Update on Moving About
The Lisbon Metro now goes all the way to the Airport. July 17th the extension of the red line was opened. This line, completely accessible, now goes between the airport and S. Sebastião.
So where is São Sebastião? São Sebastião is two blue-line stops away from Marquês de Pombal and four from Restauradores. Restauradores is the metro stop that has access to the Rossio train station - which is the end station of the Sintra railroad.
The red line has a connection with the green line - so you can also change to a metro that takes you to Cais do Sodré - the end station for the Cascais train line.
The red line also passes in Oriente - where the trains to elsewhere in Portugal leave from. And yes, sometimes there are trains even to Sintra.
So this new metro extension for sure helps the access to the airport from Lisbon. And it is also interesting for those coming to Sintra, since the new train line Sintra/Azambuja was opened recently.
This is how you can now travel between Sintra and the airport now, in public transportation:
Sintra - Airport
In the weekday mornings and afternoons, you can take a train straight from the Sitnra station to the Oriente station, twice an hour between 6:03 and 9:33, and in the afternoons between 16:33 and 19:33. The trip takes app 50 minutes and costs 2.5€ for an full and 1.2€ for a half ticket. In Oriente you change into the metro toward the airport. This trip is less than 10 minutes and costs 1.25€. Add changing times (train to metro) when you plan your trip.
Between 9:33 and 16:33, and during weekends to get to Oriente, you must change trains in Cacém. Not difficult, but it does take an extra 5-10 minutes depending of the time of yuor travel. Normally, when you get off the train in Cacém, the next train that comes to the same platform is the train that goes between Mira Sintra and Oriente. And then in Oriente, you change into the metro.
There is also the option of taking the train to Rossio, then from the adjacent Restaruradores blue-line metro stop a metro to São Sebastião, where you change into the red Airport-line metro. More changes and takes more time, though.
Airport - Sintra
You take the metro to Oriente station (about 10 minutes). Then, during weekday mornings and afternoons, between 6:37 - 9:37 and 16:37 and 20:07, there are straight trains to Sintra, that take about 50 minutes. At other times, you take the train toward Mira Sintra, and change in Cacém to the train to Sintra. Again, normally it is there is no platform change in Cacém, but there is a waiting time of 5-10 minutes.
Metro cost is 1.25€ and the train cost is 2,5€ for a full and 1,2€ for a half ticket.
You can also take a bus or a taxi to Rossio station and then get a train to Sintra.
A few main points to remember:
For a complete metro plan, you can click this link http://www.metrolisboa.pt/eng/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Diagrama_rede_Metro_julho2012.pdf
For moving about in public transportation within Sintra, please refer to previous blog entry (May 2010).
So where is São Sebastião? São Sebastião is two blue-line stops away from Marquês de Pombal and four from Restauradores. Restauradores is the metro stop that has access to the Rossio train station - which is the end station of the Sintra railroad.
The red line has a connection with the green line - so you can also change to a metro that takes you to Cais do Sodré - the end station for the Cascais train line.
The red line also passes in Oriente - where the trains to elsewhere in Portugal leave from. And yes, sometimes there are trains even to Sintra.
This is how you can now travel between Sintra and the airport now, in public transportation:
Sintra - Airport
In the weekday mornings and afternoons, you can take a train straight from the Sitnra station to the Oriente station, twice an hour between 6:03 and 9:33, and in the afternoons between 16:33 and 19:33. The trip takes app 50 minutes and costs 2.5€ for an full and 1.2€ for a half ticket. In Oriente you change into the metro toward the airport. This trip is less than 10 minutes and costs 1.25€. Add changing times (train to metro) when you plan your trip.
Between 9:33 and 16:33, and during weekends to get to Oriente, you must change trains in Cacém. Not difficult, but it does take an extra 5-10 minutes depending of the time of yuor travel. Normally, when you get off the train in Cacém, the next train that comes to the same platform is the train that goes between Mira Sintra and Oriente. And then in Oriente, you change into the metro.
There is also the option of taking the train to Rossio, then from the adjacent Restaruradores blue-line metro stop a metro to São Sebastião, where you change into the red Airport-line metro. More changes and takes more time, though.
Airport - Sintra
You take the metro to Oriente station (about 10 minutes). Then, during weekday mornings and afternoons, between 6:37 - 9:37 and 16:37 and 20:07, there are straight trains to Sintra, that take about 50 minutes. At other times, you take the train toward Mira Sintra, and change in Cacém to the train to Sintra. Again, normally it is there is no platform change in Cacém, but there is a waiting time of 5-10 minutes.
Metro cost is 1.25€ and the train cost is 2,5€ for a full and 1,2€ for a half ticket.
You can also take a bus or a taxi to Rossio station and then get a train to Sintra.
A few main points to remember:
- With the train/metro, plan to spend an hour and a half travelling from the moment that you are in the train and arrive to the airport.
- Plan with about 5 euros per person one way, just for the train/metro. Add roughly 5 euros for a taxi fee between Casa do Valle and the Sintra station.
- Especially coming in from Lisbon, do notice that there are two towns with similar names: Sintra and Mira Sintra. Different end stations, that do have some common stations.
- Oriente station is beautiful but large and sometimes very difficult with heavy luggage. The escalators are scattered around the station, meaning that when you go up one floor with the escalator, you will have to walk a distance to get to the escalators that take you to the next level. Most people end up walking up 'normal' steps carrying their luggage.
- Train tickets cannot be purchases in the train. You must acquire them before boarding, either from a machine or a ticket booth.
- A taxi straight from the airport is still the fastest way to Sintra, about 35-45 minutes, and the cost is roughly 30-35 €. Unfortunately there are many taxi drivers that try to take advantage of tourists and ask for much more. For this reason, I suggest that you make sure that the taximeter is on at all times and that if the driver asks for more, ring our doorbell and only pay when someone from Casa do Valle is with you.
For a complete metro plan, you can click this link http://www.metrolisboa.pt/eng/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Diagrama_rede_Metro_julho2012.pdf
For moving about in public transportation within Sintra, please refer to previous blog entry (May 2010).
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