Bonjour à tous,
J'ai besoin de votre aide pour organiser en train et bus l'accès à Coimbra, Tomar, Batalha, Alcobaça - je n'ai pas d'idée préconçue sur l'ordre de ces sites, je me déplace de Porto => Lisbonne/ Sintra => Porto
Je ne me rends pas compte du temps de transport et de la fréquence des bus, ni du temps à consacrer à chaque visite.
Comment feriez vous, quel itinéraire serait le logique ????
Merci par avance
Chantal
Je ne suis pas encore allé au Portugal mais j'y vais cet été. Le trajet Alcobaça - Batalha - Tomar peut se faire en autobus par la compagnie www.rodotejo.pt. Cette compagnie dessert également Coimbra.
Il ne semble pas que Alcobaça - Batalha soient accessibles par train (Tomar peut se faire de Lisbonne par contre)
Merci Alain,
J'ai effectivement consulté les horaires train et bus
par contre, je n'arrive pas à organiser un circuit cohérent, notamment car je ne sais pas le temps nécessaire pour se rendre sur les sites et la durée à consacrer à chaque visite :
En intégrant le transport et les visites, est-il possible de visiter dans la même journée Bathala et Tomar (en partant le matin de Alobaça) ???
Je suis dans le même cas que vous , depuis Coimbra (alentour) j'aimerais visiter : Batalha , Alcobaça , Fatima et puis repartir vers Lisbon.
Si vous avez trouvé quelque chose ce serrai sympa de poster la réponse.
Et voilà, je suis de retour 🙁 !!!
Je n'ai pas trouvé de solution avec les bus régionaux, pour visiter le 3 sites sans consommer trop de jours.
J'ai donc acheter au départ de Lisbonne, un tour " Fatima, Batalha, Alcobaça, Nazare et Obidos" 1h sur chaque site et 2h à Alcobaça pour déjeuner. Pas trop speed, seul Batalha aurait mérité un peu plus de temps.
A Tomar, j'y suis allée en train en partant le matin de Lisbonne et retour le soir sur Porto : ce qui m'a permis de passer 7h à Tomar et de rester dans le magnifique couvent 2h30, de visiter la synagogue, un drôle de musée présentant une collection de pochettes d'allumettes de tous les pays et de bien déjeuner à la Casa dos gratas !!!!
Coimbra sera prétexte pour revenir au Portugal où je me suis régalée !
Bon été et bon voyage à vous tous !
🙂 Obrigado, Chantal, pour ce retour d'infos, ravi que vous ayez kiffé votre séjour Lusitanien.
Sitôt revenu, c'est sûr, on a envie d'y retourner, au Portugal.Je remets, je remets, mais quand ça va me pêter...!!! héhé
Beaucoup de touristes lors de votre voyage? Pas trop chaud? Le vino verde est toujours servi bien "glace" et bien pétillant ??🤪
Bonjour Vincent,
En fait, j'ai fait la feignante et acheté à l'office du tourisme une journée organisée : nous étions 4 dans le minibus
L'enchainement en bus locaux était faisable sur 2 jours + 1 jour pour Tomar ce qui n'entrait pas bien dans mon projet.
Nazare et Obidos .... Bof Boutiques à touristes
Par contre, Tomar à ne pas manquer !!!
Bon voyage
Chantal
J'ai donc acheté un tour en bus à destination d'Obidos, Alcobaça, Nazaré, Batahla et Fatima...
Alors que je souhaitais effectuer ce voyage avec une "petite" compagnie le proposant pour 54 euros (et une ginja gratuite 🙂), j'ai dû, voyageant seul, me rabattre sur une "grande" compagnie offrant le même tour pour... 73 euros. Son nom : CITYRAMA LISBOA. Et je vous la déconseille vivement.
Départ à 8h15 de mon hôtel... où un "car" me ramasse... puis, 45 minutes interminables de tournée des hôtels aux quatre coins de la ville...
Arrivée à 8h55 à la Place do Marques de Pombal... soit à 2 stations de métro de mon hôtel... si j'avais su, je serais parti 30 minutes plus tard pour y aller en métro... Bref, tout ce beau monde ramassé est "trié" selon les tours choisis... et envoyés dans d'autres cars.
Départ de mon (nouveau) bus à 9h10... avec d'interminables explications en trois langues par un vieux monsieur ne maîtrisant vraisemblablement ni l'anglais ni l'espagnol... jusqu'à Obidos... où on arrive à 10h10... seules 45 minutes de "visite libre" sont données. Alors que, selon moi, c'est le site qui en exige le plus avec Nazaré (les autres sites ne sont "que" des églises... là, on parle de villages entiers, bien que très touristiques).
