Portugal: Saving in Sintra, a perfect day trip from Lisbon
It is easy to see why Lord Byron loved Sintra so. It is no wonder at all that Ferdinand II of Austria built Pena Palace atop the town’s highest peak as a gift of love not only to his dear Queen Maria II of Portugal but also to the Portuguese people. Sintra’s beauty is second to none.
It may require a bit of diligence to ignore the masses of tourists hurling themselves up and down the town’s hilly roads at virtually all times of the year, but the sense of wonder Sintra imparts will be well worth the effort.
Related: 10 Days in Portugal on the cheap through Lisbon, Porto & Braga
How to get there
Considering that stepping within Sintra’s limits feels akin to time travel, the ease of reaching the town for a day trip from Lisbon is surprising. Simply purchase a €4.50 round-trip ticket at Rossio Station, located in the historic center of Lisbon, for one of the trains departing the station; depending on the time of day, trains depart every 10-20 minutes.
Board the train, get comfortable in one of the trains’ cozy seats and savor a leisurely 40-minute ride out of the hustle and bustle of Lisbon and into a world of both natural and human-made splendor. As the train passes buildings covered in graffiti followed by a series of quaint towns, choose to quietly absorb the rapidly shifting landscape, rest, meditate, daydream, or read — perhaps consider digesting Eça de Queirós’s The Relic or other equally good Portuguese Renaissance literature to accompany the journey into Sintra’s wondrous world.
Getting around Sintra
Once on Sintra’s hallowed ground, exploring the town’s every nook and cranny is a low-cost delight. The 434 bus route was specifically designed for visitors to Sintra, and at €6.90 for round-trip travel, it is much less expensive than the €25 Hop-On/Hop-Off and other tour buses. In fact, while researching this post, we waited 20 minutes at each of two Hop-On/Hop-Off bus stops. When the buses finally arrived, we were told by the drivers that we could not board because no one was disembarking and there were no free seats.
This could potentially happen to you while you wait for the 434 bus, of course, and you should definitely expect exceptionally long lines of people queuing up to wait for the bus at every stop (especially the Palácio de Pena). Your alternatives are to rent a car in Lisbon and do the driving yourself (not at all a bad idea, and affordable if you are sharing the cost with others) or hire a tuk-tuk driver or taxi driver to take you for a private tour (at least €50per person).
The Hop-On/Hop-Off bus does offer two bus routes with many more stops than the 434 bus, but we found that unless you have physical limitations or are going to spend the night in Sintra (not a bad idea, either, if you have the time — then you can experience the town virtually free of tourists in the morning and evening!) the 434 is your best bet for a single day of exploration.
Accommodations: Search more than 250 hotels and vacation apartments in Sintra
Eating in Sintra
If you find yourself hungry after all your exploring, pop into Saudade (the Portuguese word for something close to nostalgia) for whatever your body craves, whether coffee, tea, a sandwich, or a full meal. The varied offerings will tantalize omnivores and vegetarians alike.
Day trip tip
Take the earliest train you can (maybe 7:01 am?) and return as late as you can (11:20 pm, perhaps?) and — though Sintra’s magnificence cannot be absorbed in a day — you will have grasped at least an appetizer portion of the area’s marvelous offerings to tide you over until your next visit.
