Just one more thing to note, it is technically possible to do this entire journey all on the same day, but with only a 10 minute connection in Badajoz, I wouldn't recommend it as Renfe and CP don't really cooperate with one another, so there's no guarentee that the train from Badajoz to Entroncamento would wait for a delayed Renfe service, potentially leaving you stranded for the night in Badajoz.
Spanish train driver here. That's not how trains work. The idea that one train would ignore its tight schedule and delay its departure just because there's another train, from an entirely different country and railway network that's going to be late, is preposterous. Even more considering that traffic management and train operation are done by different companies in both Spain and Portugal, each operator subject to their own allocated times in their mesh given by the infrastructure manager companies. The solution would be to increase the connection time between both or run a single long-distance service between the capitals, but delaying a train is a big no-no.
Dylan, ignore those few comments that criticise your voiceover / narrative. You've got a nice voice, very friendly, easy to understand, not rushed. We don't need professional narrators on TH-cam, we just want speakers who are clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. Many are not, you are. Well done!
I had to google the meaning of 'faff'. Dylan, I love it! I used it three times in the little town near me this afternoon. I told the cashier in the grocery that she didn't have to faff with the extra plastic bag for my chicken breasts. On Main Street a friend asked me how I was doing and I replied, "just faffing about". The cashier at the gas station asked me if I wanted my receipt and I said, "Nah, don't faff". Faffing it up. Faff to the max. Faffed out. And for the francophones in my country... "de la fafferie". Ne faffes pas! La grosse faffe! Une petite faffette.
@@DylansTravelReports I had to look it up too, but I love words like that because you can use them so many ways! As for the trip, that is far more of a faff than I would like to deal with so I'd be on the plane this time. It's really something to see how Spain and Portugal go out of their way to NOT cooperate with each other.
@@roundandroundmyworld the key issue is how Portugal and Spain's railway policies differ. The Spanish railways Renfe is hellbent on having international connections with just high speed standard gauge railway, but Portugal does not want to build standard gauge high speed railway because frankly it's a waste of money. Additionally, Renfe isn't willing to use one of its S-730 gauge-changing sets to operate a direct Madrid-Lisbon service which I'm sure would be far quicker and more comfortable, and CP the Portuguese railways does not have bi-mode trains that it can operate, so its only alternative ends up being a 1960s diesel railcar that has been refurbished to have "modern" comfort levels.
Faff yes. You did it so I don’t have to, but hard to believe the two cities are not currently better connected. Another vote for voice-over. Can’t beat it, Dylan!
I find it incredible that the spanish unilaterally eliminated the direct train. But on the other end the trains here in Portugal are nowhere enough to travel around the country confortably. Its a shame...so many abandoned/deactivated stations. Its a vicious circle...how will people use the trains if the service is sparse and demands many changes of train ☹☹☹
Portugal is the only EU continental country with no international long distance train services. The only two Portuguese international trains are regional services for Vigo and Badajoz with many stops in small stations. Also, Portugal has the biggest European city without railway (Viseu).
In Portugal, planned train works, means nothing... Zero! So Viseu can have trains... never more.... public works, are NEVER, NEVER, NEVER made on planning. Exemples?: - new Lisbon airport (planned for about 60 years... every 5 years our politicians (I'm Portuguese, so I know them very well...), in electoral cycles (of course ...), always promises the airport for next 3 years... till now... - TGV already with 6 schedules 6 team boards. (with dozens of presidents, vice presidents, technicians, assistants, with astronomic salaries)... millions of euros lost in projects....
I did the trip today. A few updates,there’s 2 trains a day, and you can buy your ticket online. The station build has been completed and there’s a restaurant within it now. The train has not changed and I found the ride to be great fun. Well worth doing
Dylan your voiceover video's are really good. As well as a wealth of train and route information, they allow you to make little jokes like "Dora the explorer Spanish"!! Briliant!
Great video as always, are the voice over is so pro! RENFE seems to manage to go backwards at every chance they get. A daytime service is not very practical because of line speeds, but the night train was a good option (although badly neglected in later years) Just one thing, cafeterías on Renfe trains opened again at the beginning of July. Keep the awesome work up!
As a 76 year old nearly deaf viewer from another country, I love the new voiceovers. I can turn on the closed captioning and that way don’t miss any of what you’re saying. I, too, enjoy the added inflections, humor and extra facts that this format allows you to give. Keep up the great work.
I like these full-on reports, even covering hotel rooms (which looked great for the price!) and some nice views of some of the destinations along the way. Voiceovers are excellent, much more immersive this way.
It's about 620 km from Madrid to either Barcelona or Lisbon, but you can reach the former in 2.5 hours on AVE. They really need to prioritize the high-speed link between the two Iberian capitals.
Lovely video! In fact I am doing this same travel next saturday, leaving Madrid around 9:00, getting to Badajoz around 13:30 and waiting 3 hours to take the Regio train to Entroncamento and then changing for the Lisboa one... I will be in Lisbon around 20:30!
My best friend is 80% sight impaired. I told him to checkout your videos not thinking he couldn't easily read the cations. Your average video took him an hour or more as he had to stop it every time a captions came on, enlarge it to read it. So I told him just a few days ago I would send you a request to add voice over to your posts. Wow! It worked without even having to send you a request! Brilliant. Now you need to accept Mexican credit cards so I can donate.
I love the voiceover! Now I feel like I don't have to miss a bit of the scenery while reading, or worry that I missed something because I didn't notice the text had changed while trying to take in the beautiful scenery or even details of the trains! You have a really nice voice BTW, I think it adds a lot to your videos.
Since I found your channel, my Friday lunchtime habit is to go along for the ride, so to speak, while eating my lunch. I have enjoyed all your videos, but I do find the narrated versions to be more interesting than the sub-titled versions.
I really appreciate your new format, with voiceover narration (which allows more interesting explanations) , judicious use of subtitles, and some coverage of the areas in the cities you visit. I did have to look up the definition of "faff."
