You’re not kidding! It’s weird that it looks like we are really going! But I’ve got tickets for the Sintra sites, and reservations at Incomum and Cantinho do Avillez. Plus a walking tour in Lisbon and in Coimbra. I’ll order tickets to the Jeronimos Monastery a little closer to the day just to make sure the weather is good. Looking forward to lots of Natas! And some wine, of course.😉

Well, it’s almost here! I’ve been dealing with a lot of family stuff lately so have been less focused on the trip except to identify where to get a test before we leave. But it’s creeping up on us very quickly now!

Maribel, we will be traveling to Lisbon from Sintra on Sunday, and it looks like there are direct trains to the Rossio station every hour (10:50, 11:50). We will need to get to Rua Garrett to pick up keys for our apartment around the corner. Is that a very steep walk and, if so, are there escalators to avoid a long uphill walk? We travel with carryon only so it’s never too bad, but still it would be nice to avoid a workout first thing! .😉

I'm not Maribel, but in your situation I would ask Google maps (even though I otherwise avoid Google like the plague) for how to do it by public transport. You don't say where on Rua Garrett, but a quick check shows that there are definitely buses from Rossio in that direction. You will find Google maps extremely helpful for public transport, usually it even tells you what the fare will be.

Thanks, thursdaysd, but I have checked Google, and it's a 7 minute walk, which in flat places, that's easy-peasy. I'm trying to understand how steep the walk is from Baixa to Chaido and whether there are escalators that might help if it's very steep. It's not a far walk but I can't tell from Google exactly how steep it is and whether there are alternatives.

Walking from Baixa to Chiado: I would't call that walking. I'd call that climbing! Very good for your health, no matter how many natas you eat!

But if you are not the mood of climbing, you have:

- the electric stairs inside the Metro station (the metro station is called Baixa/Chiado because it leads you to both places).
- Elevador de Santa Justa: in this you pay, I don't know how much
- Some big shops serve both Baixa and Chiado, so they have lifts. I think it is not very polite to go inside a shop without buying nothing, just to use their lift.
- Estação do Rossio: the train station that nobody talks about and is really beauty, both day or night, inside and outside. The stairs can help you getting up half the way.

Hope this helps.

Helena

Having done the Rossio station to Rua Garrett recently, I can confirm that it isn't a walk--it's a steep climb. I have it fresh in my memory.
I would walk down south (flat) after exiting Rossio rail station to the Baixa-Metro station entrance and take the escalators inside the metro (as I mentioned to alice9) up to the top of Chiado. These escalators will deposit you on Rua Garrett. This is the hack that many people use getting from flat Baixa to hilly Chiado.

Although...I had to laugh because when we did this in reverse, to avoid the steep climb down from Chiado (Garrett) to Baixa, the last set of escalators was under repair (you go down a set of escalators and then up another set of escalators). My husband laughed and said, "so much for your brilliant idea" (well, at least it was half brilliant). They were probably just under repair that day. I assume that they're operational now.

Another hack is to use the elevators inside the Armazens do Chiado shopping mall, but that still leaves you a bit of a climb up to Garrett.

There will be looooong lines to catch the Santa Justa elevator, so I wouldn't do that.

About Google maps, my husband said "let's walk to Restaurante Tapisco in Príncipe Real from our hotel off the Avenida da Liberdade. It's only a 10-minute walk, Google says". Well, "ok" I said, and we did, in the pouring rain, and it truly was a vertical walk, up dozens and dozens of steps. Good cardio work out but not fun in the rain!

Many, many thanks, Helena and Maribel! I had a feeling that Google doesn’t reveal the truth about Lisbon! When I read your advice to Alice9, Maribel, I wondered if that was the way we should go. You confirmed my suspicions!

And I smiled at the well-intentioned plan to use the escalators, only to find out that they were only partly working. 😉

Hi progol,
On one of your planning threads, quite a while ago, I think I might have posted a YouTube video of that hack, using the Baixa-Chiado metro escalators to go up and down, avoiding the steep climb. I'll try to find it again.

Here is one, but there are several-

Wow, Maribel! That is really steep! If I Google directions from the train station, what should I enter to find the entrance to the Baixa-Chiado entrance? Just Baixa- Chiado?

Yep, it's steep, especially when one of the escalators is under repair!

Yes, just Google directions from Rossio (or the official name, Praça Dom Luis IV) to Baixa-Chiado.

I've attached the pdf.

