Lisbon City Guide
Seven hills above the broad Tagus, yellow trams squealing through narrow lanes. Lisbon is Europe's city of light. Tiled façades gleam, view terraces open at every corner, fado drifts from doorways. Add the ornate Belém and warm pastéis de nata. Two ready-made day routes link Baixa, Alfama and the water.
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Practical information for Lisbon
Public transport
Operator. Lisbon's urban public transport is in the hands of two operators. Carris runs buses, the historic trams, plus the funiculars and the Elevador de Santa Justa, Metro de Lisboa operates the four subway lines Azul, Amarela, Verde, and Vermelha. Both are joined, together with the CP suburban trains and the Transtejo/Soflusa ferries, into the regional Navegante fare network of the Lisbon metropolitan area, so a single card is enough for every mode of transport.
Network. Four metro lines, historic trams, buses and three funiculars up the slopes.
Modes of transport. Metro · Bus · Tram · Funicular (currently closed) · Santa Justa vertical lift (currently closed) · Suburban train (CP) · Ferry (Transtejo/Soflusa)
Operating hours. The metro runs daily from 6.30 am to 1 am, including weekends and public holidays. Anyone who boards by 1 am is guaranteed to still reach every station on that line. During peak hours trains run every 5 to 5.5 minutes, outside peak hours every 7 to 10 minutes. A few side entrances at some stations already close at 9.30 pm. Carris bus and tram lines broadly follow the same daily edge times, but individual lines end earlier than the metro.
Night service. As soon as the metro and most daytime lines wind down around one in the morning, the Rede da Madrugada night bus network takes over. At least ten lines, including 201, 202, 203, 206, 207, 208, and 210, converge at Cais do Sodré station and fan out from there into the suburbs, for example to Linda-a-Velha, Odivelas, or Estação Oriente. Exact frequencies and operating hours per line are not listed on the carris.pt overview page and should be checked in the timetable for the relevant line.
Buying tickets. The Navegante card is available at the vending machines (MAVT) in the metro stations, at sales points along the network, at the metro shops, and via Multibanco. Topping up is also possible online through the Viva portal. Anyone who doesn't want to carry a card can simply tap their contactless bank card directly at the metro gate and the correct fare is charged automatically. On the bus, paying by bank card when boarding incurs a higher onboard fare.
App and payment. Neither Carris nor Metro de Lisboa list a dedicated payment app system on their official pages. Contactless bank cards, however, work like a virtual ticket directly at the metro gates, with the fare deducted automatically. On board Carris buses, paying by bank card costs 4.30 € for two rides, which works out to 2.15 € per ride versus 1.90 € for a single ticket bought in advance.
Which ticket. A single ride under the combined Carris/Metro fare costs 1.90 €, 1.92 € with a direct contactless bank card. Anyone who only uses the metro can load credit in increments of 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, or 40 € (Zapping) and then pays 1.72 € per ride. The Carris/Metro day ticket costs 7.25 €, the same as four single rides at 1.90 € each, so from the fourth ride of the same day it becomes cheaper. Anyone who also uses the Tejo ferries pays 10.35 € for the Carris/Metro/Transtejo day ticket, or 11.40 € combined with the CP suburban trains.
Fare zones. Single rides and day tickets within the city of Lisbon do not have zones. Zones only affect the monthly Navegante card once it extends beyond the city limits.
Tip. Tram 28 is the most famous and correspondingly packed. Early morning is bearable.
Links
- Metro de Lisboa – Tickets and fares
- Carris – official website
- Navegante – fare network card
- CP – Comboios Urbanos de Lisboa
- Network map
Getting there
Main station
Location. On the Tagus; long-distance trains also call at Oriente. For Sintra you leave from Rossio.
Long-distance trains. Between Braga and Faro, the Alfa Pendular runs as the country's fastest train at up to 220 km/h, equipped with an onboard bistro, free WiFi, and power outlets at every seat. Intercidades serves the same corridors with more intermediate stops. The Comboios Urbanos de Lisboa suburban lines combine the routes to Sintra, Azambuja, Cascais, and the Setúbal peninsula (Sado), together serving 67 stations across greater Lisbon, with connections to Fertagus, the metro, Carris, and the Transtejo/Soflusa ferries.
Opening hours. On weekdays the first long-distance train heading north departs at 6.30 am, the last at 10 pm. Arrivals continue until 11.30 pm, with the Celta from Vigo arriving at 11 pm. The ticket counters are staffed daily from 6 am to 10 pm.
Airports
Into the city. Red metro line from the airport to Saldanha in around 20 minutes, with a transfer there to all four lines. Taxis into the center cost ten to fifteen euros including luggage according to the airport, and ride services such as Uber and Bolt depart from a dedicated pickup zone on Level 2.
Frequency. The metro runs 6.30 am to 1 am, every 5 to 5.5 minutes at peak times, otherwise every 7 to 10 minutes.
Local quirks
- The Elevador counts as public transport. The funiculars and the Elevador de Santa Justa count as a regular ride. With a day ticket you skip the line at the ticket counter.
- The funiculars and the Elevador de Santa Justa are currently out of service. Carris lists the Ascensor da Bica, Ascensor da Glória, Ascensor do Lavra, and the Elevador de Santa Justa as temporarily closed on its own website. No reopening date is given, photo stops at the landmarks are possible, rides currently are not. Check the current status on carris.pt before your trip.
- Paying onboard the bus costs more than a ticket bought in advance. Anyone who only pays by bank card when boarding the bus, instead of buying a ticket beforehand, pays 4.30 € for two rides, that is 2.15 € per ride, versus 1.90 € for a single ticket bought in advance.
Good to know
- Currency
- EUR €
- Emergency number
- 112
- Plug type
- C · F
- Time zone
- Europe/Lisbon
- Driving
- right
Speed limits. built-up areas 50 km/h (just 20 km/h in shared-space zones with pedestrian priority), outside towns 90 km/h on normal rural roads, 100 km/h on roads reserved specifically for cars and motorcycles (vias reservadas), motorway 120 km/h, minimum speed 50 km/h
Between rural road and motorway, Portugal has its own road category called vias reservadas a automóveis e motociclos with a 100 km/h limit. These roads often look like motorways but legally are not, and driving at 120 there exceeds the limit. On true motorways there is additionally a minimum speed of 50 km/h, and driving below it is also fined. Within built-up areas, traffic-calmed zonas de coexistência allow only walking pace, 20 km/h.
Tipping. Not expected. Round up or five percent for good service.
Tolls. Many motorways have no toll booths but read the plate electronically. With a foreign plate you must register in advance or hire a device, otherwise it gets complicated.
Access restrictions. Lisbon has a low emission zone in the centre, graded by year of registration.