Lisbon Tourist Guide

Bemvindos! ~ Welcome! In this Lisbon Tourist Guide you can find the practical information you need for your next trip.

Length of stay

I went for 4 days and thought it was a good length. It’s enough time to see the sights of Lisbon, and also gives you the opportunity to make an excursion outside of Lisbon. Sintra or the Lisbon shores such as Cascais or Estoril.

Airport

Lisbon Portela Airport (comes from Portela de Sacavém) or Lisbon Airport (LIS), is located 7 km (4.3 miles) from the city center. That’s about a 20 minutes drive. It’s easily reached by taxi or bus (see below).

Airlines

TAP (Air Portugal) is the national airline. US Airways and Continental Airlines also fly into this airport (even with non-stop flights).

Ways to get to the center of Lisbon

Bus

AEROBUS (Line 91). There is a bus every 20 minutes between 7 am and 11 pm* (*every 30 minutes after 9 pm). You can buy the ticket from the driver and it’s 3.5 euros (this is an all-day ticket, also for public buses). The Aerobus goes from the airport to Cais do Sodré. (Has several stops, also the major ones like Av. Da Liberdade – Restauradores – Rossio – P. Comércio) View all stops.

AEROSHUTTLE (Line 94). This shuttle drives every 30 minutes, between 7 am – 11 pm. This shuttle connects Gare Oriente – Airport – Praça de Espanha (view all stops).Tickets are 3.50 euros.Source: www.carris.pt

Taxi: I took a taxi and used the Taxi Voucher you can buy at the airport. I paid 15 euro. But the tariffs change for weekdays or weekends/holidays: tariff a: Monday – Friday from 6 am – 9 pm // tariff b: Monday – Friday from 9 pm – 6 am, plus Saturday, Sunday and holidays. And it depends on where in the city center you have to be. The taxi services are according to pre-fixed prices, including luggage.

To go back, I also took a cab and paid less. So, you don’t need to buy a voucher if you don’t want to. But do make sure you agree on an estimate price before you leave. There are a lot of rip-offs.

Metro: There is no direct line into the city center. Update: There is now a new metro line that will take you into the city center in 16 minutes. (Thanks Andrea for letting me know!)

Accommodation

I stayed at Hotel Borges. I liked the location! It’s in the Chiado area with lots of shops, bars,… within walking distance. Depending on where you room is, you can have some noise from the street. But I would recommend it because of it’s location and price.

For more hotel choices, have a look here.

Sightseeing

This was the first time I took the ‘hop-on-hop-off’ bus, but it certainly wasn’t my last time 😉 (almost every city offers this concept!) and it’s a great way to explore the city and see the Lisbon tourist sights! More info on prices and schedules.

So what places to visit in Lisbon? Check out my Lisbon pictures too!

Personal Food Tip
Of course you have to try the Portuguese kitchen as well. But I bumped into this Italian place: Ristorante Locanda I (Rua D. Paio Mendes 2-A-10, North of Rossio). They have excellent pizza’s and it’s a place where you get good value for your money.

Practical

Check the weather in Lisbon or read up on some more practical info.

When you visit Lisbon, learn some Portuguese phrases to express yourself. The locals will appreciate it! And you won’t look so much like a Lisbon tourist 🙂

More information on Lisbon, can be found on the official website.