I'll add to the list of voiceover supporters. You used a good balance of commentary and information without being obnoxious and annoying like so many other publishers. The voiceover style is better for me because now I can watch and enjoy the video vs. having to focus of the text. Very professionally done Dylan.
Very good. I like especially the comments on important buildings and landmarks. Also nice to hear your voice again - it gives the video a personality! Mad that there isn't a regular fast rail link between Madrid and Lisboa.
Way to go Dylan , it’s great for this old bugger in Canada to see what your filming and listen to you and not have to worry about reading what’s going on . Thanks 🇨🇦
I came by surprise and I love this TH-cam channel. You're at the level that Nonstop Eurotrip or Simply Railway are. Just subscribed! Video's score: 7.1
I’m still stuck on the fact that the schedule boards, on your first trip, are not in english, but as soon as the train pulled out, the speaker spoke english. Yes, thank goodness for “Dora the Explorer”.
Fantastic review, with the narration, we can enjoy the video so much more, congratulations on this new way to show your material. Badajóz has a wonderful archeological interest in that Castle. Both journies are marvelous, the Museum in Entroncamento looks like having a lot of historical engines and couches, cool...!
like the new format and commentary! I have seen enough toilets in my time and wandering is taking time away from looking at the sights you travel through. Good job!
Thank you for a most enjoyable video and for guiding us along your journey. I doubt that I will ever need to travel between Madrid and Lisbon, but it is good to see what there is along this route.
I recommend going to the tram museum in Lisbon. It's located inside an active tram depot. You even get a ride on an antique tram as part of your museum visit!
It should be noted they are building a high speed rail link between Madrid and Lisbon. That is what all the construction at Badajoz was for. When completed, it should cut the 28 hour journey down to about three.
Actually that is incorrect. Portugal is not building any high speed rail for several reasons. The main reason because Lisbon does not want a connection with Madri via the south of the Tagus river while Madrid wants to force one going through Badajoz in order to justify in Brussels that Madrid_badajoz is an international line and thus get more EU funds. The line being build is a normal line but electrified. It is meant to connect Sines Port with Spain rather than to be used by passangers.
Actually the Corredor Internacional Sul between Évora and Elvas has been stated by the government to be the beginning of the high speed railway line between Lisbon and Madrid, because it will allow trains to travel at 250 km/h, which is high speed, and will reduce the travel times as the trains no longer need to go to Entroncamento
Besides that, Portugal is not looking forward to building an high speed railway line between the two capitals. Instead, in 2022, it will start the building of the new Porto - Lisbon high speed line, and in the future the new Porto - Valença line, going through the Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport
@@AntonioSilva-ww4eu RENFE could use the S-130 (or S-730) ALVIA trains. All they would need to do is build a gauge change building between Badajoz and Elvas. It could easily run on existing track in Portugal until they get around to building new high speed line.
Thanks for this interesting account of a tortuous rail journey between Madrid and Lisbon. It was great to hear your chirpy voice once again since the marathon Edinburgh to London and return video. The balance between rail and scenic exploration is great. It's good to see you are free to travel again in your summer while poor old me is still locked down, Had a scare yesterday when my local supermarket got listed as a hot spot but fortunately I wasn't there at the times recorded - Pheww! I live in hope of being set free from my 5km limit within the next week or two so I can travel during our spring. Look forward to next week's offering.
It is worth keeping an eye on the Man at Seat 61 website. You can currently do this in a day. Madrid 08:04 Badajoz 16:24 depart 18:25 Entroncamento depart 19:42 Lisbon arrival 20:40. Very frustrating no direct train though - Great video - lovely countryside - keep up the good work
I have actually done this trip in the opposite direction and even stayed at the same Hotel in Badajoz just 2 weeks ago. It's an enjoyable trip, if you like travelling by train. For sure it's not competitive by any means. Now the cafeteria in the talgo train is working again and in the Badajoz station there is an cafeteria too. Nice video!
Such a great video and perfect voiceover, thank you! I am portuguese, living in the UK. Cannot believe that at this day on age there are no direct trains from Lisbon to Madrid. As you rightly said, its so much easier to just take a plane. But sometimes it is nice to take the train also as there is no hassle at the airport. Oh well, we just have to keep waiting for evolution....
Hi Dylan. We've only recently discovered your channel and absolutely love it. We're working our way through them all slowly. Love the voiceover too. Look forward to the next one ☺️ thanks.
Great video as always Dylan, thanks. As you say, a right faff. You'd have thought by now that Portugal and Spain would have got their act together and established better rail connections between two major EU capitals. We've travelled between Lisbon and Porto by rail. Enjoyable enough but, as we took the standard service rather than the pendolino train, it took over 3 hours and got a bit boring towards the end. We've also done the rail trip up the Douro river from Porto to Pinhao. That is definitely worth doing. Really enjoy the voiceover by the way.
There is a dispute between the line trajectory between Spain and Portugal. Also Portugal has little connection with Madrid other than diplomatic as most of the people live near Galicia or on the northern half of the coast line. Most of the trade between Portugal and Spain is made with the spanich regions of Galicia, the Basque Country and Catalunya (Andalusia is important too, but irrelevant to this case). All those regions are locate above Madrid. Basically Portugal wants the line to go through Salamanca while Spain wants it to go through Badajoz in order to get more EU funding to the Madrid-Badajoz high speed line, by making it an "international" project. Portugal also wants a direct line to France, while Spain want to make all trains go through Madrid first.
@@l23722 and until they finished their political discussions there are only a few slow regional or Intercitiy trains (with Regional roling stock) between those two countries🤦
@@l23722 Honestly we should have both. Lisbon - Badajoz - Madrid and Porto - Salamanca - Madrid. The portuguese railway is shit though, I don't really see that ever happening
Lusitania Express overnight from Madrid to Lisbon in 1978 when I was a student. Cheaper than flying in those days, too, even in a couchette. Despite the snoring of my fellow voyagers, it was a great way to travel. I lament the passing of those great European trains.
