Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Metro stops are marked above ground with a red “M.”
Saída
means exit. You can find
a Metro map at any Metro stop, on most city maps, and in the TI's in-depth
Public Trans-
port Guide
(
www.metrolisboa.pt
).
By Trolley, Funicular, and Bus
For fun and practical public transportation, use the trolleys and funiculars. Buy your ticket
from the driver (€3, no transfers), or use your Viva Viagem card (€1.25/ride if “zapping”
or covered by €5 24-hour pass). Like San Francisco, Lisbon sees its trolleys as part of its
heritage, and has kept a few in use. Trolleys #12E (circling the Alfama) and #28E (a scen-
ic ride across the old town) use vintage cars; #15E (to Belém) uses a modern version. Buy
a ticket, have a pass, or risk a big fine on the spot. Also see “By Trolley” under “Tours in
Lisbon,” below.
By Taxi
Lisbon is a great taxi town. Cabbies are good-humored and (except for crooked ones at
the cruise terminals) willing to use their meters. Rides start at €2, and you can go any-
where in the center for around €5. Decals on the window clearly spell out all charges
in English. The most typical scam is the cabbie setting his meter at the high-price tariff.
The meter should be at about €2 at the start and set to
Tarifa 1
(Mon-Fri 6:00-21:00, in-
cluding the airport) or
Tarifa 2
(€2.50 drop rate; for nights, weekends, and holidays). If
the meter reads
Tarifa 3, 4,
or
5,
simply ask the cabbie to change it, unless you're going
to Belém, which is considered outside the city limits of Lisbon (and has corresponding
Tarifa 3
rates).
Tarifa 5
is only for round-trips.
Cabs are generally easy to hail on the street (green light means available, lit number
on the roof indicates it's taken). If you're having a hard time flagging one down, ask a
passerby for the location of the nearest taxi stand:
praça de taxi
(PRAH-sah duh taxi).
They're all over the town center.
Especially if you're with a companion, Lisbon's cabs are a cheap time-saver. For an
average trip, couples save less than a dollar by taking public transportation, but spend an
extra 15 minutes getting there—bad economics. If you're traveling with a companion and
your time is limited, taxi everywhere.
▲▲
By Trolley
Lisbon's trolleys, many vintage models from the 1920s, shake and shiver through the old
parts of town, somehow safely weaving within inches of parked cars, climbing steep hills,
and offering sightseers breezy views of the city (rubberneck out the window and you die).
