Lisbon Getting there & around

Getting around

Bus & tram

Bus, tram & funicular

Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa (Carris; 213 613 054; www.carris.pt) operates all transport except the metro. Its buses and trams run from about 5am or 6am to 1am; there are some night bus and tram services.

You can get a transport map, Planta dos Transportes Públicas da Carris (including a map of night-time services) from turismos or from Carris kiosks, which are dotted around the city. The Carris website has timetables and route details.

Individual tickets cost €1.20 on board or €0.75 if you buy a Bilhete Único de Coroa (BUC; a one-zone city-centre ticket) beforehand. These prepaid tickets are sold at Carris kiosks – most conveniently at Praça da Figueira, at the foot of the Elevador de Santa Justa, and at Santa Apolónia and Cais do Sodré train stations.

The Carris kiosks also sell a one-/five-day (€3.30/13.20) Bilhete Carris/Metro valid for buses, trams, funiculars and the metro.

These passes aren’t great bargains unless you’re planning a lot of travel outside the centre. A better deal is the Lisboa Card, good for most tourist sights as well as bus, tram, funicular and metro travel.

Don’t leave the city without riding tram 28 from Largo Martim Moniz or tram 12 from Praça da Figueira through the narrow streets of the Alfama.

Two other useful lines are tram 15 from Praça da Figueira and Praça do Comércio via Alcântara to Belém, and tram 18 from Praça do Comércio via Alcântara to Ajuda. Tram 15 features space-age articulated trams with on-board machines for buying tickets and passes. Tram stops are marked by a small yellow paragem (stop) sign hanging from a lamppost or the overhead wires.

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Car & motorcycle

Lisbon can be quite stressful to drive around, thanks to heavy traffic, maverick drivers, narrow one-way streets and tram lines, but the city is at least small. If you’re used to driving in other European capitals you probably won’t find it too problematic. There are two ring roads, both useful for staying out of the centre: the inner Cintura Regional Interna de Lisboa (CRIL); and the outer Cintura Regional Externa de Lisboa (CREL).

Once in the centre, parking is the main issue. Spaces are scarce, parking regulations complex, pay-and-display machines often broken and car-park rates expensive (about €10 to €12 per day). On Saturday afternoon and Sunday parking is normally free.

Upmarket hotels usually have their own garages. If you need to park for more than a few days, there are cheaper car parks near Parque das Nações (metro Gare do Oriente – the multistorey here costs around €5 per day) or Belém (free car parks), then catch a bus or tram to the centre. Always lock up and don’t leave any valuables inside or anything visible, even if it’s worthless, as theft is a risk.

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Local transport

Metro

The expanding metropolitano (underground; www.metrolisboa.pt; 1-zone single/return €0.70/1.30, 2-zone single €1, 1-/2-zone caderneta €6.65/9.85; 6.30-1am) system is useful for short hops and to reach the Gare do Oriente and nearby Parque das Nações.

Buy tickets from metro ticket offices or machines. Lisboa Cards are also valid. Buy a caderneta (10-ticket booklet) if you’ll be using the metro often.

Entrances are marked by a big red ‘M’. Useful signs include correspondência (transfer between lines) and saída (exit to the street). There is an impressive array of contemporary art at various stations, for example, Angelo de Sousa at Baixa-Chiado, and various artists including Hundertwasser at Oriente.

Watch out for pickpockets in rush-hour crowds.

Taxi

Lisbon’s táxis are reasonable and plentiful. If you have trouble hailing one, try the ranks at Rossio, Praça dos Restauradores, near all stations and ferry terminals, and at top-end hotels. To call one, try Rádio Táxis de Lisboa (218 119 000) or Autocoope (217 932 756).

All taxis have meters, but rip-offs occasionally occur (the airport route is the main culprit). If you think you’ve been cheated, get a receipt from the driver (and note the car’s registration number and your time of departure and arrival) and talk to the tourist police.

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Bicycle

Traffic, trams, hills, cobbles and disgruntled drivers equal a cycling nightmare. You’re better off stashing your bike with the left-luggage office at the bus station or airport and seeing the city by public transport. Better hotels and pensões may have a storage room. On the Lisbon–Sintra train you can take your bike for free on weekends or for €2.50 return on weekdays (only outside the rush hour).

There are two pleasant places to ride a bike in Lisbon: Parque das Nações, where you can rent from Tejo Bike; and a 5km stretch on the Rio Tejo promenade, from 1km west of Doca de Santo Amaro to Belém and Praia d’Algés. Here you will find a bike stall run by Tejo Bike (10am-8pm Jun-Sep, 10am-7pm Sat & Sun Oct-May).

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