What a journey! Three trains from Madrid to Lisbon? Madrid to Copenhagen, perhaps, but it seems more like they're discouraging train travel. That said, it seemed a smooth trip and the hotel room , though basic, was just right for a quick overnight between trains. I agree with your assessment: an interesting trip for a train aficionado like yourself, but I'd take the plane. Nice narration!
Yes they are discouraging it...even a 50km trip from lisbon to torres vedras (west line) takes 2h15. Only one train to go and another to return in a day. Terrible offer.
Indeed. If I wanted the scenic route, or the cheapest possible travel, I'd take the bus. 9 hours on a bus doesn't seem too fun, but you get the scenery you don't get whilst flying, and it was only €15 at time of recording. For any other reason, I'd take the plane - by far the quickest, and not much more than the bus at time of recording; certainly cheaper than three trains (two of which top out at 120km/h or less) and an overnight stay in a hotel.
Thank you...I really enjoyed this video and it reminded me I do want to explore Portugal. In Europe my preference is the train for travel as I love to watch the country go by outside my window and I'm too tall and broad shouldered to comfortably sit on a bus for half a day. After watching this, I think I would spend the night in each city where I am transferring trains. Smaller communities in Europe are well worth exploring.
Nice Video Dylan. I enjoyed it. I've done the return journey from Lisbon to Madrid on the overnight train. That was back in the 1980s. If I had to do the trip again I would not hesitate to follow your route. Seemed like good fun and a good way to see the places in between the cities.
❤ the voiceover style, it helps us concentrate on the scenery or trains, etc., you are showing us. Would also love to see more of the cities that you visit, if time permits. I'm a huge fan from the USA, and hope you will come do our Amtrak trains one day.
The Talgo sleeper sets used to work from Barcelona to Geneva and on up to Zurich. I often saw them stabled there. Last time I spotted them, they'd been passed to DB and were hiding in plain sight east of Berlin Ostbahnhof.
Given the two options, I would probably take a plane when on a business trip; I would definitely take a train when on holidays. Nice video as always. :)
I'd take the bus if I wanted to travel the scenic way, talking in a lot of the countryside views etc. Or if I wanted to get from A to B in the cheapest way possible. For all other reasoning, including general day to day travel, it would have to be the plane for me. I wouldn't bother with a >24 hour train trip (including an overnight stay at Badajoz).
It takes a lot of time, but still a beautiful travel between the two capitals. And hope you enjoyed your stay in Portugal. And that word... faff... hilarious!!! ;)
So great 👍 to hear your voice narrate Dylan! It adds a lot to the trip report. I would take the train. I love passenger rail. I have taken almost all routes here in the U.S. Like anywhere else some are better than others.
Thank for the video, which I appreciated a lot. I made the journey from Lisbon to Madrid and Madrid to Lisbon, using the night Lusitania train, which is not avaliable from March 2020. Even, this train trip took around 10 hours and it was only an option if you like the experience of spending a night at board. Cheers.
I like the voice-over. With the bus or the airplane you cannot visit the Railway Museum. Two and a half hours in a 70 year old but refurbished train sucks. If it had to be an old train I would prefer a museum train.
For me, the best part of this journey was the concourse at Madrid Station. This journey and your conclusion sounds much like train vs bus vs air here in the USA.
Yeah, from what I've heard, passenger rail services in the USA aren't the best option - I'm sure that Dylan covered a USA route that took over 2 days to complete. That's probably why so many people in the USA drive, or take the plane.
@@TheSpotify95 Amtrak has a monopoly on long distance train travel. The rails need updating, electrification should be extended. High speed trains? What is called high speed here is probably closest to something halfway between standard and high speed in Europe or Japan. In the 1920s and 30s, the New York Central RR, and the Pennsylvania RR competed for the fastest service between NYC and Chicago. Either would do the job in less than 20 hours. And that was behind a steam locomotive. Today, it's closer to 24 hours. The distance is about 1,000 miles.
It's probably a lot easier to catch that train from Chamartin station, because that's likely where it originates. The through platforms at Atocha are used mainly for suburban services. Also, I would recommend taking the bus from Badajoz to Lisbon because it uses a very fast new road and only takes 2 hours.
If you wanted scenery etc, and didn't want to fly, then maybe the train to Badajoz and then the bus to Lisbon is the way to go. Otherwise, bus all the way @ 9 hours or plane all the way @ 1.5 hours.
Oh maan it's so relaxing enjoying the pics and listening to your narrated details instead of getting giddy reading and looking up all the time ;) brilliant video Mister! Greetings from Deutschland. By the way, would you dare making a train trip and video anywhere in Europe including GB that is really bad and nasty and then ranting about it, if it ever still exists.
Well presented Dylan! A well-paced and clear commentary on a really interesting journey. I think you are right to moan about the poor connections between the two countries, but I'm pleased you showed us how it can be done.
Great viewing Dylan . Your videos have persuaded us to ditch the car and travel by train wherever possible . Trip coming up to next month to Glasgow . Northern rail and Avanti
Hello Dylan Nice video, this journey was amazing Just a quick tip, in the last train you took (Série 2240) if you sit on the top or tail coach you will not hear the motor of the train as much as you hear in the middle one😉 Keep doing that great work 👍
I took the Trenhotel Lusitania back in 2013 from Lisboa to Madrid, private compartment, excellent service, breakfast a la carte. It was Renfe's Talgo rolling stock, but really well mantained, on this way the crew was portuguese, on the other way was spanish. It was 184,60 € for 2 people, double bunk. One of the best train rides I had in life even if it was 11 hours.
It's shameful what Renfe and the Spanish Government did to the sleeper services, and the Portuguese Government isn't showing interest of returning the Trenhotel.
