Lisbon Public Transport Guide: How to Get Around Lisbon

Getting around Lisbon is actually pretty straightforward once you understand how the different parts of the transport network fit together.

I’ve lived in Lisbon for years and have used pretty much every option covered in this guide – from the Metro and city buses to the trams, ferries and the trains I’ve taken countless times between Lisbon and Cascais. And while there are certainly a few quirks worth knowing about, you really don’t need to arrive with Lisbon’s entire transport network figured out.

What is useful is knowing which option makes sense for the journey you’re taking.

The Metro will cover plenty of what you need within the city, but not everywhere you’ll want to go. Trains become particularly useful when you’re heading farther afield, buses fill in many of the gaps, and Lisbon’s trams are a slightly different proposition altogether.

In this guide, I’m going beyond simply listing Lisbon’s Metro lines and tram numbers. I’ll walk you through how the public transport system actually works, the different tickets and passes available, what they cost in 2026, and the practical details that can make getting around Lisbon a whole lot easier.

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Lisbon public transport at a glance

• Metro + walking: usually the easiest combination for getting around central Lisbon.
• Trams: useful on some routes, although the historic trams are attractions in their own right and can get extremely busy.
• Buses: useful for neighbourhoods and routes the Metro doesn’t cover.
• CP suburban trains: particularly useful for Belém, Cascais and Sintra.
• Fertagus: useful for crossing the Tagus and travelling towards Setúbal.
• Ferries: practical for crossing the Tagus, particularly between Cais do Sodré and Cacilhas.
• Bolt/Uber: always worth comparing for short journeys, especially when you’re travelling with other people.

As Portugal’s capital, Lisbon is also one of the country’s main rail and coach hubs, making it relatively straightforward to continue on to destinations such as Porto, Coimbra and Évora without a car.

First: understand the navegante occasional card

If you’re going to use Lisbon’s public transport more than once or twice, you’ll probably come across the navegante occasional card.

The card itself costs €0.50, is valid for one year and can be loaded with different tickets or with prepaid credit known as zapping.

Each passenger needs their own card. You can’t tap one navegante card several times to pay for a group.

How zapping works

For visitors who want flexibility, zapping is one of the most useful options to understand. You load money onto your navegante card and the appropriate fare is deducted when you travel.

On CARRIS services, including regular buses and trams, a zapping journey currently costs €1.72 and is valid for one hour across the regular CARRIS network. On the Metro, zapping also currently costs €1.72.

One important detail is that zapping journeys are charged according to the operator you’re travelling with. Changing to another operator can trigger a new fare under that operator’s rules, so don’t assume that moving between a Metro, CP train, Fertagus train, ferry or bus is automatically included as one continuous journey.

Lisbon public transport prices in 2026

The €11.40 CARRIS/Metro/CP ticket can be particularly good value if you’re combining sightseeing in Lisbon with a suburban train journey. For example, several separate Metro, bus or tram journeys plus a return train trip can quickly take your transport spend beyond €11.40. In that situation, having unlimited CARRIS, Metro and eligible CP Lisbon urban travel for 24 hours can be the more economical option.

Can you use a bank card on Lisbon public transport?

On the Lisbon Metro, yes. Contactless payment is available directly at the Metro gates. Tap a contactless bank card or compatible phone/device when entering and use the same payment method when exiting.

The current fare is €1.92 per Metro journey.

For somebody arriving in Lisbon and making one or two Metro journeys, this is wonderfully simple. But don’t assume tapping your bank card works identically across every form of Lisbon transport. If you’re going to use a mixture of Metro, buses, trams, trains and ferries, a navegante occasional card is still much more useful.

Getting around Lisbon by Metro

For most first-time visitors, the Lisbon Metro is probably the easiest part of the city’s public transport system to understand.

There are only four lines – Blue, Yellow, Green and Red – and changing between them is straightforward. I’ve used the Metro extensively over the years and, if you’re staying centrally, I would generally combine it with walking rather than trying to find transport for every short journey. If you’re working out how much you can realistically cover, my one day in Lisbon itinerary is a useful starting point.

