After the Litoral Marathon: Curitiba and the Morretes Train

The Route: Matinhos (1 night) → Curitiba (2 nights) → Morretes day by train → Curitiba → Airport (CWB) Logistics: A Graciosa bus from Matinhos to Curitiba, taking 1 hour 30 to 2 hours 20. The train day is a long, seated excursion, so book it for the day after you arrive and not the day you travel. Marathon Month: July Duration: 3 nights

Matinhos hotel (night 1) ──(Graciosa bus)──> Curitiba (nights 2 and 3)
Curitiba ──(Serra Verde Express, about 4 h)──> Morretes ──(train or van back)──> Curitiba
Curitiba hotel ──(taxi)──> Airport (CWB)

This is the option for a runner who wants a seat and a view and no stairs. The race city is on the coast, and the state capital lies inland, with a railway that links it to the coast at Morretes.

July in Curitiba is cooler than on the coast, and the rail excursion runs through hills where cloud and rain can limit the view. Take a warm layer and a light shell. Do not count on a clear day.

Night one: Matinhos

Keep your room and rest. Buy your bus ticket for the next morning once you know how your legs feel. Graciosa buses between Matinhos and Curitiba take between 1 hour 30 and 2 hours 20, with a first departure around 06:30 and a last around 20:15. Schedules vary by date.

Nights two and three: Curitiba

Arrive in the morning and leave bags at the hotel. Two hotels to compare, both close to Shopping Estação:

Rockefeller by Slaviero, next to Shopping Estação, with an airport transfer stop listed about 140 m away.
Hotel Estação Express, listed about 80 m from Shopping Estação, with a breakfast buffet.

Ask each about early breakfast, luggage storage and whether a lift serves your floor.

The train day

The Serra Verde Express sells a one-way ticket between Curitiba and Morretes, described as about 4 hours, and a package in which you take the train out and a van back, described as about 10 hours in total. Prices on the operator's page were from R$206 for the ticket and R$488 for the package; use these as a guide only. The operator publishes a departure calendar, so choose a date from it. Box offices in Curitiba have shorter hours on Sundays than on other days.

A seated train asks little of your legs, but the day is long, and platforms and stops involve walking. Ask about accessibility if you have stiff knees. Book a return you are sure of, and keep the evening free.

Where to eat

In Curitiba, ask your hotel for a restaurant near the station and ring ahead. In Morretes, ask the operator about lunch stops on the package.

Getting to the airport