How difficult / steep is the walk to Quinta de Regaileira from the National Place of Sintra?

It’s a mostly flat walk from the National Palace to the Quinta - except for the entrance, which is a short but fairly steep climb. However, if your group is fairly large, it might be a bit of a challenge because the sidewalk is pretty narrow in places. You could potentially have taxis for your less mobile ladies. Unfortunately, I can’t remember how long a walk it is. Hopefully, someone who has done the walk more recently will remember.

Indeed, I did it in May this year. It's a nearly level walk (slightly downhill) until you get to the exit gate. Then there's a sign that the entrance/ticket office is 400 meters farther. It's all uphill and rather steep - and once you get inside, it's uphill to some of the points of interest like the Initiation Well, then mostly downhill to others ending with the "palace" that's almost at the exit. The visit is mostly walking up and down through the gardens, and enjoying a couple of viewpoints. If this is challenging, consider visiting the beautiful National Palace instead.

I don't understand the concern about the one-way roads. It's a short drive on a main street from the National Palace to an intersection a minute's walk from Incomum.

The city bus #435 makes a loop from the train station via Quinta de Regaileira. If the city bus can do it, your big tour bus should be able to. It's possible that the bus would drop you near the exit - so you still have the climb - but would have to make a loop to get back to the city to park. It could then pick you up at the exit and drive the loop back to the train station (very near Incomum - so should be able to drop the group quite close without a big detour).

Thanky Kathrynj adn Chani,

the concert about the one way road is more about going to the restaurant after the bisit to Quinta de Regaileira. Taxi, minibus or anything else, we'd have to do a long loop to get back to the village (estimate about 30min with all the trafic). I am not sure but if I am not wrong the pubic buses (ie #435) are alowed to drive on the roads, whereas tour-buses (charer like ours) can't. Information at Quinta de Regaileira replied to me that the only buses that allow to drive up to them are the 10m ones --minibuses.

That was good to know what you wrote about the loctioins inside the Quinta. I kind of assumed that the "palace" was at the top closer to the entrance. I thought we'd go in, tour the palace, and then tour the gardens walking donw to the exit. And those who don't want to do a lot of walking in the garden can take a break at the cafe, meeting us around the time to leave at the exit. So, my assumption was wrong _.