>"Lisbon-Hendaye with an overnight sleeper .."
Is this the coastal route once it crosses into Spain? I've heard the coastal route is my slower which is fine by me as I would imagine its quite scenic. If not could you recommend which one that would be?
>"The specific country level passes, as well as buying discounted tickets, will nearly always be cheaper."
Whats the discount are you referring to here? Is this just the booking far in advance discounted rate or something else?
There's only one sleeper train between Hendaye and Lisbon, and it's this one [0]. It stays pretty close to the coast for the short distance from Hendaye to San Sebastián, and then turns inland. Due to the mountain Jaizkibel (which is beautiful up closer, but less impressive from a distance), you won't be seeing the Atlantic for long at all, unfortunately. You do get a view of the Tagus (river, and then it turns into a bay) for a little while as you come into Lisbon.
If you're looking for spectacular views, I'd probably recommend another sleeper train, to be honest.
Booking a good bit in advance is usually one good strategy for a lot of European trains if you want to save money. But there are plenty of other options. Slower trains, off peak times, budget brands like Ouigo etc. can make train travel very cheap. If you want the flexibility afforded by a Eurail pass, there are country-specific options that not only give more flexibility than Eurail, but are also cheaper and don't require a supplemental charge for most trains. Discount cards are another big one: you can easily get 20-50% off the "normal" price with some sort of discount card, like the Carte Jeune in France.
Good luck with whatever your train travels might be, and feel free to ask me whatever!
You can go from Porto to Vigo and then with a slow intercity through northern Spain to Irun/Hendaye, very scenic and recommended. Probably need to stay the night in Vigo as those trains go only once or twice per day.
I'm not sure why the article says you can take a normal train from Coimbra to Hendaye, there is only a night train, though it does have seats (not recommended, take at least a couchette or bed). Currently suspended due to corona afaik.
Thanks both of you for the tips. Looking forward to train travel again sometime in the future. I've gone as far as Porto by train and looking forward to a Porto to San Sebastian rail journey(with many stops in between) as it becomes possible. Cheers.
>"The specific country level passes, as well as buying discounted tickets, will nearly always be cheaper."
Whats the discount are you referring to here? Is this just the booking far in advance discounted rate or something else?