Départ pour Alcobaça... Une fois arrivé, le pseudo-guide nous informe qu'il n'est pas possible que de visiter l'église... "le monastère ne se visite pas". Or, je m'étais informé auprès de l'office de tourisme qui m'avait dit tout le contraire.. Je demande à mon guide pourquoi il ment ainsi... et il me menace en me disant que si je quitte le "groupe" pour visiter la monastère, je ne monte plus dans le car... Ayant EXPRES acheté la Lisboa Card pour l'occasion, j'ai bien entendu quitté le groupe pour visiter le monastère (et l'église) au pas de course... seules 20 minutes étaient prévues (on comprend mieux pourquoi il ne voulait pas qu'on le quitte !).
Ensuite, le clou du voyage : Nazaré... arrête de 2 minutes (!!) pour prendre une photo avec de superbes bennes à ordures en premier plan... puis départ comme si de rien était pour manger dans un espèce de resto-route fantôme... Ayant 1h40 à disposition, et n'ayant pas prévu de manger avec le groupe, je décide de marcher jusqu'au haut de la ville... que je visite une nouvelle fois au pas de course... je m'amuse encore à faire un aller-retour express en funiculaire pour le bas de la ville (au passage, j'ai adoré Nazaré... surtout le haut de la ville... mais j''aurai été la seule personne du groupe à le visiter).
Ensuite, Batahla... là encore, visite guidée expresse de 25 minutes... je décide à nouveau de quitter le groupe pour visiter le monastère à la va-vite de mon côté... (ok, c'est bête de visiter à la va-vite... mais j'avais la Lisboa Card, et je trouvais bête de ne pas rentabiliser mon achat).
Arrivé à Fatima, arrêt d'une bonne heure dans une pseudo-fabrique de souvenirs... là, je décide de quitter mon groupe définitivement pour marcher jusqu'au sanctuaire. Que je visite pendant une bonne heure et demi, avant de regagner Lisbonne par mes propres moyens.
Bref... je suis scandalisé par la manière dont ça a été organisé... peu de temps sur les sites, un guide antipathique et menaçant... donnant des explications futiles dans un anglais approximatif. Le plus long arrêt aura été dans ce restoroute fantôme... et le second dans la fameuse boutique souvenirs.
J'ai 50 pays à mon actif... tous visités en routard. Je ne suis donc pas très habitué aux "tours organisés"... Cela dit, j'en ai fait dans certains pays pour des raisons de temps, de facilités, etc. Je pense notamment au Mexique, à l'Argentine, au Brésil, au Maroc ou même à la Chine. J'ai toujours "respecté" les règles du jeu (arrêt aux boutiques, etc.) Mais là, c'en était trop...
On peut également discuter sur mon choix de visiter tous les sites à la va-vite... mais je pense que si je ne l'avais pas fait, je serais rentré avec (encore) plus de regrets... Ce faisant, j'ai pu découvrir Nazaré et les cloîtres des deux monastères. Et rentabiliser ma Lisboa Card.
Dans tous les cas, je ne peux que vous conseiller d'éviter CITYRAMA LISBOA... je ne comprends même pas que cette compagnie ait le soutien de l'Office de tourisme. Un vrai scandale.
Moi aussi j'étais seule, et en fonction de ma demande - privilégier la visite des monastères - mon interlocutrice de l'OT m'a dirigé vers une petite cie * quelquechose avec "Friends" qui ne ressemble pas à ce que tu décris : nous étions 4 touristes multilangue et la jeune femme chauffeur, bien que non guide, donnait des explications historiques dans un français impeccable ! (l'anglais semblait également bon)
Mais ... ni ginja offerte 🙁 .... ni d'arret dans les boutiques souvenirs 🙂 !!
La fréquentation fin juin et celle de juillet est peut etre aussi un élément à prendre en compte.
J''ai pu faire toutes les visites des 2 monastères, et c'est dans ces sites que nous avons passé le plus de temps y compris le temps de déjeuner à Alcobaça
Pour moi, Nazaré et Obidos étaient, dans le cadre de cette journée, des étapes inintéressantes car trop courtes. A Nazaré, l'arrêt s'est fait sur la partie haute de la ville, et à Obidos, je me suis offert la ginja dans sa coupelle en chocolat 1,5€ !
J'espère que le reste de ton voyage s'est bien passé !
If any of you have already taken the Tren Maya, could you tell me if you’ve run into any difficulties upon arrival when trying to reach your destination city by bus: Valladolid, Mérida, Campeche, or Xpuhil?
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.
