Moving about

Our clients frequently ask how to get to Sintra from the airport and if they need a car here to move around. This blog tries to answer these questions.

There are various railroad lines in the Greater Lisbon area. One goes from the Cais de Sodré station to Cascais (passing Estoril), another goes from the Rossio station to Sintra. Neither passes by the airport. There are between 3 and 6 trains per hour between Lisbon and Sintra and the oneway ticket per person is about 2 euros. There are several normal buses that pass by the airport that you can take to Lisbon center without luggage - and special ones that go to town that are easy enough with luggage. There are also hourly buses that go to Cascais/Estoril directly from the airport - but none directly to Sintra. Check out this site regarding getting to downtown Lisbon: http://www.golisbon.com/transport/airport.html.

So to get to Sintra, you either have to take a bus/taxi downtown Lisbon, change into a train and once in Sintra, get a taxi to Casa do Valle (at least 1,5 hours and a minimum of 10 euros). OR take a taxi straight from the airport to Sintra. About 30-35 euros and the same amount of minutes. If this is your choice, please see my blog entry of March 23/2010. Or you can rent a car from the airport and drive directly to Sintra - check out our driving instructions from our site http://www.casadovalle.com/howto.asp?lingua=ing&p=images . Or you can ask us to pick you up for a fee of 35 euros.

In Sintra, especially in the summer months, it is difficult to park. Everyone seems to have the same itinerary and hence the parking areas fill quickly. I am pleased to say that the public transportation has improved greatly in the last years in Sintra, and you can easily get around with a bus. The buses are frequent and inexpensive - and there are choices as well.

First an important note. Sintra is a very old town on a mountain - remember this whether you walk or drive. This translates into three things: narrow, often one-way streets going up and down the mountain, full of tourists. If you are not used to mountain driving or driving in very narrow conditions, then save your nerves and don't. Casa do Valle is about 400-500 meters from the Historical Center and about 700 meters from the station - by foot. Buses to the monuments leave form the Historical Center (uphill), buses to Cascais/Estoril and trains to Lisbon leave from the station. Buses to Sintra and Cascais beaches leave from 'Ribeira' = 500 meters down the hill.
Then again - if you think this type of walking is too heavy for you, then drive. If you choose to rent a car, better do it at the airport already, as there are no car rental companies in Sintra.

So - where can you go with the buses?

• Just around Sintra, to the new part of town, to the station, to São Pedro, take the 433. Any trip is just 90 cents. There are normally 3 buses per hour.
• Up to the Pena Palace and the Mourish Castle, take bus 434 - round trip up and down the mountain is 4,5€/person, 4 buses per hour. Hop on, hop off!
• Seteais and Monserrate are on the new bus route 435 - the hop on-hop off ticket costs 2€ roundtrip - and there are 2 buses an hour between 9:45 and 18:45.
• The bus to Beach of Praia Grande (Bus 441) is easy to get from Ribeira stop, about 500 meters down the road from us. The one-way ticket is 1,90€ from Ribeira to the beach, and there are 1-2 buses per hour, starting 7am, until 9pm. The bus also passes through Praia das Maçãs and Azenhas do Mar.
• To Cabo de Roca, the Western-most point of continental Europe, and to the Cascais beaches, you can take bus 403 from Ribeira. The ticket is 2,75€ one way, and the buses run between 630am and 730pm.
• More directly to Cascais and Estoril, buses 417 and 418 respectively leave from the station once an hour, between 530am and midnight. The ticket is 3,55€ one-way per person.

For the buses, you can also get a day ticket of 10€/person. This ticket can be purchased a day before, if you want to take an early start and do not want to start your trip form the station (point of day-pass purchase). All other tickets can be purchased from the driver. These are just a few suggestions, but most popular ones. There are many other interesting routes to little villages around here!

Some other suggestions to get around:

TAXIS - The Sintra taxis are reliable and you can agree a price beforehand, if you prefer. Take one from the Historical Center or the Station - or we can call you one to Casa do Valle.
BICYCLES - Electric bikes can be rented in the center of town, near by the tourism office and the church. During the weekends Sintra is a popular place for mountain biking and you will see lots of little groups cycling about!
HORSE-DRAWN CARRIAGES - This is a wonderful way to get around Sintra, listening to the hooves on the pavement. From 30€ onward per carriage up to 4 passengers, it is not as expensive as most people think. And Casa do Valle has discounts for her clients!
WALKING - Sintra mountain has marked trails of various difficulties and distances, thematically arranged. Maps and information about some guided tours in the summer months are available from the Tourism office.
THE OLD TRAM-LINE - from the Ribeira stop to Praia das Maças Beach through Colares on the summer weekends. Nice, calm way to see the neighbouring villages.

So - it is up to you. No, you do not NEED a car. If you have time and don't mind being 'stuck' by schedules, at least you won't have to worry about parking and traffic lines. Sintra is well served by public transport.

(NOTE: prices and schedules are the ones valid now, May of 2010)

Have you stayed in Sintra? What is your opinion on this? Please comment!