The bus stop in Óbidos is right outside the main town gate
Óbidos is just one hour north of Lisbon by car, and while most tourists visit it on an organized tour, many reach it by public transportation. These are your options:
Bus to Óbidos from Lisbon
Express buses from Lisbon take just one hour to reach Óbidos. They depart from the Campo Grande terminal, across from the Alvalade XXI/Sporting Lisbon stadium. The terminal can be reached by metro (green or yellow line) -- follow the signs to Alameda das Linhas de Torres as you exit the metro and you’ll see the stadium as you step outside. In 2022 the terminal was split into two -- "Terminal 1" and "Terminal 2" -- the Óbidos bus departs from terminal 2, which is to the right as you exit the metro station. It’s the bus on bay number 30 or 31, operated by the Rodoviária do Oeste company, with the town of Caldas da Rainha as the final destination. It makes just one stop in the town of Bombarral before reaching Óbidos, and then continues to Caldas da Rainha.
It departs about every hour in the morning and every 15 minutes at the rush hours in the afternoon on weekdays, and less frequently on weekends.
Once it reaches Óbidos, it stops right outside the town walls. For your return to Lisbon, wait at the exact same spot.
The buses are modern, clean and comfortable, with air conditioning. Tickets can’t be pre-booked and there’s no reserved seating.
If you are traveling with luggage, you may load it into the compartments beneath the vehicle.
Ticket price: €8.00 (tickets are purchased from the driver)
The bus to Óbidos has a luggage compartment and departs from bays 30 and 31 of Terminal 2 in Campo Grande
Train to Óbidos
There is a train that departs from Lisbon’s Santa Apolónia Station, but it’s a regional service that stops in several small towns along the way, taking 2 hours and 20 minutes to reach Óbidos. It’s also not convenient, as there are only three trains per day, the first one before 6am, and the last one in the middle of the afternoon, arriving in Óbidos too late for sightseeing. In addition to the infrequent and slow service, the station is about a 20-minute walk from town. Take the bus instead.
Driving to Óbidos
If you go to Óbidos by car, take the A8 highway. The road is quite good, and Óbidos easy to find, as the entire walled town is visible as you approach it. There is a toll, so be prepared with some change. When you arrive, you may not enter the town gate, as cars are not allowed in the old town (except for residents). Fortunately, there is a car park right outside, in the shadow of the town’s 16th-century aqueduct.