People often ask me, when they are booking tours with me, what’s the best way to get to Sintra? The answer is by train 🚂. Don’t think twice about it, especially if you have a car. There is a train that runs from Rossio Train Station, which is in the center of Lisbon, to Sintra. Sintra is the last stop, so there is no mistake 😊.
It only costs 2,30€ per person and takes 40 minutes. By car, it can take 30 minutes when there is no traffic.
“So why not use a car, Daniel?” 🤓 It’s because Sintra is not car-friendly. Almost all the roads are one-way, and if you miss the entrance, it can take 20 minutes to get back to the same spot.
There is another thing 👇. It is forbidden for private cars to drive to Pena Palace 🙅♂️🚘. Some people still do it anyway, but there is a chance of encountering police along the way 👮♂️, or most of the time, you won’t be able to find a parking spot.
Alternatively, you can park your car in the village and walk or take a tuk-tuk 🛺 the rest of the way. Either way, you have to deal with parking meters (the maximum time a car can be parked in most spots is 4 hours) and the difficulty of finding a place to park during high season.
Save your worries, relax, and take the train 😌. At the end of the day, that’s why you’re traveling, right? 😉
PS: Just make sure you take the Rossio train back to Lisbon (there is another one that goes to Oriente).
