Getting From the Airport to the City Centre
Updated 15 March 2024
Unlike most European cities that have their airports far from the city centre, Lisbon’s International Airport is located within the city limits. This makes it relatively easy to get from there to any part of the city. To give you a little hand we’ll tell you the best three ways to get from the airport to the city centre or directly to the venue.
Metro
Metro is by far the cheapest way to get anywhere you want. The airport has its own metro station (“Aeroporto”) which is conveniently located next to the arrivals hall. It’s part of the Red Line which has several connections with the remaining lines (4 in total).
If your hotel is near the venue (Parque das Nações) or if you’re coming straight from the airport to UXLx, then you’ll have to hop off in Oriente Station. It’s just three stops way and it takes around 10 minutes.
If you’re heading to the city centre, you’ll probably have to make a connection at Alameda (for the green line) or São Sebastião (for the blue line). Since it’s not a very big network, it’s quite easy to make these connections.
You can buy a reusable card — Viva Viagem (0,50€) — in the ticket machines, which you can charge it as many times as you need during your stay and can also be used in the public yellow buses (Carris). Alternatively, you can use your contactless bank card. A single trip costs 1,80€ (it covers the entire journey and travelling on different metro lines). The metro works everyday from 6h30 to 1h.
ℹ️ https://www.metrolisboa.pt/en/
Taxi or Uber/Bolt
A typical taxi ride between the airport and the city centre will cost you around 15–25€, depending on the destination. If you choose to take a taxi, instead of taking it in the arrivals area, turn right and hop in a taxi in the departures area. This way you’ll avoid the long waiting lines at the exit of the arrivals terminal.
In Lisbon, Uber/Bolt service is very reliable. If you’re already used to using it in your country than you’ll just need to have data on you phone to use their app. The Uber/Bolt pick up location is in P2 parking area outside the arrivals hall.
The price will obviously depend on where you’re going, but should be between 7–15€.
Public Buses
If you’re only carrying a small backpack, you also have the option to take a public bus (operated by Carris). If you’re heading downtown, bus 744 (destination Restauradores) stops in the city’s main avenues, including Campo Pequeno, Saldanha, Marquês de Pombal, and Avenida da Liberdade.
If you’re coming from the airport straight to the venue or you’re staying at an hotel in Parque das Nações area, you can also take bus 744 but the destination is Moscavide. You’ll arrive at Oriente Station in around 11 minutes.
