Locations
Castelo Branco and Fundão are easily reachable by car from Porto or from Lisboa airports, heading to the A23 highway. There is also a good public transportation, with trains and buses.
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We reccomend either to sleep in Castelo Branco the full 4-5 nights, or to sleep in Fundão Thursday and Friday, then we have a bus to take you to Castelo Branco on Saturday morning, and you may stay also Sunday night there or start your return journey then. If you come earlier or for the Workshop, we may find a place for you to stay near the Quinta da Lira.
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Travel suggestion:
26/08: travel to Fundão
27/08: full Congress day in Fundão (from 9h till 23h)
28/08: online Congress in Quinta da Lira (QL) in the morning; afternoon in Castelo Branco
29/08: full day at Castelo Branco (morning visits to the organs and Recital at 11h; afternoon Sessions)
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TRANSPORTATION
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You may use Porto's or Lisboa's international airports, or cross Spain. For updated details on bus or train travel, please check below the official websites.
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Porto
From Porto, it is probably better to rent a car, the rates, especially when booking from abroad, are quite low (you can have a car for 10€ a day or similar) and it's basically all highway till Fundão or Castelo Branco (if avoiding crossing Porto, you have: A4-A24-A25-A23; or crossing Porto: A29 or A1-A25-A23); the roads are very comfortable, after Porto basically no traffic.
Lisboa
From Lisboa it might be easier just to take the train, at a very affordable rate (around 15€, 2,5 hours). It is also possible to take a bus, or to rent a car (A1-A23, it is all highway from the airport).
Train: from the airport you may take a taxi (5 to 8€) or the metropolitan, to the Oriente station, which is near the River Tejo (beautiful place to visit if you have time, where the famous Oceanario is located, plus other interesting sites). There, you go up the stairs or lift, buy if needed your tickets at the tickets counter or machines (ticket to Fundão or Castelo Branco, in the direct speed train called 'Inter-Cidades' or IC), and before going to the upper platform you check the line for Castelo Branco or Fundão (which is the same), usually trains are in time. If you pay online with anticipation (5, 8 or more days), you can even have a discount of up to 65%, and if you are senior (above 65 y.o.), it's always 50% - remember to tell that at the tickets counter. We have a print of the information (schedule and prices) for the 26th of August: to Fundão here, and to Castelo Branco here. From the main train station of either Fundão or Castelo Branco you may walk or take a taxi to your hotel.
​Bus: from the airport you may take a taxi (8€ to 10€) or the metropolitan, to the Sete-Rios station, which is a large transportation area. There you check the bus to Castelo Branco or Fundão. ​
SCHEDULES AND MORE INFORMATION (links)
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BUS
https://www.rede-expressos.pt/en/citiexpress
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TRAIN
https://www.cp.pt/sites/passageiros/en/train-times
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Note: If you have special needs, please contact us so that we try to find a solution. We work the best we can to help your experience be perfect and unique.
LODGING
There are many types of possible accommodation. You may check the various search engines, the Municipalities pages, and also Airbnb (local family lodging). If you go by car, you may stay in one of the nice country houses or rural tourism in the surrounding area of Fundão and Castelo Branco; the roads are very calm (no traffic jams in this region), and it takes usually 15 to 20 minutes to get anywhere within the cities. If you go by public transportation, the closest you are to the cathedral or historical centre of CB, the better, or in Fundão, the best is close to the train station or the Municipality.