Day Trips from Lisbon or Cascais Beaches

Where to Home Base in Portugal – Lisbon or Cascais Beaches?

Cascais is, hands down, my favorite day trip from Lisbon. Just a short train ride west of the Capital, in Cascais you’ll find a charming fishing village, cafe-lined sandy beaches, picture-perfect ocean views, and a laid-back coastal vibe. Either place is fabulous as a home base and you can do day trips from Lisbon or Cascais.

Whether you home base in Lisbon or in Cascais , you can venture out from either one to the same top tourist destinations in the region. And, with the two cities just a short train ride away from each other, it’s very easy to go back and forth between Lisbon and Cascais as often as you want.

Home base preferences will largely determine your travel lifestyle while exploring the region’s rich history, cultural traditions, distinctive cuisine, and natural beauty. For example, if you stay in idyllic Cascais, you may prefer to ‘travel like a local’ at a slower pace rather than at a fast pace that is often found in bustling Lisbon. Check out Lisbon and Cascais.

Lisbon Port view from a hilltop Miradouro

When you pick Lisbon as your home base …

You’re perfectly located to experience the Capital’s abundant major sights, all right at your fingertips.

You’ll find Lisbon’s deep history evident throughout the historic areas, particularly in Alfama where you’ll find St. George’s Castle. And, as the city’s oldest neighborhood, just strolling the enigmatic, bohemian streets and alcoves of Alfama is a delightful, delicious, fun experience whether by foot or by tram.

Because of Lisbon’s many charms, old and new, you’ll be part of an increasing number of global tourists looking to experience the storied city.

Throughout the city center, you’ll discover a seemingly endless number of food choices, particularly the sea-to-table delicacies found in the ubiquitous cafes and restaurants.

Lisbon is known as the ‘City of Seven Hills’ for good reason. As you wander the narrow winding streets, you’ll meet some steep areas scattered throughout the ancient city and the surrounding hillside neighborhoods. It is at the very top of some of those streets where you’ll find the famous ‘miradouros’ (look out points) with breathtaking panoramic views of the castle, cathedral, sea-port and cascading white buildings topped with terracotta roofs.

When you pick Cascais as your home base …

You’re staying in an area referred to as the Portuguese Riviera where Estoril (next door to Cascais) is renowned as a luxury resort destination. In years past, Estoril served as a retreat for royalty (today it’s a popular expat destination).

Located on the coast and surrounded by beaches, you’ll find that the quintessential village attracts many tourists, especially in summer months. However, the vibe you experience in coastal Cascais is less touristy, reflecting a quaint small town atmosphere with plenty of locals around.

In Cascais, you can enjoy certain traditions that remain relevant today. For example, the town fishermen still go out before dawn for ‘fresh catch’ to sell to local restaurants.

With the calming beach atmosphere and small town vibe, you will likely enjoy more immersive experiences and rub elbows with more local merchants and inhabitants.

At a slower pace, you can mix some quality leisure time in Cascais with day trip adventures to top sights like castles, monasteries, and traditional Portuguese villages.

Wide steps in Lisbon to navigate steep areas

When you split your time between Lisbon and Cascais …

Another option is to home base a while in each place. Perhaps start in Lisbon for a few days to experience the fabulous city and some surroundings, and then move on to a more relaxed pace in Cascais. Once there, you can continue day trip excursions while also enjoying the beach paradise around Cascais.

Sintra Castle (the Pena National Palace)

Both Cascais and Lisbon are well located for day trips and offer excursions to almost the same wide swath of the surrounding areas. Top places to see and experience include: Evora, Fatima, Sintra, Nazare, Obidos, Batalha Monastery, Tower of Belem, Jeronimos Monastery, and more. See here for some day trips from either Lisbon or Cascais. (If you want to explore the beaches north of Lisbon, it’s better to day trip from Lisbon for those.)

Travel Planning Tips

1. For all Portugal articles, see here.

2. If you land at the Lisbon airport, the distance to downtown Lisbon and the Cais do Sodre train station is 36km/22 mi.

3. If going to Cascais, you can hire an airport taxi for about 80 Euros (ask the driver) to take you directly from the airport to Cascais. Otherwise, you can hire a taxi to drop you at the Lisbon Cais do Sodre train station for about 10-15 Euros (ask the driver) and you can take the train to Cascais from there.

4. If you have little luggage, you can take the city metro (about 2 Euros) from the Lisbon airport into the city. If you want to go to the Cais do Sodre train station, you would change once at the ‘Alameda’ metro connection.

5. You can take the Airport Bus ‘Aerobus’ direct from the airport into Lisbon and to the train stations. Costs about 4 Euros (ask the driver).

6. To travel between Lisbon and Cascais by train, take the railway line ‘Linha de Cascais’ (30 km/18 mi distance) for about 2 to 3 Euro’s. You can buy the tickets in the train station or at the ticket machines.

7. To travel between Lisbon and Cascais by bus, there’s a Yellow Bus “beach shuttle” – you can get the cost and schedule at one of their kiosks.