Where the Metro becomes less useful is when your plans take you into parts of Lisbon that simply aren’t on the network. There is no Metro to Belém, for example, so you’ll need a train, tram or bus. It also doesn’t run through Alfama, and some journeys between neighbourhoods can involve a surprisingly roundabout Metro route when a bus, tram or short Bolt ride is much more direct.

Think of the Metro as the backbone of your Lisbon transport, rather than the answer to every journey.

Lisbon Airport by Metro

Lisbon Airport has its own Metro station on the Red Line, making it one of the cheapest and simplest ways to reach the city if you’re travelling reasonably light. Depending on where you’re staying, you’ll probably need to change lines before reaching your final stop.

The Metro normally operates every day from around 06:30 until 01:00, including weekends and public holidays.

Taking Bolt or Uber from Lisbon Airport

For two or three people travelling together – particularly with luggage – I would still open Bolt and Uber and compare the live fare before deciding between a car and the Metro.

There is one practical detail worth knowing: ride-hailing vehicles use a designated pickup area in the P2 arrivals car park. After leaving Arrivals, follow the signs towards the TVDE/ride-hailing pickup area rather than waiting immediately outside the terminal doors.

The car park can become busy and congested, particularly at peak arrival times. I’ve had occasions where a driver has accepted the journey and then cancelled rather than coming into the airport pickup area, so don’t panic if your first request disappears. I’ve sometimes had to request a ride again before getting a successful pickup.

It isn’t something that would stop me using Bolt or Uber from the airport – I still do – but allow a little extra time rather than expecting the car to pull up immediately outside Arrivals.

Lisbon buses: useful when the Metro doesn’t go where you need it

Lisbon’s city buses are operated by CARRIS and cover a much larger network than the Metro.

You don’t need to learn the bus network before arriving. Use a journey planner or current CARRIS information for the particular journey you’re making. Buses become particularly useful when you’re travelling between neighbourhoods that don’t connect neatly by Metro, or when Lisbon’s hills make a journey look considerably easier on a map than it feels once you’re actually walking it.

If you pay on board, a bus journey currently costs €2.30. With zapping loaded onto a navegante card, the current CARRIS fare is €1.72, so sorting your card out beforehand can save money if you expect to use buses regularly.

Also be careful not to confuse CARRIS with Carris Metropolitana. CARRIS operates Lisbon’s municipal network, while Carris Metropolitana runs many of the regional bus services connecting Lisbon with surrounding municipalities. That distinction becomes much more relevant once you start planning day trips.

Lisbon’s trams – and what Tram 28 is really like

Lisbon’s yellow trams are part of the city’s actual public-transport network, but some routes have also become major tourist attractions. None more so than Tram 28E.

I’ve ridden Tram 28 myself, and it is genuinely a beautiful route. It winds through some of Lisbon’s most interesting neighbourhoods, passing through areas including Graça, Alfama, Baixa, Chiado and Estrela before reaching Campo de Ourique (Prazeres).

But you need to know what you’re getting yourself into. It can get extremely crowded. When we rode it, we deliberately went very early in the morning, and I would still rather do that than join one of the long queues you regularly see later in the day.

It’s also worth remembering that the 28 isn’t purely a sightseeing tram. Local residents use these services as public transport. If a tram is packed with visitors while an elderly resident is simply trying to get home, a little awareness and courtesy goes a long way.

Crowded tourist transport can also attract opportunistic theft, so keep bags closed and valuables secure, particularly when the tram is busy.

A ticket bought aboard the tram currently costs €3.30 for one journey. Importantly, that onboard ticket stops being valid when you leave the tram – it isn’t a return ticket.

Don’t necessarily rush straight back at the end of Tram 28

The 28E runs between Martim Moniz and Campo de Ourique (Prazeres). If you ride it all the way to Prazeres, consider getting off for a while rather than immediately travelling back.

The Cemitério dos Prazeres is right at this end of the route and is free to visit. It’s much more interesting than “visiting a cemetery” might initially sound: the 19th-century cemetery contains elaborate mausoleums, sculpture and architecture, with views towards the Tagus and 25 de Abril Bridge. I’ve included more ideas like this in my guide to free things to do in Lisbon.

