Sintra Travel Forum

We're visiting Portugal for the first time, 7 nights total with a rental car, in July. We're thinking of breaking it down like this: Arrive, Night 1 Lisbon, Nights 2 and 3, Lagos, Night 4, Lisbon again, Nights 5, 6, and 7 Sintra. We'd like to make day trips from Sintra to Obidos and other places. Is that too much time in Sintra and not enough in Lisbon? How long is the drive from Sintra to the airport to catch an 11:00 am flight to London? Or should we stay the last night in Lisbon to make sure we make it to the airport in time?

I think it's too much time in Sintra and not enough in Lisbon. I'll reduce the overnights in Sintra to 1 (1 day Sintra, 1 day Obidos) or 2 (with one day more for Cabo da Roca)
There is a lot to see and fee in Lisbon, while I was less impressed by SAintra.
Cheers
gmg

I'd stay two full days in Lisbon but what you can do is to go t Lisbon and sleep in Sinra anyway. One full day for Sintra, one for Obidos-Cabo da Roca.

For Sintra-Airport: http://www.viamichelin.com/viamichelin/int/dyn/controller/Itineraires?strStartCityCountry=EUR&strStartAddress=&strStartMerged=&strDestCityCountry=669&strDestAddress=&strDestMerged=lisbon+airport&choiceType=1&ie=UTF-8&x=42&y=17

Lucky you. Portugal is simply beautiful and driving is a great way to see its beauty. You don't say what time you are arriving but I would suggest driving straight to Sintra after you pick up your car. Its not a long drive and it will remain light until about 9pm.

Night 1 & 2 - Sintra (with a side trip to Obidos which is a gorgeous little village easily seen in a couple of hours)

Night 3 & 4 - Lagos. You can drive from Sintra in a bit more than four hours depending on traffic conditions.

Night 5, 6 & 7 - Lisbon. Check out the gorgeous beaches and clifftop scenery around Lagos before heading back to the capital.

I would definitely stay the last night in Lisbon. Peak hour traffic is chaotic and you have to return the car before you check in.

Hi,

3 days in Sintra is too lonk. Moreover you can reach Sintra from Lisbon easyly by train and car. Better stay in Lisbon. In summer the Sinta region often has fog! Effected is Sintra itself, down to the coast from Praia das Macas to almost Praia do Guincho. During the week it is "almost impossible" to drive from Sintra to the airport and catch a flight at 11:00 am, other than starting at 06:00 am.

Enjoy the area!

Thank you all for the advice, especially about not leaving for the airport from Sintra. We are now considering less moving around and using Lisbon and Sintra as bases for us to make day trips from. So, we will start out in Sintra for 3 nights and Lisbon for 4 nights. We'll visit the Algarve area on a day trip instead of staying there for two nights.

Thank you to all who replied. I apreciate all your advice!

Good plan however it is a decent drive to the Algarve (3hrs each way from Lisbon) so your time there would be quite limited. A one night stopover would be better. Its very pretty down there but would be swarming with tourists I imagine.

I think that your plan is getting better, but it still may be improved:
I understood that swimming is not the purpose of your trip to Algarve, so you could spare the two nights in Lagos. But I think that you'd better stay there for, at least, for one night (the only night outside of Lisbon, in my opinion). That would give you time to, in your way south, drive inland to see Evora and Mertola (if you move quickly Monsaraz should be considered), before arriving in Lagos. There, if you want to say a day in Algarve, you could keep the two nights. In your way back to Lisbon (after one or two nights) you should drive to Sagres, and follow the coast up north, seeing the wild coast, and visiting (bathing if you want to) Azambujeira do Mar, Sines, and, closer to Lisbon, Sesimbra and Arrábida.
Sintra is an "absolute must see" but it takes less than an hour driving from Lisbon, being easy to visit in a day trip (that could include Mafra).
Obidos is another must see, in another day trip, but I recommend that you should reserve a full day to it, including Alcobaça, Batalha and Nazaré in your circuit - they are places separated by only 15 to 20 minutes driving, and truly deserved to be visited.

Sumarizing:
One day driving south to Lagos
One day in Lagos (or not)
One day driving along the coast back to Lisbon
One day to Sintra, Cabo da Roca and Mafra
One day to Obidos, Alcobaça, Batalha and Nazaré (if you skipped the day in Lagos, then you may use it in Lisbon, or include a night in Nazaré, driving back the next day. That should mean: day 1 - Obidos, Caldas da Rainha, S. Martinho do Porto, Nazaré. Day 2 - Alcobaça, Batalha, Fátima, Tomar and back to Lisbon.)
The remaninig in Lisbon

My pages are in the top 5 of almost all these places, and may help you to decide.

Enjoy

Well, i believe that you have change your plans.

Sintra is a very small village but with a lot to see. You have palaces, castles and you need to try the "queijadas de Sintra" and the "travesseiros da piriquita".

While taking a tour on the coast, you must try the sardines (in portuguese: "sardinhas").

In Lisboa, you have lot to do. You need to go to "Bairro Alto", you must ear "Fado", see all the museums and all the other cultural monuments.

Going from Sintra to the airport in a week day is a very bad idea. "IC-19" and "2ª circular" are the most traffic roads in europe.

Is a good idea to start you trip in Sintra and then Lisboa.

Hope this helps you out.

Best regards and nive stay!

I'm not sure if I'm doing this right, but this comment is for sopra ti (and anyone else who would like to comment).
Thanks for the advice about not driving in from sintra. We will now start in sintra for 3 nights in sintra and end 4 nights in lisbon.
I have a question about motor scooters (vespas)--is that a good way to get around lisbon to see things? And if it is, where would I rent them--I would need 5!
Thank you!

Sounds like you are all organised.

www.portugaltravelguide.com/en/tagus_valley is a good site to get information about short trips from Sintra.

With regard to scooter hire, I cant confirm if there is one in Sintra. I saw information about bicycle hire when I was there, but keep in mind that Sintra is very hilly in places so cycling would require a good level of fitness by everyone in your group.

Its easy to get around Lisbon by public transport. I wouldn't hire scooters in the city. The traffic is too chaotic.

Thank you to everyone who replied to my questions. We've now planned our trip to stay the first three nights in Lisbon, see things in and around there, then spend our next three nights in Sintra and make trips from there, then spend the last night in Lisbon so we can get to the airport on time in the morning without having to get up so early. Also, we've shelved the idea of the motor scooters in Lisbon. I appreciate all your helpful advice!