Instead of taking Bus #434 from the train station in Sintra, Portugal to the Pena Palace (because of likely crowds etc.) we were thinking of taking a tuk-tuk. Wondering if any fellow travelers have done it from the station and if they are readily available at the station. We don't want a tour, just a ride. Thanks in advance for any info.
Posted by
11 posts
When we were there in June there were tuk tuk drivers outside the Sintra station asking if we wanted a ride. We took an Uber to the Palace but could have taken a tuk tuk.
Posted by
Tel Aviv
15589 posts
I stayed in Sintra, ended up taking a tuktuk from the central plaza after waiting too long for a bus. It was a bit exciting but quite safe and very fast. The driver zipped past all the cars and buses idling up the hill waiting to either drop people off or get into parking lots. There were tuktuks waiting at the exit from the palace as well.
Posted by
USA
350 posts
About what is the cost of taking TukTuk from the central railway station to Pena Palace?
Posted by
Seattle
399 posts
This evokes memories. I took a tuk-tuk from the bus stop area to the gates. Unlike the newer tuk-tuks that have some suspension to absorb the road bumps, this one had none. Every bone jarring bump in the road (and there were a zillion of them) was transmitted to my poor body. At one point I thought my internal organs were going to get mixed up inside of me.
Posted by
1 posts
I am trying to purchase Pana Palace ticket via their official website. The site offers the supplementary transportation from the park entrance to palace. Does Tuk-Tuk go up to the park entrance or all the way to the palace?
i am booking for 9:30 and travelling from Lisbon that morning so time is very critical.
Also is anyone bought the audio tour ? Would you recommend it?
Thank you!
Posted by
OP
California
9 posts
Hello yoomeek68,
Pena Palace offers a tram from the Park Entrance to the Palace itself. Well worth it because the hill is steep. The tuk-tuks from the train station are a separate deal. We took the tuk-tuk to the Pena Palace entrance and it is certainly worth it as well. The driver was super friendly. And the ride itself is fun.... especially if you haven't ridden in one before (like us.) Tell him/her when your entrance time is so they can hurry if needed.
Good luck.
P.S. I hope you have time to also see the Quinta da Regaleira Estate. That was wonderful.
Here are some of the things there (I probably lifted these descriptions right from RS's guide book)
1) The Garden Complex - The garden complex is the crown jewel of the Estate. It’s littered with playful and intriguing follies; 2) The Initiation Well - The garden’s most visited spot is a surrealistic “initiation well.” It may have been used for secret and mysterious Masonic rites, ceremonies, or convocations. It was certainly never used for water collection. You can walk 90 feet down the spiral staircase into the interior of the earth. The well contains nine platforms, which are said to be “reminiscent of the Divine Comedy by Dante and the nine circles of Hell, the nine sections of Purgatory and the nine skies which constitute Paradise.”
3) "Tunnels in the Garden - From the bottom of the well, a passageway, hidden from the top, leads to a maze-like web of tunnels beneath the garden. Some are lit up with light strips. Others remain dark and slightly haunted, but are perfectly safe."