Also see here-
https://www.thelisbonconnection.com/...eds-of-stairs/

But...having said all that, check with the info booth at Rossio and ask if taking the escalators in Rossio station up to the top of the station, then walking to Rua Garret from the top of Rossio station would be a better option. I just can't remember.
We did the climb from Rossio up via Rua do Carmo to Rua Garret, that's so steep but on an uncrowded Sunday morning and without luggage. You'll definitely want to avoid it with luggage.

There are also hacks to avoid some climbing from Baixa to the Alfama. RS guide has some hacks.

Here are a couple of online tips to avoid some of the climb (but not all!) from Baixa to St. George's castle.

https://www.weheartlisbon.com/en/sig...evador-castelo

https://lisbontravelideas.com/2022/0...lisbons-castle

Thanks, Maribel - you're a font of great information! This is so helpful!

After reading this, I googled Rossio Square to Baixa-Chiado -- per google, 5-6 minutes and "All routes are mostly flat"
Then Praça Dom Luís I (by the river) to Baixa-Chiado -- per google, 10 minutes and "All routes are mostly flat"

I am soooo confused.

As I understand it, Baixa (means “low”)is below Chiado and is flat, but then the streets going up to Chiado are very hilly. The Rossio train station is in Baixa, so that area should be easy walking. But I can’t tell from the Google map where streets are flat or where they start to incline. And on the Google map, it isn’t clear where the lower entrance to the Baixa-Chiado entrance is and that it’s distinct from an upper level. I can only have faith that it will make sense once we are there!

I'll try to explain this--
As progol says, "baixa" means "low, and this Baixa neighborhood consists of the grid pattern of streets built after the 1755 earthquake destroyed most everthing except for the Alfama, the former ancient Arab quarter.
This, Baixa, is the lower city of Lisbon, close to the Tagus River, which is all flat. The closer to the Tagus you get, the flatter it is.

The bottom entrance to the "Baixa (lower)-Chiado" (upper) metro is in the Baixa, lower area.
Once inside the metro station, you'll see escalators (don't need a metro ticket) that will take you up to the upper Metro entrance, which is in Chiado (on the hill).
The Baixa-Chiado metro has two entrances, one in the Baixa (lower city) and the other in Chiado (upper part of the city atop a hill).

The Chiado is above the Baixa, Chiado being an upper area that was almost completely destroyed in a fire in 1988 but rebuilt, thanks to the architect Alvaro Siza Vieira, and it sits on one of Lisbon's 7 hills. Lisbon is the "city of the 7 hills".

The trouble with Gooogle maps is that it doesn't tell you what's flat and what's hilly.

The Google map that I attached indicates the lower entrance to the Baixa-Chiado metro. The upper entrance is up at the western end of Rue Garrett in Chiado, atop a hill.

The adjacent neighborhood of Bairro Alto (=upper neighborhood) is above, higher than Chiado, and is the nightlife district.

This is an explanation, of sorts, of the various neighborhoods and their character-
https://www.portugalist.com/lisbon-neighbourhoods/

Thanks so much, Maribel. As you said and as I’ve found out, using .Google maps for Lisbon only tells direction but not the height.

I wrote to the agent for the apartment I’m staying in and they told me to take the escalators within Rossio station, and walk from there, it should be a fairly manageable walk.

That's what I was wondering, if it wouldn't just be easier to take the Rossio escalators. Glad your apartment agent confirmed that for you!

progol,
Although I suspect you (and others) will have quite a full plate during your Sintra stay, I just received an update that Sintra's new attraction, Palácio de Biester and its gardens are now, today, open the public,,,,,just thought I'd mention it if you need a relatively "quiet corner".

It's open from 10am-8pm, with the last entry at 7 pm. Sr. tickets cost €5. It appears that it's walkable from the center of town but may be an uphill walk (how steep? I don't know).

https://www.biester.pt.

Thanks, Maribel! Right now, I also have a feeling we will be plenty busy and I want to be mindful of not burning out on too many rich sights immediately! I tend to overplan and then have to weed out from the too-long list.

As of now, we arrive on Thursday. If we are up to it, we’ll stop into the National Palace in the afternoon.
The following morning, I have tickets for the first entrance to the Peña Palace and will go to the Moorish castle after. And dinner at Incomum.
And on Saturday, we will see the Quinta da Regaleira and Monserrate. After that, I suspect we’ll have seen enough of the sites to take a break!

And the weather looks gorgeous! 🤞🤞🤞

Yes, you do have a full plate! And I understand about "palace burn out"...I quickly suffered "Châteaux fatigue" during our 8 touring days in the Loire.

It sound like you have a very good, solid plan in place and that you've also built in down time to enjoy the hospitality of the Chalet Saudade:)