LISBON - Portugal - page 26

October and comes with a four-language narration (free drinks and WC on board, tel.
210-422-417, www.transtejo.pt ). If you take the longer cruise, you can ask to get off at
Belém (skipping the last half-hour of the cruise) and visit that neighborhood on your own,
returning to the center by trolley.
Another outfit, cleverly called River Cruises, runs tours from Cais do Sodré to the
Belém Tower (at 11:45 and 15:15) and vice versa (at 14:00 and 16:30). Trips are narrated
in Portuguese and English (€12 one-way, €16 round-trip, April-Oct, no Mon tours, one
hour each way, tel. [phone], www.lvt.pt ) .
CheapRiverFerryRidetoCacilhas —For a quick, cheap trip across the river with great
city and bridge views in the company of Lisbon commuters rather than tourists, hop the
ferry to Cacilhas (kah-SEE-lahsh) from the Cais do Sodré Station (a 10-minute walk from
Praça do Comércio). At the terminal, follow signs to Cacilhas, not Montigo (€2 each way,
4/hour, signs say next partida and destino ). Either hop out for a look at the rough little
industrial port, or stay on for a 25-minute round-trip.
Ways to Get from the Baixa up to the Bairro Alto and Chiado
• Ride the Elevador da Glória funicular (a few blocks north of Rossio on Avenida
da Liberdade) or walk alongside the tracks if the funicular isn't running.
• Walk up lots of stairs from Rossio (due west of the central column).
• Taxi to the Miradouro de São Pedro de Alcântara.
• Take the escalator at the Baixa-Chiado Metro stop.
• Catch trolley #28E from Rua da Conceição.
• Hike up Rua do Carmo from Rossio to Rua Garrett.
• Take escalators or elevators from the Armazéns mall to Rua Garrett.
• Take the Elevador de Santa Justa, which goes right by the Convento do Carmo
and the Chiado.
On Foot
Walking Tours —Two walking-tour companies— Lisbon Walker and Inside Lis-
bon —offer excellent, affordable tours led by young, top-notch guides with a passion for
sharing insights to their hometown. Well-priced to start with, both companies give my
readers their discounted student prices. Tour groups are small (generally 2-12 people) and
given in English only. Each company has a helpful website explaining their tours and has
an easygoing style—just show up at the meeting point (no reservations needed) and you'll