If you are planning your trip to Portugal and are wondering how to get to Sintra, read on for travel details from overseas, from Spain, from Oporto or locally from Lisbon to Sintra and from Cascais to Sintra.
Sintra is situated just under 30 kilometres from Lisbon, whose international airport is served by a variety of airlines from destinations all over Europe and beyond.
It is also possible to drive to Portugal from mainland Europe, with many visitors arriving each year via the main coastal highway that crosses from Seville in Spain and picking up the main A2 motorway that leads all the way from the south to Portugal’s capital city. Alternatively visitors may arrive in Porto and approach Lisbon on the same highway from the north.
How to get to Sintra once you arrive in Lisbon depends on your chosen mode of transport. Travelling from Lisbon to Sintra by train is a popular option, with the town well served by regular trains, which arrive at the station some ten minutes walk or a short bus ride from the centre. There are several bus services that run from coastal Cascais to Sintra and plenty of taxis available for short journeys.
Bicycle hire is very popular here, giving visitors the ideal opportunity to appreciate the tranquil beauty of this picturesque region. Bikes can be hired locally or in Lisbon and carried on the train or ridden by the more adventurous. The road from Lisbon to Sintra is straightforward however you choose to travel, via the fast A5 and A16 motorways.
If time is no object, follow the N6 coast road which hugs the contours of the Atlantic beaches, before cutting inland on the A16 and climbing through the lush greenery to the romantic town of Sintra.
