See the Douro Valley by train on a day trip from Porto

29.06.2024 - 07:17 / lonelyplanet.com

Jun 28, 2024 • 5 min read

Many consider the Linha do Douro, the train line that follows the valley, one of the most beautiful train rides in Europe.

The quaint Linha do Douro line in northern Portugal weaves through a river valley lined with vineyards. 

There isn’t much in the tiny town of Pocinho. But in the case of northern Portugal’s Linha do Douro, the train line that connects this rural village and Porto, it’s more about the journey to get there.

The Douro River bisects the top half of Portugal, carving a ragged gap from east to west. That glass of port you tasted in Porto? It got its start in the almost impossibly steep vineyards that frame the river valley. And while most visitors to Porto will experience the Douro River via a cruise, I wanted to do it by train.

At around 200km (125 miles) long, the line terminates at Pocinho, just shy of the Spanish border. This means that the train doesn’t really get you anywhere in particular, and you have to return the way you came. But if done right, it’s possible to approach the Linha do Douro as a slow and contemplative – yet also occasionally dramatic – day trip, one that even offers a break for lunch and wine tasting. 

To ensure that you have time for lunch or (and?) wine tasting, it’s necessary to take the first train of the day, which departs from Porto’s legendary São Bento Station at 7:15am. I was obliged to change trains in the town of Ermesinde, just northeast of Porto, and it was here that I boarded my Linha do Douro train (to avoid having to change trains, catch the first direct Linha do Douro service from São Bento at 8:20am). The stock – made in Switzerland, painted a ’70s-era orange and virtually empty – could easily have featured in a Wes Anderson film.

The next hour, you’ll traverse Porto’s urban sprawl – predominantly gray, semi-industrial feeling suburbs. Your first tunnel (of 23 total) is in Caíde, which is also where the views start to become more rural. The town of Ribadouro offers your first glimpse of the Douro, and it’s from this point on that things get interesting.

The train snakes along the river, with incredibly steep terraced vineyards and tiny villages clinging to hillsides rising on either side. I did the trip in late January when mist and fog obscured the views but created an otherworldly, remote atmosphere. Whistle-stop stations boast charming tiles; at some points the train tracks are virtually at river level. Be sure to sit on the right-hand side for the best views. You may be tempted to hop off in the large-ish city of Peso da Régua, but a wiser stop is Pinhão, where you’ll arrive at about 10am (nearer 11am, if you went direct from São Bento).

The terminus for one-day boat trips from Porto, Pinhão is a funny little town, a mix