Bonjour,
J'en appelle aux connaisseurs de cette magnifique région du Portugal: l'algarve. Quelle ville me recommandait vous pour pouvoir rayonner et silloner la côte? Et se déplacer ( pas de voiture sur place) en bus et train pour regagner les différentes villes et plages est il facile ? Et adepte de criques, falaise ... les bus de la région nous amènent ils à ces coins et recoins souvent isolés?
Je descenderai d'abord à Faro pour une durée 5/6 jours.
Mille mercis pour vos réponses et recommandations
Bonjour.
J'ai fait une recherche pour vous à ce sujet visitant le Portugal en voiture personnelle.
Privilégier les transports par bus plus nombreux et surtout leurs stations étant proche des centres-ville ce qui n'est pas le cas pour la plupart des stations de train.
Les cies de bus:
onda (pour les plages près de lagos)
eva.com
redeexpresso.pt
renex.pt
frotazul-algarve
Vous trouverez des informations détaillées sur les parcours et les horaires dans le site:
www.algarvebus.info/pt
Ne perdez pas de temps à faro grande ville sans charme sa plage étant située à 9 km près de l'aéroport.
Bonjour LAtif,
Merci pour ces précieux renseignements.
j'ai décidé de rester principalement à Lagos ( après un séjour à Lisbonne) afin de rayonner en bus vers la côte ouest essentiellement.
J'irai uniquement la veille de mon retour au Faro afin de prendre l'avion, mais en effet je n'ai aps prévu d'y rester plus longtemps. J'ai lu attentivement les différents commentaires et je préfère éviter les "bases touristiques ". Je recherche plus des escapades pour découvrir des plages plus sauvages, des côtes plus enchanteresses et des paysages époustouflants !
J'éviterai donc tous ce qui est un peu bétonné ( Faro et surement Albufeira ?)
j'ai réservé un logement à quelques mètres seulement de la praia Doña Ana ( Lagos).
A bientôt !
leyla
Bonjour
Si vous n'aimez pas la foule (au coude à coude le soir dans la vieille ville), les enseignes lumineuses à profusion, les successions de restaurants, cafés, bars avec terrasses , croner et t.v.diffusants des matchs, évitez albufeira en été.
Merci pour ce conseil: je vais donc plus privilégier la cote ouest alors de Lagos a Sagres .
Et je m'en remets à nouveau à tes conseils pour Lisboa: si tu connais bien: dans quel quartier me conseilles tu de loger ? j'ai déjà prévu de faire une escapade d'une journée à Sintra et probablement à Cascais.
Merci Latif. Tu auras noté que j'ai le tutoiement facile, j'espère que tu ne m'en voudras pas !
J'etais dans l'algarve le mois dernier. Nous logions dans un BandB à Faro le "Sunlight house". Au pied de la vieille ville avec vue imprenable depuis la terrasse du petit déjeuner.Nous avons choisi cette ville car elle est située au milieu de la cote sud. (et très près de l'aéroport, de la gare routière et de la gare feroviaire) Nous avons beaucoup aimé l'ambiance de cette ville animée et très conviviale. praia de faro nous a particulièrement charmée avec la lagune qui rejoint la mer... Nous avons visité toute la région jusqu'à Tavira en bus et toute la région jusqu'à Lagos en train. C'est super commode ! Toute la région est très bien desservie et les arrets proches des zones historiques. (peu cher) Le coucher du soleil... magique ! les restau de poissons très copieux et très peu cher, Estoi, Loule, Tavira, Lagos etc... nous avons a d o r éééé !!!! BON VOYAGE
Bonjour.
En ce qui concerne lisbonne, éviter le bairro alto très bruyant la nuit, alfama mal dessevi par les transports et privilégier les quartiers baixa-chiado-restauradores-mouraria de martim moniz à intendente très animés , proche de tous les transports ne nécessitant pa de prendre un transport pour rentrer le soir.
Pour sintra ne pas y aller le dimanche trop de monde et d'attente, si votre séjour â lisbonne est court, vous pouvez combiner la visite de sintra et cascais dans la même journée:prendre le train à rossio vers 8h.A l'arrivée â la sortie de la gare prendre le bus pour le palacio da pena â visiter à l'ouverture, continuer ensuite à pied jusqu'au caselo do mouros, reprendre le bus pour le centre pour visiter la palacio national et la vieille ville.prendre ensuite le bus qui longe la côte jusqu'à cascais.
Après la visite et par belle journée aller à pied par la belle corniche jusqu'â la plage tamariz et prendre le train pour cais do sodre.
