C.P. – Comboios de Portugal

220 km through the countryside and stable enough to read or work. The hot lunch isn’t bad, for a train. But the wifi is, even for a train.

CP, or Comboios de Portugal, is the nationwide rail network in Portugal and features different types of train equipment for different routes.
The main north-​south trunk line of Porto-​Lisbon-​the Algarve is served mostly by Alfa Pendulars (the fastest) and Intercidades. The Alfa Pendulars are higher priced but travel faster, are more modern, and are more nicely appointed. Seating in first class is «2-​aisle-​1,» for example. For other city combinations, such as crossing the Algarve, there are regionais (regional) type trains. For journeys within an urban area, or between two close urban areas, such as Lisbon to Sintra, or even Porto to Braga, there are urbanos (urban) type trains.
The trains have always run on time, in my various experiences, and they are fairly comfortable. The scenery seen from the windows varies from good to great. The pricing is appropriate and I really can’t see why someone would choose to fly between Lisbon and Porto, or Lisbon and the Algarve, if they can board an Alfa Pendular, from roughly the center of each city. (One reason might be that they are continuing on an international flight which might connect in Lisbon).
CP has changed with the times and nicer rolling stock is being introduced. One major change that occurred roughly in 2000 is the placement of train tracks on the lower deck of the Ponte 25 de Abril, allowing trains from south of Lisbon to cross into the city without interruption. It used to be that one would use two different trains if going from north to south. At Lisbon, they would board a ferry for Barreiro, on the south shore of the Tejo, and then catch another train toward the Algarve, or vice versa. Also, there used to be a night train for the budget conscious operating on this route. One crossed the Tejo on the ferry at about 11:00 pm to pick up the train on the south shore and arrived in the Algarve at roughly 6:30 am, much like a «red eye.» The fare was dirt cheap and you should have seen some of the characters on that overnight milk train. While entertaining and also economical because you slept on the train, this service no longer exists.
I’m deducting a star because service on board is just ok, and service at some stations can border on indifferent, with one experience in a suburban train station being the rudest ever encountered in Europe. However, for all of CP’s many benefits, putting up with mediocre service is doable.