Which place is cheaper, Lyon or Sintra?
These are the overall average travel costs for the two destinations.
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Should you visit Sintra or Lyon?
Which is cheaper to visit? Which is more expensive for vacation?
Should I visit Sintra or Lyon? This is a common question asked by many travelers. By figuring out which city has activities that align with your interests along with knowing which is more affordable, you'll understand where you can get more bang for your buck. So, let's dive into the details and the data, which all comes from actual travelers.
Where Should I go: Sintra or Lyon?
Sintra
Located just 28 kilometers from Lisbon, Sintra is a town that was, for a long time, home to Portuguese royalty leading up to the 1910 revolution. In town you will find a Royal Palace and in the surrounding area there is a Moorish Castle, and the Pena Palace, which dates back to the 19th century. The town is on the Estoril Coast near the Sintra Mountains, making its setting very dramatic, beautiful and picturesque. The surrounding hills are actually designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site because they offer a great combination of both cultural importance and natural beauty.
Lyon
Lyon, located within the region of Southeastern France, is France's third largest city in terms of population, with just over 500,000 inhabitants. This makes the city large, yet still small and personable enough to be explored properly in a short visit. Known as the gastronomic capital of Europe, your culinary needs are exceptionally well catered to here, and for those with historical and cultural interests, you will never be at a loss for new things to do and see.
For some great organized tour ideas, see The Best Budget Tours to Portugal, The Best Tours for Seniors to Portugal, The Best 10-Day Tours from Paris, and The Best 2-Week Tours from Paris.
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Average Daily Cost Per person, per daySintra €115Lyon €125
The average daily cost (per person) in Sintra is €115, while the average daily cost in Lyon is €125. These costs include accommodation (assuming double occupancy, so the traveler is sharing the room), food, transportation, and entertainment. While every person is different, these costs are an average of past travelers in each destination. What follows is a categorical breakdown of travel costs for Sintra and Lyon in more detail.
Accommodation
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Accommodation Hotel or hostel for one personSintra €57Lyon €53
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Accommodation Typical double-occupancy roomSintra €114Lyon €106
Compare Hotels in Sintra and Lyon
Looking for a hotel in Sintra or Lyon? Prices vary by location, date, season, and the level of luxury. See below for options and compare which is best for your budget and travel style.
Kayak helps you find the best prices for hotels, flights, and rental cars for destinations around the world. Compare prices for multiple destinations when planning your next trip.
Our Analysis
We've analyzed the average and typical hotel prices based on guest reviews, star ratings, and hotel amenities here: Sintra Hotel Prices and Lyon Hotel Prices.
Local Transportation
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Local Transportation Taxis, local buses, subway, etc.Sintra €21Lyon €17
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Sintra
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Sintra:
- Estoril, Cascais or Sintra Private Transfer to Lisbon: $27
- Lisbon Airport Transfer to Cascais / Sintra / Estoril: $51
- Transfer from Lisbon Airport to Sintra: $53
- Lisbon Airport: Cascais/Estoril/Sintra Private Transfer: $57
- Transfer Sintra to Lisbon Airport: $71
- Tuk Tuk Transfer With Sintra Pena Ticket From Meeting Point: $73
- Private Transfer Lisbon & Cascais by Van or Car: $73
- TRANSFER Cascais to Lisbon Airport: $82
- Lisbon transfer, national and Iberian trips: $86
- Private Guided Transfer in Sintra and Lisbon: $87
- Tours and Transfers: $89
- Transfer Cascais to Lisbon(3pax): $98
Typical Local Transportation Prices in Lyon
Below are a few samples from actual travelers for transportation costs in Lyon:
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Funiculaire€5.20
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Hop-on Hop-off Tourist Bus€19
Hired Cars and Shuttles in Lyon
Some specific examples of transportation prices in Lyon:
- Private transfer from or to Lyon train stations - Lyon city by car or luxury van: $46
- Lyon Saint Exupery Airport(LYS) to Aix-les-Bains-Arrival Transfer: $47
- Lyon City Card with Airport Transfer: $52
- Lyon St Exupery Airport to Les Deux/La Clusaz - Arrival Transfer: $71
- Lyon Airport (LYS) to Val d'Isere/Espace Killy: Arrival Transfer: $76
- Arrival Private Transfer from Lyon Airport LYS to Lyon City by Business Car: $78
- Departure Private Transfer Lyon City to Lyon Airport LYS by Business Car: $79
- 1-Way Private Transfer from Lyon-Saint Exupéry Airport: $80
- 1-Way Private Transfer center to Saint Exupery Airport: $80
- Excellecar Private Driver - Stations & Airports Transfers: $82
- Departure Transfer: Lyon City to Lyon Airport LYS in Business Car: $86
- Arrival Transfer: Lyon Airport LYS to Lyon City in Business Car: $86
Is it cheaper to fly into Sintra or Lyon?
