MyPortugalHoliday.com
The best independent guide to Central Portugal
MyPortugalHoliday.com
The best independent guide to Central Portugal
Obidos Intro - Obidos Sights - Day Trip to Obidos - Lisbon to Obidos - Lisbon day trips - Nazaré - Batalha
Lisbon To Obidos by Bus, Train or Car
Obidos is a delightful Portuguese town that makes for an enjoyable day trip from Lisbon. Obidos is situated 80km to the north of Lisbon, and the small size of the town means that it can be easily explored in a single day of sightseeing.
Luckily, there is good public transport between Lisbon and Obidos, and the express bus services takes 60 minutes, making Obidos ideal for an independent day trip. This article will explain how to travel from Lisbon to Obidos, and includes fares, station information and links to timetables.
The livery for Rodotejo buses between Lisbon and Obidos
The cobbled back-streets of Obidos
Lisbon to Obidos by car
The easiest way to travel from Lisbon to Obidos is by car. Obidos is just 1km from the main A8 expressway, which connects Lisbon to Leiria, Coimbra and the north of Portugal. Junction 15 of the A8 expressway leads to the southern side of Obidos, where there is a large car park (GPS: 39.35764, -9.15802) just outside the city walls.
Note: cars are not allowed within the town walls.
Warning: Other the previous summer season a number of cars were broken into – never leave valuables on show.
Have you considered a small group tour to Obidos?
Organised tours are ideal if you are limited for time or do not want the hassle of public transport. The general standard of organised tours in Portugal has vastly improved over the last few years, and tour guides are enthusiastic and knowledgeable.
We have worked with GetYourGuide.com over the last five years and these are some of their better tours which include Obidos:
• A Popular tour of Fatima, Obidos, Batalha and Nazaré (€65)
• Fátima, Nazaré, Óbidos & São Martinho do Porto Full-Day Tour (€60)
• Óbidos, Fátima and the Atlantic Coast (€65)
Lisbon to Obidos by train
There is an infrequent train service to Obidos, which is part of the Lisbon to Caldas da Rainha railway. The issue with the train, is that it is a slow regional service, which takes a tedious 2h20min (as opposed to 60min by bus). A single ticket costs €9.05, and the latest timetable can be seen on the Comboios de Portugal (CP) website:
www.cp.pt/
The above link is a PDF and may download on certain mobile phones. The Comboios de Portugal website is https://www.cp.pt, and tickets can be purchased from here.
Obidos train station (GPS: 39.36481, -9.15948) is to the north west of the castle and it is a 10-minute uphill walk to the historic centre.
Advice: Due to the infrequent departures and long journey we would always recommend bus travel over the train.
Lisbon To Obidos By Bus
The express bus service between Lisbon and Obidos is operated by the Rodotejo bus company, and the route is called the “Rapida Verde” (Green Express). The buses along this route are clean, modern and comfortable, and even have free Wi-Fi.
The bus from Lisbon to Obidos takes 60 minutes and there are 32 daily departures Monday to Friday , but this drops to only 13 departures at the weekend or bank holidays. The exact timetable can be seen on the Rodotejo website:
http://www.rodotejo.pt/wp-content/uploads/rapida_linha_verde.pdf
(The above link is a PDF, and on certain mobile phones it may download)
The first sight of Obidos castle from the bus…
A single bus ticket from Lisbon to Obidos costs €8.00 (correct Feb 2020) and the ticket is purchased from the bus driver. There are no return tickets; for a day trip, two single tickets must be purchased when boarding each bus.
Bus tickets cannot be pre-booked or seats reserved in advance, therefore it is advisable to arrive early for popular summertime services, especially at the weekends. If you are travelling with heavy or bulky luggage, it can be loaded into the compartments beneath the bus.
Lisbon and Obidos Bus Stops
The Obidos bus service departs from the Campo Grande bus station in Lisbon. This bus station is located on the green and yellow metro lines and is served by the Campo Grande metro station. Campo Grande bus station has no central building, and is a series of bus stands that surround the metro station. This means that the “Rapida Verde” bus stop can be difficult to find.
The bus stop for buses to Obidos, in the Campo Grande bus station
The “Rapida Verde” bus stand (GPS: 38.76029, -9.15669) is to the east of the metro station, on the “Rua Actor Antonio Silva”. This street is reached by going under the metro bridge and away from the main bus station. The exact bus stand is marked by the Rapida Verde timetable.
Note: The final stop of the Rapida Verde route is the town of Caldas da Rainha, and the bus may display a sign for Caldas da Rainha
Information: Campo Grande bus station is in the shadow of the massive José Alvalade Stadium, the home of Sporting Lisbon football club.
The bus stop in Obidos, is just outside the city walls
In Obidos, the bus stops on the Rua da Praça (GPS: 39.359273, -9.157420), which is to the south of the historic centre and close to the Porta da Vila. From the bus stop it is less than a 5-minute walk from the bus stop to the centre of Obidos.
The bus route from Lisbon to Obidos follows the A8 expressway and there is a single stop, in the town of Bombarral. The bus route is quite scenic as it passes through the hills north of Lisbon.
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