Sintra and Cascais are relatively compact, and town centres are easy to walk around on foot. But many interesting attractions are a bit outside, and you might need some way to get there.
Fortunately, there are several transport options, such as tourist bus routes, hop-on hop-off bus tours, a vintage tram, bike-hire schemes, and even tuk tuk tours, so there is really no reason to ever drive a rental car into Sintra and Cascais.
By Bus
Scotturb’s sighteseeing bus
Scotturb is the public transport company that operates buses in Sintra and Cascais, also connecting these two towns. It provides several tourist bus routes as well as hop-on-hop-off sightseeing tours.
No. 434 Route: Also known as Pena Circuit, this bus route starts and ends at Sintra Station. It goes through Sintra Village, Moorish Castle, Pena Palace, and from there back to Sintra Village finishing at Sintra Station.
The No. 434 route runs every 5 minutes from 9.10am to 7.50pm. One way ticket costs €3.90. There’s also the Pena Circuit hop-on hop-off option for €6.90 + €0.50 of the Viva Viagem card.
No. 435 Route: This bus route is also known as Villa Express 4 Palaces, since it goes through Sintra Village, where you can visit the National Palace, aka Village Palace, and then through three other palaces: Quinta da Regaleira, Seteais Palace and Monserrate Palace. The route starts and ends at Sintra Station.
The No. 435 route runs every 15 minutes from 9.10am to 7.50pm on the hop-on hop-off system only, and a ticket costs €5.
No. 403 Route: The No. 403 route connects Sintra Station and Cascais Terminal. It goes through Cabo da Roca, westernmost point in mainland Europe, and the coastal resort of Azenhas do Mar. The trip takes about an hour.
The No. 403 route runs every 25 minutes from 8.40am to 7.50pm. A ticket on board (Zona Verde) costs €1.15.
Sightseeing Cascais Line: This hop-on hop-off bus starts and ends at Cascais Station. It goes through Cascais Bay, Boca do Inferno where you can see the impressive geological formations and sea caves, Guia Lighthouse, Guincho Beach, and Cabo da Roca.
Sightseeing Cascais buses run every 45 minutes from 10.10am to 5.10pm. A ticket costs €20 (€10 children under 12) + 0.50 card, and is valid for 24 hours on the hop-on hop-off service as well as on all urban routes, including the most popular ones (No. 403, 434 and 435) described above.
Sightseeing Sintra Line: This hop-on hop-off bus starts and ends at Sintra Station. It goes through all the main sights: Moorish Castle, Pena Palace, Sintra Village Palace, Quinta da Regaleira, and Monserrate Palace.
Sightseeing Sintra buses run every 30 minutes from 9am to 5.10pm. A ticket costs €20 (€10 children under 12) + 0.50 card, and is valid for 24 hours on the hop-on hop-off service as well as on all urban routes, including the most popular ones (No. 403, 434 and 435) described above.
Sightseeing All Lines – All Buses (24/48 hours): Visitors to Sintra and Cascais often want to get around freely during one or two days. It’s easier if you buy a sightseeing ticket, which is valid for 24/48 hours on all the above routes, and more. It costs €15 and €25 respectively + 0.50 card (children under 12 pay about half).
Scotturb sightseeing tickets can be bought on board. Note that some schedules may vary slightly from winter to summer, and on weekends and holidays.
By Tram
Sintra’s vintage tram runs on its own track since 1904, along the side of the road. It goes from the town centre to the small seaside resort of Praia das Maçãs. Do it mostly for the fun of the ride, which is about 13km / 8mi and takes 45 minutes.
A ticket costs €3 one way, or €2 for youth and seniors (free for children under 6). There are a limited number of trams daily. Trams leave Sintra at 10.20am, 2pm and 4pm, and go back at 11.10am, 3pm and 5pm. On weekends and holidays, trams also leave Sintra at 12pm, 3pm, and 5pm, departing from Praia das Maçãs back to Sintra at 1pm, 4pm, and 6pm.
By Bike
Cascais has its own bike-hire scheme known as biCas, similar to Lisbon’s Gira, offering conventional and electric bikes. Bikes are available from several stations in Cascais from 7am to 8pm daily. It costs €3.90 to access a biCa bike for 24 hours. You’ll need to download the app MobiCascais and register (if asked for a Portuguese tax ID, known locally as NIF, use “123456789”). Another option is to hire a bike from the rental shop in the Cascais marina.
There are several cycle routes in Cascais, but the best one is the 9km / 6mi route along the coast from Cascais to Guincho.
By Tuk Tuk
For an adventure around Sintra and Cascais, just grab a tuk tuk and the driver / guide will drive you through the numerous points of interest. Some of the tuk tuk companies that operate in Lisbon also offer Sintra and Cascais tours. A tuk tuk takes up to 6 people, and the price for one-hour ride is about €65.
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