Sintra logistics help please

My recollection is we did the gardens and terraces/exterior first. We didn’t need an interior ticket until we got in the line for the interior (which was a slow shuffle, very crowded, and in my opinion not worth it.). The terraces and garden were the highlights to me. I think you’re on the right track.

My understanding is that Bolt/Uber are the best choices for transport in Sintra. I am supposed to go to Lisbon in early Feb (may have to cancel, but don't know yet) and I have studied the Sintra logistics. There's a guy on YouTube who does a lot of travel videos about Portugal and Spain. Unfortunately I can't remember his name, but I watched his video about Sintra. He says the buses are a disgraceful ripoff. The driver will tell you that you have to buy a 24 hour ticket, that they don't sell single ride tickets, even though they do. They did that to this guy even though he is fluent in Portugese. He recommends Uber or Bolt. Of course if you think you'll use a 24 hour ticket, then no problem.

In regards to your other questions I'll be interested to read the responses. The logistics of getting around Sintra sound like enough of a headache that I might skip it, since I hate crowds and wasn't planning on going inside Pena Palace.

We saw most of the palaces in Sintra. Loved Pena. I wouldn't dream of skipping it. We took an Uber and had purchased 9:30am tickets well in advance. The palace was easy to visit at our own pace at that time. The number of people picks up as the day progresses. I would highly, highly recommend tickets 10am and earlier and remember its a 15-20 minute walk up to the entrance. After the interior, we did the grounds and walked to the Moorish castle which was probably my least favorite, but worth doing, especially for the fabulous views. From there we took an UBER to Monserrate. That's were transportation was a real problem. It had been a little bit of a wait at the Moorish castle for an Uber. It was a HUGE problem to get an Uber from Monserrate. So many accepted until they looked at the route and then they would cancel. After more than an hour, a group of 4 from South America kindly let us squeeze in. It was a blast, actually. But that's another story. Personally, as crowded as the bus was, the bus may be the best bet to and from Monserrate, which is worth seeing. Monserrate is a bit out of town (and not a safe walk, FYI) and with traffic and one way roads it can take a while to get there which is why Uber drivers seem to hate it.

We had seen Regaleria the day before. We purchased the tickets online day of. It absolutely astounds me, that people will stand in long ticket lines to purchase tickets when they are available for sale on line (this was also the case at the castle in Lisbon. There were signs that people stood under that said tickets were available online) The star of Regaleria is the gardens. (Go to the spiral stairs first, or later in the day when the busloads have left) The palace, itself, is fine. Its small and it was a bit crowded, but it was just 20 minutes or so. From Regaleria, we walked to city center and went to the National Palace. There isn't much of the way of furnishings there, so I didn't love it, but my husband found it interesting.

@Kayla, we were in Lisbon this past April, after Easter. I think that tourism to Portugal has dramatically increased in such a short time frame that there isn't the infrastructure to handle it. Uber was a NIGHTMARE in Lisbon and Sintra. Unfortunately, any guidebooks and Youtube videos are woefully out of date because there are just so many more people now. We thought we were going to Portugal during shoulder season. I don't think there is shoulder season anymore. Don't get me wrong, we loved Portugal but within cities, transportation was difficult. We ended up walking quite a bit, which for the most part was fine.

EDITED TO ADD: It used to be that visitors could access the Pena Palace terraces for free, or maybe it was with a garden ticket? Now, you can not get on the terraces without a ticket to the interior.

I wouldn't overthink it. You have 4 nights which is different then most people who do it as a day trip who are trying to see as much as possible in a very limited time. You can afford to visit Sintra at a more relaxed pace which is the most ideal.

I think the buses are fine, it can just get crowded, but still the cheapest besides walking. The tickets are around 4 euro. Tuk tuk are very expensive. They are fun and might be worth a ride if you get a good driver for the entertainment, but I wouldn't use them as my main form of transportation unless money was not an issue. I haven't used Bolt or taxis to get around, but the distances are rather short, so I wonder if it's worth it for the drivers to take you around or if you will run across no shows. I would think they would be caught in the traffic as much as the buses, which is my guess why someone might have said the buses are unreliable (perhaps not always on time?)

Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate Palace on the same day makes sense. There is a bus that links the two.

The Parks of Pena ticket used to cover the terraces, but recently that was changed and the terraces now require a timed entry. I went in Spring 2022 when the terraces did not require a timed ticket, so I don't have any advice around your question. The tickets are not that expensive, so I guess you could buy a timed ticket and decide later if you want to use it or not. The grounds of Pena are really nice and uncrowded, so you can easily spend a few hours wandering. Probably getting the first entry to Pena would work out but you would need to figure out transportation besides the buses which start running a bit later I believe.

In case you did not know, Sintra has some nice hiking/walking trails. There are a couple to Pena and the Moorish Castle from town that make for a very pleasant walk with great views.

https://www.parquesdesintra.pt/en/plan-your-visit/itineraries/sintra-by-foot/

I walked up via Vila Sassetti to Pena (can get steep at end) and down via Santa Maria. I took my time since I was not in a rush and really enjoyed it. Many will walk down Vila Sassetti path instead of up. I guess it depends on your knees etc. The path will take you to the Moorish Castle or the Main entrance for Pena, or the Lakes Entrance for Pena (the one I took).

Thank you for the helpful input. I also considered getting a ticket for the interior of the palace, then trying to get past the crowds to the terrace. Then again, it's not like I won't get enough beautiful views if I skip the terraces altogether. Since I'm staying not too far from the Santa Maria church, I'm sure I'll end up walking that trail at some point. I'd rather it be down hill, but I'm not opposed to hiking up to the palace if I can't get a ride.

Kayla, I think I saw the same youtube video. I watched several about Portugal from that gentleman and he seems credible. Maybe the buses won't be problematic in January though since if there is a shoulder season, that will probably be it.

January should be a big improvement from the warmer months. Just be prepared for rain. Uber and Bolt should be good outside of downtown and Sintra palaces. So, visiting caba da roca by Uber should be easy. Bolt is used more than Uber by locals as it’s a bit cheaper. The same drivers work for both companies. I usually check the prices on both for most trips.

We were in Sintra this past September. We used Bolt to get almost everywhere, including to and from Monserrate. It worked very well and was extremely inexpensive. We had talked to a number of people who said the interior of Pena is not worth the time. However, to visit the terraces, you have to buy the ticket for the interior. We bought tickets for the first tour, and while everyone was queueing to see the interior, we had the terraces to ourselves for great photos.

On the Pena grounds is the Chateau d’Edla, which we enjoyed. No crowds. You can walk from Pena to the Moorish Castle and from the Moorish Castle to the town of Sintra on the Sassetti trail, which is downhill. We enjoyed the gorgeous ceilings of the National Palace in town. We didn’t have time to see the Capuchin Monastery, but it might have been a nice contrast to all the palaces.

We almost didn’t visit Sintra because of the horror stories about crowds, but with our two night stay, we were able to see sights first thing in the morning and in the late afternoon, thereby avoiding the worst of the crowds. We loved our visit!

I don't mind rain as long as it's not pouring down hard. I'm hoping there won't be so many people visiting mid January. I think I'm going to wait and see how many tickets get sold for the first time slot in the morning and base my decision on that. I'm so excited about this trip!