Avez vous parcouru mon mini guide sur lisbonne et sa région actualisé au 10.janvier 2017 ?Tout y est détaillé.
N.B.pour le tutoiement, c'est courant dans les forums.personellement je ne m'y fait pas.
Je ne suis pas d'accord avec le "sans charme" de Faro. C'est une ville qui regorge de lieux à visiter, mais qui n'est pas envahie de touristes. On s'y sent bien justement parce qu'elle ne fait pas ville balnéaire. Elle est très bien située pour visiter toute l'algarve. La plage ne nous a pas manqué car nous y étions au mois d'avril dernier donc pas pour la baignade.
Mais bon, je pense qu'on tous en phase pour dire l'algarve est une très très belle région
Merci pour ces détails Latif ;-)
Je vais retrouver le lien dont tu me parles pour le consulter ... si jamais tu as le lien: je suis preneuse: mille mercis !
Encore milles mercis Latif, je suis en train de le lire et c'est clairement un trésor d'information! Vous êtes notre guide "virtuel" mais avec des informations bien réelles et précises!
Bonsoir.
Aprés un long séjour dans l'algarve suivi de qelques jours dans la costa alentajana et la costa azul pour découvrir un superbe village de pêcheur sur pilotis l'unique en europe à carasqueira (j'en parle dans mon mini guide dans la section comporta) puis ericeira magnifique petit village de pêcheurs disposant de belles plages.
Je suis maintenant à lisbonne.
Avant de partir refaite une lecture de mon condensé pour prendre connaissance des modifications et rajouts.
https://voyageforum.com/discussion/condense-visites-activites-faire-lisbonne-d6382623-3/
Bonjour Latif, j'ai visité Sintra avec le palais da Pena, le château et le parque de Montserrat ( celui que j'ai préféré avec son jardin).
Jai fait Cascais et le cabo da roca.
Je suis à Lagos maintenant à deux pas de Praia de Ana et la punta da piedad: époustouflant !! Je crois que j'ai vu le plus beau. Ce soir j'irai pr voir le coucher du soleil. Hier soir j'ai pu profiter d'un concert de fado au centro cultural de lagos.
Je suis ds un hôtel à Estrada da ponte, je crois que je pouvais pas choisir mieux au niveau de l'emplacement.
Je regardais tes post et je me demandais si je pourrais faire une excursion d'une journée à Sagres et au cabo San vicente ? Que me recommandais vous sachant que je n'ai pas de voiture ?
Bonjour.
Je suis content d'apprendre que votre voyage au Portugal se déroule dans de bonnes conditions.
Une excursion à sagres-visite du petit village, du port de pêche , du fort -et de cabo sao vicente est faisable en 1 jour.
voir info ci après:
http://www.lagosportugalguide.com/fr/sagres-excursion-un-jour-fr.html
Pour aller à ponte da piedade, une jolie balade à faire en prenant en face de l'accès à praia camillo un chemin qui donne accès à de beaux points de vue et des petites plages difficiles d'accès.
Par ailleurs depuis praia dona ana, prendre sur la gauche des escaliers ensuite un chemin qui longe la falaise avec de superbes points de vue et rejoindre la route goudronnée vers praia estudiante.
Le petit village de pecheur burgau mérite également une visite.
Un très bon restaurant de grillade poissons frais d'un très bon rapport qualité/prix situé dans le port de peche de lagos juste en face de la gare de trains:tasca da lota
Merci pour ces renseignements très précis ; nous partons pour 3 semaines en Algarve le 13 Aoùt , arrivée à FARO et avons justement prévu de NE PAS PRENDRE de voiture à la base ; tes renseignements sont donc très précieux et me confortent à l'avance dans mes choix d'étapes préétablies: Albufeira-Lagos-Armaçao-Tavira-Faro;
Armaçao da pera est une petite station balnéaire tranquille.
Si vous y séjournez ne manquer l'excursion â faire depuis le village de pêcheurs par une petite barque â moteur longeant la côte jusqu'â nossa senora da rocha et retour et allant à la découverte des grottes dans la célèbre "grotta benagil".balade d'une heure au tarif d'environ 15€.
Olhao mérite une visite et surtout le samedi matin avec ses 2 marchés couverts en briques rouges débordant sur les quais de la marina.
A l'intérieur la jolie petite ville de loulé et son magnifique marché couvert très animé le samedi matin est intéressante à visiter.
Hi everyone,
First of all, thank you for all the valuable information you share—it’s really helpful.
