Douro Historic Train 2026: Diesel, Dates & Route

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The Comboio Histórico do Douro is CP's summer tourist train on the Linha do Douro. It runs between Peso da Régua and Tua, through Pinhão, on the section where the track sits a few metres above the river.

Here is the 2026 season as CP has published it, why there is no steam this year, and how the trip fits with a day from Porto.

The quick answer

The 2026 season runs from 6 June to 18 October, 51 trips on Saturdays, Sundays and some Wednesdays. The train leaves Régua at 15:00, stops at Pinhão, turns at Tua at 17:07 and is back in Régua at 18:22. A diesel 1400-series locomotive pulls five early 20th-century carriages. Tickets are sold by CP, at stations and on its website.

When does the Douro historic train run in 2026?

From 6 June to 18 October 2026: 51 trips on Saturdays, Sundays and some Wednesdays.

CP's 2026 historic train page gives the season, the trip count and the timetable below. It does not list which Wednesdays run, so check the booking calendar on that page before planning a midweek trip.

Item	2026 season (CP)
Season	6 June to 18 October 2026
Trips	51
Days	Saturdays, Sundays and some Wednesdays
Leaves Régua	15:00
Leaves Tua (return)	17:07
Back in Régua	18:22
Stops	Pinhão and Tua
Child tickets	Ages 4 to 12

Is the Douro historic train a steam train in 2026?

No. CP runs it with a diesel locomotive of the 1400 series, in its original livery.

The steam engine was already off the train in 2025. CP's 2025 page explained that steam locomotive CP 0186 was replaced by a 1960s locomotive of the 1401 to 1467 series because of load restrictions on bridges, and said CP was working to return steam to service. For 2026 the page names a diesel 1400-series locomotive outright.

Does it matter? For rail fans, yes. For most passengers the experience is the carriages, the river and the music. Just do not book it for photographs of smoke, and treat any 2026 advert that promises steam with suspicion.

A riverside village with white houses and an iron bridge over the Douro — Riverside villages and iron bridges line the Régua to Tua section.

What is the route, and what happens on board?

Régua to Tua and back, 36 km each way at up to 50 km/h, with live music and a welcome glass of Port.

The train leaves Peso da Régua and follows the north bank upstream to Pinhão, then on to Tua, where the Tua river joins the Douro. The CP Douro tripbook calls Pinhão the most beautiful station on the line: 24 tile panels of 3,047 azulejos from 1937 show the wine year from harvest to rabelo boats.

Five carriages, wooden and built between 1908 and 1934, seat 254. CP says passengers can meet local producers and taste regional products at the stops, and visit the Vale do Tua Interpretive Centre at Tua. Going upstream, sit on the right for the river.

Stop	What to look for
Peso da Régua	Start; Museu do Douro is a short walk away
Pinhão	Tiled station, quintas on both banks
Tua	Turnaround; Vale do Tua Interpretive Centre

Can you do the historic train as a day trip from Porto?

Yes, by regular train. Take a morning CP train to Régua, spend the middle of the day there and ride at 15:00. The return to Porto is the part to plan.

Regular Linha do Douro trains run from São Bento and Campanhã to Régua in about two hours. CP's Porto to Régua timetable lists departures from early morning to late evening. Check that a train back to Porto leaves Régua after the 18:22 arrival on your date before you buy.

Our advice: do not squeeze it. A night in Régua or Pinhão turns a rushed day into an easy one, and the next morning you are already in the valley. The Porto to Douro train guide covers the regular line and which side to sit.

Is the panoramic train on a Porto day tour the historic train?

No. The boat, train and lunch tour includes a 30-minute ride on the Douro line, not the historic train.

The boat, train and lunch day packs a Pinhão boat cruise, lunch at Tua, a 30-minute train ride and one winery visit into 7 hours from Porto. It is a good way to get a taste of the line without arranging tickets. One guest wrote: "This is a must do while in Porto."

Keep expectations straight. The train segment is short and uses the regular line. If the wooden carriages are the point of your trip, book the historic train with CP.

One day with a boat, a short train ride and a winery, for travellers who want a bit of everything.

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Boat at Pinhão, lunch at Tua and a 30-minute ride on the Douro line, from Porto in 7 hours.

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What else is there to do around the train in Pinhão?

Plenty for an hour or two: a quinta visit, a short boat trip, the station tiles.

If you get off in Pinhão on another day, most of the valley's classic experiences are a short walk away. The Quinta do Bomfim visit runs 1.5 hours with a tasting on the terrace, and the listing caps groups at 10. The solar boat leaves from the riverfront for an hour upriver to Romaneira, near-silent, with two Adega de Favaios wines.

Both are walkable from the station. Together they make a full afternoon without a car or a coach.

A rabelo boat moored at Pinhão with terraced hills behind — Pinhão's riverfront, a short walk from the station.

When is the best time to ride the historic train?

June or late September to October. July and August are hot in the valley, so book weekends early.

Régua averages about 32 °C by day in July and August (IPMA), and the train runs in the afternoon. The carriages are a century old, so plan for the heat with water and a hat.

Late September and October add the harvest and, toward the end of the season, colour in the vines. The last run of 2026 is on 18 October.