Lisbon Humberto Delgado Airport to Sintra
Lisbon Airport to Sintra is about 30 km; take the Metro to a CP train (via Oriente or Rossio), or a direct transfer to skip the changes.
Sintra, LisbonCEphoto, Uwe Aranas / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA 3.0A fairytale hill town of romantic palaces and lush gardens in a forested UNESCO landscape, half an hour by train from Lisbon. The colourful Pena Palace and the Moorish Castle draw visitors from around the world.
Every way to get there
Our verdict: for Sintra, a private transfer is the easiest door-to-door option (from €45).
What it costs for your group
The bus is charged per person, while a taxi or private transfer is one price for the whole car — so the more of you there are, the better door-to-door value looks.
| Group | Private transfer | Best value |
|---|---|---|
| Solo · 1 traveller | €45 | Private transfer |
| Couple · 2 travellers | €45 | Private transfer |
| Family of 4 · 4 travellers | €45 | Private transfer |
Which option should you choose?
| If your priority is… | Our pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Lowest price | Cheapest fare | From €4, though slower with a change in the city. |
| Speed & comfort | Private transfer | Door-to-door, fixed price, a driver waiting for you. |
| A group of 3–4 | Transfer or taxi | One flat fare splits cheaper than several bus tickets. |
| A late-night arrival | Transfer or taxi | Both run 24/7 when buses and the tram have stopped. |
By transport mode
Train
Metro to Oriente or Rossio, then the CP Sintra train (~47 min, ~€2.45); the train fare is separate from the Metro.
Where to catch it: Aeroporto Metro station, changing to CP at Oriente or Rossio.
Best for budget travellers near a stationPrivate transfer
Direct door-to-door to Sintra — the easiest option given Sintra's notorious parking.
Where to catch it: Driver meets you in arrivals.
Best for families, groups & late arrivalsTaxi
Metered over ~30 km, so pricier; agree an estimate first.
Where to catch it: Taxi rank outside Arrivals.
Best for small groups in a hurryCar rental
Per day; flexible for Sintra plus the coast, but note Sintra's heavy traffic and parking.
Where to catch it: Car-rental centre at T1.
Best for travellers who want to exploreSintra & Lisbon in photos
Buying tickets in Lisbon
The red metro line runs directly from the airport (Aeroporto station) into the city. Fares load onto a reusable travel card, historically the Viva Viagem but being replaced through 2026 by the Navegante card (about €0.50 to buy), sold at station machines. A single metro trip is around €1.90, or slightly less using pre-loaded "zapping" credit. Note the old Aerobús shuttle was discontinued in 2022, so the metro or a taxi are the practical options. Machines accept cash and cards.
Taxi scams & safety in Lisbon
Take taxis only from the official rank outside arrivals, where cars are metered; anyone approaching you inside the terminal with a handwritten sign or a verbal offer is almost never legitimate and can overcharge badly. Ask for the meter and expect a modest fare into the centre, more at night and with luggage. Uber and Bolt are both legal in Lisbon and often cheaper and clearer on price; book in the app and meet the driver at the signed ride-hail pickup area, not the taxi rank.
Getting from LIS to Sintra
The first time Sintra reveals itself, you half expect the mist to part and a dragon to circle the turrets. This is the hill town where Portuguese kings built their daydreams in stone — the egg-yolk yellows and blood reds of Pena Palace crowning a wooded ridge, the ruined Moorish Castle threading its battlements along the skyline like a stitch in the fog. It sits barely 30 km from Lisbon Airport, a mere 40 minutes away, yet it feels like stepping through a wardrobe into another century. The only real question is which carriage you take to your fairytale.
Riding the Rails Into the Enchanted Forest
For the romantics on a budget — and there is something deeply romantic about arriving by train — the rail route is a small adventure in two acts. From the airport you first hop on the Metro at Aeroporto station, then change to a CP train on the Sintra line at either Oriente or Rossio. That second station, Rossio, is itself a Manueline confection of horseshoe arches, a fittingly theatrical threshold before the forest begins. The whole journey runs roughly an hour end to end and costs only €4–5, with CP trains rolling out every 20 minutes or so.
One practical spell to remember: the train fare is separate from your Metro ticket. The CP leg from central Lisbon to Sintra is around 47 minutes and about €2.45 on top of the Metro hop. It is not door-to-door — you will step off at Sintra station and still have the town's steep, cobbled climb (or a local bus) ahead of you to reach Pena itself — but for a solo traveller or a couple travelling light, it is easily the most charming and thrifty way in.
A Chariot Waiting in Arrivals
If you would rather your fairytale began the moment you cleared baggage claim, a pre-booked private transfer is pure ease. You skip the taxi rank entirely — straight from arrivals to a waiting car — and it whisks you door-to-door to Sintra in about 40 minutes — no changes, no dragging suitcases up and down platforms, no puzzling over which station is which. It runs 24/7 and costs €45–70 for the car.
Here is where I turn from dreamer to sensible friend for a moment: Sintra's parking is genuinely notorious. The lanes are narrow, medieval, and hopelessly clogged in high season, and there is nowhere near enough space for the crowds who come. A private transfer sidesteps that headache entirely, dropping you off and letting someone else fret about the traffic. For families, for anyone with heavy bags, or for those who simply want to arrive unruffled and ready for palaces, it is the softest landing there is.
The Metered Middle Path
A licensed metered taxi splits the difference. You will find the rank just outside Arrivals, cars available around the clock and on demand, and the ride to Sintra takes the same breezy 40 minutes. Expect roughly €40–55. Because the meter ticks over some 30 km of motorway, it lands at the pricier end of a metered fare, so do yourself a favour and ask the driver for an estimate before you set off — a quick agreement now saves any surprise at the palace gates later. It is the option for travellers who want the convenience of being driven straight there without booking anything in advance.
Your Own Coach for the Coast Beyond
And then there is the freedom of a hire car, collected from the rental centre at Terminal 1, with the familiar desks of Europcar, Avis and Sixt waiting in arrivals. At roughly €25–45 per day, it is tempting — and it does open up the wider fairytale, because Sintra pairs so beautifully with the wild Atlantic coast just beyond: Cabo da Roca, the westernmost tip of Europe, and the surf beaches nearby all fall within an easy drive.
But I must whisper the same caution twice, because it matters: Sintra's heavy traffic and parking are the villains of this story. Behind the wheel you will spend precious daydreaming hours crawling up the hill and circling for a space that may not exist. My honest counsel is this — a hire car justifies the cost only if you plan to roam the coast and countryside over several days. For Sintra alone, leave the driving to someone else and save your energy for the climb to Pena's ramparts, where the whole misty, forested kingdom unfurls beneath you and the day-tripper's dream comes gloriously true.
