Lisbon operates a unified public transport network under Carris Metropolitana and Metro de Lisboa, serving approximately 2.9 million passengers daily across the municipality and greater metropolitan area. The integrated fare system Viva Viagem, launched in 2004, uses rechargeable smartcards valid across metro, buses, trams, elevators, and ferries. A single-ride Zapping credit costs €1.50 on metro and €2.00 on surface transport as of 2024, while a 24-hour unlimited pass costs €6.80. Cards require an initial €0.50 purchase fee and can be recharged at vending machines in metro stations, Carris kiosks, and authorized retailers marked with the Viva logo.
Metro de Lisboa operates four lines—Blue (Gaivota), Yellow (Girassol), Green (Caravelat), and Red (Oriente)—totaling 44.5 kilometers with 56 stations. The system opened in 1959 with eleven stations connecting Sete Rios to Rotunda, making it the first metro network in Portuguese-speaking territories. Trains run from 6:30 AM to 1:00 AM daily, with frequency ranging from 6 minutes during rush hours to 9 minutes during off-peak periods. The Red Line extension to Alcântara opened in 2023, adding two stations and reducing journey times from the airport to Cais do Sodré by seven minutes. Platform screens displaying real-time arrival information were installed across all stations between 2018 and 2022.
Carris operates 750 buses on 109 routes covering areas the metro does not reach, including hillside neighborhoods like Graça, Mouraria, and Alfama. The articulated buses designated 200-series provide express connections between major terminals, with route 208 running from Cais do Sodré to Parque das Nações in approximately 40 minutes. Night buses, prefixed with N, run twelve routes between 12:30 AM and 5:30 AM at 30-minute intervals. Bus stops display route numbers and destinations but rarely show schedules; the Carris app provides GPS tracking with accuracy generally within two minutes.
Five historic tram routes remain operational, designated 12E, 15E, 18E, 25E, and 28E. Route 28E runs 7.2 kilometers from Martim Moniz through Graça, Alfama, Baixa, Chiado, Estrela, and Campo de Ourique to Prazeres cemetery, taking 48 minutes end-to-end. The trams are Remodelado cars built between 1936 and 1947, refurbished with new electrical systems but retaining original wooden bench seating and manual controls. These cars measure 2.4 meters wide, creating clearance gaps of less than 15 centimeters on streets like Rua da Conceição. Tram 28E carries approximately 10,000 passengers daily, operating from 5:40 AM to 9:10 PM with 10-minute frequency during daytime hours. The route experiences significant crowding between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM, when tourists fill cars before local boarding stops. Route 15E connects Praça da Figueira to Algés along the waterfront in 35 minutes, serving Belém's museum district.
Three funiculars—Glória, Bica, and Lavra—climb steep gradients where streets exceed 13-degree inclines. Elevador da Glória, operating since 1885, ascends 265 meters from Restauradores to São Pedro de Alcântara viewpoint in 90 seconds, overcoming a 48-meter elevation change. The cars run every 10 minutes from 7:15 AM to 11:55 PM on weekdays. Elevador da Bica connects Rua de São Paulo to Calçada do Combro, running 283 meters at an 18-degree angle since 1892. Elevador da Lavra, dating to 1884, is the city's oldest, climbing from Largo da Anunciada to Campo de Santana. All three use Viva Viagem cards at the same €1.50 rate as metro journeys.
Elevador de Santa Justa, a 45-meter wrought-iron structure completed in 1902 by Raoul Mesnier du Ponsard, connects Rua do Ouro in Baixa to Largo do Carmo in Chiado. The elevator's two Neo-Gothic wooden cabins hold 24 passengers each, ascending the vertical shaft in one minute. Operating hours run from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM daily, with tickets costing €5.30 for non-transit users or included in 24-hour passes. The upper platform provides views across Baixa to São Jorge Castle, though the viewpoint requires an additional €1.50 access fee separate from the elevator fare.
Transtejo operates seven ferry routes across the Tagus River from terminals at Cais do Sodré, Terreiro do Paço, and Belém to municipalities of Almada, Seixal, Barreiro, and Cacilhas. The Cais do Sodré to Cacilhas route runs every 10-15 minutes during weekday peaks, crossing 1.8 kilometers in 10 minutes. Barreiro service connects to the suburban rail network, with ferries timed to train departures. Viva Viagem cards function on all routes, charging €1.30 per crossing. Passenger ferries carry bicycles without additional fees outside rush hours, defined as 7:00-9:30 AM and 5:30-8:00 PM on weekdays.
Comboios de Portugal operates four urban rail lines—Cascais, Sintra, Azambuja, and Sado—from central terminals. The Cascais Line runs 26 kilometers from Cais do Sodré along the coast through Santos, Alcântara, Belém, Algés, Oeiras, Carcavelos, Estoril, and Monte Estoril to Cascais in 40 minutes. Trains depart every 12 minutes during weekdays, increasing to 20-minute intervals on weekends. The Sintra Line begins at Rossio station, reaching Sintra in 40 minutes via Campolide, Sete Rios, and Queluz-Belas, with branches serving Mira Sintra-Meleças and Rio de Mouro. Zapping credit on Viva Viagem cards applies to urban rail within Lisbon municipality boundaries at metro rates, but journeys beyond require separate tickets calculated by zone distance.
