Best day trips from Lisbon: how to get there and what to see

If you have one free day in Lisbon, take the train to Sintra. It runs from Rossio and Oriente, takes about 40 minutes, and drops you within walking distance of the historic centre; buses then climb to Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira. Palaces use timed tickets, so book ahead and take the first train you can face.

If you have two free days, pair Sintra with Cascais on the same coastal line: palaces one day, ocean and a small old town the next. Everything further out — Óbidos, Évora, Setúbal and the Arrábida coast — costs more time and usually a bus, a car or a tour.

Sintra is the one day trip almost every visitor should make. The town sits in wooded hills with several palaces and estates spread across a slope, so plan two sites rather than five. Pena Palace is the busiest and sits highest; Quinta da Regaleira is a short walk from the centre and known for its wells and tunnels. The Moorish Castle is next to Pena. Weekdays outside July and August are calmer, and the first entry slots are the quietest.

Cascais is a former fishing town turned resort at the end of the same train line, with a compact centre, a market, a beach and the Boca do Inferno cliff a short walk or bus ride away. It works as a half-day or as a full day if you walk the coastal path towards Estoril. Seafood restaurants along the front are the main draw.

Óbidos is a small walled town you can walk in an hour or two, with a castle, churches and a main street of shops. It is a common stop on the way to or from Nazaré and Alcobaça, and makes more sense as part of a longer run up the coast than as a return trip on its own.

Évora is the strongest full day for history: a Roman temple, a cathedral, the Chapel of Bones and an old town inside walls, in the middle of Alentejo farmland and wine country. Buses are usually faster and more frequent than the train. With a car you can add the Almendres megaliths and a winery.

Setúbal and the Arrábida coast suit travellers who want water and hills rather than monuments: a busy fish market, ferries to the Troia peninsula, dolphin-watching boats, and beaches below limestone ridges. The train reaches Setúbal; the beaches and viewpoints beyond need a bus, a taxi or a car.

Train fares on the Lisbon urban lines are low; buses to Óbidos and Évora cost more but stay reasonable. Palace and monument tickets are the biggest variable, and Sintra's timed tickets are the ones to book before you travel. Tours cost several times the public transport price but remove the planning.

Start early. Sintra's first trains fill with tour groups by mid-morning, and the buses up to Pena queue badly after 10am. Buy palace tickets online for a fixed slot and work backwards from that time.

Do not drive to Sintra if you can avoid it. Parking near the palaces is limited and the roads are narrow; the train plus local buses is simpler. A car is genuinely useful for Cabo da Roca, the Arrábida beaches and the Alentejo megaliths.

Check the day of the week. Belém's monuments in Lisbon close on Mondays, which is a good day to leave the city; some Évora sites also keep shorter Monday hours. In August, coastal trains and Sintra are at their worst — go on a weekday or pick Cascais instead.

Keep the return flexible. Trains on the Sintra and Cascais lines run late into the evening, so you can stay for dinner. Buses back from Óbidos and Évora are less frequent; confirm the last departure when you arrive.

If you are only in Lisbon for a few days, one day trip is enough. Two days out of four nights leaves little time for Alfama, Belém and the viewpoints.