The portuguese government is investing in trains now, just look at the "linha do minho" eletrification and the "new" arco coaches for the linha do minho, remember that Valença do Minho has connection with Spanish trains to Vigo
The Portuguese government is, understandingly, showing the middle finger to Madrid. The joke will be on them when we build a high-speed link from Lisbon to Valença do Minho, hence enabling a direct connection between our major coastal cities and those in Galicia. They do have a point regarding flight connections, as they start making sense for distances like the one between Lisbon and Madrid, and our North Line is such a patchwork that a new line is all but essential and a priority. Interestingly, we are indeed building a “sleeper” high-speed connection to Madrid, in the form of a standard-gauge freight line from the Sines port to Elvas and the Spanish border at Badajoz. It’s a bit of a trojan horse, really, and I’m sure it will be used as a pretext to sneak a third bridge over the Tagus in a national budget very soon.
The people of Extremadura want a high speed train to go to Madrid, not a slow night train for tourists. High speed will arrive to Badajoz in 2025, no plans to extend that to Lisbon by the PT gov.
Awesome video man! I’m Portuguese and I did not know about this train alternative of going from Lisbon to Madrid after the night train was cancelled with the “excuse” of the pandemic. It unfortunately takes a lot of time and it is costly - as you mentioned. Just checked and there are flights from around 25-30 Euros on low-cost airlines… great video once again!
Dylan, you're my favourite TH-camr. I love the narration, though the previous style had charm, too. I would certainly be taking the train, you see more, and in greater comfort. I would never take a short-haul flight, the environmental damage is too great. Thank you for what you do
Thank you for a very interesting review ! If I was in a hurry - unlikely, for when in Spain, I am on holiday (!), I guess the plane would be the better alternative. However, as a rail lover, I would have to follow you, and take the train ! Many thanks.
thanks for your thorough information about the train trip - as an overseas traveller, i would probably take the train, to see as much of the countryside as possible. i'm used to vlogs, and appreciate yours
I can't understand how closing off a portion of a train station is helping to stem the tide of covid; the tropical garden looked really cool and inviting.
Im living in Lisbon. My best friend on the Iberian peninsular lives in Madrid. I grew up in Germany and lived there until a few months ago. I was surprised of how bad the train system is, and how tourist unfriendly(at least in Portugal). The trains and conductors are good, they don't deserve the blame. It's so stupid that flying is the better route.
@@mitoCoroadoJr , ainda bem, porque se fosse pelo PS do Sócrates tínhamos gasto uma fortuna numa linha inútil, que daria prejuízo e de onde teriam sido roubados milhões. Felizmente o PS do Costa parece ser mais inteligente e já pôs para segundo plano uma linha Lisboa-Madrid, que é inútil tendo em conta que os nossos principais parceiros espanhóis são Catalunha, Galiza, País Basco e Andaluzia, nenhum dos quais precisa de passar por Madrid para se comunicar connosco.
I liked the narration. That way we can watch the train and scenery more. Living across the pond, I had to look up the word faff. Perfect description. I'd probably just rent a car and drive so I could spend time exploring the terrific castles and acqaduct. Another really good video.
Just one more thing to note, it is technically possible to do this entire journey all on the same day, but with only a 10 minute connection in Badajoz, I wouldn't recommend it as Renfe and CP don't really cooperate with one another, so there's no guarentee that the train from Badajoz to Entroncamento would wait for a delayed Renfe service, potentially leaving you stranded for the night in Badajoz.
They really should cooperate with eachother as that would bring in alot more revenue to both of them
And that concludes our sponsored messages, thank you again@@shanegermany5803 , CEO of Seat61.
you took my request seriously. Thank you!
Spanish train driver here. That's not how trains work. The idea that one train would ignore its tight schedule and delay its departure just because there's another train, from an entirely different country and railway network that's going to be late, is preposterous. Even more considering that traffic management and train operation are done by different companies in both Spain and Portugal, each operator subject to their own allocated times in their mesh given by the infrastructure manager companies. The solution would be to increase the connection time between both or run a single long-distance service between the capitals, but delaying a train is a big no-no.
@Dylan's Travel Reports, I'm curious, what kind of camera do you use? I'm considering making rail travel videos myself.
Dylan, ignore those few comments that criticise your voiceover / narrative. You've got a nice voice, very friendly, easy to understand, not rushed. We don't need professional narrators on TH-cam, we just want speakers who are clear, easy to understand and pleasant to listen to. Many are not, you are. Well done!
Thanks David 😁
Agreed. He’s more articulate than most people I know!
@@DylansTravelReports Dylan has a super voice. He only needs to learn Castellano
Lol
Yes very articulate
This voiceover is an absolutely perfect hybrid between captions and “vlog-style”. Keep it up!!
I watched it on mute and it was easy to follow. Would be happy to watch with sound on too
I had to google the meaning of 'faff'. Dylan, I love it! I used it three times in the little town near me this afternoon. I told the cashier in the grocery that she didn't have to faff with the extra plastic bag for my chicken breasts. On Main Street a friend asked me how I was doing and I replied, "just faffing about". The cashier at the gas station asked me if I wanted my receipt and I said, "Nah, don't faff". Faffing it up. Faff to the max. Faffed out. And for the francophones in my country... "de la fafferie". Ne faffes pas! La grosse faffe! Une petite faffette.
It's an amazing word isn't it 😅
@@DylansTravelReports I had to look it up too, but I love words like that because you can use them so many ways! As for the trip, that is far more of a faff than I would like to deal with so I'd be on the plane this time. It's really something to see how Spain and Portugal go out of their way to NOT cooperate with each other.
Believe it faff was the guy I used to work for favourite word for anything that caused him discomfort
@@roundandroundmyworld the key issue is how Portugal and Spain's railway policies differ. The Spanish railways Renfe is hellbent on having international connections with just high speed standard gauge railway, but Portugal does not want to build standard gauge high speed railway because frankly it's a waste of money.
Additionally, Renfe isn't willing to use one of its S-730 gauge-changing sets to operate a direct Madrid-Lisbon service which I'm sure would be far quicker and more comfortable, and CP the Portuguese railways does not have bi-mode trains that it can operate, so its only alternative ends up being a 1960s diesel railcar that has been refurbished to have "modern" comfort levels.
