Lisbon Transport - Insider Information on Getting Around the City
In this Lisbon Transport page we want to share with you some essential info on getting around Lisbon and the Coast that can make your time here more relaxed and enjoyable. These are some of the discoveries we have made living here. We are always happy to hear from you if you have any extra insights. Lisbon is a great city to walk in, the sights and sounds at street level add to the experience and there always gardens and cafes to relax in. However, sometimes the challenges of the inclines are just too much and there are great alternatives for tired feet.
Lisbon Transport System
The hills of the City are nothing to worry about with Lisbon's great transport system. It is best to enjoy the city on public transport. The system here is great. You can visit all the interesting parts of the city by public transport and even get to fantastic places outside the city. After a hard morning's sightseeing the beaches are also within very easy reach of the center. Cranking up the old streets along alleys that seem too narrow, Trams are the most scenic way of getting around and some of the routes, 28 and 25 in particular are free Lisbon city guides. The trams are a vital part of Lisbon life connecting Belem to the Alfama. They tend to travel in the old streets making the appeal even greater. Try to use them as often as you can . Carris Lisbon has info points all over the city for info. There is even a museum with some great old vehicles in Alcantara. Less glamorous but faster, buses run all over the city and are particularly good for visiting areas north of Marques-de-Pombal -The Gulbenkian, Campo Pequeno, Avenida Roma with its great shopping. Pick them up on the streets or in Praca Figueiras, Praca Commercio, Largo do Rato, Cais Sodre or Marques-do-Pombal. 
Vasco da Gama sails again as comic book hero on the Orient line The MetroLisbon Metro is clean and fast. You can get all over the City and it is essential for visiting some sights like Expo and the Zoo.The Metro is also a vast art gallery. Most stations have beautiful decorative tile panels some have scupture. Since the fifties Art has been commissioned to enliven the Metro and striking examples can be seen on the new Orient line stations to the Expo area and Oceanarium. You will be surprised at how fun the decoration can be like the vast rabbit in Cais Sodre station or the disintegrating Aristocrats at Campo Grande!
Trains and Boats
Cais Sodre is the Lisbon Transport centre for visiting the Beaches West of Lisbon and seeing Lisbon from the perspective of Cacilhas with its great food and Museum. Lisbon-Museums A ferry trip to Cacilhas gives great opportunities for Lisbon photos and another chance to sample great seafood. There are also great beaches at Caparica a short bus or taxi drive away. Leave the resort to find the more deserted beaches just outside the town. 
Lisbon Transport Just 15 minutes from Lisbon there are stunning beaches, for sailing, watersports or just relaxing Out to the Coast on The LineLisbon is a great city for relaxing and you really should get out to the Coast. Take a short ride from Cais Sodre or Belem on "The Line" to either Caxias which is a lovely beach with good restaurants or Santa Amaro do Oeiras with a big beach, bars and tropical parks.Lisbon Beaches TicketsLisbon Transport. The ticket systemLisbon Transport is not expensive. Just over a euro for a single journey. However, there are several ways to make it even cheaper. You can buy a day pass. Or you can recharge your original ticket. Just go to the tourist officer or the Post Office, Correos, and ask for a rechargeable card and put the number of journeys you want onto it. Or buy a metro ticket and recharge it at a Kiosk. Journeys are 80 cents and you can use any system except The Line. There are plans to integrate this also very soon. If you only use the metro you can use the original ticket again and just pay 80 cents. Lisbon-Tips - Keep hold of your tickets.
TaxisAnother Lisbon Transport staple. Taxis are cheap in Lisbon and Taxi drivers are often courteous and speak some English. Many journeys for a group of four are cheaper by taxi than on buses. Use a taxi to get up to the Castle if you don't want a climb. Use a taxi to and from the Airport which is very near the City and Santa Apolonia train station. But don't use taxis in rush hour or for longer journeys unless you are willing to pay more. 
Lisbon Transport In the narrow streets of the Chiado taxis and trams have no problems. Driving in LisbonCheap Lisbon Car rental is an option if you want to explore the Lisbon surroundings and the airport is a good place to pick up your car. From here you get onto exit roads for exploring around the City and Portuguese Beaches in all directions. The ring road is called the CRIL and takes you West A 5 to Sintra and Cascais or North A 1 to Obidos or Santarem and you can also connect to the April 25th bridge heading South. Roads are well sign-posted but the lanes of traffic can be confusing and other drivers may drive alarmingly quickly. The Portuguese are not the safest of drivers, so be extra careful. If you want a stress free experience of Lisbon itself don't drive in the City Center at all. Walk or hop on a tram. It is not an easy city to find your way around and other drivers can be unforgiving. Cheap Lisbon Car Hire can also be found in Cascais and it is easy to escape to great beaches from there.
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