Three #CP #Intercidades trains run daily on the Linha de Beira Alta, from Lisbon to Guarda and back. These comprise three modernised Sorefame carriages, one of which is a café and first-class carriage.
As with all Intercidades trains, it is mandatory to reserve a seat, which costs €5 for an #Interrail pass and can only be purchased at Portuguese ticket desks. #BlankSpots

Guarda is the terminus for both the Intercidades services on the Linha da Beira Alta and the Linha da Beira Baixa. There are two Regional trains a day that run further to Vilar Formoso on the border, but there are no connecting trains to Spain. In any case, it's time to disembark and bridge the transfer time. If I had enough time, I could visit the old town of Guarda, which is located 150 metres higher than the station. I wonder if there's a bus from Guarda staziun to Guarda cumün. 🤭 #BlankSpots

The second #CP #Intercidades train today is the Guarda–Lisbon service, which runs via the Linha de Beira Baixa. This is the first chance to take a photo of a complete Intercidades train. #BlankSpots

Ah, the joys of compulsory seat reservation! #BlankSpots

The views along the Linha de Beira Baixa are charming. It runs along the eastern edge of the Serra da Estrela. However, the train journey could be better. The air conditioning doesn't work, so hot October air is blown into the train. A passenger closed one of the four emergency windows, so there is no fresh air flow. The locomotive made five full stops in the middle of nowhere. #BlankSpots

For some reason, our #Intercidades Guarda-Lisbon stops at Barca da Amieira - Envendos for about thirty minutes. #BlankSpots

With a delay of about 50 minutes, I arrive at Lisboa Oriente. I finally want to check in at my hotel and skip the station review. However, the departure of my connecting Urbano is delayed by another 15 minutes. Consequently, it gets very crowded. #BlankSpots

A tourist in #Lisbon doing Lisbon tourist things... #BlankSpots

Two days later, at Entrecampos station again. The displays and announcements aren't working and one Urbano train after another serves or passes the station. After about 35 minutes of waiting, my #Intercidades train to Faro finally arrives and the screens start working again. #BlankSpots

In the end, the #Intercidades train from Lisbon to Faro is delayed by around 45 minutes. There are lots of international tourists on the train, all seeking the sun in southern Portugal. The beautiful scenery is passing by, but the journey still feels rather slow. #BlankSpots

The connecting regional train from Faro to Vila Real de Santo António has been delayed by more than 45 minutes waiting for the Intercidades train from Lisbon. I get off at an intermediate stop and spent a couple of days doing normal tourist things. 🏖 #BlankSpots

Impressions of the 🇵🇹 Linha do Algarve 😊
Electrification work on the line was finished in June 2025, so I am wondering how long the #CP class 0450 DMU will remain operational here. Taking pictures and travelling along the line proved very nerve-racking, as there were delays of more than 40 minutes every day. Pictures that were supposed to be taken before sunset had to be taken afterwards. #BlankSpots

The Lagos station marks the westernmost point of the Linha do Algarve, making it the most southwesterly railway station in Europe! I never would have thought that I could find plant-based kanelbullar and kardemummabullar nearby. 🤯 #BlankSpots

It's time to head back north and say goodbye to the blue 0450 DMUs I've grown used to. A regional train will take me to Faro, where I'll have to wait for my Intercidades train. #BlankSpots

Over the past 10 days, I have grown to love the #CP #Intercidades train. This Faro–Lisbon train is almost my last Intercidades on this trip. The Corail and Sorefame coaches create a cosy atmosphere. The only annoying thing is buying seat reservations for my Interrail pass at the stations. #BlankSpots

The next day begins as the previous one ended: With an Intercidades train at Lisboa-Oriente station. The platform is crowded with international tourists travelling to Porto. As usual, there is chaos while boarding. Passengers unfamiliar with rail travel wander through the train with heavy luggage, looking for their seats. Some even mistake the ticket price for their seat number. The lack of some coach numbers doesn't make things easier. #BlankSpots

I'm getting off at Entroncamento. I have travelled halfway back up Portugal, but it is time to change direction now. Unfortunately, there is no time to visit the national rail museum. #BlankSpots

Now, this is insane! 🤯 A single railcar resembling a Teletubby runs between 🇵🇹 Entroncamento and 🇪🇦 Badajoz twice a day. This regional train is part of the only direct route between Lisbon and Madrid. The journey between these two cities takes more than 8.5 hours by train. The train is crowded with both local and long-distance travellers. Hopefully, things will improve soon with the opening of the new high-speed line between Évora and Badajoz. #BlankSpots

