8 Ways To Travel in Lisbon

31 Where to Visit in Lisbon

20 February 2023

How To Get Around and Travel In Lisbon? 8 Ways To Travel in Lisbon.

Lisbon is a compact city and it is it doesn’t take very long to walk from one side of the city centre to the other BUT it is built on 7 hills, so although it might be quick it can be exhausting.

Save your legs and get around Lisbon with our 8 Ways To Travel In Lisbon.

1, Lisbon Trams

The tram lines in the city are a favourite transportation for both locals and tourists. There are two types of trams, the modern Siemens “Articulado” trams or the historic “Remodelado” trams. Tram 28 is probably the most famous tour in Lisbon. It is a vintage yellow tram that crosses the city centre, passing by many of Lisbon’s main attractions. Tram 28 has all the benefits of a sightseeing bus tour and it is a lot cheaper to boot. The route from Martim Moniz to Campo de Ourique / Prazeres takes approximately one hour.

2, Buses

There is no denying that buses are the most efficient way of getting around Lisbon. The bus is the only public transport that runs 24 hours a day. The buses here are much faster than the trams, less queue times and several lines run through all parts of the city both central and outskirts, buses also have a lower ticket price than the trams and you will find them less overcrowded. Payment in cash can be made with the driver, they accept coins and low currency notes.

Next on our list of 8 Ways To Travel in Lisbon is number 3.

3, Bikes

Though most people may consider getting around Lisbon on a bike a major challenge with its many hills, cobble roads and traffic. Lisbon definitely has some fantastic areas worth visiting for the cycle enthusiasm and the city has invested in cycle lanes all over the city in the last few years. One highlight being the 7 km long bike lane along the Tejo with a breath-taking and fast changing landscape. Biking is a great way to travel in Lisbon. Rent a Gira bikes. The GIRA network has more than a thousand bicycles circulating in Lisbon. With the new stations, the city now has 113 stops in operation and 2,200 docks for bicycles. Great choice for travel in Lisbon.

4, Scooters

The newest transport system in Portugal are the electric scooters. There are a number of different companies, Lime being the biggest with give or take 400 scooters spread all around the city. It is a fun way to see Lisbon, even though the steep hills and bumpy cobble streets will make the scooter go considerably slower than its ca 25 km/h speed capacity it is definitely worth a go. The benefits are the cheap price, the freedom to stop and see the sights whenever you feel like it. They are easy to use, download the app, scan the QR code, enter a card for payment and off you go. When you want to leave your scooter simply get off, stop the ride on the app and take a picture of your scooter to confirm location for the next rider.

5, Walking

Walking around Lisbon has the great benefit that you can access all beautiful and scenic side roads and alleys that are not open for traffic. These routes are hard to access with bike or scooter because of the many stairs and narrow roads. It can be a bit of a challenge if you are not that physically fit or active in your everyday life but without any doubt worth it. When you get too tired Lisbon has many local restaurants and cafes hidden in the city’s smaller streets to stop and grab a drink, try the local food and enjoy a ginja. Lisbon is known to be a very safe area with an overall low crime rate so walking around the city feels secure but obviously take caution when walking at night.

6, Cars

Not our favourite option but driving is still possible and very popular in Lisbon. Parking is a major issue in the city, as spots are limited but parking is not expensive in comparison to other European cities, just make sure you don’t park on the tram tracks as you will be towed and fined! On a regular basis you will see a stationary tram with locals maneuvering the offending car off the track. It is actually a real pain as it holds up all of the trams, its not like they can just serve around the car!

Our advise is to drive to the outskirts and grab the metro into the centre. Its quick, simple and cheap. If you drive into the centre of Lisbon looking for parking expect to be driving in circles and circles trying to find that elusive parking spot.

7, Metro

The Lisbon metro was built on the 26 January 1948, it currently has 56 stations with 4 lines. The yellow, green, red and blue lines.

The metro is small in comparison to other countries but that makes it very easy to navigate. The metro is very safe, affordable and clean. It operates daily between 06:30h (the first train leaves the terminal stations at 06:30h) and 01:00h (the last train leaves the terminal stations at 01:00h). Grab a VIVA Viagem card (contactless card) from the automated machine. This card costs €0.50 and can be topped up as and when needed. The card can also be used on trams, trains and buses.

8, Trains

Lisbon trains links Lisbon the suburb’s and the rest of country. The three main stations are Cais do Sodré which links Cascais. Santa Apolónia which links the North of Portugal including Porto. Rossio station in the centre of Lisbon which links to Sintra. On the outskirts of Lisbon is Oriente station which links the south. Like the metro trains are clean, affordable and safe. They are even dog friendly! There is no excuse not to take your 4 legged friend to the beach. Just check with the station what precaution you and your best friend need to take.

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