My husband and I are heading to South Korea from September 19 to October 6. We know the timing might not be ideal because of Chuseok, but for various reasons, we didn’t have other date options. Plus, this period coincides with some festivals we’ve been eager to check out: the Andong Mask Dance Festival, the Jinju Lantern Festival, and the Hwaseong Festival in Suwon.
Here’s our tentative itinerary:
09/19: Arrival in Seoul
09/20: Bus to Sokcho – explore the city or short hike
09/21: Seoraksan Park
09/22: Return to Seoul
09/23–09/26: Seoul
09/27: Bus or train to Andong – explore the city
09/28: Hahoe
09/29–10/01: Gyeongju
10/01–10/03: Busan
10/03–10/04: Jinju
10/05: Bus/train to Suwon
10/06: Suwon
So here’s my question: Given that several of our trips fall during or around festivals, will it be possible to book bus/train tickets once we’re there, or is there a risk they’ll already be sold out? Specifically for Seoul-Andong, Busan-Jinju, and Jinju-Suwon.
I was thinking of booking everything on our first day in Seoul.
And if it’s better to plan ahead, how should we go about it? I can’t seem to access the Korail (letskorail) or Kobus websites.
Thanks in advance for your answers and help—and sorry for the long post! :)
I’m planning our very first trip to mainland France in January 2027. There’ll be 2 adults and 2 kids, and we’ll mostly be traveling by train.
Here’s our itinerary:
Paris
Rouen (Normandy)
Lyon
Aix-les-Bains (with day trips to Annecy and Geneva)
Saint-Gervais-les-Bains (with Chamonix and a day in Aosta)
Back to Paris
Do you think this itinerary is well-balanced? Any tips, must-see spots, or mistakes to avoid for a first-time visit?
Hi! I’d like to make stops across France, starting from Reims, and travel by train using the Intercités. I want to discover the landscapes and picturesque villages, and make some stops along the way. Could you give me some tips? Thanks!
I can’t seem to complete the payment for my trip on the IRCTC (Indian Railways) site. No matter which payment method I choose, my Visa card isn’t accepted.
Has anyone here managed to do it, and if so, could you share the method you used?
Thanks in advance!
Charlie
I’m planning a family trip in a year. Our goal: traveling to China (and maybe Hong Kong) by train.
I’m all set with the route up to eastern Turkey.
However, I’m just starting my research for the rest of the journey—namely the Caucasus (no trains as far as I know, so buses and/or ferries), then Central Asia and China.
So, I’d love to hear any info or tips (general and forward-looking at this stage) about the train route through Central Asia and China to reach the east coast.
I’m particularly interested in details on:
- How far in advance to book / any potential difficulties with reservations
- Whether there are PASS systems (or equivalent) between countries and/or if some tickets allow stopovers, meaning you can hop on and off as you please
- Day trains vs. night trains (the latter option lets you explore cities between two legs of the journey)
- A rough idea of ticket costs
...
A huge thank you to anyone who can share some info or experiences. It’s also a great opportunity to chat about adventure after (way too) many years away from this forum.
I’m planning a trip around Italy using only trains or public transport in October (hoping the weather stays nice!).
I’d obviously like to see some tourist destinations, but I also want to get off the beaten path a bit, and I’m hoping to find some help here? I don’t plan to linger too long in the cities.
Starting in the north, I’d like to visit Lake Como or Lake Orta, pass through the Cinque Terre for some hiking, spend a few days in Naples and Rome, then head down to Sicily.
Hi there,
I’ll be traveling to Japan this coming August. We’ve finalized our itinerary and booked our flight tickets. Now I’m at the stage of buying train tickets for the few segments we’ll need to cover:
Tokyo - Hakone
Hakone - Kyoto
Kyoto - Osaka
Osaka - Tokyo
Here are my questions:
a) Is it possible to buy train tickets for these segments from Canada?
b) If so, which website should I use to do this?
c) And if it is possible, will we be able to print our tickets from Canada?
d) If it’s not possible, where in Tokyo should I go to buy these tickets when I arrive?
Hi everyone, I wanted to take the Paris-Berlin overnight train with a sleeper berth, the new service operated by European Sleepers.
24/05/2026 17:45 Paris-Nord (actually 16:00 from Paris Bercy Seine) -> 25/05/2026 9:59 (actually 7:30 in Berlin)
05/06/2026 18:31 Berlin (actually 20:00) -> 06/06/2026 10:00 Paris Nord (actually 12:30)
Part of the journey was operated by bus instead of the promised overnight train.
