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Booking Sud Express Brussels- Lisbon in August

  • 18 June 2021
  • 5 replies
  • 2238 views

Hello! 

I would like to use my global pass in the beginning of August to travel from Brussels -> Paris -> Hendaye -> Lisbon by Sud Express (night train) with two friends. I did the same route two years ago and back then I booked my extra reservations in June. Now I am having trouble with booking that night train as there is no information available about schedules and prices...

Anybody who has the same issues? 

Thanks in advance!

 
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Best answer by Mattheas 18 June 2021, 14:03

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5 replies

Userlevel 5
Badge +1

CP, RENFE and their governments are currently negotiating about the future train connections, see e.g.

https://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?030,9737462,9748592#msg-9748592

The Sud Express is/was a 100% CP train using RENFE rolling stock. AFAIK, that rolling stock is still available but RENFE's refusal to reinstate the Madrid-Lisbon night train (50/50 CP/RENFE) makes it very expensive to run the Sud Express.

Let's hope these connections will be reinstated someday. I don't have high hopes though, because Renfe seems to be really focused on expanding their high-speed rail network.

Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Anke Somers  as @Mattheas said due new Strategy of RENFE (Spanish Rail) to stop all their Nighttrain Operations. The SudExpress is no longer in service as CP used a RENFE Trainset for this Route :/ . CP (Portugese Rail) look for other options but it´s quite difficult to find new RollingStock for this Route.

CP, RENFE and their governments are currently negotiating about the future train connections, see e.g.

https://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?030,9737462,9748592#msg-9748592

The Sud Express is/was a 100% CP train using RENFE rolling stock. AFAIK, that rolling stock is still available but RENFE's refusal to reinstate the Madrid-Lisbon night train (50/50 CP/RENFE) makes it very expensive to run the Sud Express.



I know :) Active in the same forum above :)

Userlevel 7
Badge +9

@Anke Somers  as @Mattheas said due new Strategy of RENFE (Spanish Rail) to stop all their Nighttrain Operations. The SudExpress is no longer in service as CP used a RENFE Trainset for this Route :/ . CP (Portugese Rail) look for other options but it´s quite difficult to find new RollingStock for this Route.

CP, RENFE and their governments are currently negotiating about the future train connections, see e.g.

https://www.drehscheibe-online.de/foren/read.php?030,9737462,9748592#msg-9748592

The Sud Express is/was a 100% CP train using RENFE rolling stock. AFAIK, that rolling stock is still available but RENFE's refusal to reinstate the Madrid-Lisbon night train (50/50 CP/RENFE) makes it very expensive to run the Sud Express.

Userlevel 7
Badge +14

@Anke Somers  as @Mattheas said due new Strategy of RENFE (Spanish Rail) to stop all their Nighttrain Operations. The SudExpress is no longer in service as CP used a RENFE Trainset for this Route :/ . CP (Portugese Rail) look for other options but it´s quite difficult to find new RollingStock for this Route.

Userlevel 5
Badge +1

I will disappoint you then: the night train to Lisbon has been cancelled by the Spanish railways … 

The alternative would be Paris - Madrid (takes about 10 hours, but consider the night train Paris - Cerbère, then regional train to Barcelona or Girona, the AVE to Madrid and you arrive in Madrid around 2 pm), then next day Madrid - Badajoz - Entroncamento - Lisbon (takes 11 hours).

If you have more time, you can also take the route via Vigo and stay there overnight. It takes about an extra day of travel (because of an extra overnight stay in San Sebastián or Barcelona), but lets you see some scenic routes and explore the upcoming destination of Vigo. Let me know if you need to know more about Portugal.

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