Today we'll be learning a new thing: buying train tickets in Portuguese.
I know. It is quite embarrassing when we travel to a country and we don't know how to handle it when buying train tickets, isn't it?
I can tell you that it is quite easy and once you practice the pattern and repeat it a few times on your own, you won't have any problems in buying train tickets in Portugal, Brazil or any other Lusophone country any more.
What I mean is that, in order for you to learn this you basically need to know 3 things when buying train tickets:
1. You have to know what you want to ask for.
2. You have to know how to predict what the ticket officer is likely to ask you.
3. You have to know how to downplay what is not relevant for you when you are buying train tickets.
Ok. Let me explain:
When you are buying train tickets you obviously need to know where you want to go (the city or the station name).
You also need to know what time you want to travel, so words like "cedo" (early) / "mais cedo" (earlier) and "tarde" (late) / mais tarde (later) have to be fresh in your memory in order for you to be ready to use them.
You also need to know what kind of service you want to travel with:
a) Fast trains - Serviço Rápido also called Alfa - which normally stops at main cities only.
b) Intercity service - Serviço Intercidades - which stops at every city along its itinerary.
c) Regional or inter-regional service - Serviço Regional or Serviço Interregional - which stops at every 1 or 2 main stations of each city.
In the first 2 services you can buy either - Bilhete de Primeira Classe or Bilhete de Segunda Classe (1st- or 2nd-class tickets).
You can also choose Janela (window) or corredor (aisle).
I have recorded three situations to show you Maria buying train tickets in Portuguese. First a return ticket, then a single ticket, and lastly asking to pay with a credit card.
Listen to them first without reading. Then listen to the dialogues following the text. Finally, read the English translation if you need to.
Try to convince yourself that buying train tickets is easy! As they say, fake it until you make it!
So, are you ready? Here you go! Click the green arrow.
(buying train tickets - RETURN)
Portuguese
English
- A seguir. Bom dia!
- Next please. Good morning!
- Bom dia. Queria um bilhete para Lisboa para amanhã de manhã.
- Good morning. I'd like a ticket for Lisbon for tomorrow morning.
- Para amanhã de manhã? No Alfa, no Inter-Cidades, no Inter-regional...?
- Tomorrow morning? On Alfa, Inter-cities, Interregional...?
- Ehh, eu queria Inter-Cidades. É mais barato, não é?
- Amm, I'd like Inter-cities. It's cheaper, isn't it?
- É mais barato que o Alfa, sim!
- It's cheaper than Alfa, yes!
- OK. Eu queria ida e volta.
- OK. I'd like a return ticket, please.
- Ida e volta... Muito bem! De manhã ou à tarde?
- Return... in the morning or afternoon?
- De manhã, se tivesse.
- In the morning if you had (if possible).
- Ehh... tem sim. Ora... tenho um comboio às dez e cinquenta e dois (10:52am).
- Amm... Yes. Amm... there is a train at 10.52am.
- OK. E queria para voltar no dia seguinte. Qual é o... o horário?
- OK. And I'd like to return the following day. What is the timetable for that one?
- De manhã, ou de tarde?
- In the morning or afternoon?
- À tarde.
- Afternoon, please.
- Ehh... Ora à tarde tem um às dezoito e vinte e oito (18:28).
- Amm... There's one at 18:28.
- Mas eu queria directo.
- But I'd like a direct train, please.
- Pois o das 18.28 a senhora tem que mudar em Coimbra B.
- Yeah,the 18:28 train you have to change at Coimbra B.
- Não. Eu quero directo. Qual é o horário do directo?
- No. I want a direct one. What is the timetable for this one?
- O directo é um pouquinho mais cedo. É às cinco horas (5:00).
- The direct one is a little bit earlier . It's at 5:00pm.
- Pode ser, então.
- That would do, then!
- Muito bem. Então, amanhã para Lisboa às dezoi... às dez e cinquenta e dois, e voltar no dia seguinte às dezassete horas (17:00).