There are also neighbourhood cafés around this part of Campo de Ourique and a small park nearby, so it can make a pleasant break before heading back towards central Lisbon.

Just remember that if you bought the €3.30 ticket aboard Tram 28, getting off ends that ticket. You’ll need another valid ticket for your return journey. If you’re using a 24-hour pass, you don’t have that issue; with zapping or a 60-minute CARRIS/Metro ticket, whether another journey is covered depends on the ticket’s remaining validity.

If unusual places like this appeal to you, I’ve also put together a guide to some of my favourite hidden gems in Lisbon.

Lisbon funiculars and Santa Justa Lift: important 2026 service update

Taking the train from Lisbon to Belém, Cascais and Sintra

Lisbon’s suburban trains are incredibly useful for visitors and deserve far more attention than they sometimes get.

Cais do Sodré → Cascais: this line follows the Tagus and then the coast, stopping at places including Belém, Algés, Oeiras, Carcavelos and Estoril before reaching Cascais. If that’s where you’re heading, my Lisbon to Cascais guide covers the journey in more detail.

Rossio → Sintra: this is the train most visitors use for a day trip from central Lisbon to Sintra. I’ve explained the route and practical options separately in my Lisbon to Sintra guide.

If you’re planning both Lisbon sightseeing and a suburban train journey within the eligible CP network, look at the €11.40 24-hour CARRIS/Metro/CP ticket rather than automatically buying everything separately.

Fertagus trains to Setúbal and across the Tagus

Another useful railway that visitors sometimes overlook is Fertagus.

Its Lisbon–Setúbal service crosses the 25 de Abril Bridge and serves Lisbon stations including Roma-Areeiro, Entrecampos, Sete Rios and Campolide before continuing south through stations including Pragal, Coina, Pinhal Novo and Palmela to Setúbal.

I’ve used this route too, and it can be useful if you’re heading south without a car.

One distinction worth making: although there is a Palmela station, don’t read that as meaning the historic centre of Palmela is sitting conveniently outside the railway station. You’ll still need to plan onward transport.

And Sesimbra isn’t on the Fertagus railway. For Sesimbra, one useful direct option is Carris Metropolitana’s 3721 bus between Sete Rios and Sesimbra.

Regional buses from Lisbon for day trips

This is where Lisbon’s transport network becomes a little more complicated, because the correct departure point – and even the transport company – depends on where you’re going.

• Sete Rios → Sesimbra: Carris Metropolitana 3721.
• Campo Grande → Ericeira: regional bus services connect Lisbon with Ericeira.
• Campo Grande → Óbidos: Rodoviária do Oeste’s Rápida Verde service continues via Óbidos towards Caldas da Rainha.

So don’t assume every Lisbon day trip begins at Oriente or Sete Rios. If you’re planning several trips outside the city, check the individual route before deciding where in Lisbon you need to depart from.

For more ideas, see my guide to the best day trips from Lisbon. If Óbidos is on your list, I also have a separate guide explaining how to get from Lisbon to Óbidos.

Travelling from Lisbon to Porto, Coimbra, Évora and the rest of Portugal

As the capital, Lisbon is one of Portugal’s main transport hubs and is extremely well connected by rail with the rest of the country.

CP’s Alfa Pendular and Intercidades services connect Lisbon with cities including Porto and Coimbra, while Intercidades and regional services cover destinations elsewhere in Portugal, including Évora. If you’re continuing your trip beyond Lisbon, I have separate guides covering Lisbon to Porto, Lisbon to Coimbra and Lisbon to Évora.

The main long-distance railway stations visitors are likely to encounter are Santa Apolónia and Oriente, although the exact departure station depends on your route and train.

I would also download the official CP app if you’re going to be travelling around Portugal by train. The journey planner is particularly useful: you can search by timetable, station or train and follow your route in real time, as well as buy tickets for many longer-distance CP services.

For longer journeys, check the current CP fare and timetable rather than assuming any of Lisbon’s local transport tickets apply.

Ferries across the Tagus

Ferries form part of Lisbon’s public-transport network and are useful when you actually need to get to the south bank of the Tagus.

For most visitors, the Cais do Sodré–Cacilhas crossing is probably the one worth knowing about.

