Transportation in Lisbon
Lisbon is a bustling and active city and there are various ways to travel to get there, and get around once you arrive. Fly into one of the airports, or drive in via the extensive motorway network. With an efficient system of buses, trams, train, and the metro all at your disposal - you can get to all the major sites easily.
Although the roads to and around Lisbon are of a high quality, beat the congestion and take the metro - the heart of the city's transport!
Once in Lisbon getting around is not too difficult because of a good local transport system, although it is not without its share of problems. Understanding how each of the systems works is a good way for travellers to make the most of a trip to this captivating city.
Portela Airport - Lisbon's International Airport
Portugal has several international airports, the key ones which see most traffic being the ones at Lisbon, Faro, Lages, Oporto, Ponta Delgada and Funchal. Portugal's home-grown airlines Portugalia and TAP Air Portugal have regular services to other cities in Europe. Lisbon's airport, Portela, is a hub for international flights in and out of Portugal and has good connections to most major cities around the world.
Visit our partner Air Valid for Airline Reviews and Information about Portugal or visit Cheapflights.co.uk for cheap flights to Lisbon!
Chug into Portugal by train from Paris on the Sud express that arrives at Lisbon with a border crossing at Vilar Formoso or from Madrid via Marvão. If you're heading to Oporto then you have the option of arriving from Vigo via Valença. Speak with our local connection if you require tickets or any more information.
Comibra and Oporto connect to Lisbon by express trains or Alfa trains while the Inter-regionais and Inter-cidades connect other smaller towns and cities to the capital and each other.
Most trains have first and second class options, but suburban and local trains do not. Tourists can buy 7/14/21 day validity special passes or tourist tickets. Some days are marked as blue days and on these occasions, return fares for long distance journeys (distances exceeding 100 km) come at heavy discounts. Seniors over 65 get lower fares as well.
For longer journeys, it's a good idea to book seats in advance especially if you're taking an international train. Pick up a copy of the timetable at information kiosks in the train station or at a local tourism office.
Lisbon Road Network & Car Rental in Lisbon
Lisbon is well connected to the surrounding areas of Greater Lisbon and beyond by a network of highways. Within Lisbon itself, you'll find three loop routes on the main motorways around the city - the CRIL, CREL and the 2nd Circular.
Portugal requires motorists to drive on the right hand side of the road with vehicles from the right being given priority at crossroads or major junctions. Wearing seatbelts is compulsory. Speed limits are 50 kmph inside towns, 90 kmph on larger roads and 120 kmph on motorways. Fuel stations stay open between 7am and 8pm, but highways have 24 hour service stations.
You can rent a car from one of many rental agencies in Lisbon and any other major town or city as well as the airports. Produce your proof of identity (this would be your Identity Card if you're from the EU and a passport for other foreign nationals) plus a driving license, valid of course. Get insurance coverage that also includes collisions. Remember, you can't hire a car if you are under 21 in Portugal!
Lisbon Bus & Coach Network
Bus services operate between some cities in Europe and Lisbon, Faro and Oporto. Passengers arriving from UK can take the Euroline service via Paris. Eva runs services from Faro and Lagos to Spain.
Portugal's motorways offer a quick way to get around, often much faster than trains on the same route. You can choose from express or regular coaches and get to almost anywhere in the country this way. There are three kinds of bus services in Portugal - the quick Expressos, the reasonably fast Rápidas and the slower Carreiras.
Lisbon Metro System
The metro has undergone a facelift that has made it faster and improved its performance. The network of stations and routes on the Lisbon metro connects the east and upper reaches of the city to Baixa or the city centre. Plans are underway to develop tracks to link up to the airport as well as districts in the west.
Travelling by metro is not just more efficient, it is also cheaper and more enjoyable than any other mode of transport. The metro also has good connections to the local tram, funicular and bus services, so switching to other modes is easy.
The main lines on the metro are the Sintra, Cascais, Azambuja and Setúbal routes. The last one even takes you across the river Tagus over the historic bridge 25 de Abril. Train lines are colour coded in yellow, blue, red and green and stations are prominently signposted with an "M" sign. To get out of the metro, hunt for the "Saida" sign - this means ‘exit' in Portuguese.