- Very well. So, tomorrow for Lisbon at 10:52, and return the following day at 17:00.
- E qual é o preço?
- How much is it?
- Ora, o preço são quarenta e dois Euros (€42.00).
- Amm, the price is €42.00
- Ehh, primeira ou segunda classe?
- Is it first or second class?
- Não! Estou... Estamos a falar de segunda classe. A senhora prefere de primeira classe?
- No. We are talking about 2nd class. Do you madam prefer 1st class?
- Não. Eu quero segunda classe.
- No. I want 2nd class.
- Muito bem. Ehhm... Janela ou corredor?
- Very well. Amm... window or aisle?
- Eu queria janela.
- I'd like window, please.
- Janela? Sim senhor! Aqui tem o seu bilhete!
- Window, right? Here you have your ticket!
- OK. Obrigada.
- OK. thank you.
- Aqui tem o seu troco!
- Here you have your change.
- Obrigada
- Thanks.
- Obrigado e bom dia!
- Thank you and have a nice day!
Hey! Have you noticed that the words "para", "Então" and "Obrigada" are highlighted? That's because these words often run together with the next word or are swollen when the native speakers speak?
3. Pagar com Cartão (Buying train tickets and paying with a bank card):
In the following situation you will here Maria buying train tickets, once again, but this time she wants to pay with a credit card.
Continue buying train tickets with Maria by pressing the green arrow.
Portuguese
English
- A seguir... Bom dia!
- Next please. Good morning!
- Bom dia. Queria um bilhete para Aveiro.
- Good morning. I'd like a ticket to Aveiro (please)
- Para quando?
- When would you like it for?
- Queria para hoje de manhã, e voltar hoje à tarde.
- I'd like to travel this morning and return this afternoon.
- Hoje de manhã, temos um às dez e cinquenta e dois (10:52am), temos outro às onze e catorze (11:14am).
- This morning there is (we have) one at ten fifty two, there's another at eleven fourteen.
- Ehh, mas eu queria o Inter Regional.
- Amm, but I'd like the inter-regional service (please).
- Sim. É o Inter Regional.
- Yes. It's the inter-regional service.
- E então, tem de manhã a que horas? Desculpe...
- And... In the morning you have one at what time? Sorry...
- Dez e cinquenta e dois (10:52am).
- 10.52am.
- E... para voltar?
- And... returning (when)?
- Para voltar, tem um às dezanove e dezanove .
- Return, you have one at 19.19.
- E qual é o preço?
- And, what's the price, (please)?
- Ehhh... Ida e volta?
- Amm... Return?
- Sim, ida e volta.
- Yes. Return, please.
- São dezanove Euros (€19.00). Estamos a falar de segunda classe.
- It's nineteen Euro. This is (we are talking about) second class.
- Sim. Eu não estou interessada na primeira classe. Ehh... posso pagar com o cartão?
- Yeah. I'm not interested in first class. Can I pay with a card?
- Pode sim!
- Yes, you can!
- OK. Obrigada. Então queria o bilhete.
- OK, Thanks. I'd like to have it, then!
- Ora o bilhete para amanhã às dez e cinquenta e dois (10:52am), e voltar às dezanove e dezanove (19:19).... Muito bem, por favor, marque o seu código.
- So, a ticket for tomorrow at ten fifty two, and return at nineteen nineteen... Done! Please digit your code.
- Já está!
Done!
- Muito obrigado... Aqui tem o seu bilhete.
- Thank you very much... here you have your ticket.
- Obrigada.
- Thank you.
- Obrigado e bom dia!
- Thank you and have a nice day!
Woohoo! I know, tonight you'll be dreaming of buying train tickets in Portuguese! :-)
Hey, but remember, if you do that's a good sign!
Before I finish, have you taken your notes? Do you know what to say to the ticket officer when you are buying train tickets?
Good!
And I think we should call it a day for today. I hope you have enjoyed this lesson on buying train tickets in Portuguese as much as I enjoyed writing it. ;-)
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