Sintra Travel Guide, Sintra, Portugal (B)

Sintra is a town near the west coast of Portugal, about 30km north west of Lisbon. The town is legendary in Portugal and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to it’s large concentration of castles, palaces, estates and royal residences dating from the 9th to the 19th century.

As a tourist Sintra seems like something from a fairytale. Lavish Romantic era Disney style palaces nestle amongst the beautiful forest that dominates the area; untold wealth, decadence and history is flaunted around every corner. It’s an impressive place and not one to miss.

By far the easiest way to reach Sintra is via train from Rossio station. Even if you have a car, trains are so regular, cheap and convenient that it’s worth leaving it behind. Trains depart every 20 minutes and cost €4.50 return per person. The Sintra fare is not included in the local Lisbon 24h travel ticket.

If you do decide to drive to Sintra make sure to avoid the morning and afternoon peak times, as the highway is a major commuter route. Also avoid driving into the town centre as you will never find a park. There’s a parking lot near the train station, about 1.5km east of the town centre. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).