Bus/train help in Portugal - up the coast in October
 

Going to Portugal for the first time as an adult (went every summer as a kid to be with family) for my honeymoon! Anyways, excited but looking for help. Is it possible to do the following route with public transportation or are we better off renting a car?

We are staying in my family's house in Sintra and want to do the following:
Sintra>Obidos>Coimbra>sidetrip to visit family in Chipar di Cima (I think we've got this covered)>Porto

Any suggestions or tips are much appreciated! I am psyched to go back after all these years. Would it be better to rent a car? The idea was that once in Porto we would rent a car and drive to Gouveia to visit my dad's family and then just meander back to Lisbon and drop the car off at the airport there. Are we better off just renting a car the whole way? I remember gas prices being pretty atrocious as a child and can only imagine it's worse now.

Cheers
C

I think your plan is good. You don't really need a car in Lisbon nor do you need one to visit Sintra.

We did it the other way around. Arrived in Lisbon via taxi from the airport, stayed in Lisbon and visited surrounding areas for several days, and then cab back to airport to pick up our rental car to explore areas in the north...Obidos, Batalha, Leiria, Coimbra etc. Worked well for us.

Good luck!

I re-read your original post...I apologise. I thought you were starting in Porto and going down to Lisbon.

It seems you are starting in Sintra? Then I think having a car to visit Obidos, Coimbra, onto Porto would be ideal.

Also, not only are gas prices quite high, in June, I believe we paid around €1,34/litre (~$7.60/gallon) but there are also a lot of toll roads along this corridor.

Thanks for the info! I think that the issue is mainly is it worth it to spend the money on gas/car for the convenience/time it saves than traveling with limited bus/rail options.

We're starting in Sintra, then hopefully hitting up Obidos, Coimbra, Chipar di Cima and Porto, coming back through Gouveia and then to Lisbon possibly via Evora.

We just returned this week and I can tell you that gas prices started at about E.97(about $5.60 a gallon) for a diesel car and went up from there.
That is why if you can get a diesel car you can save quite a bit of money as the unleaded was as JoyC said about $7.60 a gallon but we have found that the companies usually do not promise a certain engine. We just lucked out.
There is nothing like having your own wheels in Portugal. The cars have been running a little more than last year but maybe if you are going after high season you may get a little break.
You should try to make arrangements for the car from here before you travel. You might find a little bit of a discount available on line rather than a walk up.

I found an automatic compact car rental for about $220 for 6 days (can't remember now) which included complete insurance coverage (it's $162 without). The car gets 28 city / 50 highway / 39 combined miles to the gallon. I don't think it's a diesel though.

October isn't high season, so I'm wondering if that is a good price.

Alternatively, we are still looking for ideas on train/bus travel to the locations we want to go, so if anyone has tips on that, we would appreciate them!

Chipar di Cima? Are you looking at the right country?

I traveled in the other direction. Porto to Coimbra by train - no problem. Coimbra to Caldas da Rainha by train, where I was picked up by the owners of the place I was staying out in the country. I took a bus from Caldas da Rainha to Obidos and back, and a train on into Lisbon (changing at Cacem). From Sintra to Obidos by train you'll need to change at Cacem and Melecas. It's a short journey, but may be better by bus. (Schedules at bahn.de)

BTW, I rather liked Caldas da Rainha, which has a cool ceramics museum. See wilhelmswords.com/rtw2004/index.html for my TR.