advance at https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/buy-tickets or via the CP app.

Lisbon - Vidigueira by long distance bus (coach) - Operated by Rede Expressos

You will need to make your way from the airport 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 Săo Sebastiăo 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, or €1,80 using contactless card payment.

For your bus options from elsewhere in the city check the city bus website at http://carris.pt/

Consult the long distance bus website www.rede-expressos.pt for Lisbon - Vidigueira times and tickets, remember it's LISBOA on the timetable search. One-way standard fare is currently €14, reduced price tickets are often available for advance purchase. There are currently four journeys each way on weekdays, three on Saturdays, Sundays and Holidays. You must have a ticket before boarding. The local ticket agent in Vidigueira is GARRAFEIRA A VIDEIRA, next to the bus stop. Rede Expressos can be used for the short journeys to and from Beja and Évora. There are very few other buses. Rede Expressos will also have connections at Lisbon, Beja and Évora with other parts of Portugal.

Buses to and from Beja and Évora

Rede Expressos has more journeys between Beja and Évora, non stop. Check official website.

SHX - does not run on Sundays and holidays
MFO - runs Mondays to Fridays (weekdays) only NSC - runs on weekdays when schools are closed
SCH - runs only on schooldays
Tickets for Rede Expressos must be purchased before boarding.
On Trimbal, pay the driver. Cash only!

REDE EXPRESSOS
TRIMBAL

Daily Daily Daily Daily
MFO MFO MFO
 MFO
Évora Bus station 0900 1335 1720 2045
---
 ---
 XX
 1730
Vidigueira 0950 1430 1805 2130
0710
 0810
 1405
 1835
Beja Bus Station 1015 1500 1835 2200
0740
 0840
 1435
 1904











SHX Daily Daily Daily
SCH NSC SCH MFO
 MFO
Beja Bus Station 0645 0800 1430 1930
0745 0805 1330 1705
 1915
Vidigueira 0710 0825 1455 1955
0804 0824 1353 1735
 1945
Évora Bus station 0755 0910 1545 2045
0939 0940 1459 ---
 ---

XX - ten minutes later during school holidays

Algarve to Vidigueira by train

IMPOSSIBLE

Algarve to Vidigueira by coach (bus)

There are two direct journeys every day between Faro and Vidigueira via Albufeira. One in the morning, one in the afternoon / evening in each direction. Consult the Rede Expressos website as above.

Arriving in Vidigueira by Rede Expressos

The Rede Expressos stop is in Rua de Portel, in the town centre. There is nothing there other than the stop and a shelter.

Getting around in Vidigueira

You walk. Most of the town is flat. There is no local bus service to speak of. See below!

The impressive Roman remains at Săo Cucufate are about 3 miles from Vidigueira through the village of Vila Frades. I walked. Mostly flat and fairly decent exercise.
There are buses between Vidigueira and Vila Frades, but not at times convenient for a visit.

Other local and regional buses


What few local buses there are run only on weekdays. They use a little bus terminal outside the schools complex at the end of Estrada da Cuba. Some do stop elsewhere in town. This is the COMPLETE list. Local buses are operated by TRIMBAL - for details and other places served go to their website https://www.trimbal.pt

Times shown are for the 'Terminal' but some buses do also stop elsewhere in town.

Bus 2 to Vila Frades (buses come from Beja) - 8 minutes journey
1732 and 1942 all weekdays
Bus 2 from Vila Frades (all except 1740 go to Beja) - 5 minutes journey
0705 and 0805 all weekdays, 1400 schooldays except Wednesdays and 1740 on schooldays.
Bus 8 to Selmes - 15 minutes journey
1415 Wednesdays and Fridays which are schooldays; 1739 during school holidays, 1745 on all schooldays
Bus 8 from Selmes - 15 minutes journey
0750 schooldays, 0810 during school holidays, 1430 Wednesdays and Fridays which are schooldays and 1753 during school holidays.
Bus 12 to Vila Frades - 5 minutes journey
0754 on schooldays, 0758 during school holidays
Bus 12 from Cuba Station to Vidigueira via Vila Frades
1345 arriving in Vidigueira 1405 on schooldays except Wednesdays, also at 1730 on Wednesdays which are schooldays, but that one runs every weekday during school holidays
Try as I might, I can find no bus going in the opposite direction. Which begs a question!
Bus 12 to Pedrogăo via Alcaria and Marmelar - 25 minutes journey
1415 Wednesdays and Fridays which are schooldays;  1535 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays which are schooldays: 1737 on weekdays during school holidays, 1737 on schooldays except Wednesdays, 1747.on Wednesdays which are schooldays and 1808 during school holidays.
Bus 12 from Pedrogăo via Alcaria and Marmelar - 25 minutes journey
only at 0720 on schooldays, 0730 during school holidays.

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 Vidigueira as a town, please see this article https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vidigueira I can recommend the excellent Hotel Santa Clara in the town centre. They do a good breakfast buffet but there is no dining room. Plenty of places to eat and drink nearby, plus a good supermarket.

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!

Back to the home page here

www.algarvebus.info