The stop of the Ericeira bus, outside Lisbon's Campo Grande metro station, across from the Sporting Lisbon Stadium.
Whether you’re going to Ericeira to spend a beach holiday or on just a day trip, you’ll likely be departing from Lisbon. It’s more convenient to have a car, but it’s not difficult to hop on a bus in the capital. On a day trip by car or bus, you can stop at Mafra Palace on the way, about 15 minutes from the center of Ericeira (it’s recommended that you go to the palace in the morning and Ericeira in the afternoon).
Buses to Ericeira and Mafra depart from bays 22, 23 and 24 of the Campo Grande terminal
Ericeira Buses
There are no trains to Ericeira, but those who choose not to rent a car can take the bus operated by the Carris Metropolitana company, which departs from the Campo Grande terminal in Lisbon. It’s found right outside the Campo Grande metro station (which is on the green and yellow lines), across from the Alvalade XXI/Sporting Lisbon Stadium. There is actually more than one bus to Ericeira from this terminal -- numbers 2801 and 2740 are the most recommended. Number 2801 departs from bay 22 and goes through a highway, taking 45 minutes to reach Ericeira (it does not stop in Mafra). It's the fastest bus but it doesn't operate on weekends throughout most of the year (there are three departures in the summer). From bay 23 depart buses 2802 and 2803. The 2802 ends in Mafra, it does not continue to Ericeira, while the 2803 does stop in Mafra and terminates in Ericeira. The 2802 takes 35 minutes to reach Mafra and the 2803 takes one hour to reach Ericeira. If you wish to stop in Mafra, count on taking the 2804, which departs from bay 24, as the 2802 has very few departures (only at rush hours early in the morning and in the afternoon). The 2804 goes through a highway for half of its journey, terminating in Mafra in about 45 minutes -- but note that it does not operate on weekends. The infrequent 2805, whose final stop is in the village of Encarnação, also stops in Mafra and also departs from bay 24. The aforementioned 2704 to Ericeira also departs from bay 24, at irregular intervals throughout the day, including weekends, taking about one hour and ten minutes to reach the Ericeira bus terminal. There's yet another bus to Ericeira departing from bay 24, the 2751, but while it operates throughout the week, about five or six times a day, it makes several stops along the way, taking about 90 minutes to its final stop in Ericeira, and is therefore not recommended. For the current schedule for all theses buses, check the Carris Metropolitana website linked above.
Ericeira Bus Tickets
Tickets are bought from the driver and are €6.40 for a one-way journey. If you want to visit Mafra Palace, ask the driver to let you know where to get off in Mafra (although you’ll clearly see the palace as you approach it; the bus stops across from it). If you want to go directly to Ericeira, just stay on the bus until the last stop, which is the town’s bus station.
Ericeira Bus Station
The station in Ericeira, called Parque Intermodal da Ericeira, is on Rua Alto da Camacha, about a 10- to 15-minute walk from the center and the beaches. To locate the bus station and the beaches, see the Ericeira beaches map.
From Lisbon Airport to Ericeira
If you want to go straight to Ericeira as soon as you land at the airport in Lisbon, you can take the metro, whose station is right outside the arrivals terminal, to Campo Grande. The airport is on the red line, while Campo Grande is on the green, so you have to connect at Alameda.
If you're carrying lots of luggage, skip public transportation, and book a transfer instead: Lisbon Airport Transfer to Ericeira
From Sintra to Ericeira
The stop of the bus to Ericeira in Sintra
Sintra is one of Portugal’s most visited towns, for its fairytale palaces, castles and beaches. Fortunately, there’s a bus connecting it to Ericeira, so you can visit it on a day trip if you’re staying in Ericeira, or visit Ericeira if you’re staying in Sintra. The 1633 bus departs from outside the Portela de Sintra train station, which is not the main train station in Sintra, but is a very short walk from the center of town. It’s operated by Carris Metropolitana and its final stop is Ericeira’s bus station. There are hourly departures on weekdays and every two hours on weekends and public holidays, in both directions. It makes several stops in the villages in between, so the entire journey takes 50 to 60 minutes.