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Lisbon fenicular

Lisbon Public Transport explained – 5+ tips to help you get around the city

Lisbon has an extensive public transport network, and it is easy to explore the city by bus, tram and metro. But how does the public transport system in Lisbon work? Let's dive in!

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Use Lisbon's public transport like a local

A quick overview

What to do?ย Learn how the public transport system in Lisbon works

Costs?ย Tickets are โ‚ฌ 1,65 and up

Where?ย Lisbon

Worth it?ย Yes! Travel like a pro at a fraction of the price of a taxi

The public transport system in Lisbon

You bet public transport comes in handy in a city with seven hills! Lisbon is famous for its colourful trams and funiculars, but there are other easy ways to get around the city.

The transport system in Lisbon includes buses, trains, metro, trams, funiculars and ferries! The stations are overall very well connected, and itโ€™s pretty easy to get around.

The metro in Lisbon

Lisbon has four different metro lines; blue, yellow, green and red. The metro system consists of 55 metro stations, and the track length is 46 kilometres long.ย  You never have to wait long as the following metro usually departs within 6 or 7 minutes. Metroย services, including weekends and public holidays, start at 6:30 AM and run until 1 AM. Just be aware that sometimes the metro is shorter at night, so itโ€™s recommended to wait at the platform’s lefthand side (in the direction the metro travels). The metro runs in the north and east of the city.ย 

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Blue line: between Reboleira and Santa Apolรณnia

Yellow line: between Odivelas and Rato

Green line: between Telheiras and Cais de Sodrรฉ

Red line: between Aeroporto and Sรฃo Sebastiรฃo

ย 

Lisbon Airport Humberto Delgadoย is very well connected to the city centre. Aside from a taxi orย private transport, you can travel to the centre by bus or metro. The metro station is located atย Terminal 1, and once youโ€™ve taken the escalators downstairs, youโ€™ll see the ticket machines where you can purchase your ticket. To read the complete guide about Lisbon Airport,ย please click here. The airport is at the end of the red line, as seen on the metro map.

Lisbon Metro System
Lisbon Metro System
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Trains, buses, and trams in Lisbon

If you want to travel towards the west, to places likeย Cascais and Belรฉm, it’s recommended to take a bus, tram or train. Fromย Cais do Sodrรฉ, there are many options to travel west. You can take a fast train that stops only at certain stations or at every station. Please be aware that your ticket is only valid within specific parameters in the city. You’ll need anย extended ticketย to travel to Sintra, Amadora, Oeiras or Cacilhas.ย Zone 1 is within the Lisboa districtย only, which you can see on the map below.

Map with the zones in Lisbon

Carris is the bus company that will bring you from A to B in Lisbons city centre. There are many different services, and Lisbon is well-connected. For real-time information, you can use the Carris App. It will advise of waiting times and the nearest stops. Aerobus is the bus that will take you from Lisbon Airport to the centre. It stops at many major stations, hotels and key parts of the city.

The tramway network consists of six lines with a total lengthย of 31 kilometres. The tram in Lisbon started operating in 1873, and some trams are very historical. The cable tram is perfect for conquering the steep slopes, and Tram 28 has become an actual phenomenon to ride! The current network is as follows:

โœ“ 12: Praรงa da Figueira โ†’ Miradouro de Santa Luziaย 

โœ“ 15: Praรงa da Figueira โ†” Belรฉm โ†” Algรฉs

โœ“ 18: Cais do Sodrรฉ โ†” Cemitรฉrio da Ajuda

โœ“ 24: Praรงa Luรญs de Camรตes โ†” Campolide

โœ“ 25: Praรงa da Figueira โ†” Campo de Ourique (Prazeres)

โœ“ 28: Praรงa Martim Moniz โ†” Graรงa โ†” Estrela โ†” Campo de Ourique (Prazeres)

The ferry in Lisbon

A fun way of discovering Lisbon is to take a ferry! Lisbon lies on the banks ofย the river Tagus, and you have a magnificent view of the bridgeย Ponte 25 de Abrilย from the water. From Cais do Sodrรฉ, you can take a ferry toย Cacilhasย to enjoy a romantic dinner at the river. Fromย Terreiro do Paรงo, there are ferries to Seixal and Barreiro. Or take the ferry from Belรฉm toย Porto Brandรฃoย and Trafaria to enjoy the river views over the city!

