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Major city · Portugal

Sintra

Day-trip from Lisbon on a weekday, first bus up at opening; sleep one night only if you want Pena and Quinta da Regaleira without the crowd.

Weather
see forecast
Currency
EUR
Best months
Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct (weekdays)
avoid Jul–Aug weekends, public holidays, Easter week
Airport
LIS
Nights
0–1
Not field-verifiedbasic guide
Print / PDF guide
3 pages, for the metro and roaming-off days
Map
Google Maps Apple Maps Street View
Rules in force · 8Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window…
  • Europe ↗Non-EU visitors get 90 days in any rolling 180-day window, counted across all 29 Schengen states together — not per country; the Entry/Exit System now logs each crossing, so an overstay is detected automatically.
  • Europe ↗On the first Schengen entry since EES began, non-EU travellers give four fingerprints and a face photo at the border instead of a passport stamp; there is nothing to apply for or pay in advance.
  • Iberia ↗Plan meals on the Iberian clock: Spanish kitchens serve lunch from about 13:30–14:00 and dinner from 20:30–21:00; Portugal eats an hour or so earlier. Early evenings are for tapas or petiscos, not full meals.
  • Iberia ↗Inland Spain and Portugal (Seville, Córdoba, Madrid, the Alentejo) pass 40 °C in heatwaves from late June to August: sightsee before 11:00 and after 18:00, and keep July–August for the coasts and the green north.
  • Iberia ↗Andorra and Gibraltar have their own border and customs rules and are reached only through Spain (or France for Andorra); read their pages before adding them, especially if you hold a limited Schengen visa.
  • Portugal ↗Portugal is in the Schengen area. Check the entry rules for your passport on official sources; the EU's Entry/Exit System registers non-EU visitors at the first Schengen border, and further pre-travel authorisation rules are being introduced.
  • Portugal ↗Alfa Pendular and Intercidades trains assign seats: book Lisbon–Porto ahead in summer and on holiday weekends.
  • Portugal ↗Many motorways, including the Algarve's A22, use electronic tolls only: ask the hire company for a transponder before you drive off.

Sintra is a hill town 28 km northwest of Lisbon, a UNESCO cultural landscape of palaces and forest. Most travellers see it as a day trip from Lisbon by commuter train; the palaces sit uphill from the station and the buses that reach them fill early. One night buys you the first entry slots and an empty town after the last train leaves.

Essentials

Quick answers and what things cost

Quick answers

The questions people ask first about Sintra, one line each. Tap a card for the full answer.

Cost cheat-sheet

2026 desk estimate · check

Typical prices for the everyday things, as ranges. Your currency is shown next to the local price.

  • CoffeeCoffee (bica) at the counter€0.80–1.50 (≈ US$1–2)
  • Sit-down mealSit-down lunch, one course€10–18 (≈ US$12–25)
  • Street or quick mealSandwich or bifana€3–6 (≈ US$4–7)
  • Beerdraught / supermarket can€2–4 (≈ US$3–5)€1–2 (≈ US$2–3)
  • SIM or eSIM, a weekeSIM or data SIM, about a week€8–20 (≈ US$10–25)
  • Museum or sight ticketPena Palace adult ticketcheck the official site
  • Budget bedHostel dorm bed, a night, per person€25 (≈ US$30)
  • Mid-range bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per room€120 (≈ US$140)
  • High-end bedGuesthouse double room, a night, per room€220 (≈ US$300)

A day, not counting the bed: Budget €45 (≈ US$55) · Mid €80 (≈ US$95) · High €150 (≈ US$180)

Local prices, with USD next to them (rates 2026-09 (approximate); change it in the header). Ranges are desk estimates: check locally. Every price and the budget calculator →

Decide

What it is known for, and when the weather works

At a glance

What the city is known for, how you fly in, and where to find the phrases.

Pena PalaceCastle of the MoorsQuinta da RegaleiraSintra National PalaceMonserrate Palace
Airports
LIS Lisbon Humberto Delgado (Metro or taxi to Rossio, then the CP Sintra line; about 1 h 15 min door to door)

Weather and climate

Forecast from Open-Meteo · averages rounded

Sintra: next 7 days

Loading forecast…

Forecast: Open-Meteo (CC BY 4.0), model data for this point.

Air quality

Loading…

Model estimate (CAMS via Open-Meteo), not a street-level station; readings near busy roads run higher.

Jan

14°C

8°C

14 rd

Feb

15°C

8°C

13 rd

Mar

17°C

9°C

12 rd

Apr

18°C

10°C

12 rd

May

21°C

12°C

9 rd

Jun

24°C

14°C

5 rd

Jul

27°C

16°C

2 rd

Aug

27°C

17°C

2 rd

Sep

26°C

16°C

6 rd

Oct

22°C

14°C

11 rd

Nov

17°C

11°C

13 rd

Dec

15°C

9°C

14 rd

High / low °C · rd = rain days

Arrive & move

Airports are listed under At a glance; this is how to move once you are in

Getting around

The 434 loop runs station → centre → Moorish Castle → Pena; the 435 runs station → centre → Regaleira → Seteais → Monserrate. Both are one-way circular, about every 20 min, and a 24 h ticket covering both costs about €13.50 (2026 estimate, check). The walk from the centre to the Moorish Castle is 1.1 km with about 200 m of climb; to Monserrate it is roughly an hour. Tuk-tuks wait near the centre for the uphill run.

See & do

Day-trips, door to door

Day-trips

Door-to-door, not ride time

Cabo da Roca

go

Door to door: About 40 min

Scotturb 403 toward Cascais from Sintra station

Westernmost point of mainland Europe; windy and exposed, bring a layer.

