Portugal has been one of Europe's most popular destinations for years - and it's reachable by train from London in around 24 hours, without flying.
The route via Paris, Madrid and Lisbon is well-established and increasingly comfortable. It's not a quick journey, but it's a genuinely good one - and the carbon saving versus flying is substantial.
The classic overland route from London: Eurostar to Paris (2h15), overnight train to Madrid (around 13 hours, Renfe Trenhotel), then a morning train to Lisbon (2h40) or Porto (3h). Total journey time is around 24-28 hours with connections.
An alternative: Eurostar to Paris, TGV to Hendaye on the Franco-Spanish border, Spanish train to Lisbon. More connections but potentially cheaper.
Carbon comparison: a return flight from London to Lisbon produces around 0.35 tonnes of CO₂. The train produces around 0.03 tonnes - a 90% reduction.
Book Eurostar at eurostar.com, Spanish and Portuguese trains at renfe.com and cp.pt. The overnight Madrid train can be booked via trainline.com or Rail Europe.
Compact, walkable and genuinely beautiful. The Alfama district, Belem and the Miradouros (viewpoints) are the classic sights. Excellent food at low prices relative to most of Western Europe. The trams are worth taking at least once, though the 28 is crowded - the electric tuk-tuks are a more relaxed option for hills.
Day trips: Sintra (40 minutes by train, extraordinary palaces in forested hills), Cascais (beach town on the Atlantic), Setubal (wine region with good walking).
Increasingly popular and rightly so. Smaller than Lisbon and arguably more charming. The Ribeira waterfront, the wine caves of Vila Nova de Gaia across the river, the Livraria Lello bookshop. The Douro Valley wine region is a day trip by train or boat.
Reachable from Lisbon by train in under 3 hours. The sea cliffs around Lagos and Sagres are spectacular. Less crowded in May, June and September than in high summer. The western Algarve around Sagres is quieter and more dramatic than the eastern end around Faro.
May, June and September are ideal - warm, not too crowded, and cheaper than July and August. October is still pleasant and increasingly popular with those avoiding summer crowds.
The overnight train from Paris to Madrid is one of Europe's great sleeper routes. Booking the full journey as an experience rather than a necessity to be minimised changes the feel of the trip entirely. Portugal itself is compact enough that internal travel by train and bus is easy.
