Wanderlust World Wanderlust World Determine which route you would like to travel. There are two different routes to your destination, but they both begin with the high speed Channel Tunnel Train from London to Paris. The first route from Paris takes you to Irun, Spain where you can catch the Sud Express--an overnight train to Lisbon. The second route gives you the day in France before boarding an overnight train to Madrid. Then you can spend a day sightseeing in Spain's capital before taking the another overnight train to Lisbon. The route through Madrid takes a day longer, but gives sightseers more to write home about as it makes allowances for day tours of both France and Spain.
Begin by deciding on a departure time from London via the Channel Tunnel Train. In order to make the connection for Irun, Spain, you will need to be on a train which arrives in Paris by 2 p.m. The high speed journey takes just over two hours, so you should plan on departing London by no later than 10:30 a.m.
Travel across Paris from one train station to another to make your connection to Spain. If you are traveling to Portugal via Irun, you'll need to go to the Gare Montparnasse. The train for Irun leaves at 3:50 p.m, so don't dawdle. There is a café and a bar on the train, so it won't be necessary to load up on refreshments prior to boarding.
Arrive at Irun at 9:25 p.m. and walk to a nearby platform to board the Sud Express. The Sud departs at 10 p.m. and travels overnight, pulling into Lisbon at 11 a.m. the next morning. Breakfast is served in the dining car and is included in the price of the ticket.
Traveling via the Madrid route, when you arrive in Paris, you'll need to find the Gare d'Austerlitz train station. The Madrid train doesn't depart until 7:45 p.m., giving you the afternoon to make your way there. If it is more convenient, find the train station first, take advantage of luggage lockers and stash your gear, then go explore the City of Light.
Catch the train from Austerlitz and ride through the night, pulling in to Madrid at 9:15 a.m..
Spend your day seeing the local sights then make your way back to the station (conveniently, the same station you arrived) and board the Lusitania night train. It departs Madrid at 10:45 p.m. and enters Lisbon at around 8 a.m. the next morning.
Book your tickets by going to the Rail Europe website. From this website, you can book all three tickets online, provided you are within 90 days of your desired travel time.
Check the train schedule on the website and write down the trains you would like to catch. You will have select each portion of the journey on an individual basis.
Place each train ticket into your shopping basket as you locate it. When you have all three, click "Check Out."
Purchase tickets by phone, if you prefer. The rail passes website is not the most user-friendly on occasion. If you run into a snag or simply get fed up, call a rail way booking agent for assistance. From the United Kingdom, dial 020-7725-7063 from outside the United Kingdom, call 44-207-387-0444.
Take the information you have to a travel agent and let her do the work, if all else fails. The price may be slightly higher than doing it yourself, online, but if you're uncomfortable dealing with foreign currencies and train time tables, then by all means, let a professional handle it for you.