Places you can reach in the morning and leave in the evening. Public transport first; the car only where it really helps.
Sintra
Romantic palaces, a Moorish castle and wooded hills in the UNESCO Cultural Landscape of Sintra (1995). For history and garden lovers; plan two or three sights, not all of them.
How to get there
- Train · CP (Sintra line) · 40 minFrom Rossio station (also Oriente, Entrecampos)
Departures: Weekends and holidays every 30 min from Rossio, 06:01-01:01; last train Sintra-Rossio 00:20. Weekday times not verified 2026 (weekday pages of the PDF are images).
Fare: Return Lisboa-Sintra EUR 5.10; Zapping EUR 2.05 per trip; 24h Carris/Metro/CP ticket EUR 11.40 (prices from 1 Jan 2026, checked 2026-10)
CP still publishes the timetable 'valid since 30 June 2024'. Validate the Navegante card before every trip.
- Bus · Scotturb (line 434 to the Moorish Castle and Pena; line 435 to Monserrate)From Sintra station / Lourel car park
Departures: not verified 2026
Fare: not verified 2026 (scotturb.com blocks access). The CP 'Train & Bus' day ticket (train plus buses 434/435) is marked 'temporarily suspended' on cp.pt (checked 2026-10).
Parques de Sintra names bus 434 (Scotturb) as the public-transport link from the station and Lourel car park to Pena and the Moorish Castle, and 434/435 for the National Palace.
- Bus · Carris Metropolitana (line 1253, circular via Cabo da Roca)From Sintra station
Departures: not verified 2026
Fare: not verified 2026
Listed by Parques de Sintra as the bus from Sintra station to Monserrate.
What to see
- Pena Palace and Park. King Fernando II's coloured palace on the top crag; palace entry only with a booked date and time slot. 2.5-3 hours with the park.
- Sintra National Palace. The medieval royal palace in the town centre, 10-15 minutes' walk from the station. About 1 hour.
- Quinta da Regaleira. Gardens, grottoes and the initiation well; timed entry slots. About 1.5-2 hours.
- Moorish Castle. Reached by bus 434 or the marked trails from the town; no private cars. About 1 hour.
- Monserrate Park and Palace. 19th-century palace and botanical garden west of the town, by bus 435 or Carris Metropolitana 1253. About 1.5 hours.
Closed days
Parques de Sintra lists daily opening hours for Pena, the National Palace, Monserrate and the Moorish Castle, with no weekly closing day.
Best time to go
all year
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. Private vehicles are not allowed up to Pena or the Moorish Castle, and private traffic in the historic centre is limited to residents (Parques de Sintra). Park in the peripheral car parks (Lourel) and take bus 434 or walk the marked trails. Since July 2026 tour coaches are barred from Volta do Duche and Uber/Bolt must use 12 fixed pick-up points.
Good to know
- Book the Pena Palace slot in advance: tickets are sold only for a specific date and time.
- Inside the Pena park a hop-on hop-off circuit costs EUR 4.50 (Parques de Sintra, 2026).
- Marked trails from the town up the hill: Santa Maria trail 1.77 km (about 1 hour) from the Info Parques de Sintra point in São Pedro, Villa Sassetti trail 1.85 km (45 min) from Largo Ferreira de Castro.
- Ticket offices at the National Palace and Monserrate close 12:00-13:00; vending machines stay open.
Cascais
A former fishing town on the Estoril coast, 40 minutes by the riverside train. For a sea walk, the Paula Rego museum and a beach; works as a half day.
How to get there
- Train · CP (Cascais line) · 40 minFrom Cais do Sodré station
Departures: Every 20 min most of the day; weekdays from 05:30, last train back from Cascais about 01:40 (timetable valid since 6 Apr 2026; weekend timetable since 20 Jun 2026)
Fare: Return Lisboa-Cascais EUR 5.10; Zapping EUR 2.05 per trip; 24h Carris/Metro/CP ticket EUR 11.40 (prices from 1 Jan 2026, checked 2026-10)
Some late weekend trains are replaced by buses (see the weekend timetable).
What to see
- Train ride along the Tagus and the coast. The line follows the Tagus estuary and the coast from Cais do Sodré. 40 min.
- Boca do Inferno. Sea cliffs on the coast road west of the town centre. 20-30 min.
- Casa das Histórias Paula Rego. Museum of the painter Paula Rego; closed Mondays per Time Out. About 1 hour.
- Guincho beach. Wild dune beach in the Sintra-Cascais Natural Park, popular for wind and kite sports. Half a day with the ride out.
Closed days
Town and coast: no closing day. Casa das Histórias Paula Rego: Tuesday-Sunday 10:00-18:00 per Time Out Lisboa (not confirmed on an official page).
Best time to go
all year (beach May-Sep)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- The Lisboa Card covers the CP Cascais and Sintra lines.
- Time Out lists Casa das Histórias Paula Rego as open Tuesday to Sunday 10:00-18:00, so it is closed on Mondays; check before you go.
- Check the weekend timetable for late trains replaced by buses.
Évora
The walled capital of the Alentejo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1986, with a Roman temple, a Gothic cathedral and the Chapel of Bones. A full day for history lovers.
