Doing 2 weeks in Portugal and planning Lisbon → Porto → Algarve. Unsure if the train is worth the price vs the budget bus. Is the Alfa Pendular actually that much better?
Rede Expressos bus is €18-22 and takes about 3h15 — perfectly comfortable and drops you right at Campanhã. The Alfa Pendular train is faster (2h45) but costs €30-40 if you don't book weeks ahead. Both are fine honestly. I'd do the bus Lisbon→Porto and train Porto→somewhere south. The bus terminal in Lisbon (Sete Rios) is right next to a metro stop so easy to get to.
Book Rede Expressos online at least a day before — the app is decent. Ryanair also does Lisbon-Porto for sometimes €10 but by the time you factor in airport transport it's not worth it for such a short distance.
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