Taking the Sintra Tourist and Sightseeing Bus Route 434 or 435

A few clarifications on the Pro's and Con's. These were based on our own experiences as tour guides in Sintra and also the comments on Tripadvisor (see here: Reviews). We are saying that this can be the most cost-effective because there are other - cheaper - ways to reach the top, especially if you are a couple or a group (like the scenic train - see this article here or taking a Bolt/Uber). If you plan to stay for a day or two in Sintra and want to Hop-on-Hop-off as many times as you want, then the bus can be the most economic way to get around.

There is a ticket for 4,55 € (price as of Feb 2024 https://scotturb.com/carreiras/tarifario/turisticos-2/) per person (one way), but be aware that for some reason oftentimes the drivers don't sell it! 

Now let's discuss the time saving options. All means of transport (TukTuk, Taxis, Uber, etc.) go to Pena Palace essentially through the same route (Estrada da Pena). This is due to traffic regulation that is controlled by the local Police. They just have to control the flow to the Palace or else you have total chaos (the road was never built for this type of heavy traffic and even with control measures there are days during the Summer or Easter were you still have total traffic chaos!). The difference is that - according to our experience - there might be times were the Police does not allow Taxis, Bolt/Uber's or TukTuk's to go up, but the Bus 434 and 435 will still circulate because they are part of the public transportation system. This gives makes availability a big plus for this option.

The Con's are easy. During peak season (June-September and Easter) you WILL be in a very crowded bus, most of the times standing during a trip that has very windy roads (some travellers mention that you have to hold firmly in the bus or you can get hurt). You cannot take pictures of the scenic landscape and waiting lines are often long. Another often overlooked aspect is that once you have finished visiting some of the palaces, when you walk back to the bus stop, you may find that every bus arriving is already at full capacity, leaving you with no choice but to wait for the next one. This can result in wait times of 30-60 minutes or even longer, depending on your location within the route (some bus stops are more used than others, which can mean that the driver doesn't stop at all!