Topic: Vocabulary related to trains in Portugal
Olá!
In this next series of three episodes I share with you information about means of transportation, specifically, the trains in Portugal. In this episode you will learn vocabulary, in the next episode you learn phrases to use at the train station, and the third episode is a dialogue with native speakers (buying a ticket, asking for timetables, and, etc.).
This episode focuses on vocabulary: nouns, verbs and adjectives, and some information about traveling by train in Portugal!
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Nouns
comboio (m, -s) - train
estação de comboio (f, -ões/-) - train station
viagem (f, -ns) - trip
bilheteira (f, -s) - ticket office
bilhete (m, -s) - ticket
bilhete de ida e volta (m, -s/-/-) - round-trip ticket
bilhete de ida (m, -s) - one-way ticket
máquina de bilhetes (f, -s/-) - ticket machine
máquina de venda automática (de bilhetes) (f, -s/-) - ticket machine
nota (f, -s) - bill
moeda (f, -s) - coin
reserva (f, -s) - reservation
Now about the trip:
partida (f, -s) - departure
data de ida (f, -s/-) - date of departure
chegada (f, -s) - arrival
regresso (m, -s) - return
data de volta/regresso (f, -s/-) - date of return
origem (f, -ns) - origin
destino (m, -s) - destination
ligação (f, -ões) - connection
atraso (m, -s) - delay
O comboio está com um atraso de 10 minutos.
The train has a 10 minute delay.
Train
Let's look at the train:
carruagem (f, -ns) - railway carriage
primeira classe (f, -s/-s) / conforto - first class
Queria um bilhete em primeira classe.
I would like a first class ticket.
segunda classe (f, -s/-s) / turística - second class
primeira carruagem (f, -s/-s) - first carriage
segunda carruagem (f, -s/-s) - second carriage
carruagem número 1 - carriage number one
maquinista (m, -s) - engineer
passageiro (m, -s) - passenger
revisor (m, -es) - ticket inspector / conductor
lugar (m, -es) - seat
lugar à janela (m, -es/-) - window seat
lugar de corredor (m, -es/-) - aisle seat
Eu tenho um lugar à janela.
I have a window seat.
bar (m, -es) - bar
casa de banho (f, -s/-) - toilet
Types of trains in Portugal
Here are the different types of trains you can have in CP (Comboios de Portugal):
Alfa Pendular
That's the fastest train and connects Lisbon, Oporto, Faro and other major cities in Portugal. So that you have an idea, the trip between Lisboa and Porto takes between 2,5h and 3h, and the trip between Lisboa and Faro takes between 3h and 3,5h.
Comboio Intercidades
Connects major cities and towns in Portugal.
In Alfa Pendular and Intercidades you can have around 50% discount if you buy the ticket up to 5 or 8 days before your trip.
Comboio Regional
Similar to Intercidades, but stops many more times along the way, including every small station.
Comboio Internacional
International train. You can travel to Spain, to Madrid, Hendaye in the border with France to the north of Spain, and Vigo, also to the north of Spain, but on the west coast.
Comboio Histórico do Douro
Then there is a historical train, Comboio Histórico do Douro, that travels along the Douro river, between June and October.
Comboio Urbano
Urban train traveling inside a particular city. You have Comboios Urbanos de Lisboa, Comboios Urbanos do Porto, Comboios Urbanos de Coimbra.
The state-owned company that operates in Portugal is called CP, Comboios de Portugal.
In Lisbon, for example, you also have another company Fertagus, that connects both margins of the river Tejo by crossing the bridge 25 de Abril, so it travels from Lisboa all the way to Setúbal to the south, 50 km away.
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In terms of urban train tickets in the Lisbon area, there is a 24h ticket that allows you to travel between Lisboa, Cascais and Sintra, using different means of transportation, subway (metro), train (comboio da CP) and bus (autocarro da Carris).
The price is around 10€. You need the rechargeable card Viva Viagem that costs 0,50€, where you can then charge any type of trip, including this one. You can also include in this card individual trips or packages, like the 10 trip package.
You need to validate the ticket before you start traveling. This you can do at the validation machine inside the train station (validador) or at the access channel to the platform (canal de acesso or porta de acesso) where you have to insert your ticket so you can pass.
You also have special tickets to travel inside a specific city, like Porto, Lisboa, and the Algarve region, a ticket can be for 1 to 3 days, and it costs anywhere between 6€ and 13,50€ (in Lisboa).
Train station
And now the train station:
balcão de informações (m, -ões/-) - information desk
elevador (m, -es) - lift / elevator
escada rolante (f, -s/-s) - escalator
horário (m, -s) - timetable
Tem um horário?
Do you have a timetable?
linha (f, -s) - line
At the train station you can identify the platform you have to go to, for example, by using this word linha. So you can have linha 1, linha 2, linha 3, etc. You can also use the word plataforma.
In terms of urban trains in Lisbon you can identify several linhas on the railway diagram and they connect Lisbon to other major cities or towns in the region: linha de Sintra, linha de Cascais, linha da Azambuja and linha do Sado.
Verbs
adiar - to postpone
validar - to validate
Eu tenho de validar o bilhete.
I have to validate the ticket.
viajar - to travel
comprar - to buy
apanhar - to catch
Eu apanho o comboio em Lisboa.
I catch the train in Lisbon.
entrar - to enter
parar - to stop
sair - to exit / leave
trocar - to change
Eu tenho de trocar de comboio em Coimbra.
I must change trains in Coimbra.
mudar - to change
Eu tenho de mudar de comboio em Coimbra.
I must change trains in Coimbra.
ir - to go
Eu vou de comboio.
I go by train.
reservar - to book
reservar um lugar - to book / reserve a seat
É possível reservar o lugar?
Is it possible to book the seat?
Adjectives
pontual - punctual
Os comboios em Portugal são pontuais.
The trains in Portugal are punctual.
atrasado - late
O comboio está atrasado.
The train is late.
rápido - fast
lento - slow
caro - expensive
barato - cheap
