Sintra is located only about 25 kilometers from Lisbon. The cultural landscape of Sintra is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The destinations in Sintra are really recommended for a day trip from Lisbon.
It is only a few kilometers, but when you leave the big city of Lisbon in the direction of Sintra, the landscape changes visibly. Finally, you reach the Sierra Sintra, a hilly landscape. Nestled in the landscape is Sintra, a place that attracts visitors from all over the world with its extraordinary palace.
Arrival
By plane
Sintra does not have its own airport. The nearest airport is in Lisbon.
By train
From Lisbon, trains leave for Sintra every half hour. The regional train starts from Rossio station and takes about 40 minutes.
Another train connection is between Lisbon’s Oriente station and Sintra. The journey time of the regular trains is about 50 minutes.
The following applies to both connections: These are regional trains. It is not possible to reserve a seat or buy a ticket in advance. This can only be done immediately before the trip at the ticket machine / counter.
By bus
From Lisbon, tour operators offer day trips to Sintra, where you are taken there by bus.
By car
The A16 and A37 highways lead to Sintra from the Lisbon area. The national road N375 connects Sintra with the coast of Portugal.
On the way in…
By car
We found the streets in Sintra are narrow and confusing. There are few parking spaces and especially during peak travel times, the city is very crowded. If you can avoid it, you should not go to Sintra by car.
By bus
Directly from the train station there is a bus round trip to the sights of the city. The number of the bus is 434.
The bus stops at various stations. Since most visitors get on or off the bus at the train station, The bus may not stop at the intermediate stations because the bus is occupied.
By tram
Sintra has a historic tramway dating back to 1904, but it does not run daily, only from Wednesday to Sunday between 10:20 am and 5 pm (6 tours per day). The route runs between Ribeira de Sintra and Praia das Maçãs (11 km).
On foot
The paths in Sintra are not far, but it is hilly. Nevertheless, it is worth exploring the city on foot. It takes about 15 minutes to get from the train station to the historic city centre.
Places to visit in Sintra
After a short train ride from Lisbon, you reach Sintra, the town with the most colourful palace I have ever seen - the Pena Palace.
We were ready for the trip before we made our way to the Quinta da Regaleira, and we were so pleased to see it in person. We learned that it was worth it, and the archeitecture was gorgeous.
While we were getting ready for our holiday in Lisbon pictures from Sintra always seemed to come back to us. This is especially true of the colorful and gorgeous Pena Palace.