Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cost and Hours:
€6 self-guided tour, €10 guided tour by reservation only, frequent
tours daily May-Sept, fewer off-season; open daily 10:00-20:00, closes earlier off-season,
last entry one hour before closing; 10-minute walk from downtown Sintra, café; book
tours online at
www.regaleira.pt
or by calling 219-106-650.
Toy Museum (Museu do Brinquedo)
—Just for giggles, you can wander through a col-
lection of several thousand old-time toys, from small soldiers, planes, cars, trucks, and old
tricycles to a dolls' attic upstairs. The 20th-century owner, João Arbués Moreira, started
collecting toys when he was 14 and never quit. The collection is displayed in chronolo-
gical order and comes with no English descriptions. Moreira typically hangs around the
museum in his wheelchair, and loves to explain to visitors how he acquired each item.
Cost and Hours:
€4, €2 for those under 19, Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, last
entry 30 minutes before closing, kids' play zone, one block in front of National Palace on
Rua Visconde de Monserrate, tel. 219-242-171,
www.museu-do-brinquedo.pt
.
Monserrate
—About 2.5 miles outside of Sintra are the wonderful gardens of Monserrate.
If you like tropical plants and exotic landscaping, a visit is time well-spent. Many find
that the Pena Palace's gardens are just as good as these more famous grounds.
Cost and Hours:
€7, €5 extra for guided visit by reservation only, daily mid-June-
mid-Sept 9:30-20:00, May-mid-June and mid-Sept-Oct 9:30-19:00, Nov-April
9:30-18:00, last entry one hour before closing, no buses run here—allow about €10 for
taxi, tel. 219-237-300,
www.parquesdesintra.pt
.
Sleep Code
(€1 = about $1.30, country code: 351)
S
= Single,
D
= Double/Twin,
T
= Triple,
Q
= Quad,
b
= bathroom,
s
= shower only.
Unless otherwise noted, credit cards are accepted, English is spoken, and breakfast is
included.
To help you easily sort through these listings, I've divided the accommodations in-
to two categories, based on the price for a standard double room with bath during high
season:
$$ Higher Priced
—Most rooms €80 or more.
$ Lower Priced
—Most rooms less than €80.
Prices can change without notice; verify the hotel's current rates online or by
email.