That's hilarious! Surtout en français. Quelle fafferie! A perfect word for so many uses.
Faff yes. You did it so I don’t have to, but hard to believe the two cities are not currently better connected.
Another vote for voice-over. Can’t beat it, Dylan!
I find it incredible that the spanish unilaterally eliminated the direct train. But on the other end the trains here in Portugal are nowhere enough to travel around the country confortably. Its a shame...so many abandoned/deactivated stations. Its a vicious circle...how will people use the trains if the service is sparse and demands many changes of train ☹☹☹
Portugal is the only EU continental country with no international long distance train services. The only two Portuguese international trains are regional services for Vigo and Badajoz with many stops in small stations.
Also, Portugal has the biggest European city without railway (Viseu).
The Porto - Vigo Train (Celta) is technically intercity Train but with Renfe/CP Regional/Interregio Cars
In Portugal, planned train works, means nothing... Zero! So Viseu can have trains... never more.... public works, are NEVER, NEVER, NEVER made on planning. Exemples?:
- new Lisbon airport (planned for about 60 years... every 5 years our politicians (I'm Portuguese, so I know them very well...), in electoral cycles (of course ...), always promises the airport for next 3 years... till now...
- TGV already with 6 schedules 6 team boards. (with dozens of presidents, vice presidents, technicians, assistants, with astronomic salaries)... millions of euros lost in projects....
Estonia and Latvia now also don't have any.
CP people who refuse to work be on strike all the time and Gov. that refuses competition from Spain!!
É uma vergonha😮
I did the trip today. A few updates,there’s 2 trains a day, and you can buy your ticket online. The station build has been completed and there’s a restaurant within it now. The train has not changed and I found the ride to be great fun. Well worth doing
Dylan the voiceover videos are preferred, it brings the viewer into the experience, kept it up.
I agree, it also helps us “watch” the scenery as the trains roll on, not having to pay attention to the captions to read what we are not seeing.
no
Dylan your voiceover video's are really good. As well as a wealth of train and route information, they allow you to make little jokes like "Dora the explorer Spanish"!! Briliant!
You're a true traveller. Show your British colleagues that Spain has more than just those Mediterranean beaches!
Great video as always, are the voice over is so pro! RENFE seems to manage to go backwards at every chance they get. A daytime service is not very practical because of line speeds, but the night train was a good option (although badly neglected in later years)
Just one thing, cafeterías on Renfe trains opened again at the beginning of July.
Keep the awesome work up!
Well done !!
Absolutely impressed .
I am 65 and will do the train journey from Madrid to Lisbon and follow your route .
Good wishes from London 🇬🇧
I hope to do the full train trip by train from Algarve to Poole Dorset any tips?
As a 76 year old nearly deaf viewer from another country, I love the new voiceovers. I can turn on the closed captioning and that way don’t miss any of what you’re saying. I, too, enjoy the added inflections, humor and extra facts that this format allows you to give. Keep up the great work.
I like these full-on reports, even covering hotel rooms (which looked great for the price!) and some nice views of some of the destinations along the way. Voiceovers are excellent, much more immersive this way.
It's about 620 km from Madrid to either Barcelona or Lisbon, but you can reach the former in 2.5 hours on AVE. They really need to prioritize the high-speed link between the two Iberian capitals.
Lovely video! In fact I am doing this same travel next saturday, leaving Madrid around 9:00, getting to Badajoz around 13:30 and waiting 3 hours to take the Regio train to Entroncamento and then changing for the Lisboa one... I will be in Lisbon around 20:30!
My best friend is 80% sight impaired. I told him to checkout your videos not thinking he couldn't easily read the cations. Your average video took him an hour or more as he had to stop it every time a captions came on, enlarge it to read it. So I told him just a few days ago I would send you a request to add voice over to your posts. Wow! It worked without even having to send you a request! Brilliant. Now you need to accept Mexican credit cards so I can donate.
I like it Dylan, way more informative than the text version, hopefully you will be doing more like this 👍😁
I love the voiceover! Now I feel like I don't have to miss a bit of the scenery while reading, or worry that I missed something because I didn't notice the text had changed while trying to take in the beautiful scenery or even details of the trains! You have a really nice voice BTW, I think it adds a lot to your videos.
Hi K Brown. I’m surprised you don’t have more thumbs up. Well, you have mine👍🏾.
Thanks 😁
@@DylansTravelReports You’re welcome.
Well done Dylan, yet another great vid with voice overlay. Take care and stay safe.
Love the voice overs! Adds so much and so much more relaxing!!
Excellent video as always Dylan, really enjoying your voiceovers!
Since I found your channel, my Friday lunchtime habit is to go along for the ride, so to speak, while eating my lunch. I have enjoyed all your videos, but I do find the narrated versions to be more interesting than the sub-titled versions.
I really appreciate your new format, with voiceover narration (which allows more interesting explanations) , judicious use of subtitles, and some coverage of the areas in the cities you visit. I did have to look up the definition of "faff."
Gkad you enjoyed and pleased to have been able to introduce you ti the word "faff" 😅
I love your voice in videos. I think that this is the key for success. Your mood is successful enough to thank your subscribers.
Spain has perhaps the world's cleanest, ornamentally aesthetic, modern and beautiful train stations and terminals all of the kingdom's cities.
I do like your voice overs now. It brings your journeys to life and your knowlege is great. Keep them coming
It's so nice to be able to go to Portugal. See the scenery, hills, forests, rivers during the trip
I'll add to the list of voiceover supporters. You used a good balance of commentary and information without being obnoxious and annoying like so many other publishers. The voiceover style is better for me because now I can watch and enjoy the video vs. having to focus of the text. Very professionally done Dylan.
I’m really loving the new voice over vlogs as it allows me to fully concentrate on scenes .
Very good. I like especially the comments on important buildings and landmarks. Also nice to hear your voice again - it gives the video a personality! Mad that there isn't a regular fast rail link between Madrid and Lisboa.