Taxi ranks exist at major squares, stations, and shopping centers, with vehicles colored beige or black-and-green bearing municipal licensing numbers. Meters start at €3.90 daytime base fare, increasing to €4.70 between 9:00 PM and 6:00 AM and on weekends and holidays. Distance charges add €0.53 per kilometer within city limits, rising to €0.80 per kilometer outside. Luggage over 55 centimeters in any dimension incurs a €1.60 supplementary fee per piece. Credit card acceptance varies by vehicle; drivers must display payment method stickers on rear windows. Radio Táxis de Lisboa operates a dispatch service via phone and app with no booking fees during standard hours.
Uber, Bolt, and Free Now operate throughout Lisbon using standard smartphone booking systems. Base fares on Uber X start at €2.50 with €0.85 per kilometer and €0.15 per minute, typically producing €6-9 fares for trips within central districts. Surge pricing applies during morning commutes, late Friday and Saturday nights, and when rain exceeds light intensity. Airport pickups occur from designated rideshare zones in the P2 parking structure, requiring a 5-7 minute walk from arrivals. Drivers frequently cancel pickups to addresses in Alfama and Mouraria due to narrow streets preventing turnarounds; booking to adjacent through-streets reduces cancellations.
Gira bike-share launched in 2017 with 1,410 bicycles across 140 stations within central Lisbon. Registration requires downloading the Gira app or using Viva Viagem cards at station kiosks, with a €15 annual subscription or €2 daily pass granting 45-minute rides before incurring €2 per additional 45 minutes. Stations concentrate in flat areas—Parque das Nações, Belém, riverside Baixa—with minimal coverage in hilly neighborhoods above 50 meters elevation. The bicycles are single-speed step-through frames with basket mounts and LED lights, weighing approximately 22 kilograms. Docking requires firm insertion until a green light confirms; failed docking continues charging to user accounts.
E-scooters from Lime, Tier, and Voi operate under municipal permits capping speeds at 20 kilometers per hour, reduced to 10 in designated slow zones marked by in-app geofencing. Unlocking costs €1.00 with per-minute rates of €0.18-0.25 depending on operator and time of day. Scooters must not operate on sidewalks less than 4 meters wide, though enforcement relies on user compliance rather than technical restrictions. Parking requires upright placement in furniture zones or bike racks; the app displays prohibited parking areas in red shading. Helmets are not provided and riders under 18 require parental consent via in-app verification.
Tuk-tuks operate without meters on negotiated fares, typically €20-30 for one-hour tours covering Alfama, Mouraria, and Graça viewpoints. These three-wheeled vehicles seat three passengers behind the driver on bench seating without seatbelts. No licensing requirements restrict numbers, resulting in clusters of 15-20 vehicles at Praça do Comércio, Martim Moniz, and Portas do Sol during midday hours. Drivers lack standardized route knowledge; specifying destinations by street name rather than landmark names reduces confusion.
Walking remains necessary for accessing much of Alfama, Bairro Alto, and Mouraria, where streets narrow to 2.5 meters and inclines exceed 12 degrees. Calçada portuguesa—the traditional limestone and basalt mosaic pavement—becomes slippery when wet, particularly on slopes and after street cleaning, which occurs between 6:00-8:00 AM. Miradouros—public viewpoints—require climbs of 40-80 meters elevation gain from river-level streets. Miradouro de Santa Luzia sits at 48 meters elevation, reached via Largo das Portas do Sol or by tram 28E. Miradouro da Graça at 77 meters requires either a 15-minute walk from Martim Moniz or a shorter ascent from the tram stop. Pedestrian crossings use button-activated signals with countdown timers; right turns on red do not exist in Portuguese traffic law, but vehicles frequently fail to yield even when pedestrian signals show green.
Parking restrictions apply throughout central districts, coded by pavement markings. Blue zones require payment via app or meters from 9:00 AM to 8:00 PM on weekdays and 9:00 AM to 2:00 PM on Saturdays, costing €1.60 per hour with 2-hour maximums. Yellow curb markings indicate loading zones restricted to 30-minute stops during business hours. Red curbs prohibit stopping at all times. Municipal underground parking at Praça da Figueira, Restauradores, and Camões charges €2.00-2.40 per hour with daily maximums of €18-22. Street-level parking spaces in Alfama and Mouraria measure 4.5-5.0 meters long, insufficient for vehicles exceeding compact dimensions.
The airport sits 7 kilometers from Praça do Comércio, connected by metro Red Line in 20-25 minutes, which opened in 2012 with the Aeroporto station. The Aerobus service runs two routes—Line 1 to Cais do Sodré via Saldanha, Marquês de Pombal, and Restauradores, and Line 2 to financial districts—departing every 20 minutes from 7:30 AM to 11:00 PM. Tickets cost €4.00 single or €6.00 return valid 48 hours, sold at airport kiosks and onboard. Journey time to Rossio averages 35 minutes outside rush hours, extending to 50 minutes during morning peaks. Taxis from the rank outside arrivals to Baixa cost €12-16 depending on traffic and time of day, taking 15-25 minutes via Segunda Circular and Avenida Almirante Reis.
Inter-city buses to Porto, Faro, Évora, and Coimbra depart from Terminal Rodoviário do Seixal, reached by ferry from Cais do Sodré or from Oriente station connected to metro Red Line. Oriente station, designed by Santiago Calatrava and opened in 1998 for Expo 98, combines metro, suburban rail, long-distance trains, and buses under a single roof spanning 238 meters. The station handles approximately 75 million passengers annually across all modes.
Campo Grande and Sete Rios serve as secondary bus terminals for regional services to Sintra, Mafra, and Ericeira. These terminals integrate with metro stations of the same names, allowing transfers without exiting fare-paid areas. Real-time departure boards display platform assignments 15-20 minutes before scheduled times, though delays of 5-10 minutes occur regularly on routes dependent on motorway traffic from the north and south.