How to get there
- Train · CP Intercidades (Alentejo line) · 1 h 40 minFrom Lisboa Oriente (also Entrecampos, Sete Rios)
Departures: About 6 departures a day from Oriente (07:02, 09:02, 09:58, 13:35, 17:02, 19:02; some run only on weekdays or only at weekends); returns from Évora 07:00, 09:14, 11:30, 16:51, 19:14 (timetable valid since 6 Sep 2026)
Fare: 2nd class EUR 13.90 one way, EUR 25.50 return; 1st class EUR 18.50 one way (prices from 1 Jan 2026, checked 2026-10)
Seat reservation is mandatory on Intercidades. Check the day markers in the PDF: some trains are weekday-only or weekend-only.
What to see
- Roman Temple. The Roman temple columns in the old town, seen from the street. 15 min.
- Évora Cathedral (Sé). Cathedral, cloister, museum and the roof terrace view; complete visit EUR 5. About 1 hour.
- Igreja de São Francisco and Capela dos Ossos. Church with the Chapel of Bones; single ticket EUR 7 adult for all museum areas. About 45 min.
- Praça do Giraldo and the old town. Main square and the whitewashed lanes inside the walls. 1-2 hours on foot.
Closed days
Igreja de São Francisco/Capela dos Ossos is open every day except 1 January, Easter Sunday, the afternoon of 24 December and 25 December. The cathedral lists closures only on the afternoon of 24 December, 25 December and 1 January.
Best time to go
Mar-Jun, Sep-Nov (summer afternoons are very hot)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- Book the Intercidades seat ahead; reservation is mandatory.
- The last listed train back leaves Évora at 19:14 and reaches Oriente at 20:57; check that it runs on your day.
- The Capela dos Ossos opens 09:00-18:30 in summer time and 09:00-17:00 in winter time.
Óbidos
A small hilltop town inside its medieval walls, the 'town of the Queens', and a UNESCO City of Literature (2015) known for bookshops. For a slow half day or day; very busy at its July medieval fair.
How to get there
- Bus · Rodoviária do Oeste (Rápida Verde, Lisboa - Óbidos - Caldas da Rainha) · 1 hFrom Lisboa Campo Grande
Departures: Roughly hourly; at weekends from Lisboa 07:30, 09:30, then hourly; last bus back from Óbidos 21:45 (timetable from 6 Oct 2026)
Fare: EUR 9.45 adult single Óbidos-Lisboa, buy on board, at RDO ticket offices or in the MOOV-U app (checked 2026-10)
Fares are Passe M prices and may change; timetable changes in holiday periods.
What to see
- The town walls and castle. Walls remodelled under King Dinis I; the castle is now a pousada. 45-60 min around the walls.
- Porta da Vila. Town gate lined with azulejos. 10 min.
- Igreja de Santa Maria. The town's parish church. 15-20 min.
- Bookshops. Óbidos has around 14 bookshops, one inside a church. 30-60 min.
Best time to go
all year (Fólio literary festival every October; medieval fair in July)
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here.
Good to know
- The bus is the practical option: the CP Oeste line train needs a change at Mira Sintra-Meleças and takes over 2 hours from there.
- Go on a weekday outside July and August if you want the lanes quieter.
- Children under 4 travel free on RDO buses; ages 4-12 pay a half fare.
Setúbal and Arrábida
A working port city on the Sado estuary with a Manueline monastery and a resident dolphin colony, next to the limestone coast and coves of the Arrábida Natural Park. For food, beaches and nature.
How to get there
- Train · Fertagus · 58 minFrom Roma-Areeiro (also Entrecampos, Sete Rios)
Departures: Every 20 min most of the day; last train back from Setúbal 00:03 on weekdays, 23:03 at weekends and holidays
Fare: EUR 5.70 single Lisboa-Setúbal (fares from 1 Jan 2026, checked 2026-10)
Crosses the 25 de Abril bridge. Navegante Metropolitano passes are valid.
- Bus · Carris Metropolitana (4474 Setúbal - Praia da Figueirinha; 4470 Setúbal - Praia do Creiro via Azeitão)From Setúbal
Departures: not verified 2026
Fare: not verified 2026
Lines listed on the Carris Metropolitana network; 2026 timetable and season not verified.
What to see
- Monastery of Jesus. 15th-16th-century church, one of the first buildings in the Manueline style. 30-45 min.
- Fort of São Filipe. 16th-century fort with a view over the city and the Sado estuary. 45 min with the walk up.
- Arrábida beaches. Figueirinha, Galapos, Galapinhos, Creiro and Portinho da Arrábida below the Arrábida hills. Half a day.
- Sado estuary dolphins. A dolphin colony lives in the Sado estuary; boat operators not verified here. 2-3 hours.
- Azeitão. Village of muscatel producers and tortas de Azeitão on the inland side of the hills. 1-2 hours.
Best time to go
all year; beaches Jun-Sep
By car
Public transport is the better way to go here. 'Arrábida Sem Carros 2026' (4 June-15 September): private cars banned 07:00-20:00 on the access to Albarquel and Figueirinha beaches; access to Galapos, Creiro and Portinho restricted 07:00-20:00 from the Pinheiro junction and closed when the Creiro car parks are full. Rua Círio da Arrábida (Figueirinha-Galapos) has been closed since February 2023.
Good to know
- In the beach season go by public transport: the coast road is closed to private cars in the daytime.
- Fertagus leaves from Roma-Areeiro, Entrecampos and Sete Rios, not from the riverside stations.
- The Oceanographic Museum is in the Fort of Santa Maria da Arrábida above Portinho.