LISBON - Portugal - page 14

Arrival in Lisbon
Information on arriving in Lisbon by plane, train, bus, cruise ship, and car follows. A
helpful website is www.golisbon.com/transport . If you have a little money and/or are trav-
eling with a group, simply hop in a taxi upon arrival—they're plentiful and cheap (except
at the cruise terminals; see warning on here ) .
By Plane
Lisbon's easy-to-manage Portela Airport is five miles northeast of downtown. While
you're at the airport, get info on Lisbon and all of Portugal at the helpful TI (daily
7:00-24:00, tel. [phone]). For airport info, call 218-413-700 or TAP tel. [phone]
(airport code: LIS). Construction of a huge new airport across the Rio Tejo has been
shelved due to the economic crisis.
Getting downtown from Lisbon's very central airport is a snap. There are three op-
tions: taxi, shuttle bus, and Metro.
Taxis line up on the curb (if there's a long line, go upstairs to the departure level and
snare one as they are dropping their passengers). Rides into town cost about €10. There's
a legitimate €1.60 fee for your luggage (not per bag, but to use the trunk). In the past it
was tough to get cabbies to use their meter for airport pickups, but these days that rule
is more strictly enforced. If the meter starts at €2 and is set to Tarifa 1 (or Tarifa 2 for
nights, weekends, and holidays; €2.50 drop rate), relax—you should be fine. There is no
“airport fee” supplement. To return to the airport by taxi from downtown to the airport is
easy, fast, and cheap. Simply hail one on the street (€10). Skip the €23 taxi vouchers sold
by the airport TI—these are for rides outside the center and double your cost.
While dirt-cheap public buses leave from the airport curb, these are not really inten-
ded for people with luggage. The AeroBus is faster and nearly as cheap. You likely want
their city center route #1 (€3.50, 3/hour, runs 7:00-23:00, departs outside of arrival level),
which stops at Marquês de Pombal, Avenida da Liberdade, Restauradores, Rossio, and
Praça do Comércio. Route #2 goes to Oriente, a train station with Metro connections. Aer-
obus tickets are sold at the airport TI or on the bus, and double as a 24-hour pass for all of
the public transit in the city except the Metro.
To take the Metro 's red line into Lisbon, exit the airport arrivals hall and turn right to
find the Aeroporto stop. Before boarding, buy a reloadable Viva Viagem card at the ticket
machine; you can get a 24-hour pass and have Lisbon by the tail for just €5.50 (includes
€0.50 start-up fee; see details under “Getting Around Lisbon,” later).