Railways

The huge crescent of sand that stretches southwards from the town of Costa da Caparica is home to a number of fantastic beaches. And whilst those in front of the numerous apartment blocks in the town itself are nothing to complain about, the further down the coast you head, the wider and less built up they becomes. In fact within a few km there are only sand dunes as a backdrop - keep going and it becomes a protected landscape of sculpted cliffs and forest.

Route 15 is one of the five historic tram lines, which have been operating in Lisbon since 1873.

It only takes around 20 minutes to complete the full circuit of Lisbon’s number 12 tram route, but climbing into one of the iconic, yellow Remodelado coaches can be a fun way of getting to see the Baixa and Alfama districts and taking in sights such as the Se Cathedral and St Anthony’s Church.

This vintage narrow-gauge tramway connects Sintra with the lively coastal resort of Praia das Macas, 14 kilometres to the west.  The line dates back to 1904 and the open red, wooden carriages are a favourite with younger visitors. 

São Bento is Porto's central station, although the exterior of this grand building barely hints at its purpose. Completed in 1916 the station is built on the site of a 16th century Benedictine monastery - from which the name São Bento is derived.

The monastery itself was almost destroyed by fire in 1783, and despite being rebuilt was barely standing at the end of the 19th century. 

The Linha do Douro runs for 200Km alongside the river Douro from the historic centre of Porto to Pocinho near the Spanish border. The locomotives are vintage steam and diesels making for an ideal pace to take in the stunning scenery