Naga to Legazpi PNR Train Schedule 2024

Banner photo: Screenshot of Mayon from the Official PNR FB Page & DOTR

Planning to travel to Bicol anytime soon? Train trips from Naga City to Legazpi City are back! In case you missed the news, the state-owned Philippine National Railways (PNR) has finally resumed operations along the Naga-Legazpi rail line on Wednesday, December 27, 2023, after six years.

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Food Trip: Naga City (updated 2022)

NOTE: As of June 2022, many restaurants in Naga City have closed because of the pandemic. I’ve rearranged this list to highlight those that are still currently operating for reference, but have retained the list of old restos in case they still reopen in the future. Most of the restaurants below are those within the main Naga City proper. Post-pandemic “Uptown Naga,” the area of Pacol and Carolina has also become popular for al fresco dining.

In recent years, my hometown Naga City in the Bicol Region has become a rising foodie destination. Every visit means that there are new restaurants waiting to be sampled, as well as old favorites that just have to be revisited.

Bikol cuisine is known as being spicy and sweet. Sili (chili peppers) and coconut milk (gata) are used in a lot of dishes, as well as pili nut products for desserts and a unique relish. Here’s a look at some of the best places where you can savor the flavors of Bikol (compiled from numerous visits to Naga to visit my folks), as well as some of the new restaurants worth checking out.

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All Aboard the Bicol Express

NOTE: Manila-Bicol trips are currently suspended due to ongoing repairs. For updates on operations, visit the PNR Website.

I am on the top bunk of a sleeper coach aboard the Bicol Express making its way from Naga to Manila. There’s something very nostalgic about the rocking motion of the train chugging along noisily on the tracks. I find the rhythmic vibrations of the train’s engine, sounds of metal clanging on metal, and echoes of ‘choo-choo’ of the train’s horn oddly comforting.” – excerpt from travel journal written on train 11/3/11 before lights were switched off

My sister and I were little kids the last time we rode the Bicol Express of the Philippine National Railways (PNR) with our parents. My mother says I first traveled by train when I was two months old. She managed to carry my sister (then 2 years old) and I along with all our luggage. Throughout our childhood, we would take the train frequently to shuttle back and forth from our home province Naga to Manila, to spend summers and Christmases with my grandparents and other relatives. Continue reading “All Aboard the Bicol Express”