Getting there & away
Land
Bus
Lisbon’s new long-distance bus terminal is Sete Rios (Rua das Laranjeiras), conveniently linked to both Jardim Zoológico metro station and Sete Rios train station. From here the big carriers, Rede Expressos (24hr 707 223 344; www.rede-expressos.pt) and Eva/Mundial Turismo (213 147 710; www.eva-bus.com), run frequent services to almost every major town. Destinations with 10 or more services a day include Coimbra (€10.80, 2½ hours), Évora (€9.80, 1¾ hours), Porto (€13.50, 3½ to four hours) and Faro (€15, 4½ to five hours). You can buy your ticket up to seven days in advance.
The other major terminal is Gare do Oriente , concentrating on services to the north and to Spain. On the 1st floor of this architectural stunner are bus company booths (mostly open 9am to 5.30pm Monday to Saturday, to 7pm Friday, closed lunch; smaller operators only open just before arrival or departure). At weekends you may have to buy your ticket on the bus, though it’s wise to phone ahead. The biggest companies operating from here are Renex (218 956 836) and the Spanish operator Auto-Res (218 940 250; www.auto-res.net).
Many Renex buses take passengers 20 minutes early at Campo das Cebolas in Alfama, before Gare do Oriente.
Several regional companies with destinations in the north include Mafrense (www.mafrense.pt; for Ericeira & Mafra), Barraqueiro Oeste (www.barraqueiro-oeste.pt; for Malveira & Torres Vedras) and Rodoviária do Tejo (www.rodotejo.pt; for Peniche). These companies operate from Terminal Campo Grande (217 582 212) outside Campo Grande metro station.
Buses to Sesimbra and Costa da Caparica go from a terminalat Sete Rios bus station.
Eurolines (218 957 398; www.eurolinesportugal.com; Loja 203, Gare do Oriente; 9.30am-1pm & 2-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-1pm & 2-4pm Sat) runs coaches to destinations all over Europe, with all coaches serving both Sete Rios and Gare do Oriente. You can also go to many European cities from Sete Rios with Eurolines affiliate Intercentro (213 571 745; Rua Engenheiro Vieira Silva 55).
Information and tickets for international departures are scarce at weekends, so try to avoid that last-minute Sunday dash out of Portugal.
Car & motorcycle
The nearest place to rent a motorbike is Cascais. The big-name car-hire companies are all on hand, though you can often save substantially by booking local agencies. Most agencies offer pick-up and delivery service to your hotel.
Autojardim (800 200 613; www.auto-jardim.com; from €26 per day)
Avis (800 201 002; www.avis.com.pt)
Europcar (219 407 790; www.europcar.pt)
Hertz (219 426 300; www.hertz.com)
Holidays Car (217 150 610; www.holidayscar.com; from €22 per day)
Sixt (218 407 927; www.e-sixt.com)
Train
Lisbon is linked by train to other major cities. Check www.cp.pt for schedules.
Lisbon has several major train stations, plus some smaller ones. Santa Apolónia is the terminal for trains from northern and central Portugal. It has a helpful information desk (808 208 208; 7.30am-9pm) at door 8. The international section at door 47 includes an international ticket desk, bank, ATM and cash-exchange machine, snack bar, car-rental agencies and a Turismo de Lisboa desk (10am-6pm). Left-luggage lockers are nearby.
All of Santa Apolónia’s services also stop at the Gare do Oriente. All trains to the Algarve and to international destinations depart from here. Ticket booths are on the 1st floor (platforms are on the 2nd) and car-rental offices, banks and shops are at street level. Left-luggage lockers are on the basement metro level.
The other major terminal is at Sete Rios, which is connected to the Jardim Zoológico metro station; it serves the northern suburbs, including Sintra and Queluz.
Most services (including that from Sintra) continue on to Entrecampos (Avenida 5 de Outubro). Either of these stations provide services (on Fertagus trains; www.fertagus.pt) across the Ponte 25 de Abril to Setúbal, among other destinations.
Cais do Sodré is the terminal for train service to Cascais and Estoril.
Boat
The Transtejo ferry line (www.transtejo.pt) has several riverfront terminals. From the eastern end of the Terreiro do Paço terminal, swanky catamarans zip across the Tejo to Montijo (€1.90, 30 minutes) and Seixal (€1.55, 30 minutes, half-hourly weekdays, every hour or so weekends). From the main part of the terminal, called Estação do Sul e Sueste, Soflusa ferries run very frequently to Barreiro (€0.75, 30 minutes), for rail connections to the Alentejo and Algarve. From Cais do Sodré, passenger ferries go to Cacilhas (€0.70, 10 minutes, every 10 minutes all day). Car (and bicycle) ferries also go from Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas.
From Belém, ferries depart for Trafaria and Porto Brandão (€0.75, every 30 to 60 minutes), about 3.5km and 5km respectively from Costa da Caparica town.
Air
Aeroporto de Lisboa (Aeroporto da Portela; flight information 218 413 700) is about 4km northeast of the centre.
Portugália and TAP both have multiple daily flights to Lisbon from Porto and Faro, and more than 20 carriers operate scheduled international services.
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