Lisbon to Cascais: Train, Car or Taxi (2026 Guide)

Cascais is the easiest beach trip from Lisbon: one direct train runs along the river and the coast from Cais do Sodré, with no changes and nothing to book. Here’s how to get there by train, car, taxi or ride app, which ticket to buy, where to break the journey and how to add Sintra.

Quick answer: take the CP train from Cais do Sodré: about 40 minutes, every 20 minutes for most of the day, for €2.05 with zapping credit on a navegante card (€0.50 for the card) or €2.55 for a single ticket. Sit on the left for sea views. Driving takes 30 to 40 minutes on the A5, but parking in Cascais is paid and fills up on summer weekends.

Why the train wins

The line follows the Tagus and then the Atlantic, so the ride is part of the day out, and Cascais station is in the town centre, a few minutes from the beaches and the old town. A car only really pays off if you want to carry on to Guincho or Cabo da Roca.

By train (best)

• From: Cais do Sodré station on the riverfront, at the end of the metro green line. Every Cascais train starts here.
• Time: about 40 minutes to Cascais, the last stop.
• Frequency: every 20 minutes for most of the day, every 15 minutes at weekday rush hours, and every 30 minutes early and late (from about 9:30pm on weekdays and 7pm at weekends). Trains run from 5:30am to 1:30am.
• Fares (2026): €2.05 with zapping, €2.55 for a single ticket or €5.10 for a Lisbon to Cascais return.
• Tickets: buy a navegante card (€0.50) at the machines or ticket office and load it. Each person needs their own card, and it holds one type of ticket at a time.
• Tap in: validate at the gates before you board. A zapping fare doesn’t let you leave a station and get back on, so stopping off on the way means paying again.
• Best seats: on the left heading out of Lisbon, and on the right on the way back.

At weekday rush hours (roughly 7am to 10am and 5pm to 8:30pm), faster trains reach Cascais in about 34 minutes but skip Belém and several smaller stations, while the stopping trains end at São Pedro do Estoril. Check the departure board.

Late evenings: replacement buses

Because of works on the line, buses replace trains between Caxias and Cascais from about 9:50pm on weekdays, 8:50pm on Saturdays and 7:50pm on Sundays, and from 5:30am to 8:50am on Sunday mornings. You change at Caxias. CP says this continues with the new timetable from 8 November 2026, so check cp.pt before a late trip.

Which ticket to buy

• Zapping: cheapest for a simple out-and-back. The same credit pays for the metro (€1.72 a trip), so a return with a metro ride each way costs €7.54.
• 24-hour Carris/Metro/CP pass (€11.40): worth it if you’ll also ride the metro, trams and buses a lot that day.
• CP tourist ticket (€6.70 for 24 hours): unlimited trains on the Cascais, Sintra and Sado lines, but not the metro. Good for hopping off at Belém or Carcavelos.
• Lisboa Card: covers the Cascais train, the metro, buses and trams, plus entry to many Lisbon sights. See is the Lisboa Card worth it?

More on cards and top-ups: Lisbon public transport.

Stops worth getting off at

• Belém (about 8 minutes): the Jerónimos Monastery, the Belém Tower and the custard tarts. See Belém.
• Oeiras (about 25 minutes): not a sight in itself, but fast and stopping trains both call here, so it’s a handy rush-hour change point.
• Carcavelos (about 27 minutes): a long surf beach about 10 minutes’ walk from the station. See Carcavelos beach.
• Estoril (about 37 minutes): the casino gardens and Praia do Tamariz are by the station, and a flat 3km promenade runs on to Cascais. See Estoril.
• Cascais (about 40 minutes): the end of the line. See our Cascais day trip and the best beaches near Cascais.

Getting to Cais do Sodré

• Metro: the last stop on the green line, which also serves Rossio and Baixa-Chiado.
• Tram: tram 15 runs along the river from Praça da Figueira via Cais do Sodré to Belém. Trams 18 and 25 also stop here.
• Ferry: boats from Cacilhas take about 10 minutes and dock beside the station.
• On foot: a flat riverside walk from Praça do Comércio.

The Time Out Market is across the road if you want breakfast first. See Cais do Sodré.

By car

• The A5: the quickest route, about 30 minutes without traffic, but slow at rush hour. It’s a toll road, though the charge on this short run is small. In a hire car, the rental company’s toll device is the easiest way to pay. See Portugal’s tolls explained.
• The coast road: the Marginal (N6) follows the shore through Oeiras, Carcavelos and Estoril. It’s free and scenic, but traffic lights and beach traffic make it slower.
• Parking: limited and paid in central Cascais. Use the paid car parks near the station or the marina, and arrive early in summer.

By Uber, Bolt or taxi

Ride apps are handy with luggage or late at night, when the train becomes a train-and-bus trip. Since September 2026 Uber and Bolt surge pricing is no longer capped, so compare both apps. Taxis use the national tariff in force since 23 October 2026: a €2 flag fall plus a rate per kilometre and per minute.

From Lisbon airport to Cascais

• Metro and train: red line to Alameda, green line to Cais do Sodré, then the train. Allow about an hour and a half. The metro runs from about 6:30am to 1am.
• Taxi: since 15 October 2026, airport taxis in the fixed-fare scheme charge set prices out of the city, from about €37 to places such as Cascais.
• Uber or Bolt: pick-up is in the P2 car park next to Terminal 1.
• No Aerobus: the airport shuttle in older guides no longer runs.

More in Lisbon airport to the city centre.

Combining Cascais with Sintra

• Bus 1624: Carris Metropolitana runs it from Cascais bus terminal to Portela de Sintra station (one stop before Sintra on the train line), via Cabo da Roca and Almoçageme. Trips take about 50 minutes to just over an hour. In the daytime (roughly 9am to 7pm) buses run about every 30 minutes and call at the Cabo da Roca car park; early and late trips skip the cape, so check the timetable.
• Bus 1253: a circular route from Sintra station via Cabo da Roca. It doesn’t go to Cascais.
• The loop: train from Rossio to Sintra in the morning, bus 1624 to Cascais, then the coastal train back to Lisbon.

Plan it with Sintra and Cascais in one day.

Tips

• Summer weekends: trains and town beaches are busiest on hot weekends from June to September. Go early, or pick a weekday.
• Late return: allow extra time for the evening bus between Cascais and Caxias.

FAQ

How long is the train from Lisbon to Cascais?

About 40 minutes from Cais do Sodré, or about 34 minutes on the faster weekday rush-hour trains.

How much is the train from Lisbon to Cascais?

€2.05 each way with zapping, or €2.55 for a single ticket in 2026, plus €0.50 for the card.

Which side of the train has the sea views?

The left going from Lisbon to Cascais, and the right coming back.

Does the Lisboa Card cover the train to Cascais?

Yes. It includes CP trains on the Cascais line as well as the metro, buses and trams.

Can you get from Cascais to Sintra by bus?

Yes. Carris Metropolitana bus 1624 runs from Cascais to Portela de Sintra station, one stop before Sintra, in about an hour.

More: things to do in Cascais.

Prices and details change, so please double-check before you travel. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the groups.