North to south
Start in Porto and finish in the Algarve to stay on trains.
- Both long legs are train rides: Porto → Lisbon → Faro
- Open-jaw flights: into Porto, out of Faro
- Porto stays short, Lisbon becomes the main base
Portugal route planner
Lisbon, Porto and the Algarve in 10 days: which order needs the fewest transfers?
Lisbon to Porto and Lisbon to the Algarve are both easy by train. Porto to the Algarve is not. That one fact decides most of this route: where you start, whether you need a flight leg, and whether Porto earns its place.
The short answer
Lisbon first
Lisbon first usually adds a Porto–Algarve flight.
- Lisbon tends to have the most flight options in and out
- Porto to the Algarve has no direct train
- Test a short flight, or skip Porto entirely
For nine nights, Lisbon 4 + Porto 2 + Algarve 3 is a good first version to test. Then start in Porto instead, and try a version without Porto at all.
A 10-day comparison
Three 9-night versions worth putting side by side.
Lisbon to Porto takes roughly 3 hours by train and Lisbon to Faro approximately 3–3.5 hours. Porto to Faro has no direct train, so by rail it means going through Lisbon; a flight exists on some days, so check your dates. Ten days means nine nights, because the last day is mostly travel.
Lisbon → Porto → Algarve train + one short flight
Option ALisbon first
Lisbon 4 + Porto 2 + Faro 3
9 nights totalFly into Lisbon, train to Porto, then a short flight to Faro. The flight leg is the price of Lisbon first.
Option BTrains only
Porto 2 + Lisbon 4 + Faro 3
9 nights totalFly into Porto, then trains to Lisbon and Faro, and fly home from Faro. No backtracking and no extra flight.
Option CSkip Porto
Lisbon 5 + Faro 4
9 nights totalOne train leg and one hotel change fewer. More time in two bases, nothing in the north.
Before you choose
Four things can flip the order.
The route with the shortest rides is not always the one with the fewest transfers. Check these before you commit.
Factor
Lisbon first
Porto first
Decision
Transfers
Train + flight
Two train rides
Count door-to-door time, not just the ride. An airport transfer can cost more than the train.
Flights
In at Lisbon, out of Faro
In at Porto, out of Faro
Lisbon tends to have more routes, but compare both open-jaw fares for your dates.
Where the nights go
Lisbon 4 / Porto 2 / Algarve 3
Porto 2 / Lisbon 4 / Algarve 3
Give the extra night to the base you would most regret rushing.
Skipping Porto
Lisbon 5 + Faro 4
Lisbon 5 + Faro 4
Skipping Porto removes a leg and a hotel change. The cost is seeing nothing of the north.
Why the Algarve base is Faro
Faro has the region’s airport and a train link to Lisbon. Coastal towns beyond it are easier with a car or local transport, so decide whether you need one before choosing hotels.
Ten days is nine nights
Count nights, not days: arrival and departure days are mostly travel. Nine nights split 4/2/3 leaves roughly one full day per hotel before you move on.
A day trip can stand in for a stop
Sintra works as a day trip from Lisbon and the Douro Valley from Porto. If those matter more to you than an extra city, they may be worth more than a night elsewhere.
Check the open-jaw fare against a Lisbon round trip
Ending in Faro saves a train back to Lisbon. If the open-jaw fare is much higher than a Lisbon round trip, the extra train may still be cheaper.
Don’t guess the order
Compare your trip — freePut Lisbon-first, Porto-first and no-Porto side by side.
Use your real dates and fares. The route with the fewest transfers is not always the cheapest.
Note: Not a sponsored ranking — see our affiliate disclosure.
Planning note: Train times, fares and flight availability — especially Porto to Faro — change by season and operator. Check the exact schedule for your dates before finalizing hotel nights.