Prices for flights to both Lyon and Sintra change regularly based on dates and travel demand. We suggest you find the best prices for your next trip on Kayak, because you can compare the cost of flights across multiple airlines for your prefered dates.
Food
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Food Meals for one daySintra €42Lyon €41
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Sintra
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Sintra.
- Private Portuguese Cooking Lesson and Meal with a Lisbon Local: $220
Typical Food Prices in Lyon
Some typical examples of dining costs in Lyon are as follows:
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Pastry€1.70
Food Tours and Cooking Classes in Lyon
Also, here are some specific examples of food and dining related activities in Lyon.
- Street Food Tour: $64
- Croix-Rousse District Vegan Food Tour with Tastings: $64
- Guided Food Tour with Tastings: $66
- Afternoon Old Town Food tour: $76
- Lyon 2.5-Hour Dinner Cruise: $80
- Cultural Walking Food Tour in the Vieux Lyon District: $86
- Lyon Old Town Half-Day Walking Food Tour with Local Specialties Tasting & Lunch: $93
- Old Town Food Tour: $96
- Guided Food Tour with Tastings and Wine: $102
- Guided Evening Food Tour: $102
- Lyon Evening Food Tour - Do Eat Better Experience: $104
- Food Tour in Lyon - Do Eat Better Experience: $104
Entertainment
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Entertainment Entrance tickets, shows, etc.Sintra €23Lyon €20
Tours and Activities in Sintra
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Sintra are as follows:
- Discover Enchanted A Fairy-Tale Free Tour: $1.28
- Self-Guided Highlights Scavenger Hunt & Walking Tour: $3.74
- Sintra Myths and Legends Interpretative Center Entry Ticket: $4.28
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $6.42
- Pena Palace In-app Audio Tour (WITHOUT A TICKET): $7.44
- Sintra Scavenger Hunt and Sights Self-Guided Tour: $7.65
- Monserrate Palace and Park Skip-the-Line Ticket: $13
- Sintra Sightseeing Train Tour: $13
- National Palace of Sintra and Gardens Fast Track Ticket: $14
- National Sintra Palace Ticket & Optional Audio Guide: $16
- Hop-on Hop-off Tour in Sintra: $16
- Castle of the Moors E-Ticket & Optional Audio Guide: $18
Typical Entertainment Prices in Lyon
Some typical examples of activities, tours, and entrance ticket prices in Lyon are as follows:
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Lunch for 2€45
Tours and Activities in Lyon
Some specific costs of activities, tours, and entrance tickets for Lyon are as follows:
- First Discovery Walk and Reading Walking Tour: $3.21
- City Exploration Game and Tour: $4.28
- Hop-On Hop-Off City Cruise: $5.35
- City Exploration Game and Tour on your Phone: $6.41
- Lyon Highlights Self-Guided Scavenger Hunt and Walking Tour: $6.42
- Lyon Scavenger Hunt and Best Landmarks Self-Guided Tour: $6.54
- Private Self-Guided Tour of the Curse Quest of Old Lyon: $8.72
- Access to a Self-Guided Tour of the archaeological site of Lyon: $8.72
- Access to a Self-Guided Tour to Traboules de Croix-Rousse: $8.72
- Lyon Self-Guided Audio Tour: $9.00
- French Resistance Smartphone Audio Walking Tour: $9.61
- Old Lyon Walking In App Audio Tour: $9.77
Alcohol
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Alcohol Drinks for one daySintra €17Lyon €24
Sample the Local Flavors in Sintra
Some specific costs for nightlife related activities in Sintra:
- Half-Day Tour in Cascais / Sintra with Brunch and Wine Tasting: $60
- Hiking and Wine Tasting Experience: $71
- Half Day in Sintra and Cabo da Roca with Wine Tasting: $82
- Wine Tasting Tour: $82
- Private tour wine tasting in Setubal: $96
- Excursion from Lisbon to Setúbal: Nature, Beach and Wine Tasting: $125
- Private Tour Sétubal, Palmela, Arrábida with wine tasting: $175
