Lisbon or Sintra

We visited Portugal in Sept. 2016. Our tour began in Lisbon. We stayed at the Hotel Lisboa alongside Avenida da Liberdade for 5 nights. It was in walking distance of shopping, local eateries and metro. It was two stops to Rossio Square. The airport was 6.2 km. Nice hotel.

Another forum friend (Priscilla) contributor might chime in about her stay in Lisbon. Subsequent to our stay she was there in 2019. She recommends hotel “My Story Hotel Augusta.” This area may be an option for you.

We arrived in Lisbon a couple days prior to the start of the tour. We took a guided day tour with Lisbon Riders to Sintra/Casáis and beyond. Our knowledgeable guide was Manuel. Comfortable van & only 6 of us. It was a great tour.

I recommend that you stay in Lisbon and do a day trip to Sintra. Lisbon is fun city to walk around. Do not miss Belem! We enjoyed our day at Sintra but it is small and was packed with tourists. In Lisbon we could easily be out of the tourist fray , use their public transportation system to explore the whole city. The elevadores take you up and down the hills and were included in our transit passes.
We stayed ten nights in an apartment before leaving to explore the rest of the country and loved every minute. Belem is a highlight of Lisbon with several important sites to see..

The first time we went, we stayed in both, we stayed I think 4 nights in Lisbon and 2 in Sintra. I frankly enjoyed both, so don't know if you have the time to do that.
If I only had 3 nights I think I would choose Lisbon over Sintra. There are great restaurants, to enjoy in the evening and you will enjoy just walking around the city. We stayed up near the castle, just above the Alfama, and it was quiet at night with really no partying.

Sintra has a lot of sites, castles and gardens. They are busy though, and that was the advantage of staying over. We did one palace our first afternoon, then climbed up to the moorish castle, and Pena palace the next morning, then did one of the gardens in the afternoon. And the town was nice to walk around before and after the crowds.

We have been to Lisbon and Sintra. I would stay in Lisbon. You don't need three days to see Sintra, but you need more than three days to see Lisbon.

Thanks for the information. Best area to stay in Lisbon that would be quiet at night but can still walk to restaurants?

I started my Portugal trip in Sintra last year (3N) in mid-May, ended in Lisbon (5N) at the beginning of June. Of course no one knows what tourism/crowds will be like coming out of the pandemic, but in 2019 due to the masses of tourists, it was much better to visit Sintra as an overnight destination. There are certainly enough worthy sights to fill 2 full days, and you'd be hard pressed to see the top sights in a full day. Sintra is one of the most charming places I stayed and there are several excellent restaurants and one of the very best pastry shops in Portugal. It's also much cheaper to stay in Sintra than Lisbon. The best way to travel between them is by uber or taxi. Taxis are not expensive and uber is even less. I walked everywhere in Sintra except to the Pena Palace. It is possible to walk there from the historic center but it's a fair distance and mostly uphill. The best way is by tuktuk. Sintra is very quiet in the evenings, since most tourists are daytrippers from Lisbon.

In Lisbon I took a small group guided walking tour. Lisbon is very interesting but it is big, parts are hilly, and the sights and interesting neighborhoods are really not walking distance from each other. I used the tram a lot and the metro occasionally. I stayed at My Story Hotel Augusta. It is in the center in an area that is not hilly. It is modern and comfortable but the rooms are very small. It was my impression that there are restaurants everywhere.

I agree with the others that Lisbon is a better choice of where to stay than Sintra.

The area in Lisbon with likely the biggest concentration of good restaurants is Chiado. It is hilly, but that’s Lisbon! There are a number of lovely hotels and you are definitely spoiled for choice with restaurants, bars, coffee shops, etc. It is also on the Tram 28 route and you can walk through the metro station to get to the Baixa area.

if staying in Sintra for a few days, where do you recommend?
Thanks for the information

Memmo Alfama Hotel was great! Located in Alfama district with public transportation, sites and restaurants nearby. There are rooms with river views, a small pool with scenic patio and bar and one of the best breakfasts I've had on the continent. Plus it's around $100/night

In Sintra, we stayed 3 nights in 1012 Boutique Guest House. Suite #1, if I recall correctly.
The main guesthouse is right in the center of town near the main square and close to many restaurants.
The owners arranged a reasonably priced taxi service for us from Lisbon airport upon our arrival.
K