No vacation is one-size-fits-all, but time spent in Sintra, Portugal comes pretty close. A mere 45-minute train ride northwest of Lisbon, this fairy-tale town is full of history, lies close to the coast, and has been named a Unesco World Heritage Site. Whether you have business in Lisbon or are heading south from Porto, this seemingly small town packs a punch per acre and makes an ideal weekend side trip to escape the city.

How to spend a weekend among the fairytale palaces of Portugal’s Sintra