How to get to Portugal from France?

Portugal has been the favorite destination of the French for several years and you have certainly not escaped this phenomenon!

If you have decided to go there for your vacation, you are probably wondering what is the best way to get to Portugal. After all, this small country on the Iberian Peninsula is not that far from France, and there are many options available to you. To make your life easier, we have prepared a guide to the means of transport to reach Portugal, whether by train, car or plane.

In order to make it easier, we detail the possible transport options to reach the capital, Lisbon and the city of Faro, the capital of the Algarve region which is famous for its beaches.

Coming to Portugal by car

Traveling to Portugal by car can be an attractive option for several reasons. First of all, you'll have more freedom to travel around, giving you the flexibility to explore off-the-beaten-path areas, all without having to pay the expense of a rental car.

Then, you will have the opportunity to discover various landscapes and places of interest during your trip, whether in France, Spain or Portugal. This can be the opportunity to take a little road trip before arriving there for a little quieter vacation. For example, you can make a stop in the fortified town of Elvas on the border with Spain. 

In the table below, you can consult the journey times from the main major French cities. However, note that the travel times indicated do not take into account the breaks that will necessarily be necessary to reach your destination safely.

Depending on your starting point, you can expect between 10 hours and 21 hours of driving.

Car journeys to Porto from France

Departure city	Shortest route	Cheapest route
Bordeaux	eleven	€122
Lille	eleven	€260
Lyon	eleven	€215
Marseille	eleven	€207
Nantes	eleven	€175
Paris	eleven	€225
Toulouse	eleven	€140

Car journeys to Lisbon from France

Departure city	Shortest route	Cheapest route
Bordeaux	eleven	€152
Lille	eleven	€290
Lyon	eleven	€245
Marseille	eleven	€237
Nantes	eleven	€206
Paris	eleven	€255
Toulouse	eleven	€171

Car journeys to Faro from France

Departure city	Shortest route	Cheapest route
Bordeaux	eleven	€145
Lille	eleven	€283
Lyon	eleven	€218
Marseille	eleven	€190
Nantes	eleven	€199
Paris	eleven	€248
Toulouse	eleven	€164

To conclude, the cost of the trip is also quite advantageous by car. Especially if you are going with the whole family, since unlike the train or the plane, the price does not increase according to the number of passengers. Of course, the prices we have shown in this table may vary depending on your vehicle and your driving.

Coming to Portugal by plane

If you don't want to take the long drive, the plane is the simple, efficient and above all fast solution!

As mentioned in the introduction, Portugal is a very popular destination for the French, so you will have no difficulty finding a direct flight regardless of your city of departure. Likewise with regard to prices, thanks to the many flights that connect France and Portugal, prices are attractive, especially if you decide to opt for a low-cost airline such as Ryanair (which is obviously positioned on this type of theft). So, if you are traveling in a small group, taking the plane is the most economical solution.

You can consult the flight times in the table below, in general, the trip is completed in less than 2 hours.

Flights to Porto from France

Departure airport	Shortest flight	Matches	Cheapest return flight
Bordeaux (BOD)	eleven	Direct	€49
Lille (LIL)	eleven	1 connection min.	€178
Lyon (LYS)	eleven	Direct	€69
Marseilles (MRS)	eleven	Direct	€79
Nantes (NTE)	eleven	Direct	€42
Paris-Roissy (CDG)	eleven	Direct	€66
Paris Orly (ORY)	eleven	Direct	€126
Toulouse (TLS)	eleven	Direct	€42

Flights to Lisbon from France

Departure airport	Shortest flight	Matches	Cheapest return flight
Bordeaux (BOD)	eleven	Direct	€108
Lille (LIL)	eleven	1 connection min.	€108
Lyon (LYS)	eleven	Direct	€43
Marseilles (MRS)	eleven	Direct	€93
Nantes (NTE)	eleven	Direct	€51
Paris-Roissy (CDG)	eleven	Direct	€72
Paris Orly (ORY)	eleven	Direct	€95
Toulouse (TLS)	eleven	Direct	€71

Flights to Faro from France

Departure airport	Shortest flight	escales	Cheapest return flight
Bordeaux (BOD)	eleven	Direct	€45
Lille (LIL)	eleven	1 connection min.	€113
Lyon (LYS)	eleven	Direct	€74
Marseilles (MRS)	eleven	Direct	€82
Nantes (NTE)	eleven	Direct	€41
Paris-Roissy (CDG)	eleven	Direct	€166
Paris Orly (ORY)	eleven	Direct	€49
Toulouse (TLS)	eleven	1 connection min.	€109

Note that the prices we have shown in this table are the most affordable rates we have found for each of the airports, with a reservation made several months in advance. As you know the price of plane tickets can vary depending on demand and availability, so you will always have a better price by planning ahead.

That being said, you will also be able to save on parking at the airport, if you plan to get there by car. As with flights, the price of parking at the airport changes according to demand and the most attractive parking lots almost always end up being full in summer.

So if you don't want to miss out on the best deals for your airport parking, try planning your reservation in advance. This way, you can save a lot of money, especially if you opt for private parking. Indeed, the latter are much more advantageous than official car parks in terms of prices.

To give you an example, if you are leaving from Lyon, you will have the choice among many private car parks at Saint-Exupéry airport, with a variety of services, such as an included shuttle transfer, valet parking, covered parking, electric vehicle charging stations and more. Do not hesitate to compare and consult the opinions of other travelers to find the ideal solution.

Coming to Portugal by train

The last option to reach Portugal is by train, but this alternative is neither the fastest, nor the cheapest and certainly not the easiest!

This can become a real headache, because according to our research, it is not possible to book the train trip all at once. Thus, to get to Portugal you will have to change trains several times and you will have to book these different journeys separately on the site corresponding to each of the railway companies.

The easiest way we have found to get to Portugal by train is to first reach the town of Hendaye, in the south of France on the border with Spain. From there, it will be easier to find train journeys to Portugal.

From Hendaye, you will have the possibility to take a night train which will allow you to reach Lisbon in 14 hours

If you want to reach Faro, you will also have to take the train several times in Portugal before arriving safely.