Ephemerals - Douro Historical Train

This first "proper" post will be one of my old article translations. The reason being that this particular activity can still be enjoyed until October 26th, and the weather right in Portugal is still nice to enjoy this activity.

Today, then, we'll talk about the tucked away pearl that is the Douro Historical Train.

And I say "tucked away" because the publicity and marketing materials for this experience are difficult to find outside CP's (Combóios de Portugal, Portugal's main train operator) website, with an almost mute expression in leaflets at sales points.
These days, the site (www.cp.pt) is better, currently with a direct link to another similar experience, but otherwise, you'd be hard-pressed to even know such an experience existed.
For those interested, you want to press the hardly intuitive "How to travel" link, which then reveals the existence of the weekend activities.

But let's cut to the chase, and move on to the story I have to tell you.

August 5th, 2017. Early. A bit too early, actually, considering I was on vacation, and that, regardless of how early I usually get up, and of how early I get up, be it vacation time or not, getting up before dawn is not really my style. "I hope it's worth it", I thought, still groggy.
Spoiler alert: it was worth it.
The reason for me having to get up that early had to do with the fact that the Douro Historical Train trip starts at 3:22PM at Régua railway station, but I was leaving from Almada, where I live (over 300Km away), and I didn't want to spend hours on end stuck in a car (or, worse, in a bus). Moreover, with the ticket pack prices that CP has for this activity, it wouldn't be cost-effective to travel any other way than by train: the individual ticket costs €42,50 (for an adult, children 4 through 12 pay €19), and return trip ticket packs range from €47,50 to €77,50 per person, depending on your origin point.
A tip for anyone, like my better half and I, that starts their trip just South of the Tejo River: save €10 per person, and take public transit to any train station in Lisbon. Your ticket (for the Alfa or Intercidades train that will take you to Porto) includes free travel on any CP urban train to and from Santa Apolónia or Oriente stations, for the hour before and after your train's departure/arrival time.
In my case, we drove to Entrecampos station. Just after 8:00AM, the Alfa train heading to Porto - Campanhã departed from Oriente. We could have theoretically departed later, and still make it on time, but even my great-grandmother left for the train station with several hours to spare. Apparently, I inherited that gene, and I too arrive way too early.

The trip went well and with no surprises, the usual Alfa experience for me, and we arrived at Porto with more than enough time to experience the local cuisine, that I had not tasted for a long time. I'd be lying if I told you I ate a "Francesinha" (typical Porto dish). The will was there, for sure, but with the heat outside, it would have been too heavy of a dish. I chose something slightly lighter, in a quaint restaurant in Rua da Estação. Well served (as is typical in Northern Portugal), savory, and cheap, it's one of the few things that I miss from the time I lived in the North.

Besides the extra comfort of not having to drive (or being canned like a sardine in a bus), one of the other perks of his activity is, without a doubt, the fact that, in a single day, you experience virtually all historical highlights of the Portuguese Railways, when it comes to the type of trains used: Alfa Pendular/Intercidades/Suburban to Porto, Diesel to Régua (the Douro line is still being electrified, the electrified track ending at Marco de Canaveses), and Historical to Tua.
As I said, it's without a doubt an excellent opportunity to experience first hand the evolution of the train in our country. The only downside here is that the Porto-Régua-Porto connection necessarily has to be done in a Diesel train, instead of being, like the Historical Train, only a part of the experience. It's regrettable that, in 2017 (note: there has been no progress in 2019, though the track has been widened up to Marco de Canaveses), this region's passengers (as well as from other regions) are subjected to slower, less comfortable, trips, stemming from lack of investment in railroad infrastructure.

And it was in this context that, by 1:15PM, we departed Campanhã station, heading to Régua. Honestly, the trip scenery alone is worth, as an old teacher of mine would have said, getting up at an unconstitutional time. Here's one of the pictures I took, which is worth much more than anything I could have written.

