How to use transports in Lisbon and surroundings
If you’ve already stared at the metro’s automatic machines without knowing which options to choose, then you already know that the Lisbon transport system is a mess.
1) Carris is the company that owns tram, bus, funicular and metro
2) CP (Comboio de Portugal) manages the train network
3) Fertagus and Transtejo are in charge of transport that crosses the river towards Setúbal.
To buy a Viva Card ticket, go to any metro station, select your preferred language and then select “buy ticket.” Then, choose a travel mode:
1. Zapping: valid on Carris, CP and on the other side of the river. One ride is 1.35 EUR and you can top up the card with a preferred amount from 3 EUR to 40 EUR. Great option to move around for more than 24h or 72h in the city.
2. Single ride: 1.50 EUR, you can top up the card with rides for the Carris network and it’s apt for occasional use.
3. 24h ticket: unlimited journeys on:
- Carris and metro (6.40 EUR)
- Carris, metro and Transtejo ferry (9.55 EUR)
- Carris, metro and CP trains (10.60 EUR)
These three types of daily ticket include all public transport, which includes trams, the S. Justa elevator in Baixa and the funicular. Elevators and old tram rides are quite expensive, so this is good value for money!
In order to activate the card, you just have to swipe it on one of the vehicles. You can top up the travel card through the automatic machines or the ticket counters inside the metro stations.
The card costs 0.50 EUR. Please note that unused balance won’t be reimbursed.
CARRIS — LISBON PUBLIC TRANSPORT explained
Metro (Metropolitano)
The metro runs from 6.00 a.m. to 1.00 a.m., with limited service during the weekends, and it is better to wait at the beginning of the platform (unless you are up for a jog ;).
This is my favorite mode of transport in Lisbon because, besides avoiding the traffic, timetables are quite reliable. Also, there’s no risk of a car parked in the middle of an alley which is already waaaay too small for a tram or a bus to go through. There are 56 stops spread among four lines — blue, yellow, green and red. In 1955 when the system started operating, there were just a few. But even today, this small artery is quite easy to navigate: if you know the color of your line, it takes just a moment to find your stop. Swipe the ticket at the automatic doors before and after your journey.
Bus (Autocarro)
As a general rule, buses operate from 4–5 a.m. until midnight. However, timetables vary, based on the area of the city, the popularity among passengers and the time of the year.
Enter through the front door and validate your ticket by swiping it at the machine next to the driver. You can buy tickets on board with cash (a 2 EUR coin will avoid displays of Portuguese grumpiness). Lisbon’s buses do not have mandatory stops, so you have to signal the driver. To signal your stop, look for the red button on the metal handles. Exit through the middle doors without validating your ticket. If you’re late, better to avoid the bus. But still, when compared to other southern European cities, the Lisbon bus service isn’t that tragic. (Although, when I moved here from Holland, I’d rather have walked on my knees than get squeezed on the 721 ride at 5 p.m.) Timetables are respected within Portuguese standards: you can read approximate timetables on the Carris website: no expectations, no disappointments. Many stops are equipped with electronic timetables informing of arrival times, but at times they aren’t reliable. The easiest way to calculate your route time is with Google Maps or though the Carris website, “bus stop search” function. To check the official bus timetables, find out your bus number (ask Google Maps) and then — let’s say you need bus 727 — you type Carris 727 pdf.
If math isn’t your thing (you have to sum all the minutes next to the station until your destination), ask Google Maps. It might not be the most accurate system — we’re speaking about approximate timetables anyway — but it’ll make your life easier.
Electric trolley and tram (Elétrico e Articulado)
Same as for the bus, you enter the front door and validate your ticket at the machine next to the driver.
It was 1944 when the elétrico started to run. Today it still connects some of the most important areas of the city:
- 15E (Pç. Figueira — Algés and back)
- 28E (Martim Moniz — Campo Ourique and back)
- 12E (Martim Moniz circular loop)
- 25E (Pç. Figueira — Campo Ourique and back)
- 18E (Cais Sodré — Cemitério Ajuda and back)
As already mentioned, if you hop on board with a zapping or 24h ticket, you’ll avoid paying 3 EUR for a single ride.
Signal your stop with the little round red buttons located between the windows and the ceiling. Exit from the back door.
The modern tram (articulado) runs through line 15E only. As in the case of its old-fashioned twin, it connects Praça da Figueira with Algés. This tram has an automatic ticket machine on board which sometimes is out of order: better to be prepared, because, unlike buses and old trams, you can’t buy a ticket from the driver. At the stop, signal the driver with a wave. Signal your stop while on board by pushing the white button next to the doors. You enter and exit through any door.
