It may require a bit of diligence to ignore the masses of tourists hurling themselves up and down the town’s hilly roads at virtually all times of the year, but the sense of wonder Sintra imparts will be well worth the effort.

Related: 10 Days in Portugal on the cheap through Lisbon, Porto & Braga 

How to get there

Considering that stepping within Sintra’s limits feels akin to time travel, the ease of reaching the town for a day trip from Lisbon is surprising. Simply purchase a €4.50 round-trip ticket at Rossio Station, located in the historic center of Lisbon, for one of the trains departing the station; depending on the time of day, trains depart every 10-20 minutes.

Board the train, get comfortable in one of the trains’ cozy seats and savor a leisurely 40-minute ride out of the hustle and bustle of Lisbon and into a world of both natural and human-made splendor. As the train passes buildings covered in graffiti followed by a series of quaint towns, choose to quietly absorb the rapidly shifting landscape, rest, meditate, daydream, or read — perhaps consider digesting Eça de Queirós’s The Relic or other equally good Portuguese Renaissance literature to accompany the journey into Sintra’s wondrous world.

Getting around Sintra

Once on Sintra’s hallowed ground, exploring the town’s every nook and cranny is a low-cost delight. The 434 bus route was specifically designed for visitors to Sintra, and at €6.90 for round-trip travel, it is much less expensive than the €25 Hop-On/Hop-Off and other tour buses. In fact, while researching this post, we waited 20 minutes at each of two Hop-On/Hop-Off bus stops. When the buses finally arrived, we were told by the drivers that we could not board because no one was disembarking and there were no free seats.

This could potentially happen to you while you wait for the 434 bus, of course, and you should definitely expect exceptionally long lines of people queuing up to wait for the bus at every stop (especially the Palácio de Pena). Your alternatives are to rent a car in Lisbon and do the driving yourself (not at all a bad idea, and affordable if you are sharing the cost with others) or hire a tuk-tuk driver or taxi driver to take you for a private tour (at least €50per person).

The Hop-On/Hop-Off bus does offer two bus routes with many more stops than the 434 bus, but we found that unless you have physical limitations or are going to spend the night in Sintra (not a bad idea, either, if you have the time — then you can experience the town virtually free of tourists in the morning and evening!) the 434 is your best bet for a single day of exploration.

Accommodations: Search more than 250 hotels and vacation apartments in Sintra

Eating in Sintra

If you find yourself hungry after all your exploring, pop into Saudade (the Portuguese word for something close to nostalgia) for whatever your body craves, whether coffee, tea, a sandwich, or a full meal. The varied offerings will tantalize omnivores and vegetarians alike.

Day trip tip

Take the earliest train you can (maybe 7:01 am?) and return as late as you can (11:20 pm, perhaps?) and — though Sintra’s magnificence cannot be absorbed in a day — you will have grasped at least an appetizer portion of the area’s marvelous offerings to tide you over until your next visit.

The post Portugal: Saving in Sintra, a perfect day trip from Lisbon appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

Sintra, Cascais and Coimbra are days three and four in EuroCheapo’s 10-day itinerary for Portugal.

With both destinations clocking in at around half an hour from the Portuguese capital for €5 or less, it’s no surprise that Sintra and Cascais rank high among popular day trips from Lisbon. If whirlwind is your travel speed, you may even be tempted to visit them both the same day.

Sintra (Day 3)

Explore an 18th-century royal retreat in Sintra with a UNSECO World Heritage-listed city center, Sintra-Vila, that looks like something out of a children’s story with its pastel-hued mansions and noble villas, creeping up the deep green-forested foothills of the mountains of the same name.

Above them all, sometimes veiled in a thick mist, looms the dramatic 19th-century Pena National Palace.

Come summer in Sintra, hotels here tip the scales higher than in Lisbon and fill up fast, so you’re best off reserving a room as far in advance as possible. For a basic room to yourself, book a private room at the aptly named Portuguese Hostel (Largo Afonso de Albuquerque 1), right on budget and conveniently located a five-minute walk from Portela de Sintra where you can catch a ride to Cascais in the morning on the 417 bus.

Cascais and Coimbra (Day 4)

Once a cozy fishing village, Cascais is best known today as a sandy playground and popular summer escape for surfers and sun worshippers from Lisbon. Beach aside, its charming pedestrian-only old town is worth a wander. For dramatic views of the frothy Atlantic waters, take the chilly walk to the Boca do Inferno (Hell’s Mouth) chasm.