For 2 people: 340 € round trip
A total disaster. Never again. I was really looking forward to taking the overnight train, but we faced last-minute changes and truly unpleasant travel conditions. Here are the details:
1) 2 days before departure: email announcing a change of departure station for the outbound trip—Bercy Seine bus station instead of Gare du Nord.
2) Change of schedule: 4:00 PM from Bercy instead of 5:45 PM from Gare du Nord.
3) Change of transport mode!! A bus from Paris to Brussels, then an overnight train from Brussels to Berlin. No functional toilets on the bus. No children under 4 allowed on the bus.
4) On the sleeper train at 9:30 PM: no functional toilets in our carriage, so we had to go to other carriages, even in the middle of the night, to find working ones.
5) The onboard staff, though very friendly, were as lost as we were. In particular, they didn’t know how to handle the lower berths, so people using them had less space (armrests and backrests). Berth numbers weren’t respected, so some passengers had to move. The staff also didn’t know who was supposed to join the compartment during the journey.
6) Arrival at 7:30 AM in Berlin instead of 10:00 AM. No arrival announcement. Passengers had to search for staff to get breakfast and ended up with just a coffee (breakfast = 15 €, not bad for just a coffee).
7) Return trip: drastic schedule change announced by email on 26/05/2026—departure at 7:30 PM instead of 6:30 PM, with arrival between 12:00 PM and 1:00 PM in Paris instead of 10:00 AM. No change in transport mode announced.
8) Change in transport mode announced by email on the same day (05/06/2026)!! Overnight train from Brussels to Berlin, then a bus from Paris to Brussels. No functional toilets on the bus. Children under 4 banned from the bus, and families in this situation were asked to find another way—after being notified the same day.
9) The overnight train arrived at Berlin station with a 30-minute delay on top of its initial delay (scheduled for 6:31 PM, then 7:30 PM, finally arriving at 8:00 PM). The heating was blasting in the compartment with no way to turn it off. No functional toilets in the carriage. From that point on, customer service stopped responding to my messages.
10) Woken up at 5:00 AM with an announcement in all carriages about arrival in Liège.
11) Woken up again at 6:00 AM to be told we’d arrive in Brussels at 7:00 AM.
12) Arrival in Brussels at 7:00 AM and a one-hour wait for the bus to Paris. No functional toilets on the bus.
13) Arrival at Paris Nord at 12:30 PM, so 2.5 hours late compared to the originally scheduled time.
14) The overnight trains used are very old—I recognized the carriages from 20 years ago!! No functional power outlets, no Wi-Fi, no air conditioning. Five people per compartment is a bit cramped, but I consider these conditions expected (especially the air conditioning), so I’m not complaining about that. There’s already plenty to gripe about with the travel conditions.
I have little hope of getting even a partial refund. Customer service emails acknowledge the discomfort but only offer to reimburse the cost of a coffee on board if we send them the receipt... a bit weak.
I’m sharing this experience in the hope it might help others.
Hi there,
I’d like to take the Train of the Clouds from Lima to Huancayo.
I’ve heard it only runs during certain periods.
Does anyone have info on this?
Thanks!
HuancayoHuancayo
As part of my professional thesis, I’m conducting a study on the evolution of long-distance rail transport in France, particularly since it opened up to competition.
I’ve put together a very quick (about 5-minute) and completely anonymous questionnaire. Your answers will help me better understand users' expectations regarding pricing, frequency, and environmental impact.
We’re planning a 15-day trip to Uzbekistan in March—classic independent itinerary: Tashkent, Samarkand, Bukhara, Khiva. We’d like to take the train between each city, but I don’t want to lock down the whole trip before we leave.
So, my question is: is it absolutely necessary to book train tickets before departure, whether for the high-speed trains or the regional ones? Is booking really essential for the regional trains?
Hello,
We’re traveling as a family with two boys aged 10 and 12 to Cairo in February. During our trip, we’re planning to take an overnight train (with or without a sleeper) for the Cairo-Aswan route.
Do you know how I can book this remotely?
Also, I’m looking for:
- A local contact to sail the Nile by felucca for 3 days from Aswan
- A contact to guide us in Cairo
Looking forward to your tips, and thanks in advance!
Marie
Hi everyone,
I first traveled solo to Japan in 2019, exploring the Kyushu region (28 days), and I’m planning to return with my daughter (she’s an adult and it’ll be her first time in Asia) from April 25 to May 9.
I’m reaching out on this forum to ask for route ideas—this time north of Tokyo, but without heading to the Sapporo island (I’m saving that for a future trip).
