The Beira Baixa Line

At Vila Velha de Ródão the Tagus has cut its way through a ridge of quartzite. The gap it made, the Portas de Ródão, is 45 metres wide at its narrowest, between walls that rise about 170 metres above the water, and since 2009 it has been a protected natural monument. The river takes the whole of the gap. The railway, which has followed the Tagus upstream all the way from Abrantes, goes through the same ridge a little to one side, in a short tunnel that carries the gate's name.

That is the moment the Beira Baixa line is remembered for, but it is only one hour of a long climb. The line runs 240 km from Entroncamento to Guarda, single track and electrified, and was opened by King Carlos and Queen Amélia in 1891. Beyond Ródão it leaves the river for the plateau of Castelo Branco, tunnels through the Serra da Gardunha, follows the foot of the Serra da Estrela to Covilhã, and finishes at Guarda, the highest city in mainland Portugal.

The top of that climb was missing for twelve years. The section from Covilhã to Guarda closed in 2009 for works that then stopped, and trains returned only in May 2021. Today three Intercidades a day run the whole line from Lisbon in about four and a half hours, for a fare of €23.65.

The Intercidades leaves Lisboa Santa Apolónia, calls at Oriente, and runs up the main line to Entroncamento, the railway junction where the Beira Baixa line begins. From here the train turns east.

The Tagus

Past Abrantes the line keeps to the valley of the Tagus, upstream past Belver and the Fratel dam, often running just above the water. The river grows narrower and the hills steeper until, at Vila Velha de Ródão, it squeezes between the quartzite walls of the Portas de Ródão. The gorge is a protected natural monument, and the small square tower of the Castelo do Rei Wamba stands on top of its northern side.

Castelo Branco, the Gardunha and Covilhã

At Ródão the line leaves the Tagus and climbs onto the plain of Castelo Branco. North of the city the land rises into the Serra da Gardunha, which the line passes in the 646-metre Gardunha tunnel, the longest of its tunnels. Building through this country took a workforce that CP puts at up to 15,000 at the peak of the works. On the far side lie Fundão and the cherry orchards of the Cova da Beira, and then Covilhã, on the flank of the Serra da Estrela.

The reopened top

Covilhã to Guarda was the last section to open, in 1893, its works held up by the financial crisis of 1891–92. It was closed in 2009 for renewal; the works stopped in the economic crisis with only part of it done, and trains returned in May 2021, on rebuilt and electrified track. The line crosses the Zêzere, passes Belmonte, climbs on steel viaducts past Benespera and Sabugal, and reaches Guarda, where it meets the Beira Alta line.

On board

The Intercidades has 1st- and 2nd-class carriages, a bar carriage, free Wi-Fi and spaces for bicycles. Seats are reserved with the ticket.

Three Intercidades a day each way run the whole line between Lisbon and Guarda, every day of the week, in about four and a half hours. Seats are reserved, and tickets are sold on cp.pt, in the CP app and at stations.

Lisbon to Guarda

Guarda to Lisbon

Every train also calls at Lisboa Oriente, Abrantes, Fundão, Belmonte-Manteigas and the smaller stations of the Covilhã–Guarda section. Check the route when you book: CP also runs Intercidades from Lisbon to Guarda by the Beira Alta line through Coimbra, leaving Santa Apolónia at 07:30, 12:30 and 18:30, which do not pass Ródão. For the Tagus, take the trains above.

As of 20 October 2026, from the timetables on CP's journey planner (opens in a new tab) for weekday and weekend dates in late October 2026.

The Intercidades is an ordinary CP train, so the ticket is an ordinary point-to-point fare, bought from CP online, in the app or at the station, with the seat reserved on it. Lisbon to Guarda costs €23.65 in 2nd class and €32.85 in 1st.

CP sells Promo fares in advance, at €14.50 for the whole trip on some departures, but they cannot be refunded. CP also offers discounts for young people, seniors and groups, and 10% off a return. From CP's own pages, in euros, as of October 2026.

Interrail and Eurail passes cover the Intercidades. Interrail's table of railway companies lists CP's Intercidades as included in both the Global Pass and the Portugal Pass, with a compulsory reservation. The reservation costs €5 and can only be bought in Portugal, from CP.

For this journey alone, a pass is not worth buying. The full fare from Lisbon to Guarda is €23.65, and an advance fare can be less. A pass pays when the Beira Baixa is one leg of a longer trip through Portugal or across Europe.

Checked October 2026 against interrail.com (opens in a new tab) and its reservation fees (opens in a new tab).

The Intercidades calls at each of these towns, so the line is easy to break: the gorge at Ródão, a garden in Castelo Branco, the mountains above Covilhã, and two old towns at the top.

The whole line fits into a day from Lisbon, but the upper half rewards a night: in a converted convent above Belmonte, or in the mountains above Covilhã.

Planning this trip and stuck on something, or spotted a time, fare or detail that has changed? Send us a message about The Beira Baixa Line. We read every one, and we update this page when something has changed.