It's a long trip, but with a lot of history. Sure worth the time.
Thanks for your added info on the sites and scenery
The voice over really makes this thing very immersive
Way to go Dylan , it’s great for this old bugger in Canada to see what your filming and listen to you and not have to worry about reading what’s going on . Thanks 🇨🇦
Glad you enjoyed 😁
I came by surprise and I love this TH-cam channel.
You're at the level that Nonstop Eurotrip or Simply Railway are.
Just subscribed!
Video's score: 7.1
Thanks!
I’m still stuck on the fact that the schedule boards, on your first trip, are not in english, but as soon as the train pulled out, the speaker spoke english. Yes, thank goodness for “Dora the Explorer”.
Fantastic review, with the narration, we can enjoy the video so much more, congratulations on this new way to show your material. Badajóz has a wonderful archeological interest in that Castle. Both journies are marvelous, the Museum in Entroncamento looks like having a lot of historical engines and couches, cool...!
like the new format and commentary! I have seen enough toilets in my time and wandering is taking time away from looking at the sights you travel through. Good job!
Thank you for a most enjoyable video and for guiding us along your journey. I doubt that I will ever need to travel between Madrid and Lisbon, but it is good to see what there is along this route.
I recommend going to the tram museum in Lisbon. It's located inside an active tram depot. You even get a ride on an antique tram as part of your museum visit!
Nice! Will bear that in mind next time.
Thats a cool one
It should be noted they are building a high speed rail link between Madrid and Lisbon. That is what all the construction at Badajoz was for. When completed, it should cut the 28 hour journey down to about three.
Actually that is incorrect. Portugal is not building any high speed rail for several reasons. The main reason because Lisbon does not want a connection with Madri via the south of the Tagus river while Madrid wants to force one going through Badajoz in order to justify in Brussels that Madrid_badajoz is an international line and thus get more EU funds. The line being build is a normal line but electrified. It is meant to connect Sines Port with Spain rather than to be used by passangers.
Actually the Corredor Internacional Sul between Évora and Elvas has been stated by the government to be the beginning of the high speed railway line between Lisbon and Madrid, because it will allow trains to travel at 250 km/h, which is high speed, and will reduce the travel times as the trains no longer need to go to Entroncamento
Besides that, Portugal is not looking forward to building an high speed railway line between the two capitals. Instead, in 2022, it will start the building of the new Porto - Lisbon high speed line, and in the future the new Porto - Valença line, going through the Francisco Sá Carneiro International Airport
@@AntonioSilva-ww4eu RENFE could use the S-130 (or S-730) ALVIA trains. All they would need to do is build a gauge change building between Badajoz and Elvas. It could easily run on existing track in Portugal until they get around to building new high speed line.
I learned a new expression: Faff. Well-spoken and filled with useful information.
Thanks for this interesting account of a tortuous rail journey between Madrid and Lisbon. It was great to hear your chirpy voice once again since the marathon Edinburgh to London and return video. The balance between rail and scenic exploration is great. It's good to see you are free to travel again in your summer while poor old me is still locked down, Had a scare yesterday when my local supermarket got listed as a hot spot but fortunately I wasn't there at the times recorded - Pheww! I live in hope of being set free from my 5km limit within the next week or two so I can travel during our spring. Look forward to next week's offering.
Thanks Michael! Hope you're out of your lockdown soon!
It is worth keeping an eye on the Man at Seat 61 website. You can currently do this in a day. Madrid 08:04 Badajoz 16:24 depart 18:25 Entroncamento depart 19:42 Lisbon arrival 20:40. Very frustrating no direct train though - Great video - lovely countryside - keep up the good work
Very professional voice over. Well done! 👌
Thanks 🙂
Much much better with the voice overs. For me..trains every time.
Cheers, Bob
I'm really enjoying the voiced over videos. You do an excellent job on them.
Thanks 😁
I have actually done this trip in the opposite direction and even stayed at the same Hotel in Badajoz just 2 weeks ago. It's an enjoyable trip, if you like travelling by train. For sure it's not competitive by any means. Now the cafeteria in the talgo train is working again and in the Badajoz station there is an cafeteria too. Nice video!
Such a great video and perfect voiceover, thank you! I am portuguese, living in the UK. Cannot believe that at this day on age there are no direct trains from Lisbon to Madrid. As you rightly said, its so much easier to just take a plane. But sometimes it is nice to take the train also as there is no hassle at the airport. Oh well, we just have to keep waiting for evolution....
Enjoyed the video Dylan. Also enjoyed your voiceover commentary. You should do more of them. Cheers!
Hello, good video. I like very much this new format with voiceover instead of written comments. Cheers.
I've always enjoyed watching your trip reports Dylan, even more so since you've started doing voiceover instead of captions. Keep up the great work! 😊
Hi Dylan. We've only recently discovered your channel and absolutely love it. We're working our way through them all slowly. Love the voiceover too. Look forward to the next one ☺️ thanks.
Thanks 😁
Loved the vid and the format. Would have liked to see more of Badajoz, though, so it's definitely a trip I'd do.
Great video as always Dylan, thanks. As you say, a right faff. You'd have thought by now that Portugal and Spain would have got their act together and established better rail connections between two major EU capitals. We've travelled between Lisbon and Porto by rail. Enjoyable enough but, as we took the standard service rather than the pendolino train, it took over 3 hours and got a bit boring towards the end. We've also done the rail trip up the Douro river from Porto to Pinhao. That is definitely worth doing. Really enjoy the voiceover by the way.
There is a dispute between the line trajectory between Spain and Portugal. Also Portugal has little connection with Madrid other than diplomatic as most of the people live near Galicia or on the northern half of the coast line. Most of the trade between Portugal and Spain is made with the spanich regions of Galicia, the Basque Country and Catalunya (Andalusia is important too, but irrelevant to this case). All those regions are locate above Madrid. Basically Portugal wants the line to go through Salamanca while Spain wants it to go through Badajoz in order to get more EU funding to the Madrid-Badajoz high speed line, by making it an "international" project. Portugal also wants a direct line to France, while Spain want to make all trains go through Madrid first.