How to get tickets for public transport in Lisbon

Most stations haveย ticketing machinesย where you can buy a ticket to use public transport in Lisbon. You can either payย cash or with your debit/credit card, and the devices will state clearly if it is one or the other. On buses and trams, you can buy your tickets when entering, but you canย save a few bucksย by getting your ticket beforehand. More on that later!

If you need help buying your ticket, Metropolitano de Lisboa createdย a helpful PDFย showing you how to buy a ticket at a vending machine.

Lisbon Public Transport ticket price

The price for a ticket isย โ‚ฌ 1,65 for a single journey. This ticket is valid within Zone 1 (Lisbon) for 60 minutes following the first validation. You can makeย unlimited journeysย on Carris and Metro networks within that hour. Please be aware that itย can’t be used for consecutive tripsย on the Metro!

If you use the public transport system more than a few times daily, buying a day ticket makes sense. This pass is โ‚ฌ 6,60 within Zone 1 for 24 hours. The time starts atย first validationย and can be used for unlimited journeys on Carris and Metro networks.

When you also travel toย Cascais, Sintra or, for example, Cacilhasย on the same day, the extended day pass for โ‚ฌ 9,70 is the best value. This pass is also valid forย public transport in Sintra, which is perfect if you want to seeย Palacio da Pena! The commuter train is the CP Urban Services (Comboios de Portugal) network. The price of this day pass is โ‚ฌ 10,70 (all tickets are Lisbon Public Transport prices 2023).

Zapping

When youย travel regularly but on different days, Zapping is your friend! You can top up your pre-paid travel card with โ‚ฌ3, โ‚ฌ5, โ‚ฌ10, โ‚ฌ15, โ‚ฌ20, โ‚ฌ25, โ‚ฌ30, โ‚ฌ35 or โ‚ฌ40. The price of a single journeyย drops from โ‚ฌ1.65 to โ‚ฌ1,47, and the cost is automatically deducted from your card balance. When you change transport operators, youโ€™ll need to zap again! For example, you take the metro to Cais do Sodrรฉ and change onto the train to Belรฉm.

Theย Viva Viagemย is the perfect Zapping card forย occasional public transport users,ย and you can buy them at the Ticket Vending Machines and Ticket Offices. The Viva Viagem cardย costs only โ‚ฌ0.50ย and is perfect for your holiday in Lisbon as it can be reloaded unlimitedly! Everyone needs their own Viva Viagem card, as itย canโ€™t be shared.

When you enter the metro station, you canย swipe your card once. When you exit the station, youโ€™llย swipe your card again. Please note that some stations donโ€™t have barriers, but youโ€™ll still need to check in with your card. You can find check-in poles at the station or on the platform.

Funiculars and the famous Tram 28โ€‹

Many visitors want to make a fantastic trip on the city trams or funiculars, and someย tickets are a bit different. There are a few exemptions to the rules as some means of public transport come with a higher price. The good news: they willย help you get up the steep hills! The not-so-good news is that the price isย โ‚ฌ3.80 for a single journey!

The trams (especially Tram 28) and the funiculars are public transport but areย so popularย that it looks more like a tourist attraction. You’ll seeย endless queues of passengersย to get a seat on the tram. The line can be well over one hour! When you decide to take the tram,ย please also be careful of pickpockets, as this is their hunting ground! Lastly, please be considerate to commuters as the local Lisboetas rely on public transport to go to work and travel home. If you don’t want to wait but still enjoy a ride on a historic tram, booking a tour with a guide or buying a ticket for the Hills Tramcar Tour might be more suitable.

Tip:ย follow the tramline of Tram 28ย by foot instead! You’ll have plenty of time to take images, and it’s a beautiful route in the city.ย 

The Santa Justa Elevator

The same goes for theย Santa Justa Elevator. The line is usually long, and you pay a higher fee. Aย return ticket with the elevator costs โ‚ฌ5.30, but a single journey is also an option.

