Elvas and Estremoz are two unique towns in the beautiful Alentejo region and are highly recommended for visitors to the region. Estremoz is a prosperous market town that found fortune with the vast marble deposits buried beneath the town. Elvas is the highly fortified town that stands close to the boarder to Spain and was at the forefront of many major conflicts. Both destinations are ideal to be combined in a tour of the Alentejo region and this guide will detail how to travel between Elvas and Estremoz by car and public transport.

The Forte de Santa Luzia in Elvas

Elvas is 45km to the west of Estremoz and the majority of the route follows the A6 the main road from Lisbon to Spain. The A6 is a toll expressway that means the journey is safe and fast with a journey time of only 35 minutes. For those visitors with their own transport and not in a rush should follow the N4 and visit the other two marble town of Borba (14km from Estremoz) or Vila Viscosa (20km from Estremoz). Vila Viscosa is regarded as the best of the three marble towns.

For visitors who are reliant on public transport the only suitable means of transport between Estremoz and Elvas is by bus. There is no train service between the two towns, Estremoz does not have train station and the Elvas railway was not upgraded as part of the Lisbon to Evora improvement. Bus travel is the only option for public transport but luckily, the services are reliable, safe and inexpensive. Elvas has direct bus services to both Lisbon and Evora which also make it sensible as a destination on a tour of central Portugal.

The intercity buses are modern, clean and safe

The Estremoz to Elvas bus service is part of the intercity express network operated by Rede Expressos (www.rede-expressos.pt). This company provides fast, punctual and inexpensive services on clean and modern coaches. There are five daily bus services in each direction (see timetable later on in this guide) and the journey time is only 45 minutes.

A single bus ticket from Elvas to Estremoz costs €8.70 while a return ticket costs €15.60. Tickets can be purchased in advance of the departure from either bus station or from www.rede-expressos.pt. The website has a good English section where tickets can be purchased up to 30 days before the departure date. Internet tickets cannot be altered in any method or refunded once purchased.

Estremoz bus station is to the east of the city, where the Avenue 9 de Abril and the Avenue Condessa de Cuba meet (the exact address is: Av 9 De Abril, 7100 Estremoz Tel.268322282) and is only a short walk from the city centre.

Elvas bus station is modern

In Elvas the bus station is to the south of the city walls next to the main hospital but buses to Elvas stop in the Praça 25 de Abril before the bus station (the exact address is Rua do Patrimonio, 7350, ELVAS Tel: 268622875). Both bus stations have ticket offices open standard office hours and are perfectly safe to travel from.