@@l23722 and until they finished their political discussions there are only a few slow regional or Intercitiy trains (with Regional roling stock) between those two countries🤦
@@l23722 Honestly we should have both. Lisbon - Badajoz - Madrid and Porto - Salamanca - Madrid. The portuguese railway is shit though, I don't really see that ever happening
Lusitania Express overnight from Madrid to Lisbon in 1978 when I was a student. Cheaper than flying in those days, too, even in a couchette. Despite the snoring of my fellow voyagers, it was a great way to travel. I lament the passing of those great European trains.
What a journey! Three trains from Madrid to Lisbon? Madrid to Copenhagen, perhaps, but it seems more like they're discouraging train travel. That said, it seemed a smooth trip and the hotel room , though basic, was just right for a quick overnight between trains. I agree with your assessment: an interesting trip for a train aficionado like yourself, but I'd take the plane. Nice narration!
Yes they are discouraging it...even a 50km trip from lisbon to torres vedras (west line) takes 2h15. Only one train to go and another to return in a day. Terrible offer.
Indeed. If I wanted the scenic route, or the cheapest possible travel, I'd take the bus. 9 hours on a bus doesn't seem too fun, but you get the scenery you don't get whilst flying, and it was only €15 at time of recording. For any other reason, I'd take the plane - by far the quickest, and not much more than the bus at time of recording; certainly cheaper than three trains (two of which top out at 120km/h or less) and an overnight stay in a hotel.
Thank you...I really enjoyed this video and it reminded me I do want to explore Portugal. In Europe my preference is the train for travel as I love to watch the country go by outside my window and I'm too tall and broad shouldered to comfortably sit on a bus for half a day. After watching this, I think I would spend the night in each city where I am transferring trains. Smaller communities in Europe are well worth exploring.
Nice Video Dylan. I enjoyed it. I've done the return journey from Lisbon to Madrid on the overnight train. That was back in the 1980s. If I had to do the trip again I would not hesitate to follow your route. Seemed like good fun and a good way to see the places in between the cities.
❤ the voiceover style, it helps us concentrate on the scenery or trains, etc., you are showing us. Would also love to see more of the cities that you visit, if time permits. I'm a huge fan from the USA, and hope you will come do our Amtrak trains one day.
Another great video Dylan, well done 👍 Great narration too. Looking forward to the next one!
The Talgo sleeper sets used to work from Barcelona to Geneva and on up to Zurich. I often saw them stabled there. Last time I spotted them, they'd been passed to DB and were hiding in plain sight east of Berlin Ostbahnhof.
Given the two options, I would probably take a plane when on a business trip; I would definitely take a train when on holidays. Nice video as always. :)
I'd take the bus if I wanted to travel the scenic way, talking in a lot of the countryside views etc. Or if I wanted to get from A to B in the cheapest way possible.
For all other reasoning, including general day to day travel, it would have to be the plane for me.
I wouldn't bother with a >24 hour train trip (including an overnight stay at Badajoz).
Thanks for the heads up about travel between Madrid and Lisbon and vice versa. I'll take a ✈. Nice to finally hear your voice, Dylan.
It takes a lot of time, but still a beautiful travel between the two capitals. And hope you enjoyed your stay in Portugal. And that word... faff... hilarious!!! ;)
So great 👍 to hear your voice narrate Dylan! It adds a lot to the trip report. I would take the train. I love passenger rail. I have taken almost all routes here in the U.S. Like anywhere else some are better than others.
What a lovely train station in Madrid. Beautiful...!!! Thanks for sharing 😊
Thank you for another enjoyable and informative video. The time and effort you put into these is greatly appreciated.
Thanks 😁
Beside that little observation I am grateful for your endeavors....many thanks....
Thank for the video, which I appreciated a lot. I made the journey from Lisbon to Madrid and Madrid to Lisbon, using the night Lusitania train, which is not avaliable from March 2020. Even, this train trip took around 10 hours and it was only an option if you like the experience of spending a night at board. Cheers.
I like the voice-over. With the bus or the airplane you cannot visit the Railway Museum. Two and a half hours in a 70 year old but refurbished train sucks. If it had to be an old train I would prefer a museum train.
For me, the best part of this journey was the concourse at Madrid Station. This journey and your conclusion sounds much like train vs bus vs air here in the USA.
Yeah, from what I've heard, passenger rail services in the USA aren't the best option - I'm sure that Dylan covered a USA route that took over 2 days to complete.
That's probably why so many people in the USA drive, or take the plane.
@@TheSpotify95 Amtrak has a monopoly on long distance train travel. The rails need updating, electrification should be extended. High speed trains? What is called high speed here is probably closest to something halfway between standard and high speed in Europe or Japan. In the 1920s and 30s, the New York Central RR, and the Pennsylvania RR competed for the fastest service between NYC and Chicago. Either would do the job in less than 20 hours. And that was behind a steam locomotive. Today, it's closer to 24 hours. The distance is about 1,000 miles.
Another great video Dylan. Think I would go by bus as you get to still see the scenery but not so much hassle. 👍
I'm liking the verbal commentary. Frankly, it was difficult reading and looking at the scenery at the same time.
It's probably a lot easier to catch that train from Chamartin station, because that's likely where it originates. The through platforms at Atocha are used mainly for suburban services. Also, I would recommend taking the bus from Badajoz to Lisbon because it uses a very fast new road and only takes 2 hours.
This was one of the few Iberian Gauge trains that started at Atocha.
If you wanted scenery etc, and didn't want to fly, then maybe the train to Badajoz and then the bus to Lisbon is the way to go.
Otherwise, bus all the way @ 9 hours or plane all the way @ 1.5 hours.