The Lisbon Metro rides costs 0.65 Euro for a one-way ticket and 1.05 Euros for a return trip, with the Lisbon Metro opening times from 6:30 am to 1:00 am daily.
Get a set of 10 tickets for just 5.10 Euros to save some money or buy a one day or multiple day pass so you can get by on less. The 7 Colinas card is another option - this can be topped up to give you as many rides as you want for 1 day or 5 consecutive days. These passes will allow you to travel on the network without having to queue up for tickets each time and will work out cheap if you intend to go about quite a bit.
Metro stations are exciting places to visit and present great photo opportunities for trigger-happy tourists. Almost all of Portugal's greatest artists are represented here, each station being a showcase of different kinds of art, from murals and tile work to sculptures and paintings.
Walking Around Lisbon
If you've managed to book yourself into one of our Lisbon Hotels in the City Centre, getting around will be the easiest thing of all. Lisbon is a walker's paradise and strolling down the pedestrian streets around the squares will be a real delight! Be sure to stroll over to the districts of Bairro Alto, Alfama and Castelo besides the bustling Baixa.
Lisbon's Historic Tram Network
Trams are a quaint and thoroughly enjoyable mode of transport that Lisbon offers its residents and travellers even today. The first tram service ran in the 1800s, when it was brought to Portugal from the Unites States. In fact it was actually named the ‘Americanos' when it first arrived here.
Prices on trams are fixed and fare must be paid to the tram driver. Lisbon, like Oporto, offers lower priced tourist tickets which can be picked up at STCP information kiosks in Oporto and at the Underground or Carris in Lisbon between 8am and 8pm. To have a look at the vintage trams of Lisbon, head over to Museu da Carris.
Lisbon's Taxi Services
There's no dearth of taxis across cities in Portugal, especially in Lisbon! The good news is they aren't prohibitively expensive - in fact, most travellers find it quite affordable. Taxis are usually coloured in black and bright green, while some are beige. All of them carry a glow sign on the roof.
Fares go by the meter inside Lisbon city limits during the day, with a 20% surcharge at night (10pm-6am). Outside city limits they may charge a return fare and luggage will also bring on surcharge. It is standard to tip 10% to taxi drivers in Lisbon, Portugal.
Lisbon Transport Travel Passes
If your holiday in Portugal is longer than a week and you plan to spend a lot of it in Lisbon, it's a good idea to get yourself a weekly or fortnightly travel pass. These allow you the unlimited use of Lisbon's metro, funicular, buses and even the elevadores. You can pick up a pass at Santo Amaro from the Carris station. Documentation required: Photo ID (your passport will do) and cash.
If you are coming to Lisbon and are yet to book accommodation why not check out our great range of Hotels in Lisbon!
Transportation Companies
Portugalia
Air
Aeroporto de Lisboa - Rue C - EDF. 70 - 1700-007, Lisboa
707 787 070
KLM - Royal Dutch Airlines
Air
Ger-NV Aerogares, 6º-S 605, Aeroporto Lisboa - 1700-007
707 222 747
Lufthansa
Air
AV. D. Joao II, 1.17.03, 4ºA - 1990-084, Lisboa
+351 218 924 455
British Airways
Air
Av. Liberdade,36, 2º - 1250-145, Lisboa
808 212 125
Continental Airlines
Air
R. Braamcamp, 40-8.º D (Edificio Heron Castillo) - 1269-011, Lisboa
21 415 91 02
Rede Nacional Expressos
Bus
Praca Marechal Humberto Delgado - Rua das Laranjeiras - 1500-543, Lisboa
+351 213 581 460
rede.expressos@mail.telepac.pt
Carris - Caminhos de Ferro de Lisboa
Bus
Rua 1º de Maio, 101 - 103 - 1300-472, Lisboa
+351 213 613 000 or 24h/+351 213 613 054
+351 213 613 069
linha.aberta@carris.pt
STCP - Soc. Transportes Colectivos do Porto
Bus
Av. Fernao Magalhaes, 1862 13º - 4350-158, Porto
+351 225 071 000 or 808 200166
LVT - Lisboa Vista do Tejo
Boat
Edif. Lisboa Vista do Tejo - Doca de Alcantara Norte - 139-022, Lisboa
+351 213 913 030
+351 213 913 049
Barcadouro - Soc. Turismo Fluvial e Terrestre, LDA.
