PORTO - Portugal - page 362

Confeitaria-Restaurante do Bolhão, which faces the market-hall entrance, has been
pleasing local shoppers since 1896. This bustling bakery/brasserie offers enticing take-out
items in front and an inviting old-time dining hall in the rear (the more elegant basement
is less lively and soulful). You'll find fresh baked goods, omelets, and fish, along with €5
soup-and-sandwich specials (daily 6:00-21:00, Rua Formosa 339, tel. [phone]).
Café Majestic isn't just a coffee house—it's an institution. This elegant Art Nouveau
café has been Porto's neighborhood living room for over a century. Today, it's a fine place
for a coffee or a light but expensive lunch (€10-18, Mon-Sat 9:30-24:00, closed Sun, Rua
de Santa Catarina 112, tel. [phone]). They serve a big breakfast (€15, all day) and
fancy tea (€12, 15:00-19:00).
Porto Connections
Trains
Regional trains use the more central São Bento Station; long-distance trains use Campan-
hã Station on the east edge of town. The two stations are connected by frequent trains (see
“Arrival in Porto,” here ) . All trains leaving São Bento also stop at Campanhã (the next
station). Some trains only depart from Campanhã Station, so check the schedule carefully.
From Porto's São Bento Train Station to: Peso da Régua (3/day direct, 2 hours;
more with change in Caide or Penafiel, 2-2.5 hours), Pinhão (5/day, 2.5-3 hours, transfer
in Peso da Régua).
FromCampanhãTrainStation: Fast Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains (both re-
quire reservation, buy at station) go to Coimbra (almost hourly, 1 hour on Alfa Pendular
line or Intercidades service but 2 hours on slower regional line—confirm before buying)
and Lisbon (almost hourly, 3 hours). Note that Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains are
similarly speedy, but Alfa trains cost more.
To reach SantiagodeCompostela,Spain, take a train bound for the Spanish port city
of Vigo (€11, 2/day, departures at 7:55 and 18:10, 5 hours, ticket only purchased as far as
Vigo, must buy another ticket in Spain to continue to Santiago; en route to Vigo, you may
change at the border town of Valença). Once in Spain, you can change to the Santiago-
bound train in Vigo, but most conductors will encourage you instead to change trains be-
fore that, in the town of Redondela. This works fine, since Vigo is on a dead-end track
and any train going to Vigo also goes through Redondela on the way. (In other words, if
you change in Vigo instead of Redondela, you'll simply spend more time on the train and
less time at the station.) Frustratingly, rail-information people in Porto generally can't tell
you much about parts of the journey beyond the Spanish border. Consider instead a bus
tour if you have extra cash and less time (see next page).