Cascais

go

Door to door: About 1 h

Scotturb 403 continues to Cascais; or train from Sintra via a change

Coast town with a beach and the Boca do Inferno cliffs.

Mafra

caution

Door to door: About 1 h

Bus from Sintra or via Ericeira; check the current operator

The palace-convent is the draw; connections are thin.

Lisbon

go

Door to door: About 40 min

CP Sintra line to Rossio

Trains run about every 20 min; Viva Viagem cards are valid.

Eat & sleep

Which area to sleep in

Where to sleep

Areas, not hotels: pick the one that fits your arrival time and plans.

Historic centre (around Palácio Nacional)

Walk to the palace and the 434/435 bus stops; noisier, few rooms.

Estefânia / Portela (near the station)

Cheaper, 10–15 min walk uphill to the centre; easiest with bags.

São Pedro de Sintra

Quieter, on the 435 route toward Regaleira and Monserrate.

Practical

What a day costs, what to watch out for, and the pocket card

Cost per day

2026 estimate, excluding the bed unless stated
Budget
€45–70 (≈ US$55–85) excl. bed
Mid
€70–120 (≈ US$85–140) excl. bed
High
€120 (≈ US$140)+ excl. bed

Trip budget

2026 estimate · converts to your currency
Guesthouse double room1 × 1 night × €120€120
Food, local transport, entries2 × 1 day × €80€160
CP train Lisbon Rossio ↔ Sintra, return2 × €4 · check€9
434/435 24 h bus ticket2 × €14 · check€27
eSIM, about a week of data2 × €10€20
Buffer 10%Price creep, a taxi you did not plan, one splurge€34
Trip total≈ €185 per person per day, bed included€370≈ US$450

2026 estimate in euro; intercity travel and flights excluded. Your choices stay in this browser.

Prices of common things

Coffee (bica) at the counter€0.80–1.50 (≈ US$1–2)
Pastry (queijada or travesseiro)€1.50–3 (≈ US$2–4)
Sandwich or bifana€3–6 (≈ US$4–7)
Sit-down lunch, one course€10–18 (≈ US$12–25)
Beer: draught / supermarket can€2–4 (≈ US$3–5) / €1–2 (≈ US$2–3)
434/435 24 h bus ticket€13.50 (≈ US$16) (check)
Pena Palace adult ticketcheck the official site
eSIM or data SIM, about a week€8–20 (≈ US$10–25)

2026 estimate; check locally.

Watch out

Safety

Sintra is a safe, well-policed tourist town. The real risks are pickpockets on the crowded 434 and in the palace queues, and the slippery, uneven paths on the ridge in rain.
  • Pena and Regaleira sell dated, timed tickets; popular slots go days ahead in summer — book on the official sites.
  • The 434 is often full by the time it reaches the historic centre; board at the station or walk up.
  • Parking in the centre is very limited and the roads are narrow; if you drive, park below town and walk up.
  • Mist and rain arrive fast on the ridge; the palace terraces are exposed.

Emergency numbers

All services (police, fire, ambulance)
112

Pocket card

One page · print or save as PDF

Fill in, then print or save as PDF

Stays in this browser only; nothing is sent anywhere.

SintraSintra

Pocket card · Voykit

My bed tonight

—

—

—

Para este endereço, por favorTo this address, please

Emergency

  • All services112

Embassy

No embassies in Sintra; the US, UK, Canadian, Australian and Irish embassies are in Lisbon (check addresses).

My embassy: —

Fare anchors (2026 estimate)

  • Rossio → Sintra, CP train: about €2.20 (≈ US$3) each way, about 40 min (check)
  • Sintra station → Pena, 434 bus: covered by the €13.50 (≈ US$16) 24 h ticket (check)
  • Taxi or rideshare centre → Pena: €8–15 (≈ US$10–18) (check)

Say or show

  • Bom dia — Good morning (bong DEE-ah)
  • Obrigado / Obrigada — Thank you (oh-bree-GAH-doo / oh-bree-GAH-dah)
  • Quanto custa? — How much is it? (KWAN-too KOOSH-tah)
  • A conta, por favor — The bill, please (ah KON-tah poor fah-VOR)
  • Onde é a paragem? — Where is the bus stop? (ON-deh eh ah pah-RAH-zheng)
  • Tenho bilhete — I have a ticket (TEN-yoo bee-LYEH-teh)

112 works from any phone, including locked handsets.

Deep dive

What this guide covers so far, and its sources

Not a trip line yet

This is a basic guide: no airport-to-bed contract, walking clusters or day plans are published for Sintra. Airport, fare and schedule details are unverified; check the operators before you fly.

What we know, and what is coming

On this page

  1. Best months: Apr–Jun, Sep–Oct (weekdays) · avoid Jul–Aug weekends, public holidays, Easter week · month by month →
  2. 1 airport and 3 areas to sleep in
  3. Weather: a 7-day forecast and monthly averages
  4. Cost per day in 3 bands
  5. 4 day-trips, door to door
  6. 4 things to watch out for, with emergency numbers

Coming as the guide grows

  1. Airport-to-bed contract for LIS: last CP Sintra departures field-checked, taxi fallback, overnight rung.
  2. Four walking clusters with rescue anchors: station and Estefânia, historic centre, Pena and Moorish Castle ridge, Regaleira and Monserrate.
  3. Place pages with verified cutoffs (Pena, Moorish Castle, Regaleira, Monserrate, National Palace) and eat pages with last orders.
  4. Golden and hostile arrival fixtures so gates A–D can go green.

Meanwhile

Back to Portugal

Sources