Sintra to Lisbon by train

Sintra to Lisbon is a direct CP urban train with no change, and the ride to Lisboa Rossio in the city centre takes about 40 minutes. Trains leave Sintra every 15 to 20 minutes through the day. You do not book a seat or a time: you load a ticket or Zapping credit onto a card, validate it, and board the next train. The only thing to plan is your last train back after a day of palaces.

The journey takes about 40 minutes and has no change

Trains run on CP's Sintra line, which links Sintra with central Lisbon over 27.2 km. Every train you board at Sintra heads towards Lisbon, because Sintra is the end of the line. You stay on the same train from start to finish, usually around 40 minutes to Lisboa Rossio.

These are suburban commuter trains, not long-distance ones. You get no assigned seat, so you sit wherever there is space.

You leave from Sintra station and arrive at Lisboa Rossio

You board at Sintra, the terminus of the line. The 434 tourist bus stops in front of the station, so you can ride it down from the palaces and step straight onto the platforms. A smaller station called Portela de Sintra lies about 1 km away. It is a different stop, so make sure the name on your timetable says Sintra.

You arrive at Lisboa Rossio, the line's Lisbon terminus, in the city centre. Because Rossio is the last stop, there is no risk of missing it: when the train empties, you are there.

Trains run every 15 to 20 minutes

Expect a train roughly every 15 to 20 minutes during the day. You rarely need to plan around a specific departure, which suits a day trip where you are not sure how long the palaces will take.

The late-evening trains matter more than the frequent daytime ones. Look up the last departure from Sintra on CP's Lisbon urban timetable for your date before you go up the hill, and write it down. Weekend and holiday timetables can differ from weekdays.

Some trains from Sintra run direct to Lisboa Oriente instead, which takes about 47 minutes.

Zapping on a Navegante card is the simplest ticket

CP runs this line as part of the Lisbon urban network, so you pay with a local ticket rather than an advance fare. The easiest option for a single journey is Zapping credit loaded onto a Navegante Occasional card. The card costs €0.50, valid for one year, and you can buy it and top it up at a station ticket office or vending machine. Each CP journey then deducts €2.05 from your Zapping balance, and you can travel in any direction for 1 hour 30 minutes after validating.

Remember that the card holds only one type of ticket at a time. If you plan to ride other Lisbon transport as well, ask the machine about the combined 24-hour ticket, which CP lists for trains, buses and the metro.

The ticket office and the machines at Sintra are the places to sort this out. A single paper ticket is priced by zone, so check the price on the machine against the €2.05 Zapping fare. Top up before your train is due, so you are not queuing at the machines when it leaves.

You must validate your ticket before you board, every time you travel. CP can fine you for travelling without a validated ticket, and you should keep any receipt until the ticket expires.

Pass holders do not need a reservation

These suburban trains around Lisbon, including the Sintra line, are covered by Interrail passes with no reservation needed. There is no reservation fee or supplement to add: you board with your pass on a travel day.

For a single day trip, a Zapping journey is still often cheaper than using a pass travel day on a Sintra return. Check your own pass type and travel days before deciding.

Check your date before you travel

CP can change urban timetables for holidays and engineering works. Check the Lisbon urban timetable on CP's site or app for your date, especially for the last train back.