Boat
Rua Rei Ramiro, 870 - Edificio Via Gaia 5º J - 4400-280, Vila Nova de Gaia
+351 223 722 415
+351 223 723 116
geral@barcadouro.pt
Douro Azul
Boat
Rua de S. Francisco, 4 - 2º D - 4050-548, Porto
+351 223 402 500
Rrentdouro - Turismo Nautico, LDA.
Boat
Rua Santa Luzia, 243 - 4510-426 S.Pedro da Cova - Gondomar
+351 224 646 352 or +351 917 513 494
+351 224 646 351
info@rentdouro.com
Transtejo - Transportes do Tejo, S.A.
Boat
Estacao Fluvial - Cais do Sodre, Lisboa - 1200, Lisboa
808 203050
+351 210 422 499
geral@transtejo.pt
Alipirent - Rent-a-Car
Car Rental
Rua Jose Estevao, 3 A/B - 1150-200, Lisboa
+351 213 302 000
+351 213 154 890
Europcar International, LDA.
Car
Av. Severiano Falcao, 9 - 2685-379 - Prior Velho (Lisboa)
+351 219 407 790
reservas@mail.europcar.com
Budget Castanheira Rent-a-Car
Car Rental
Avenida Joao Crisostomo 89-A Lisboa - 1050-126, Lisboa
808 25 26 27 or +351 213 195 500
+351 213 556 920
reservations@budgetportugal.com
Nacional Rent-a-Car
Car
Av. Alvares Cabral 45-B - 1269-141, Lisboa
+351 21 370 34 00
+351 21 370 34 91
Sata Internacional
Air
Rua Aeroporto Lisboa - 1700-008, Lisboa
+351 213 553 114
+351 218 403 023
Aeroporto de Lisboa
Air
Alameda das Comunidades - 1700-007, Lisboa
+351 218 413 500
+351 218 413 675
lisbon.airport@ana-aeroportos.pt
Vueling Airlines SA
Air
Parque de Negocios Mas Blau-Edificio Muntadas C/ Bergueda 1 - 08820 El Prat de Llobregat - Barcelona (Espana)
800 834 201 (Portugal)
clients@vueling.com
German Wings
Air
Aeroporto de Lisboa - 1700, Lisboa
351 708 782525 (Portugal)
Jetlimo - Aluguer de Limousines
Limousine
Rua Eng. Manuel Rocha - Edificio Brasil, Lj 6 - 1700 - 154, Lisboa
+351 218 459 370
+351 218 459 378
mail@jetlimonet.com
Aeroporto Francisco Sao Carneiro - Porto
Air
Aeroporto Francisco Sao Carneiro, Apartado 23 - 4471-905 Maia
+351 229 432 400
+351 229 484 597
Autocoope - Cooperativa de taxis de Lisboa
Taxi
Av. Visconde de Valmor, 30 r/c - 1050-240, Lisboa
+351 217 996 460
Teletaxis
Taxi
Av. Eduardo Coronel Galhardo, 32-B - 1070-107, Lisboa
+351 218 111 100
+351 218 151 790
teletaxis@teletaxis.pt
Metropolitano de Lisboa
Train
Av. Fontes Pereira de Melo, 28 - 1069-095, Lisboa
+351 217 980 600 or 213 500 100
+351 217 980 605
Metro do Porto, S.A.
Train
Avenida Fernao de Magalhães, 1862, 7º - 4350-158, Porto
808 20 50 60
metro@metro-porto.pt
CP - Comboios de Portugal
Train
Calcada do Duque, Nº 20 - 1249-109, Lisboa
+351 213 215 700 or 808 208 208
+351 213 473 093
webmaster@mail.cp.pt
Fertagus
Train
Estacao do Pragal-pt 23 Pragal - 2805-333, Almada
707 127 127
info@fertagus.pt
