Getting Around Lisbon: Transport Apps & Your First 48 Hours

Lisbon is a city of hills, viewpoints, and vintage trams — and a modern metro that runs straight from the airport into the centre. One rechargeable card covers almost everything on rails and wheels. Here's what actually works.

The best default: metro for distance, feet for the rest

The metro is fast, clean, and cheap, and covers the airport, the centre, and the main transfer hubs. The old neighbourhoods — Alfama, Bairro Alto, Graça — are best on foot, with the famous trams and funiculars saving your legs on the steepest climbs.

One rechargeable navegante card

Load tickets onto a reusable navegante occasional card (formerly Viva Viagem, about €0.50). Zapping pay-as-you-go credit makes each metro trip about €1.66 instead of €1.85, and the same credit works on trams, buses, ferries, and the Sintra and Cascais trains.

Getting in from the airport

The metro red line runs from Aeroporto station towards São Sebastião in about 20–25 minutes, with easy transfers to the green, blue, and yellow lines for most neighbourhoods.

Budget about €2.35 on arrival

A first airport trip costs roughly €2.35 — about €0.50 for the navegante card plus a €1.85 single ticket (or slightly less with zapping). Buy the card at the machine before the barriers; they take contactless cards and have an English menu.

Trams, funiculars, and the ferry

Tram 28 — the classic route past Alfama and Graça. Go early, watch for pickpockets.
Funiculars (Glória, Bica, Lavra) and the Santa Justa lift — covered by the 24-hour pass, expensive as one-offs.
Ferries from Cais do Sodré — cross to Cacilhas for the best sunset view of the city, using the same card.

Apps you can reuse

Google Maps or Citymapper for metro, tram, and bus routing
Uber, Bolt, and FreeNow — all three run in Lisbon; compare prices for the hills, late nights, and luggage runs

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Your first 48 hours

At LIS, buy a navegante occasional card at the metro machine and take the red line into town.
Load zapping credit (€5–10) — or the 24-hour pass (~€6.80) on a heavy sightseeing day.
Keep Google Maps or Citymapper for routing, and ride tram 28 early in the morning.
Save Uber, Bolt, or FreeNow for the end of a hilly day.

Do those four things and Lisbon's transport is sorted from the moment you land. Knowing when to zap, when to pass, and when the funicular beats the stairs is exactly what Arrived works out for you.

Frequently asked questions

Which transport app is best in Lisbon?

Google Maps and Citymapper both handle Lisbon's metro, trams, and buses well for routing. For rides, Uber, Bolt, and FreeNow all operate across the city — keep two installed and compare prices.

Which transport card do I need in Lisbon?

A rechargeable navegante occasional card (formerly Viva Viagem, about €0.50) covers the metro, Carris trams and buses, and can also load train and ferry tickets. Top it up with zapping credit or a 24-hour pass at any metro machine.

How do I get from Lisbon Airport (LIS) to the city?

Take the metro red line from Aeroporto station towards São Sebastião — about 20–25 minutes to the centre with one easy transfer to most neighbourhoods. A first arrival costs roughly €2.35: about €0.50 for the card plus a €1.85 single ticket.

What is zapping in Lisbon?

Zapping is pay-as-you-go credit on your navegante card. Each metro trip deducts around €1.66 instead of the €1.85 single fare, and the same credit works on trams, buses, ferries, and the trains to Sintra and Cascais. Load €5–10 and forget about ticket machines.

Is the Lisbon 24-hour pass worth it?

The 24-hour metro + bus + tram pass costs about €6.80, so it pays off from the fourth ride. There's a bigger version (about €10.80) that adds the ferries and the Sintra and Cascais trains — worth it on a day-trip day.

Which ride-hailing app works in Lisbon?

Uber, Bolt, and FreeNow all operate widely in Lisbon and are usually cheaper than street taxis. They're most useful late at night, with luggage, or when the hills defeat you.

Can I walk around Lisbon?

Yes, but expect serious hills and cobblestones — Alfama, Bairro Alto, and Graça all climb steeply. Walk the neighbourhoods, then use the metro, the famous trams, or the funiculars for the climbs and longer hops.

Is tram 28 worth taking?

It's the classic Lisbon experience and covers many highlights, but it gets extremely crowded and is a known pickpocket hotspot. Ride it early in the morning, keep your phone zipped away, and treat it as sightseeing rather than transport.