Lisbon to Madrid train, Trenhotel Lusitania
One of the pleasures of travelling around Europe by train is being able to sleep on many of the trains. One of the best-loved overnight trains is the popular Spanish sleeper train, Trenhotel Lusitania, which links Lisbon with Madrid. Every night this train departs from Lisbon, travelling via Coimbra in Portugal and Salamanca in Spain, taking passengers to the centre of Madrid in less than 11 hours. It’s the perfect way to travel from city to city and the reasonable fares will help you save on the price of a hotel in Lisbon.
Prices from: $29.50
Departing from: Lisbon
Journey length: 1 night
Lisbon to Madrid train route
The train departs Lisbon Santa Apolónia Station at 9:25 pm, arriving at Madrid Chamartin Station at 8:40 am. The train is run by Spain’s national railway network Renfe.
Lisbon to Madrid train
The Trenhotel Lusitania is a modern high-speed train that has been designed with the comfort of passengers in mind. On board, as well as your comfortable cabin, you’ll find plenty of plug sockets for charging your phone and I-pad; intercom phones for contacting on-board staff and receiving a wake-up call; ergonomic seats for daytime travel; plenty of space for luggage. There is also an adapted berth with a larger WC and wider access to the buffet car for people with reduced mobility.
Cabins on the Lisbon to Madrid train
The Trenhotel Lusitania features a wide range of sleeping options for passengers. On board you’ll find tourist class reclining seats, tourist class 4-berth sleepers, first class 1 & 2 berth sleepers and grand class 1 & 2 berth sleepers with en suite toilet & shower. Prices start from $29.50 for a tourist class reclining seat.
Tourist class reclining seats – in the first-class carriages you’ll find a total of 26 seats (20 in carriages with Super Reclining Seats which have a control panel to adjust the seat and a pull-out table in the arm rest). Standard class carriages have 36 seats. These recline, with fold-down tables on the back of the seat in front and face the direction of travel.
Tourist class 4-berth sleepers – Berths in these compartments are sold individually, so you will share with other passengers of the same sex unless you are ravelling with friends or family and book all four berths in a compartment. If three of you are travelling together, you can buy four tickets to get sole occupancy of the cabin. In the cabin you will find four beds fully made up with mattress, sheets, blankets and pillows. You can fold the beds away to make seats for travelling in the evening or the morning. There is a washbasin in the cabin and soap and towels are provided. You’ll find a toilet in the train’s corridor.
1st class one or two berth sleepers – these sleepers can be used as singles or twins and come with a sink, soap and towels. The beds fold down to seats for the morning and evening part of the trip. You will also find a telephone in these cabins so you can contact the on-board staff.
Grand class one or two berth sleepers – these are similarly equipped as their first-class counterparts but offer the added luxury of an ensuite shower and WC.
Food and drink
There is no restaurant on this train. However, the café bar offers hot and cold food as well as tea, coffee and alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. As you’d expect from a train leaving Portugal, the vinho verde on board is fantastic – in taste and value too.
Dress code
There is no formal dress code on this train and most passengers just wear their usual comfortable travelling attire.
Fellow passengers
Because Lisbon to Madrid is such a popular route, you’ll find yourself sharing the train with travellers from all over the world. If you fancy a bit of a chat, head to the café bar where you can swap a few tourist tales.
What’s included
The price of the journey and the overnight accommodation is included in your fare. All passengers also get a complementary bottle of mineral water. Passengers travelling in First and Grand class cabins are given access to a private lounge in Lisbon before their journey, where they will find free newspapers and a welcome on-board treat.
Pros and cons
If you’re taking a trip on the Trenhotel Lusitania overnight train don’t expect five-star luxury. But it’s a clean and comfortable way to enjoy an overnight train journey as you travel between Portugal and Spain. It’s very good value too. The only downside is that unless you book one of the more expensive cabins you can’t have a shower on the train. So, it’s probably worth paying the extra money to arrive in Madrid sparkling clean.