Sintra is well worth a visit and has amazing sights to explore. The Casa Jose Ricardo is a lovely old home which is perfect for large family or friend groupings. The home is well provisioned and is walking distance to the main sights.
It is only a short walk to the train station so a car is not necessary, however; if you wish to explore the coastal region such as Cabo da Roca or the wines of Colares then a car is needed for the short trip.
Dagmar was very helpful in our email communications prior to our vacation and provided plenty of useful information about Sintra and the local beaches and restaurants.
We can highly recommend the cooking class we did with Patricia in the Casa Jose Ricardo kitchen, it was one of the highlights of our stay.