On my ride to meet with Felipe, the host, there was a train accident where a man crossed the rails and did not make it. Felipe ended up waiting an extra hour to check me in, explain about the keys and to instruct about the checkout process. Sort of like a hostel. Shared bathroom and kitchen with 2 or 3 ? other rooms of travelers. Private room has a private key.
If you have a Eurail pass, getting out of the Pórtela train station may be a nightmare. Scanning didn’t work, pressing the call help did not either. There are stairs at the end of the platform, and you may have to ask a local to help you contact a ticket rep. A kind local felt sorry for me and let me use his pass to swipe me through.
Transportation in Sintra, a very hilly city, is unreliable and difficult. Even though the AirBnb location is close to Pórtela de Sintra station, it is one stop away from Sintra station which is the main area. Buses to the popular locations end early, and these locations usually close by 6 pm. It took 1.5 hours to see the inside of Pena Palace. Book tickets online for Pena Palace and Quinta de Regaleira.