The good news,ย a day pass will circumvent the higher fees, and for only โ‚ฌ6.60, you’ll see the whole city on a budget! Do you have the Lisboa Card? Then you can ride to the top for free. You also have the option to walk around the elevator and reach the Santa Justa Elevator for free from Largo de Carmo (uphill!).

One more secret:ย many elevators and escalators in the city are 100% free!ย Click hereย to read more.

Hop-on-hop-off bus in Lisbon

If youโ€™re short on time and like to see as many sights in a day as possible, the hop-on-hop-off buses might be ideal for you. Prices start at โ‚ฌ21 for 24 hours, and different combi-tickets are available. Find out more about the hop-on-hop-off tour buses in this article.

The Lisboa Card

Last but not least, theย Lisboa Card. This isย THE travel card for Lisbon. Aside from unlimited travel on the Lisbon public transport network, you have freeย entrance to 35 museums, top monuments and attractions!

There are three options:ย 24, 48 and 72-hour passes. The price for 24 hours is โ‚ฌ 21,00. A ticket for 48 hours costs โ‚ฌ35,00, and 72 hours costs โ‚ฌ44,00. So you can use public transport in Lisbon and visit places likeย Jerรณnimos Monastery, the Belem Tower and Ajuda National Palace for free!

Did you get a little tired after visiting the sites? The Lisboa Card alsoย offers discounts to restaurantsย and shops!

Frequent use of public transport in Lisbon

There is one last tip for people thatย stay in Lisbon longer. Theย naveganteย is perfect for frequent public transport users and can be used for Zapping, and you can top the card up withย travel passes.

It takes aboutย ten daysย to get your card, but there is anย express service if needed. The standard delivery is available from the stations Colรฉgio Militar/Luz and Jardim Zoolรณgico (blue line), Marquรชs de Pombal and Campo Grande (yellow line), Baixa-Chiado and Cais do Sodrรฉ (green line) and Oriente and Aeroporto (Red line). At Marquรชs de Pombal and Campo Grande, there is a 1-day turnaround service for express tickets.

Navegante Card Lisbon Public Transport

Youโ€™ll need to fill in an application form and provide an Identity Card, Passport or Residence Permit. Youโ€™ll also need an original passport photo in colour as the navegante will have your picture on it! Once you have the card, you can top it up with travel credit! The price for standard delivery is โ‚ฌ7 and express services are โ‚ฌ12.

Navegante Municipalย will let you travel within Zone 1, and for one month, you pay โ‚ฌ30.ย Navegante Metropolitano gives access toย Lisbonโ€™s Metropolitan Area and costs โ‚ฌ40 per month. Children, families and senior citizens pay a discounted price.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article was helpful and set you up for your long or short trip to Lisbon! Getting around is pretty straightforward, and youโ€™ll find the map of the stops on your line on the buses and trams. Of course, there are also other means of transport, such asย taxis and bikes. Uber and Bolt are widely used, as well as regular taxis. Or book a fun bikeย tour with Baja Bikes, for example! Besides that, Lisbon is a great city to explore on foot! Doย you have any tips to add? Reply in the comments!

Written by Marga

Written by Marga

Content creator, travel writer and photographer

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I’m Marga, the blogger and photographer behind this site! I live in Lisbon, and I’m a cat-mum to 13-year-old Savage. I love coffee, cheese, a good book and exploring this beautiful country. I write about Lisbon and the rest of Portugal, and I hope this website will help as an inspiration for your holiday.

6 Responses

  1. Wow! This guide is incredibly helpful. I’m hoping to plan a trip to Lisbon next year. Saving this for then!

  2. This is so helpful! I always want to take advantage of public transport when I travel (especially in Europe) but hesitate because I don’t know what it looks like beforehand. So this is perfect for when we get to Portugal!

  3. I didn’t quite make it to Lisbon, so I had no idea how complete their transit system was. I definitely would park the car and take transit while visiting.

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