Newly arrived at Lisbon Airport (LIS)? Your one day adventure is about to start, but before that, comes the most practical question: how do you get from the runway to the heart of the city as fast as possible?
It is easy to get from the airport to downtown Lisbon. You have real choices: the efficient metro system used by city residents daily, cheap buses that make their way along picturesque paths into the heart of the city, good old-fashioned taxi, which lines up at the roadside, and modern ride-sharing apps, which function just like back home, private transfer if you value comfort.
That is why we have drawn all the possibilities to you-in terms of travel time, cost, convenience and the actual experience you will actually have. At the conclusion of this guide, you will be well aware of which approach will best fit your schedule, budget and the style of travel. No guesswork. No wasted time getting to know it by trial and error
Let’s get you downtown.
Metro
When you get out of the plane at Humberto Delgado Airport, it takes just 25 minutes to get to the center of Lisbon. The red line metro runs straight through the airport terminals to the center. It is a smooth transition into the way Lisbon flows, efficient, no frills and cleanly to the point.
The Red Line goes from Aeroporto all the way through Alameda to Baixa-Chiado where you will end up in the thick of downtown Lisbon. The whole ride can be completed in approximately 25 minutes which is faster than most taxi queues can ever be formed. Trains run many times throughout the day and the stations are clean and well-signposted in Portuguese and English.
Buy that 24-hour pass. You will use it, should you be spending even portion of a complete day out in sightseeing, going to Belem to visit the Jeronimos Monastery or down to the Almada water front or into the neighbourhood of Principe Real.
Buses
Bus 744 nips directly out of the airport, and drops you right at the middle of the city at the large turnaround known as Marques de Pombal. There, you are just a few steps away to the metro of the Blue Line, and the gates are opened to the world of neighbourhoods, such as Santa Apolonia, Terreiro de Paco, etc.
Bus 783 follows the scenic route through the arteries and vital areas of downtown Lisbon, arriving to the historic riverside terminus of Cais do Sodre where people board ferries to the port of Almada and where it appears that half the city organ is concentrated.
The trip should take between 30 to 40 minutes but the Lisbon traffic is unpredictable especially around the morning hours and the evening rush hours.
Taxi
The trip to the city centre of Lisbon lasts approximately 20 minutes but it depends on the road conditions and the place you are exactly heading to. You may increase that by 10 minutes in the peak hours especially the rush hour during the early evening.
Price makes the taxi affordable as compared to ride sharing apps, particularly when you are riding with a group and can divide the costs. A taxi is likely to be more cost-effective to a family made of three or four.
The formal taxi rank is just outside the arrivals hall. It is marked and is unmistakable. The line is very fast and the cabs are streamlined thus no bargaining or unexpected surprises.
Private Transfers
It is truly diffusing that you have a chauffeur waiting on you at the airport with your name on a placard. A door to door personal transfer can be approximately 20 minutes time, although this may change according to the traffic and the location you intend to. It is simple, robust and focused on doing one thing getting you where you need to be without much ado.
Providing early morning transfers is the best area where the private transfers excel. Taking a 6 AM flight will imply leaving your house in the dark, having a driver pick you up will be so much easier to run the logistics. The same is applicable to late-night landing since their means of transport are scarce and taxi lines appear endless.