It’s a short, practical crossing rather than something I would sell as a glamorous Lisbon boat trip. Some of the ferries are older, and you’re using a commuter service rather than taking a sightseeing cruise. But that’s really the point: in roughly ten minutes, you’re across the river in Cacilhas without having to make the much longer journey around by road.

From there, you can continue towards Almada, Cristo Rei and other parts of the south bank, depending on where you’re heading.

If you’re planning a day that combines Lisbon transport with the Cacilhas ferry, there is currently a €10.35 24-hour CARRIS/Metro/Transtejo ticket, covering unlimited journeys on CARRIS and the Metro plus the Cais do Sodré–Cacilhas connection for 24 hours.

Is the Lisboa Card worth buying for transport?

I wouldn’t buy the Lisboa Card purely because you need public transport. That’s not really what you’re paying for.

The card combines unlimited public transport with free admission to more than 50 museums and cultural attractions, plus a range of additional discounts. It’s available for 24, 48 or 72 consecutive hours, and its transport coverage includes buses, trams, Metro and eligible trains, including services to Sintra, Cascais and Setúbal.

So the calculation is different from deciding between zapping and a €7.25 transport pass. Look at what you genuinely plan to visit during the card’s validity period and compare the normal admission costs. If several included paid attractions are already on your itinerary, the transport becomes an additional benefit.

If you’re mainly walking around Lisbon, eating, visiting viewpoints and using public transport occasionally, a navegante card with zapping may make far more sense.

You can check current Lisboa Card availability and prices here.

Bolt and Uber in Lisbon: don’t rule them out

This sounds slightly strange in an article about public transport, but one of my most practical Lisbon transport tips is to check Bolt or Uber before automatically taking public transport – particularly when you’re travelling with other people.

I’ve regularly seen short Lisbon journeys priced at around €4–€5. If three people are travelling together, compare that live fare with what the group would collectively spend on individual transport tickets.

Sometimes the Metro is still the obvious choice. Sometimes paying a little extra for a car saves a steep walk, a connection and quite a bit of time.

The calculation changes constantly because ride-hailing prices vary with demand, traffic and availability, so I wouldn’t give a fixed rule such as “Uber is cheaper for three people.” Just open both Bolt and Uber, look at the live fare and compare. For more ways to keep costs down beyond transport, see my money-saving tips for travelling in Portugal.

It’s particularly worth doing when you’re carrying luggage, travelling late, staying somewhere awkwardly connected by Metro, or heading a relatively short distance across the centre.

So, which Lisbon transport ticket should you buy?

There isn’t one ticket I would recommend to every visitor.

• If you’re only making one or two Metro journeys, contactless bank-card payment is incredibly convenient.
• If you’re using different forms of public transport over several days, consider a navegante occasional card with zapping.
• If you’re planning lots of buses, trams and Metro journeys in one day, look at the €7.25 24-hour CARRIS/Metro ticket.
• If you’re combining city transport with CP suburban trains, compare your individual fares with the €11.40 CARRIS/Metro/CP ticket.
• If you’re visiting several paid attractions as well, that’s when I’d do the maths on the Lisboa Card.

Most importantly, don’t feel that you need to use public transport for every journey. Lisbon is a city where walking, Metro, the occasional train or tram and a strategically timed Bolt or Uber can work very well together.

A few final Lisbon transport tips

• Validate your ticket when required and keep it until your journey is finished.
• If you’re using the Metro, remember that you’ll need your card again to exit through the gates.
• Give yourself extra time at busy stations such as Cais do Sodré, particularly at weekends and other popular travel times.
• On crowded trams and other tourist-heavy transport, keep valuables secure rather than in easy-to-reach pockets.
• Check current service information if your plans depend on a funicular, Santa Justa Lift or a late-night Cascais train, as these are currently affected by service changes.

And don’t feel you need to plan every Lisbon journey before you arrive. Once you understand the basic difference between the Metro, CARRIS, CP and the regional network – and know when it makes sense to simply open Bolt or Uber instead – getting around becomes pretty straightforward.

If you’re still putting your itinerary together, my 3 days in Lisbon itinerary shows how I would actually put many of these journeys together while exploring the city.