But the best was still to come.
The Régua Historical Train departure is an event in and of itself. Long before the departure, the locomotive and the five train carriages are prepared, and the passengers take that chance to visit and photograph them, to the sound of the traditional folk music band that will accompany us for the duration of the trip. Yes, musical accompaniment is included in the "pampering", which I will refer to later, you get during the Historical Train trip.
Starting at the train platform, the band will take their places inside one of the carriages, minutes before departure. They'll resume their entertainment shortly after Régua is behind us, pepping up each carriage individually several times during the trip.

The ambiance is informal, almost familial. Despite being among strangers (despite the lack of publicity, the train was almost full), the experience looked more like a big family meeting than a sporting, musical, or similar, event. I imagine that it might have something to do with the proximity with which all passengers were treated, being offered a bottle of water (very appreciated, to be fair, because of the scorching heat outside) and a taste of Porto Wine, even before the first stop, at Pinhão, to load water. Or with the improvised picnic that one family decided to start during the trip.

As expected, there are assigned seats, even in the Historical Train. But staying seated (in wooden seats with enviable comfort and ergonomics for their age, by the way) is a waste. There is plenty to see, both in and out of the train.
Starting on the inside, visiting the 1st Class (or the 2nd Class, if you're traveling in 1st Class) carriages is the most obvious option, and possible because there are no obstacles to moving between carriages. Actually, the platforms connecting the carriages are very popular spots, since they offer those who are there some of the best and most unburdened views possible during the trip.
And what views they are! From the Douro river very few meters away, close enough it feels like you could touch the water, to the vineyards of the several Porto Wine wineries, to the small houses, hidden away from the city hustle and bustle in the middle of the landscape, to the several recreational and tourism boats that use the watercourse, frequently surprised either by the mere sight of the Historical Train or by the driver-initiated honks, the whole ride is a treat for your eyes, and an unforgettable experience.

Arriving at Tua, we're presented with more music, and also with a small exhibit at the station, accompanied by the sale of regional products and memorabilia. And this is probably the most negative point of the whole trip: Tua station is, quite frankly, too small to accommodate that many people at the same time. Still, it doesn't change the visit's final tally.
It's at Tua that those interested can watch, not only another water loading, but also the locomotive rotation, and the carriage coupling and decoupling operations, getting the train ready to make the return trip.

With the Sun slightly lower in the horizon, the return trip to Régua brings along even more gorgeous landscapes, which unfold slowly, at less than 50Km/h, with a calm and serenity uncommon this day and age.
The arrival at Porto happens after 8PM, having left Régua just before 7PM on the train that pulled into the station just after the Historical Train.

It might seem like otherwise, but between the early rise, the sun, the heat, and the hours spent in the several trains, the day is tiring (but very worth it!), which is why a stay in Porto was the ideal, to allow the batteries to be recharged, as well as a quick visit to the city, on Sunday.
For this, we took advantage of a partnership between CP and Moov Hotel Porto Norte, one of the several hotel establishments that offer a 10% discount to travelers on the Historical Train.

This Ephemerals "main course" was, hands down, the trip on the Historical Train. But with a return trip to Lisbon scheduled, by choice, for 7PM, on Sunday we could also visit a bit of the city of Porto, including the Ribeira Pier, the D. Luís bridge, and the Morro garden, before heading back to São Bento and Campanhã stations, to catch the Alfa heading to Lisboa.

The Douro Historical Train runs on Saturdays, from June 1st to October 26th, as well as on August 15th. For additional information, you can visit the site https://www.cp.pt/passageiros/en/how-to-travel/For-leisure/Nature-and-Culture/douro-historical-train.
Highly recommended for anyone that loves trains or amazing landscapes, as well as anyone that wants to slow down a bit, in a radically different way than usual, in a unique and unforgettable experience.

This article was originally published, in Portuguese, in the November 2017 edition of the Inurban Magazine, which you can read here.

Photos by Adriano Maia and Paulo Costa