- Hidden Gems: Sintra & Cascais Private Tour with Wine Tasting: $181
- From Lisbon Private Tour to Porto with Port Wine Tasting: $235
Typical Alcohol Prices in Lyon
Here are a few samples of the prices for alcohol and nightlife in Lyon from other travelers:
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Drinks for 2€6.80
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Bottle of Wine€15
Sample the Local Flavors in Lyon
Also in Lyon, these are the prices for nightlife and alcohol related activities from various tour providers:
- Lyon : Music & Wine tasting tour: $96
- Lyon Old Town Food & Wine Tasting Tour including a Bouchon Lyonnais : $98
- Guided tour of Beaujolais by electric bike and wine tasting: $98
- Lyon Music & Wine tasting: $104
- Golden Stones Beaujolais Wine Tasting Trip from Lyon: $106
- Beaujolais: Half-Day Wine Tour: $106
- From Wine tasting and visits of the Beaujolais: $106
- Half-Day Côte-Rotie Wine Tasting Tour: $106
- From Beaujolais Region Wine Tour with Tastings: $106
- Beaujolais Half Day Wine Tasting Tour: $108
- Beaujolais 100% wine tour Small-Group Tour with Tasting from Lyon: $108
- Guided tour and wine tasting Northern Rhône Valley: $108
When comparing the travel costs between Sintra and Lyon, we can see that Lyon is more expensive. However, the two cities are actually relatively comparable in price, as the difference is somewhat minimal. Generally, this means that you could travel with generally the same travel style and level of luxury in each place. Since both cities are in Europe, it's no surprise that their costs are relatively close, as many destinations here have somewhat similar travel prices overall.
If you're trying to decide if either of these two destinations are within your price range, also see Is Sintra Expensive? and Is Lyon Expensive?.
Which is Bigger, Sintra or Lyon?
Lyon has a larger population, and is about 20 times larger than the population of Sintra. When comparing the sizes of Sintra and Lyon, keep in mind that a larger population does not always imply the destination has more attractions or better activities. So, always research the type of place that you want to visit along with the activities and attractions that interest you.
When is the best time to visit Sintra or Lyon?
Both destinations experience a temperate climate with four distinct seasons. And since both cities are in the northern hemisphere, summer is in July and winter is in January.
Should I visit Sintra or Lyon in the Summer?
Both Lyon and Sintra are popular destinations to visit in the summer with plenty of activities. Also, many visitors come to Lyon in the summer for the city activities and the family-friendly experiences.
In the summer, Sintra is around the same temperature as Lyon. Typically, the summer temperatures in Sintra in July average around 23°C (73°F), and Lyon averages at about 22°C (71°F).
It's quite sunny in Lyon. The sun comes out a lot this time of the year in Sintra. Sintra usually receives more sunshine than Lyon during summer. Sintra gets 352 hours of sunny skies, while Lyon receives 285 hours of full sun in the summer.
In July, Sintra usually receives less rain than Lyon. Sintra gets 5 mm (0.2 in) of rain, while Lyon receives 61 mm (2.4 in) of rain each month for the summer.
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Summer Average Temperatures JulySintra 23°C (73°F)Lyon 22°C (71°F)
Should I visit Sintra or Lyon in the Autumn?
Both Lyon and Sintra during the autumn are popular places to visit. Also, most visitors come to Lyon for the city's sights and attractions, the shopping scene, and the natural beauty of the area during these months.
In October, Sintra is generally a little warmer than Lyon. Daily temperatures in Sintra average around 19°C (66°F), and Lyon fluctuates around 14°C (56°F).
