Here are some ideas for travel within Portugal and close at hand. Are you ready for a Road Trip? Everywhere here is accessible by road and many by Public Transport. I suggest the travel time from Lisbon, as it is central in the country, and many people stay there when they visit, but you can see that in a short time you can be somewhere very different.
“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson
Good Ideas for Day Trips from Lisbon
Sintra – Known for it’s fairytale palace (~40 min) Accessible by car or Bus from Lisbon.
Cascais – beaches & coastal vibe (~40 min) This is easy to get to by car, but parking is difficult, so it is better to go by train from Lisbon, and it is a nice ride along the river to get there.
Setúbal + Arrábida – Visit the Parque National do Arrabida for a day of Nature and find great Seafood restaurants along the coast. (~1 hr by car to get the best experience and find beaches and restaurants)
Évora – A historic border town that has many Roman ruins & some good Alentejo wines. 2 hr drive, but also accessible by Train from Lisbon – Oriente, Entrecampos, Sete Rios, Pragal or by Rede Expresso Bus
Óbidos – This is a beautiful medieval walled town and stunning Lagoon. It has three large festivals throughout the year which are worth visiting, Medieval, Chocolate and Christmas. Just 1 hr from Lisbon by Car or Bus, and in the future the train will be an options, but they are upgrading the west coast line as I write this so no trains from Lisbon.
A Day or Two to Spare
All these are great to visit for a day if you make an early start or as a 2 day trip. All are possible by Car, Train or Bus.
Porto (~3.5 hrs) – Wine, River views and mini cruise, Porto Caves
Algarve (~3 hrs) – Beaches and cliffs, great boat rides along the coast and lots of things to do.
Coimbra (~2.5 hrs) – This is a very old University Town. Coimbra University is one of the oldest in the world, founded in 1290, there is a river running through the city that makes for great walks and has many restaurants for all budgets.
A Weekend Break
If you want to travel outside Portugal then here are some gems that are still accessible by Public Transport, although it is also possible to fly to all of them, if you don’t want a long road trip.
A Corunha, Spain (~5.5 – 6 hrs) Solar Eclipse in August 2026
Madrid, Spain (~6–7 hrs) – capital, museums
Granada, Spain (~7–8 hrs) – Alhambra + mountains
Valencia, Spain (~8–9 hrs) – beaches + modern architecture
Barcelona, Spain (~11–12 hrs) – coast + culture
Bilbao, Spain (~8–9 hrs) – Basque Country
Bordeaux, France (~11–12 hrs) – wine region
Andorra la Vella, France(~12 hrs) – Pyrenees mountains
Wrapping Up with Key Insights
This is just a small sample of the many amazing places you can easily travel to within just a few hours from Lisbon. Public transport in Portugal is widely available, very affordable, and reliable, with trains and buses typically running on schedule and providing a comfortable way to explore.
If you’re in the mood for a road trip adventure, let your imagination run wild and consider using one of our thoughtfully curated Day Trip ideas as a great starting point to inspire your journey.