I’d love to take advantage of the cherry blossom season and its festivities.
I’m looking to create a route that’s a little off the beaten path while staying within 5-6 hours by train from Tokyo to avoid spending too much time on transfers.
Thanks in advance for sharing your suggestions and experiences!
Michael
I'm heading to MEXICO IN NOVEMBER 2025. Since private guides and drivers are really expensive—over 300 € per day—I'm thinking of exploring the Yucatán by train. CAN YOU SHARE ANY INFO ON THIS? Thanks
Hi there!
We’re planning to visit Serbia (1 week) and then Montenegro (2nd week) with our kids from April 18 to May 4. We’d prefer to travel by train (overnight if possible), but we’re not sure which platform to book on or when to do it (is it too early?). If anyone has any tips, I’m all ears!!
I wanted to know if it’s possible to go from Tashkent to Almaty by train without passing through Kyrgyzstan. I’ve heard the border is often closed 😕 between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.
Thanks in advance!
Olivier
Hi there!
We’re planning to head back to Istanbul next year—obviously by plane—and then take the train from Istanbul to Antalya. Has anyone here already made this trip by train with TCDD?
I’d love any tips or info that could be useful for us!
I'd like to go to Montserrat on my own from Barcelona. Share your suggestions with me.
Which train should I take, where to get off, what to see once I arrive, etc.
I need to take a sleeper train from Bangkok to Vientiane in January.
I found some ticket options on 12Go Asia, but booking doesn’t seem possible at the moment. I’ve tried simulations for several dates, but no luck.
I’m wondering if it’s already fully booked, if they’ve stopped selling tickets… yet 12Go still features it every day 😕
Has anyone else run into this issue?
Can I find tickets on another site? (I tried Baolau, but no sleepers left for January 8th.)
Hi there,
I’m a bit late to be worrying about this, but hopefully someone can help me before I leave.
Tomorrow afternoon, I arrive at Lyon Part-Dieu on the TGV at 5:50 PM and take the TER to Mâcon at 6:16 PM. Is a 26-minute transfer doable? Are the TGV and TER on the same departure board? And are they on the same platforms too?
I’ve been to Lyon before but never had to make a connection after arriving.
Thanks
Starting November 15th, I’ll be arriving in Thailand, and during my stay, I plan to visit the north, around the Chiang Mai area, then head south to the Krabi region.
After Krabi, I’m planning to take an overnight train to Bangkok. I was wondering if there’s a train that leaves from Krabi or Trang, or if I absolutely have to go to Surat Thani?
Also, which official website can I use to book my ticket?
Next, since I’ll be arriving at dawn in Bangkok, I’ve planned to spend 2 days in Kanchanaburi. What’s the most convenient way to get there—bus or train? And if you know any companies or websites, that’d be great.
Hi there,
Does anyone know if there’s a bus from Luang Namtha to Boten to catch the train coming from China to Vientiane? If so, what’s the name of the company? Also, how long does the bus take to cover that distance? What’s the condition of the road like?
Thanks for your help!
Tom
I just realized there’s only one payment method accepted for booking the Mombasa-Nairobi express train ticket online: M-Pesa, a mobile money transfer service used in Africa. Would it be impossible to book as a European?
I’d love to know if any of you have recently eaten on the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai.
We’ve always ordered food on the train, and it was really good (and super convenient).
But in 2022, we ended up feeling like total idiots (with our 4-year-old daughter...) when we boarded the train only to find out that this service was no longer available... (It was the first time we’d traveled right after COVID.)
That’s also when we saw once again how kind Thai people are—they all offered to share their food with us, even though we were mortified. In the end, we managed to buy some instant noodles, which was better than nothing. Anyway, that’s the little story behind it.
In the following years, we’ve always brought our own meals.
I’ve read online that meal trays are back in service (could you confirm this, please?), but that the quality is really poor. I’ve also seen multiple reports that, even though you can eat well everywhere in Thailand, the train meal was the worst food travelers had during their trip...
Could you give me a recent opinion on this?
We’ll be departing from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Station—do you know if there’s anywhere to buy a meal there before boarding the train?
Thanks so much for your help,
and have a great Sunday!
We’re heading to Thailand in February 2026 and we’d like to take the overnight train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai. Can we book two first-class tickets? I’m only seeing second-class options.
Hi everyone,
For traveling in Rajasthan by train and bus, could you give me some info: where to buy tickets, cost, purchase locations, websites, etc.?
Any tips you have would be super helpful.
Thanks