It's time for me to say goodbye to 🇵🇹 #Portugal. #BlankSpots

The welcome in Badajoz is cold. The connecting train to Madrid is waiting with open doors on the track opposite. However, three grim Adif guards positioned along the platform ensure that noone boards the train. Instead, everyone walks the length of the platform to the station building, only to return to the same platform after showing their ticket. I find it hard to understand. Either design your station to be suitable for access control, or abolish it! I'm glad I can call it a day. #BlankSpots

Badajoz might not be well known outside the world of train travellers. It is a nice city with a pleasant old town. #BlankSpots

The next morning, I'm on the same platform at Badajoz again. My Alvia to Madrid was due to leave at 07:21, and for the first time in a while, my journey was beginning in complete darkness. I was very surprised when I realised that this was a bimodal high-speed train! Only the section between Badajoz and Plasencia is electrified. As it is an Iberian-gauge train, it arrives at Atocha Cercanías. #BlankSpots

At Madrid Atocha-Cercanías station, there are overhead network diagrams showing which trains are departing from each platform! 😍 #BlankSpots

My journey home continues swiftly. An #AVE train takes me from Madrid to Girona. My first-class carriage is less than half full. I'm surprised that lunch is served for free! This is my fifth time travelling in first class on an AVE, and I've never experienced that before. Four hours after boarding in Madrid, I arrive at Girona's underground station. #BlankSpots

In the old town of Girona 🌙 #BlankSpots

There isn't much time for rest; the journey continues the following morning. Girona means: Rodalies de Catalunya. While I appreciate the frequent trains, they are not very comfortable, with hard seats and sometimes a 3+2 seating configuration. Nevertheless, it is a charming trip on an almost empty train to Portbou. #BlankSpots

Border stations have a unique character! 😍 Two rail systems connect with each other. The infrastructure seems oversized for modern purposes. Abandoned facilities tell stories of a busy past. This is certainly true of Portbou station. #BlankSpots

My #BlankSpots trip is entering France for the fourth and final time! A TER train takes me to Narbonne. There are more people than I expected on this eight-coach TER train. I suspect it is due to the very poor number of TGV/AVE services crossing the Spanish–French border. However, the ride is scenic, taking me along the coast and through the étangs. 🦩

Using your phone on loudspeaker on a "train liO"? 👉 €150 fine. While I am not a fan of restrictive fines, I do appreciate the clear statement against ignorance towards other passengers in this case. #BlankSpots

At Narbonne station, there are plenty of ticket machines for long-distance and regional trains, as well as job application machines... 🤯 #BlankSpots

As on the way to Spain, the slogan for the journey back to Switzerland is #ÉviterLesTGV. I'm taking the TER from Narbonne to Avignon. It's a classic AGC ride along the Mediterranean coast to the Rhône delta. #BlankSpots

They are dancing there, they are dancing there. #BlankSpots

The next day, a new TER. I've lost track of the remaining Corail TER services, but I know my Avignon–Valence train is one of them. It even comes with a 'Nez Cassé'. 😊 I'm trying to catch up on some rest on this comfortable, albeit slightly dirty, train. Between Pierrelatte and Montélimar, the line runs alongside the Rhône for a short while. #BlankSpots

It's time for a change in Valence-Ville. As I'm still avoiding the TGV, it's time for another TER. And, what a surprise, it's a Corail train hauled by a Nez-Cassé again! 😉 The sunny Mediterranean weather has given way to misty autumn weather on my way to Annecy. #BlankSpots

Annecy was never really on my bucket list, but it was for many other tourists, and with good reason. #BlankSpots

The presence of the Léman Express and Swiss trains in Annecy makes it clear that the Swiss border is nearby. I board the TER/RL2 service bound for 🇨🇭 Coppet. However, it always feels wrong to use an Interrail pass instead of my GA to board an SBB regional train. #BlankSpots

Well, it's time to trick myself into not coming home. I'm still trying to take some #BlankSpots with me. At Annemasse, I'll change to a TER train bound for Évian-les-Bains. This is one of the closest railway lines to Switzerland that I have never travelled on before. In fact, it used to lead into Switzerland, but the section east of Évian-les-Bains is now closed. The ride in the vestibule takes 40 minutes.

The town of Évian-les-Bains is well known thanks to the eponymous water brand. But what about the town itself? Well, thanks to the old town, I now know that Halloween trees are a thing, not just Christmas trees. #BlankSpots

What a great way to return from Portugal! 🛳️ Or, at least, to arrive in my home country. This is my first time on 🇫🇷🇨🇭 Lake Geneva! I'm enjoying it, even without the view of the Alps. #BlankSpots

However, the number of services on the Lake Geneva will be reduced in 2026. The Swiss and French partners could no longer agree on halving the costs.
https://www.rts.ch/info/suisse/2025/article/liaisons-cgn-suisse-france-forte-reduction-des-2026-accord-transfrontalier-signe-29024677.html