Trending: the European city where ‘hub and spoke’ searches are soaring

With searches for day trips from Lisbon rising, travellers embrace a "hub and spoke" approach to city breaks

 Hi-res images here

Travellers are increasingly looking beyond Lisbon’s city centre on their holidays, with new search data pointing to a growing appetite for day trips and easy escapes from the capital.

Searches for “day trips Lisbon” have increased by 240% from UK travellers in the past quarter, highlighting a shift towards a “hub and spoke” approach to travel – staying in one central location and using it as a base to explore a wider destination.

For travellers staying at Martinhal Lisbon Chiado, that hub is right in the heart of the city. Located in Lisbon’s historic Chiado district, Martinhal Chiado offers luxury serviced apartments with the space and flexibility of apartment living alongside hotel services, making it an ideal base for families, couples and longer city stays.

For Nature Lovers: Sintra – around 40–60 minutes from Chiado

The dramatic landscapes and architecture of Sintra make it one of the most popular day trips from Lisbon. Around 30km from the capital, the UNESCO World Heritage destination is renowned for its colourful palaces, historic estates and lush mountain scenery. It is a great escape for those looking for a green and picturesque escape from the city, particularly for the Serra de Sintra, with plenty of walking trails. It is also noticeably cooler than Lisbon, which makes it particularly appealing on hotter days in September. [VC2] 

From Martinhal Chiado, Sintra can generally be reached in around 40–60 minutes by train or car. Travellers can spend the day exploring landmarks such as Pena Palace and Quinta da Regaleira before heading back to Lisbon for the evening.

For City Explorers: Cascais - around 40–50 minutes from Chiado

For a taste of the Portuguese coast, Cascais makes an easy day trip from the capital. Once a fishing village and royal retreat, the seaside town has a picturesque historic centre, waterfront restaurants, charming shops and dramatic Atlantic scenery. It's a wonderful spot for a leisurely afternoon, with lunch or dinner by the water.

Cascais is approximately 40–50 minutes from Martinhal Chiado by car or train, making it easy to leave the city after breakfast and spend a full day exploring before returning to Lisbon in the evening.

For Beach Goers: Costa da Caparica - around 50-60 minutes from Chiado

For travellers who simply want to swap the city for the beach, Costa da Caparica, in Almada, is one of the easiest coastal escapes offering long stretches of golden sand, a laid-back surf-town atmosphere and a run of casual beach cafés right along the seafront.

At approximately 50-60 minutes from Martinhal Chiado, it is close enough for a spontaneous half-day trip – or a full day of swimming, surfing and relaxing on the sand.

One address, multiple experiences

The appeal of the hub-and-spoke approach is particularly relevant for travellers who want to experience more of Lisbon without sacrificing the convenience of a single accommodation base.

Martinhal Chiado sits in the old town, close to Chiado, Bairro Alto and Príncipe Real, placing guests within easy reach of Lisbon’s culture, bars and restaurants - although the in-house Bar 1855 Gin Garden keeps things easy with breakfast, light meals, snacks and creative cocktails available for guests. The hotel’s spacious apartments provide the flexibility of having a home-from-home in the city, while Martinhal’s family-focused services are designed to make city breaks with children easier.

For families, there’s plenty of Martinhal’s signature child-friendly facilities, including a dedicated, complimentary Kids Club, a family playroom and baby equipment. Plus, the new Pyjama Club gives parents precious evening freedom: children aged three and over can enjoy dinner, activities, pyjamas, a big-screen film and popcorn while grown-ups head out to discover Lisbon after dark.

More information about Martinhal Lisbon Chiado is available here.

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Methodology

[1] Google search data was collected using Glimpse and Google Trends and is correct as of 29 September 2026.

About Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts

Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts has been renowned for providing luxurious family holidays since the opening of its first resort in 2010. Martinhal is helping more families have a holiday together to remember at their properties: Martinhal Lisbon Oriente, Martinhal Quinta, Martinhal Sagres and Martinhal Chiado . Each Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts’ property is designed with families, luxury and design in mind. Found in some of the most prestigious areas in Portugal, Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts offers superb accommodation from beach front locations, sophisticated golf areas to Lisbon city centre.

High-res images of all Martinhal properties can be found here.

For more information please contact Georgia Pethick, Jess Cochrane and Katie Fields at martinhal@lemongrassmarketing.com or call 01865 237 990.

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Editors notes

Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts has been renowned for providing luxurious family holidays since the opening of its first resort in 2010. Martinhal is helping more families have a holiday together to remember. Each Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts’ property is designed with families, luxury and design in mind. Found in some of the most prestigious areas in Portugal, Martinhal Family Hotels & Resorts offers superb accommodation from beach front locations, sophisticated golf areas to Lisbon city centre. Properties include Martinhal Sagres (Algarve), Martinhal Quinta do Lago (Algarve), Martinhal Cascais and Martinhal Lisbon Chiado.

Each resort also features a baby concierge service (providing baby baths, bottle sterilisers and all the other essentials for travelling with little ones), staffed kids areas/clubs and a mini market for any necessities.