Sintra is one of the most popular destinations in Portugal.
Land of fairy-tale castles and palaces, medieval village nestled in the mountain, located short distance from Lisbon, is one of the preferred places for visitors in Portugal.
People travel all over the world to see the beauty of Sintra, it’s romantic mansions, historical fortresses and amazing royal palaces.
It’s indeed one of the most beautiful places on earth.
Some guests choose to visit Sintra by train.
The train departs every 30min from Lisbon, and takes around 45min minutes to reach Sintra. Taking the train from Rossio Station, is the easiest way.
But, not everything is good. You should expect several lines, crowded trains and not always on time (strikes usually happen). On top of that, don’t forget that most of the places in Sintra require transportation, and bus lines are big. If you just want to visit the old village, then you can easily reach walking from the train station, but if you wish to visit Pena Palace or Moorish castle, cannot be reached walking, unless you are a good hiker.
There is a bus taking up the hill to the palaces, but it usually packed and delayed. Uber is an option to consider, and there are also tour guides available at the train station.
If you wish to get private transportation from Lisbon, with a private guide assisting you,
Drop-me a message below
Below are some photos of the Sintra train station and bus lines, outside and inside, that I have gathered from the web.
It is also important to arrive early at the Pena Palace. It gets very crowded. The last photos below are from the lines at the Palace that I gathered over the last two years.
Over the peak season, you should be at at Pena National Palace by 9AM, at the opening time, to avoid the crowds. This means that you should arrive in Sintra around 8AM/8h15AM, if still using public transportation, and should need to depart Lisbon by train around 7h30AM latest. If you are arriving to Sintra later, the photos below is what you will expect, sorry to be honest.
- Visit Quinta da Regaleira / Sintra - March 21, 2023
- 5 Best Hotels in The Douro Valley (2023) - March 19, 2023
- Best Seafood in Portugal / Top 50 Worldwide - March 14, 2023
