The Portuguese Tourist Board has a campaign indicating tourists should visit Sintra on a day trip from Lisbon, catching the train in both directions.

I would advise you not to do this, but to stay in Sintra for at least three nights as there is a lot to see. If you’re intending to visit Cabo de Roca or Cascais then you might want to add an extra night or two in Sintra.

Bus 1623 goes from the bus Station on the south side of the Portela de Sintra train station. This train station is one station before the end of the line at Sintra.

Cabo de Roca can be visited on the Bus 403 from either Cascais or Sintra. This headland is the furthest point west in continental Europe.

In Sintra itself, I recommend buying your tickets in advance as this can have its advantages such as not queueing up at the ticket offices at the busier palaces.

In Sintra, I would say the finest palace is Monserrat due to the exterior and interior architecture and the extensive gardens, closely followed by the Castle of The Moors with its extensive views over Sintra.

The Covent of the Capuchins you could well have to yourself as it’s not easy to get to unless you have a car. I would recommend hiring a tuk-tuk. This is the convent where almost everything is lined with cork.

The Biester Palace has recently opened and even though it’s close to Quinta da Regaleira it is largely ignored by everyone else hurrying past. The house is beautiful and the rooms are exquisite and delicately decorated.

Quinta da Regaleira is incredibly popular but the extensive gardens mean that if you arrive early and buy your tickets in advance you can have a good look around including at the Initiation Wells before it gets too busy. It’s the same story at the National Palace in Sintra – arrive early have a good look at the Swan Room and Magpie Room and then head to the Heraldic Hall.

The Pena Palace is the only place in Sintra where you need a timed ticket to enter. Again, I would try to get there as early as possible (an advantage you can only really enjoy if you stay in Sintra overnight). I tried the last time of the day at 5:30pm and the experience was terrible – it was like being in a queue to go through security at international departures with people nose to tail the whole way around.