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Day Trips 🚗
18
items From Lisbon, I'll tell you how long it takes, what to do, and the detail no one warns you about.
Sections
3
From Lisbon to:
🚆Bus and Train Stations
Where to chill😴
From Lisbon to:
40 min by train — fairytale palaces in the misty hills (Pena, Regaleira). Magic but mobbed and exhausting: transport and queues are rough. 💡 Arrive at opening and pick 1-2 palaces, not all of them 😮💨
Sintra
40 min by train — a charming, laid-back beach town with a boardwalk. The beaches in the center are small and get crowded in the summer. 💡 Rent a bike and ride to Praia do Guincho (windy, surfer's beach).
Cascais
1.5 h by car, the town of giant waves and the funicular up to the Sítio viewpoint. The monster waves are autumn/winter; in summer it's a regular, crowded beach town.
Nazaré
🚇 45 min by train — proper seafood (order choco frito) and wild dolphins in the Sado estuary. More authentic and less touristy than Sintra. 💡 The dolphins are wild, not guaranteed.
Setúbal
🚙 25 min by car — The beaches are beautiful. I recommend taking an Uber or a rental car. I don't really recommend public transportation because, in my opinion, the trip takes too long.
Costa da Caparica
🚗1h15 by car — white sand and rice paddies, the "Portuguese Hamptons." Stunning but very pricey and you need a car.
Comporta
🚍 1 h by bus — a walled medieval town; walk the castle walls and try ginjinha in a chocolate cup. Gorgeous but tiny and swamped by tour buses midday. 💡 Go early. Medieval festival in July.
Óbidos
🚙 45 min by car — a laid-back surf town, a World Surfing Reserve with great seafood. The town is small.
Ericeira
turquoise water with a mountain backdrop, great for snorkelling. 💡 Parking is a nightmare in summer: park at Creiro and walk or take a tuk-tuk. Cold water, rocky entry…
Portinho da Arrábida
🚆Bus and Train Stations
The journey from Rosio station to Sintra takes 40 minutes, and there’s a direct train with stops along the way. It’s also a great opportunity to visit the famous Rosio railway station (A single ticket costs around 2.30/3.00 euros)
Rossio
This route is truly magnificent; it stops at places offering panoramic views of the beach (the journey takes 40 minutes). The villages you pass through on the way to Cascais are also charming; Estoril, is one of them. Alternatively, you can take the ...
Cais do Sodre
Furthermore, this station is very popular for its architectural design and the range of travel options to national destinations. You can get to Évora from here by train, which would be a quicker journey CP Intercidades about 1h30.
Oriente
From here you can go to Setúbal and Portinho da Arrábida. You have the metro station and the Ferry Station, please go and take the ferry to Barreiro (25 minutes, €2.65), then once you arrive to Barreiro take the CP train (Sado line) to Setúbal (€2.40...
Estação de Metro Terreiro do Paço
This bus station offers a variety of destinations; you can travel to the north or the south of the country. It’s best to catch a bus from here to Nazaré, Évora, the Algarve, Porto or the Alentejo.
Sete Rios Bus Station, Lisbon
Where to chill😴
the secret few know: once the tour buses leave at dusk, the walled town goes almost empty and magical. 💤 Sleep INSIDE the castle at the Pousada do Castelo de Óbidos (parking is a 10-min walk, outside the walls).
Pousada do Castelo de Óbidos
a real surf town: stay for sunset, a seafood dinner and the morning waves. 💤 Ericeira Soul Guesthouse (central, homemade breakfast)
Ericeira Soul Guesthouse
beach access and a surf school
You and the sea - Ericeira Apartments
great vibe, the luxury one, but very expensive: 350€ per night
Independente Comporta