Oh maan it's so relaxing enjoying the pics and listening to your narrated details instead of getting giddy reading and looking up all the time ;) brilliant video Mister! Greetings from Deutschland. By the way, would you dare making a train trip and video anywhere in Europe including GB that is really bad and nasty and then ranting about it, if it ever still exists.
Well presented Dylan! A well-paced and clear commentary on a really interesting journey. I think you are right to moan about the poor connections between the two countries, but I'm pleased you showed us how it can be done.
Great viewing Dylan . Your videos have persuaded us to ditch the car and travel by train wherever possible . Trip coming up to next month to Glasgow . Northern rail and Avanti
Thanks! Glad to have been able to inspire you to take the train 😁
Oh boy! Finally! Someone does a review on the Allan 0350 model! Made my day!
Hello Dylan
Nice video, this journey was amazing
Just a quick tip, in the last train you took (Série 2240) if you sit on the top or tail coach you will not hear the motor of the train as much as you hear in the middle one😉
Keep doing that great work 👍
I am looking at a trip from Mexilhoeira Grande Algarve to Poole Dorset so this has been useful, I may try Vigo to Madrid.
I took the Trenhotel Lusitania back in 2013 from Lisboa to Madrid, private compartment, excellent service, breakfast a la carte. It was Renfe's Talgo rolling stock, but really well mantained, on this way the crew was portuguese, on the other way was spanish. It was 184,60 € for 2 people, double bunk. One of the best train rides I had in life even if it was 11 hours.
It's shameful what Renfe and the Spanish Government did to the sleeper services, and the Portuguese Government isn't showing interest of returning the Trenhotel.
The Portuguese gov wants the trenhotel back, but they can't do it without Renfe's cooperation
The portuguese government is investing in trains now, just look at the "linha do minho" eletrification and the "new" arco coaches for the linha do minho, remember that Valença do Minho has connection with Spanish trains to Vigo
The Portuguese government is, understandingly, showing the middle finger to Madrid. The joke will be on them when we build a high-speed link from Lisbon to Valença do Minho, hence enabling a direct connection between our major coastal cities and those in Galicia. They do have a point regarding flight connections, as they start making sense for distances like the one between Lisbon and Madrid, and our North Line is such a patchwork that a new line is all but essential and a priority.
Interestingly, we are indeed building a “sleeper” high-speed connection to Madrid, in the form of a standard-gauge freight line from the Sines port to Elvas and the Spanish border at Badajoz. It’s a bit of a trojan horse, really, and I’m sure it will be used as a pretext to sneak a third bridge over the Tagus in a national budget very soon.
@@Mainyehc I hope it will be used as a pretext to build the third bridge, we need that bridge
The people of Extremadura want a high speed train to go to Madrid, not a slow night train for tourists. High speed will arrive to Badajoz in 2025, no plans to extend that to Lisbon by the PT gov.
I like the voice over style, very informative and much more enjoyable.
Thanks!
Awesome video man! I’m Portuguese and I did not know about this train alternative of going from Lisbon to Madrid after the night train was cancelled with the “excuse” of the pandemic. It unfortunately takes a lot of time and it is costly - as you mentioned. Just checked and there are flights from around 25-30 Euros on low-cost airlines… great video once again!
Thanks!
Dylan, you're my favourite TH-camr. I love the narration, though the previous style had charm, too.
I would certainly be taking the train, you see more, and in greater comfort. I would never take a short-haul flight, the environmental damage is too great.
Thank you for what you do
Thank you for a very interesting review ! If I was in a hurry - unlikely, for when in Spain, I am on holiday (!), I guess the plane would be the better alternative. However, as a rail lover, I would have to follow you, and take the train ! Many thanks.
So much better when you narrate your video’s!!!!! Keep it up mate
Did the overnight Lisbon to Madrid years ago. The train seemed to stop at every single pueblo and aldeia on the way. Took years.
Another great video. I really enjoyed this one with the voiceover, also I enjoyed seeing the stop over town and the hotel price was right.
Another Wonderful Video Dylan!!! Thank You and keep up the Great Work!!!
thanks for your thorough information about the train trip - as an overseas traveller, i would probably take the train, to see as much of the countryside as possible. i'm used to vlogs, and appreciate yours
Wonderful video! Your voice over is so n=much better that the captions!! Please keep it up as it makes your videos much more enjoyable. Thanks
I can't understand how closing off a portion of a train station is helping to stem the tide of covid; the tropical garden looked really cool and inviting.
Would it have been possible to sneak in there, with a folding chair in one hand and a mai tai in the other?
Very interesting train videos with great discussion about the history, landscape and prices
Im living in Lisbon. My best friend on the Iberian peninsular lives in Madrid. I grew up in Germany and lived there until a few months ago. I was surprised of how bad the train system is, and how tourist unfriendly(at least in Portugal). The trains and conductors are good, they don't deserve the blame.
It's so stupid that flying is the better route.
Agradece ao PSD
@@mitoCoroadoJr , ainda bem, porque se fosse pelo PS do Sócrates tínhamos gasto uma fortuna numa linha inútil, que daria prejuízo e de onde teriam sido roubados milhões. Felizmente o PS do Costa parece ser mais inteligente e já pôs para segundo plano uma linha Lisboa-Madrid, que é inútil tendo em conta que os nossos principais parceiros espanhóis são Catalunha, Galiza, País Basco e Andaluzia, nenhum dos quais precisa de passar por Madrid para se comunicar connosco.
@@mitoCoroadoJr o que tem o PS haver com isto ???
I liked the narration. That way we can watch the train and scenery more. Living across the pond, I had to look up the word faff. Perfect description. I'd probably just rent a car and drive so I could spend time exploring the terrific castles and acqaduct. Another really good video.
I'm glad to have been able to introduce you to "faff" as it's an amazing word! Thanks for your input Lynne 😁
Thank you. Planning to do it the other way round , next year.
Very interesting video with beautiful countryside & very scenic as well.
Lovely to see Entroncamento getting a mention - I hope to be moving there soon.