Spend the evening of day 4 in Coimbra. A mere two hours from Lisbon via train (two and a half from Cascais), this centrally located city is best known for its historic Coimbra-style Fado and 500-year-old university.

Perhaps because of this, Coimbra is one of the best places in Portugal to hear live Fado on a budget, or even for free. At the Café Santa Cruz (Praça 8 de Maio) the weekend Fado concerts will cost you the price of a drink or a meal.

Alternately, Fado ao Centro’s daily 50-minute shows at 6 pm sell for €10, far less than you’d have to shell out for a similar performance in Lisbon.

Get a good night’s sleep without breaking the bank at WW Hostel & Suites (Rua Lourenço de Almeida Azevedo, 3/4) — breakfast, sheets and Wi-Fi included.

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

Sintra, Cascais and Coimbra are days three and four on our recommended itinerary for a 10-day trip in Portugal. Click below to continue!

Days 1 and 2: Lisbon

Days 5 and 6: Valença and Ponte de Lima

Days 7 and 8: Braga and Guimarães

Days 9 and 10: Porto

The post Sintra, Cascais, and Coimbra: 10-day Portugal itinerary appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.

But here the striking scenery is complete with Roman ruins, cobblestone streets, and medieval old towns, blissfully untouched by the San Andreas fault.

Finally, and fortunately for budget travelers everywhere, it’s inexpensive to eat, drink, and sleep in Portugal, not to mention to get around, especially as compared to the most of Western Europe.

Here’s a rundown of how to navigate the country and take off on a 10-day trip through Lisbon, Porto, Braga and beyond!

Budget Basics: Eating, drinking & sleeping in Portugal

Expect to spend on average €50 per night for a centrally located, simple hotel room with a private bath and around €10 for a shared dorm at a hostel. If you like to cook and entertain while you travel, vacation apartments can be had for as little as €40 per night in bigger cities like Lisbon and Porto, depending on the time of year and location.

Search and book over 14,000 hotels in Portugal

It seems counter-intuitive, but sometimes in smaller cities, centrally located basic hotels are more expensive and harder to come by than in metropolises like Porto and Lisbon. Be sure to book hotels in smaller, popular cities like Sintra and Ponte de Lima further in advance, especially if you plan to travel during the busy spring and summer seasons.

Keep an eye out for lunch deals, especially for fresh seafood like these sardines in Lisbon. Photo: islandralm

Food and drink are very cheap in restaurants, especially if you make a point of eating away from the main tourist attractions. For extra savings, feast on a meal out in the middle of the day (12 pm – 4 pm) when hearty one-plate meals called pratos de día can be had for as little as €5.

Keep your booze bill under control by sticking to reasonably priced house wine, served in little clay pitchers. Get the freshest produce at open markets and the cheapest groceries at local and European chains like Pingo Doce, Aldi, and Lidl.

Portugal: Arriving and getting around

Even with a full 10 days to play with, to make the most of your time in Portugal, you’re best off flying into the south (Lisbon) and out of the north (Porto). If you book your ticket carefully, this should cost the same or only marginally more than a round-trip fare out of either of the country’s major international airports.

Once on the ground, you can traverse the highlights in an inexpensive combination of trains and buses for a grand total of €80-120 and 10 hours of travel time in the country.

Of course, if you’re traveling in a group, or just prefer your independence, it might be worth investing in an open-ended rental car (where you pick up a vehicle in one location and drop it off in another). Sure, it means you’ll have to spend time and money filling up and finding parking, but it also means you decide when and where to explore, not the bus or train schedule. In a group, a rental car, from around €20 a day, can even save you money.

Search and book rentals cars throughout Europe

Just make sure to grab an international driving permit ($15 from AAA) before the trip. Another pro tip is to enable the automatic toll readers (Via Verde) on your rental, saving you time, fuss, and spare change.

Also, cut down on the number of days and consequently, the cost of renting as well as parking by picking up your car at the end of your time in Lisbon, and dropping it off first thing upon arrival in Porto.

Our 10-day Portugal itinerary

On the following pages, we outline a recommended 10-day journey through Portugal. Click below to get started!

Days 1 and 2: Lisbon

Days 3 and 4: Sintra, Cascais & Coimbra

Days 5 and 6: Valença and Ponte de Lima

Days 7 and 8: Braga and Guimarães

Days 9 and 10: Porto

The post Portugal Itinerary: 10 Days on the cheap through Lisbon, Porto & Braga appeared first on EuroCheapo's Budget Travel Blog.