It's quite sunny in Sintra. In the autumn, Sintra often gets more sunshine than Lyon. Sintra gets 213 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Lyon receives 127 hours of full sun.
Sintra usually gets around the same amount of rain in October as Lyon. Sintra gets 80 mm (3.1 in) of rain, while Lyon receives 78 mm (3.1 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Autumn Average Temperatures OctoberSintra 19°C (66°F)Lyon 14°C (56°F)
Should I visit Sintra or Lyon in the Winter?
The winter attracts plenty of travelers to both Sintra and Lyon. Also, the winter months attract visitors to Lyon because of the museums, the shopping scene, and the cuisine.
The weather in Lyon can be very cold. Sintra is much warmer than Lyon in the winter. The daily temperature in Sintra averages around 12°C (53°F) in January, and Lyon fluctuates around 4°C (39°F).
Sintra usually receives more sunshine than Lyon during winter. Sintra gets 144 hours of sunny skies, while Lyon receives 62 hours of full sun in the winter.
Sintra gets a good bit of rain this time of year. In January, Sintra usually receives more rain than Lyon. Sintra gets 110 mm (4.3 in) of rain, while Lyon receives 55 mm (2.1 in) of rain each month for the winter.
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Winter Average Temperatures JanuarySintra 12°C (53°F)Lyon 4°C (39°F)
Should I visit Sintra or Lyon in the Spring?
The spring brings many poeple to Sintra as well as Lyon. Also, the activities around the city and the natural beauty are the main draw to Lyon this time of year.
In the spring, Sintra is a little warmer than Lyon. Typically, the spring temperatures in Sintra in April average around 16°C (60°F), and Lyon averages at about 11°C (53°F).
People are often attracted to the plentiful sunshine in Sintra this time of the year. In the spring, Sintra often gets more sunshine than Lyon. Sintra gets 235 hours of sunny skies this time of year, while Lyon receives 174 hours of full sun.
Sintra usually gets around the same amount of rain in April as Lyon. Sintra gets 64 mm (2.5 in) of rain, while Lyon receives 65 mm (2.6 in) of rain this time of the year.
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Spring Average Temperatures AprilSintra 16°C (60°F)Lyon 11°C (53°F)
Typical Weather for Lyon and Sintra
| Sintra | Lyon | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | Temp (°C) | Rain (mm) | |
| Jan | 12°C (53°F) | 110 mm (4.3 in) | 4°C (39°F) | 55 mm (2.1 in) |
| Feb | 13°C (55°F) | 111 mm (4.4 in) | 6°C (42°F) | 54 mm (2.1 in) |
| Mar | 14°C (58°F) | 69 mm (2.7 in) | 8°C (47°F) | 62 mm (2.4 in) |
| Apr | 16°C (60°F) | 64 mm (2.5 in) | 11°C (53°F) | 65 mm (2.6 in) |
| May | 18°C (64°F) | 39 mm (1.5 in) | 15°C (60°F) | 85 mm (3.4 in) |
| Jun | 21°C (69°F) | 21 mm (0.8 in) | 19°C (66°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Jul | 23°C (73°F) | 5 mm (0.2 in) | 22°C (71°F) | 61 mm (2.4 in) |
| Aug | 23°C (74°F) | 6 mm (0.2 in) | 21°C (70°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Sep | 22°C (72°F) | 26 mm (1 in) | 18°C (65°F) | 75 mm (3 in) |
| Oct | 19°C (66°F) | 80 mm (3.1 in) | 14°C (56°F) | 78 mm (3.1 in) |
| Nov | 15°C (59°F) | 114 mm (4.5 in) | 8°C (46°F) | 70 mm (2.8 in) |
| Dec | 12°C (54°F) | 108 mm (4.3 in) | 4°C (40°F) | 57 mm (2.3 in) |
Budget Your Trip is all about finding out how much everything costs so that you can travel cheaper and longer. Created by avid travelers Laurie and Bryan, our goal is to help you plan your next trip on the right budget. With average daily travel costs that are calculated from the budgets of real travelers, plus an analysis of hotel and tour prices, you can find out how much money you need to plan your next adventure. We also have plenty of travel advice, accommodation reviews, and activity suggestions.