Santa Apolónia, Lisbon’s International Train Station & Humberto Delgado

International trains arrive in Lisbon every day, mainly to Santa Apolónia Station and to the Gare do Oriente. Estação Santa Apolónia, opened on May 1st 1865, is the oldest railway terminus in Lisbon, situated in the city’s central part on the bank of the Tagus river in the historical district of Alfama.

Santa Apolonia Station Lisbon Alfama building

Santa Apolónia International Train/metro station Lisbon

The station is served by the national rail company CP (train timetables in English and online tickets, including the high-speed train Alfa Pendular) and operates different suburban, national- and international routes. The best thing to do is to reserve a ticket at least one day before your journey.  Alfa Pendular also connects the cities of Braga, Porto, Aveiro, Coimbra, Santarém, Albufeira and Faro, among others.

Lisbon Santa Apolonia train and metro station inside

Santa Apolónia International Train/metro station Lisbon

A taxi from this station shouldn’t cost more then € 5-10 into the city, luggage included. The taxidriver will charge you with for the luggage (if you have luggage that needs to be placed in the trunk of the car). The rates are 20% higher during nighttime, in the weekend and during holidays.

Santa Apolónia Station is a beautiful building. Inside you’ll find several small restaurants and shops.

Lisbon Santa Apolonia international train and metro Station train

Santa Apolónia International Train/metro station Lisbon

International destinations & central/northern Portugal

This station is Lisbon’s main departure point for international destinations and central/ northern Portugal. The other major railway hubs in Lisbon are Gare do Oriente, which is situated on the same track stretch 6,5 km northeast and Cais do Sodré (to Cascais and Estoril) , Rossio Train Station (runs to Sintra) and Entrecampos.

Santa Apolonia Station Salazar victims
 Humberto Delgado, General sem medo (the fearless general)
 In memory of Humberto Delgado, the fearless general

Mark of honour from the city of Lisbon to General Humberto Delgado and to all who fought for Portugal’s freedom during Salazar’s dictatorship (from 1932 to 1974).

Short tribute film (by Bruno de Almeida) to General Humberto Delgado in memory of his legendary arrival at Lisbon’s Santa Apolónia Station in 1958, where he was meet by Salazar‘s fascist police. How many people were killed is still a secret. The General and his Brazilian secretary, Arajaryr Moreiro de Campos, would be murdered on 13 February 1965, after being attracted to an ambush by the regime’s secret police (PIDE)

Lisbon Santa Apolonia Station metro

Santa Apolónia’s metro station

Santa Apolónia’s rail station is connected to the Lisbon Metro station of the same name (blue line, Linha Azul ).

Metropolitano de Lisboa, Lisbon Metro official page, webiste (also in English) including a map with a network diagram and explanation of the lines.

Lisbon metro station Praca do Comercio

Metro station Terreiro do Paço at Praça do Comércio near the Tagus River, opened in 2007. This square is one of the most beautiful in Europe! More and Lisboa Card info

8 Replies to “Santa Apolónia, Lisbon’s International Train Station & Humberto Delgado”

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  2. Quanto é um tiquete de Santa Apolónia em Lisboa para Celorico da Beira numa terça-feira de manhã????

    Obrigado!!!

    Antonio

  3. these pages are excellent. I am planning a lightning visit to Lisbon as part of our train odyssey.

    the first cut of my plan is
    arrive 07:41
    bus 34 from santa apolonia (about 400m, havent worked out exactly to where)
    then tram 28e, do the eastern loop of that and then stay on to to cais do sodre
    train to Cascais
    train back to Belem
    tram 15e back into town, change at santos
    tram 25e to elevador do bica
    elevador do bica
    tram 28e all the way to the west end and back, get off at luis de comoes
    walk up rua misrecordia to elevador do gloria
    elevador do gloria
    avoid the hard rock cafe that is across the road, walk past it onto the elevador do lava
    elevador do lava, then walk through the uni/hospital campus
    then get a 28e again back to the praca do municipio
    somewhere in all that we need to eat at least twice, and pick up some stuff for the train which leaves at 4pm.

    i’ll go through all your advice and work out where we might eat and shop for a picnic for the evening train.

  4. Is there a direct train (metro from the airport to Santa Apolonia station?

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