Travelling from the UK to Lisbon by train is easy and enjoyable – as well as being better for the environment than flying. Take a morning Eurostar to Paris and meet an afternoon TGV high speed train to Irun on the Spanish border. A simple change of platforms at Irun and you board a comfortable Surex sleeper train to Lisbon. At 11am the next morning, you step out into central Lisbon, with plenty of time to seek out a suitable lunch spot.
Europe's westernmost capital – and its sunniest – is spread over seven hills on the banks of the wide River Tagus estuary. This excellent setting explains its attraction to millennia of settlers, beginning with the Phoenicians. But head to the waterfront suburb of Belem and you’ll see the impressive buildings that mark the city’s 14th and 15th century heydays. That’s when it became the centre of a global empire and earned the name ‘the city of the explorers’. Today, Lisbon is a vibrant, exciting blend of the historic and cutting edge. Friendly, cosmopolitan and creative, this is a city that enjoys life – simply experience the infectious atmosphere around the pavement cafes and riverside eateries on any warm, enchanting evening.
