The Complete Guide to Transportation in Lisbon

Airport Transportation

First things first, how to get from Lisbon airport to the city center. Lisbon’s airport is called Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS) and is about 5.5 miles away from Lisbon’s city center.

Personally, when I am exploring a new destination, I typically pre-arrange a taxi from the airport to my hotel to ease my way into exploring. I like the convenience of knowing that I can get straight to my hotel, put my bags down, freshen up, and then hit the ground running to explore.

In the past, I used to use public transit to get to my hotel - but I would find that wrangling my heavy bags around WHILE trying to map out a new public transit system would cause me to be exhausted when I arrived at the hotel.

So now, I allow myself the peace of mind and comfort to take a taxi straight to my hotel, and from there, I have more patience and calm to sort out the rest of my day.

Here is an easy way to set up your airport transfer:

If you are anything like me, your travel planning is not complete until you have figured out ALL of the logistics INCLUDING how you will be getting around the new city you are exploring.

And if you are a type-A, that also means mapping out every attraction by geographical location to make sure you are maximizing your time by clustering sites in specific areas.

If that sounds like you, then you are in the right place!

Getting Around Lisbon

Lisbon is WIDELY regarded as the city of 7 hills, which will easily make sense when you traverse its winding streets. Any traveler who has been to Lisbon will tell you to prepare yourself because ‘city of stairs’ is a better nickname. When Google maps tells you a destination is a 10 minute walk - prepare yourself to know that includes 10 minutes up steep stairs around the city.

But don’t fret! There are many public transit options to make your life easier.

Trams

Lisbon’s iconic yellow trams are not just a means of transport, but a quintessential experience you MUST try during your visit. There are 5 main tram lines that can connect you to main tourist sites across the city.

The cost for a tram ride is €3 and can be purchased from the tram conductor before boarding.

Green - E28 line:

This is the most iconic tram in Lisbon as it boasts the most picturesque route passing:

• Alfama district

• São Jorge Castle

• Lisbon Cathedral

• Chiado

• Basilica de Estrela

It is important to note that this tram gets quite crowded so it is best to ride early on in the day if you can.

Blue - E15 line

The blue tram runs in a long straight line parallel to the sea and is the best way to get from central Lisbon to the tower of Belem:

• Praça de Figueria (center of Baixa district)

• Cais de Sodré (pink street & time-out Market)

• Calvario (LxFactory)

• Mosterio dos Jerónimos (Monastery)

• Largoe da Princesa (Tower of Belem)

*Travelers Beware: this is one of the busiest routes in Lisbon and is known to have pickpocketers.

Purple - E12 line

This tram runs in a circular route and stops as below:

• Starting point : Martim Moniz

• Miradouro das Portas do Sol

• Lisbon Cathedral

• Praça da Figueira

• Returns to Martim Moniz

Yellow - E24 line

This tram line is the best way to explore Principe Real as it runs from central Lisbon to Parque Eduardo VII viewpoint:

• Praça Luis Camoes

• Gloria funicular

• Jardim de Principe Real

• Parque Eduardo VII viewpoint

Grey - E25 line

This is one of the quieter tram lines but runs through one of the most affluent neighborhoods in Lisbon:

• Baixa district

• Lapa district

• Cais de Sodre

• Basilica de Estrela

This map is a great overview of the tram routes and where they intersect.

Lisbon Metro

In typical European city fashion - public transit is a well-thought-out machine. The metro system is the fastest way to get around and offers 4 separate lines to ride.

Here is a breakdown of your starting and stopping points:

Green Line

• Telheiras → Cais de Sodre

Blue Line

• Reboleira → Santa Apolnia

Yellow Line

• Odivelas → Rato

Red Line

• Aeroporto → Sao Sebastião

For the full Metro timetable, check out the official site here.

Train System

There are 5 main train lines from Lisbon that can connect you to surrounding cities for unique day trips and experiences.

• Sintra line

• Cascais line

• Azambuja line

• Sado line

• Setúbal line

Sintra Line

This is one of the most notable day trips you could take from Lisbon! Sintra is home to magnificent castles - you can read more about Sintra here.

The train ride from Lison to Sintra is a mere one-hour ride from Rossio station to Portela de Sintra.

Cascais Line

Cascais, Portugal is a premier beach destination on the Portuguese Riviera. This train ride is about 1 hour west of Lisbon and will require a transfer stop from bus to train.

To book your train to Cascais, click below

Ferry Transportation

Last but not least, Lisbon does have a ferry service that can connect you from central Lisbon to the Tejo South Bank. This is especially important if you are wanting to visit the Sanctuary of Christ.

• Terreiro de Paço → Barreiro

• Cais de Sodrè → Montijo

• Cais de Sodré → Seixal

• Cais de Sodré → Cacilhas (Sanctuary of Christ)

• Belem → Porto Brandão and Trafaria

I do want to add that there are buses in Lisbon as well (but I did not ride the bus system). Between walking, trams and the metro, you have plenty of modes to get around!

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