Lisbon’s most popular ride is number 28: the old trolley will buzz you around some of the most scenic corners of the town — saving your maybe already sore calves! Is it worth it to be squeezed like sardines just to snap the Estrela Basilica, you might ask? I say yes, unless you love walking and don’t like slow, noisy, chipped, wooden old carriages. You can hop on a less crowded line to avoid the crowds and still have the experience. However, the pandemic has changed the scenario. From a nose-to-underarm rollercoaster, number 28 is now a city tram used by citizens heading to work. Shall things can cause it to go back to the usual madness; start your journey in Campo de Ourique to temporarily avoid some hassle. (And hold on to your belongings; pickpockets love this route.)
Funicular (Ascensor)
The funicular is a special type of railway carriage that travels up and down a slope. What’s so special about it? The steepness!
In Lisbon we have three lines:
– 51E Restauradores — S. Pedro Alcantâra to Bairro Alto (Ascensor da Glória)
– 52E Lg. Anunciada — R. Câmara Pestana to Alfama (Ascensor da Lavra)
– 53E R. S. Paulo — Lg. Calhariz between Chiado and Cais do Sodré (Ascensor da Bica)
Unlike the tram, the ride lasts just a few minutes and it’s good for the experience in itself rather than going somewhere. It’s worth it if you have no time to jump on the old trolley and want a picture. During high season with no virus threats, you will probably queue. Trains run from 9.15 a.m. to 9 p.m. (no service during bank holidays). A two-way ticket costs 3.80 EUR on board.
S. Justa elevator (Elevador)
Lisbon’s most popular elevator has been operating since the 19th century to connect the Baixa and Chiado neighborhoods. (Despite its looks, it is not a standalone elevator.) Requested by the local aristocrats who didn’t want to hike up the Chiado Hill, today, it is one of the tourists’ favorites. Given its reduced space, it is a highly COVID-19 unfriendly experience. Check the timetable page (“observations” box) to see if it’s operating. If you’re lucky, you can use the lift up to the panoramic rooftop by buying the single ticket (5.80 EUR) or — better — show one 24h ticket to go up for free. Another alternative is to reach on foot the roofless church (Igreja do Carmo) and take the small street on its right: keep walking until the stairs lead you to the lift’s first floor — the “hidden exit” to the Chiado neighborhood you couldn’t see from the bottom.
TRAIN (Comboio)
Comboios Portugal or CP is Portugal’s National Rail network. Trains do not belong to the city’s public transport but they do share some stops on the surface with the metro. This is chaotic: not only are there different types of trains using the same railway, but fares have an inbound-outbound arrangement, which looks intimidating at first.
You’ll have to catch a train if you want to visit Sintra (departure from Rossio or Oriente), Cascais (departure from Cais do Sodré) or Alentejo, Costa Vicentina and Algarve (outside of our city map). The following purchasing suggestions suit visitors who will mostly travel by train. In all other cases, you can opt for a Carris Viva Card with the use of CP. (See the beginning of the article.)
Which Viva Card CP suits my needs?
First, you want to know how long you will travel on a train and through how many zones. Then check if you want to combine your ticket with other city modes of transport. Fares vary, depending on zones and a traveler’s age.
1. A single or 10-journey ticket is convenient if you cross one or two zones. i.e., a full fare ride will cost you:
– From Rossio to Sintra (3 zones): 1.95 EUR
– From Cais do Sodré to Belém (1 zone): 1.35 EUR
– From Cais do Sodré to Cascais (3 zones): 1.95 EUR
2. The following are unlimited rides options:
– 6.00 EUR CP 24h tourist ticket
– 13.40 EUR CP 72h tourist ticket
– 15.90 EUR 1-day bus + train
– 10.60 EUR 24h — all transport (train, metro, bus, elevator and funiculars)
– 1.90 EUR per ride Zapping (no time and/or mode of transport limit, rechargeable).
Top up your ticket at the counters or automated vending machines inside the train stations. The CP Viva Card is green and costs 0.50 EUR on your first purchase. If you use it on the Carris city transport, it will automatically switch to zapping mode. (You won’t be able to top it up by single ride anymore but from 3 to 40 EUR.)
Validate your ticket before boarding the carriage at a vertical green and red machine on the platform. In some stations, like Cais do Sodré, swipe it and walk through automatic doors — as for the metro.
UBER
Uber used to be popular because of low prices (especially with two or more passengers), now it’s the low risk of contagion.
In Lisbon, this shared cab application downloadable from Google Play or the App store accepts only electronic payment. Besides cheap fares — good for avoiding scams — you can be sure to secure a car any time, regardless of your location.
Through the app, you can also book electric bicycles and scooters, as well as order food.
