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4.7.8 Ericeira

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The mainly surfing oriented beach town (location HERE ). What is this seaside town about? That is answered for you on arrival at the bus terminal, where the indoor space, including waiting room, information office and toilets, is shaped like a ship, with the canopy over the bus stands shaped like a huge surfboard. It’s all about the sea, and watersports. Because Ericeira is a World Surfing Reserve. Well out of town to the north west of Lisbon, Ericeira is just about in the Greater Lisbon Metropolitan Area, and so you can use a Navegante card loaded with credit, to use in Zapping mode. How long it takes to get there depends mainly on the bus route you choose. Why so? The 2801, which stops just twice between Campo Grande and Ericeira, takes no more than 40 minutes for the journey. Route 2803, which takes a detour past the palace in Mafra, takes around 55 minutes. And the 2740, which serves Malveira, then makes most of the stops from there to Mafra before heading for Ericeira, takes a lot...
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7.2.29 September 2026

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GLÓRIA FUNICULAR So Carris have made their statement on the future of the Glória funicular. What visitors to the city will want to know is when it will be back, and the news is that it won’t reappear until 2029. The new cars will be stronger than their predecessors, they’ll be all steel rather than wooden bodied, and nothing will move until the safety aspects have been sorted, and proven to be sorted. No news about the Bica and Lavra funiculars, or the Santa Justa lift. But the timescales for the other funiculars may be similar to that of the Glória. Following all of that, we start, once more, with the alternatives to using funiculars. Don’t slog up those hills just because the funiculars have been suspended. Minibus 51E gives an alternative to the Santa Justa lift, and an alternative to the Glória funicular; Bairrobus 19B gives an alternative to the Lavra funicular; Bairrobus 22B gives an alternative to the Bica funicular. TRAM NEWS Carris are putting on a Desfile dos Classicos (tr...
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5.2.13 Bem Vindo

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Rua António Maria Pais 36 Location HERE . Open 1100 hours to midnight daily. Nepalese and Indian cuisine, mainly. Not far from Parque das Nações, but on the other side of the tracks, literally, in Moscavide. This is one of those neighbourhoods that was there long before the Expo 98 redevelopments. Locals look in for a coffee or a beer, delivery drivers wait for orders to be made up, and the kitchen staff bring your food to the table. That food is served in generous portions - the veg samosa was particularly substantial - and can be washed down with inexpensive drinks, a 33cl bottle of beer coming in at one and a half Euro, and a Caneca at just two and a half. The Nepalese menu includes MoMo and several Set options, while the Indian menu has a good range of curry options - which can be accompanied with rice or breads - and biryanis. A TV broadcasts whatever football can be found in the schedules, even if it’s second string matches from Germany. Service is good and the people running the...
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4.7.7 Eléctrico de Sintra

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Runs from near Sintra to Praia das Maçãs ( HERE to HERE ). Timetable and ticket prices HERE . That’s how the local council, who operate the Sintra Tram nowadays, spell it - the old way, with a C. And this mainly rural tramway has been through a few changes in ownership over the years: when Rodoviária Nacional, the state-owned bus operator created in the wake of the 1974 Revolution, was sold off, the operations west of Lisbon ultimately became Stagecoach Portugal. The new operator discovered that their acquisition also included the Sintra Tram. In days gone by, the Sintra terminus was outside the station, but now you have a short walk from train to tram. The route passes Ribeira, where the trams are now stored, then Galamares, Colares and Banzão before seeing all the villas on the Avenida do Atlântico, then passing Aldeia da Praia to reach Praia das Maçãs. And the journey takes around 45 minutes, meaning a leisurely pace and an opportunity to experience slower travel. On warmer and sun...
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5.1.26 Cais No Bacalhau

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Rua do Arsenal 158 Location HERE . Open 1200 to 1600 hours Sunday and Monday, 1200 to 2300 hours all other days. At the west end of Rua do Arsenal, just across the road from Corpo Santo, and a short walk from Praça do Comércio and Cais do Sodré, is this small and welcoming outlet majoring in, yes you guessed already, bacalhau dishes. It can be made into almost no walking at all by arriving on a bus or tram, as both stop outside the door. So I ordered the Bacalhau Assado, and that should be what gets discussed first, but as so often, those small distractions mean the review gets sidetracked. And the small distractions here were the olives. You know it will take a few minutes for a main course like that to be prepared, so one way to pass the time is to order a side dish. My favourite is to get a plate of olives, and these did not disappoint. But then a thought entered: these olives were served without stones. And thus the review getting sidetracked. Portuguese restaurants usually serve o...
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4.7.6 Sintra

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The land of fairytale castles. And money making opportunities. This is, mainly, a dry weather day out, and worthwhile all year round. But you need to be aware that the tourism presence there can be overwhelming. CAUTION Best not visit at the height of summer: even up in the hills, the heat becomes oppressive, the traffic overwhelms the roads, and unless you’re heading for the beaches of Praia Grande and Praia das Maçãs, or maybe going to see coastal villages like Azenhas do Mar, your patience is likely to be sorely tested. Also, please DO NOT rock up there in a hired car, especially if you want to visit the Castle of the Moors or Pena Palace. Why so? Quinta da Regaleira. Busy, eh? And the photo was taken in early April Cos the cops will turn you away. If you don’t want to use the bus services, hail a taxi, order up a TVDE, or get yourself a private driver for the day. This cannot be stressed enough. Also see next paragraph. DON’T FORGET it is from Easter through to November that Sintra...
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6.2.44 Pravda Craft Mission (Parque das Nações)

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Jardim dos Jacarandás 8C Location HERE . Open 1600 to 2200 hours Monday to Thursday, 1400 to 2300 hours Friday to Sunday. So after the original Pravda outlet in Marvila closed, another opening was signposted, but those hoping for another location in Marvila will be disappointed, while those in Parque das Nações, especially that part north of Gare Oriente and the Vasco da Gama centre, will be quietly pleased. Because this bar, opened in July 2026, fills one big gap, bringing craft beer to a quiet and upmarket residential area. It’s just off Alameda dos Oceanos, and not far from Moscavide. One word of warning for those arriving by train at Moscavide station: trains arrive at the platforms on the west side, so you have to cross over the east side tracks, it’s 40 steps up to the footbridge, cos the lifts are broken. AGAIN. No such problem if you arrive by bus - a very short walk from the stops marked Jardim Jacarandás. So what’s on offer? Seating both inside and out, the usual range of Pra...
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