Lisbon’s public transportation runs on one shared ticketing system, so a single card — or even just the contactless bank card already in your wallet — gets you onto the metro, buses, trams, and the hillside funiculars the city is famous for. The airport sits inside the city, with its own metro station a short walk from the terminal.
The basics
Metro de Lisboa is the backbone: four color-coded lines (Blue, Yellow, Green, Red) crossing the city and meeting at a handful of interchange stations. The Red Line is the one visitors use most, since it runs straight to the airport.
Around that, Carris runs the city’s buses, plus the things that make Lisbon’s hills manageable: the historic yellow trams (Tram 28 is the famous sightseeing route through the old neighborhoods), three funiculars (Glória, Bica, and Lavra), and the wrought-iron Santa Justa Lift downtown. For trips outside the city center, CP runs suburban trains out to Sintra, Cascais, and Azambuja, and Transtejo & Soflusa run the ferries across the Tagus to Cacilhas and other towns on the south bank.
How to pay
You’ve got two easy options, and neither requires planning ahead:
- Tap a contactless bank card or your phone (Apple Pay / Google Pay) directly on the validator at metro gates, on buses, and on trams. It charges €1.92 per ride — no card to buy, no setup.
- Get a reusable Navegante card for €0.50 at any metro station machine or ticket office, then load it with either single €1.90 rides or pay-as-you-go “zapping” credit, which charges a lower €1.72 per ride.
Either way, the rule is the same: tap in and tap out. Unlike some systems, Lisbon’s Metro has gates on both ends — you validate your card entering and leaving the station, and buses and trams have a validator by the door for boarding. Keep your card until you’re through the exit gates; an inspector can ask to see it.
Fares
| Price | |
|---|---|
| Single ride, contactless bank card/phone | €1.92 |
| Single ride, loaded on Navegante card | €1.90 |
| Single ride, “zapping” pay-as-you-go | €1.72 |
| 24-hour ticket (Metro + Carris) | €7.25 |
| 24-hour ticket (+ Transtejo ferry to Cacilhas) | €10.35 |
| 24-hour ticket (+ CP suburban trains) | €11.40 |
| Monthly pass, one municipality (navegante municipal) | €30 |
| Monthly pass, whole metro area (navegante metropolitano) | €40 |
| Monthly pass, 65+ or pensioners (navegante +65) | €20 |
| Navegante card issue fee (one-time) | €0.50 |
The €1.90 Carris/Metro fare loaded on a card covers unlimited transfers between bus, tram, and Metro for 60 minutes from your first tap. Within the Metro alone, an occasional trip stays valid for up to 3 hours as long as you don’t exit through the gates. Kids up to age 3 ride free with an adult, and there’s no automatic fare capping — if you’re taking more than 3-4 rides in a day, the 24-hour ticket is cheaper.
Heading out to Sintra or Cascais on the CP train? A separate ticket applies: CP sells a tourist pass covering those suburban lines for €6.70 (1 day) or €14.40 (3 days), loaded on its own Navegante Occasional card (€0.50).
Getting from the airport
Take the Metro Red Line straight from Aeroporto station, inside the airport’s arrivals building.
- Cost: the same as any other ride — €1.90–€1.92 depending on how you pay.
- Where to board: a short walk from baggage claim, clearly signed.
- Alternative: Carris buses 705, 722, and 744, or the private Aerobus, also stop at the airport if you’d rather not deal with stairs or connections.
The Metro doesn’t publish a stated travel time to downtown, so budget your trip based on your specific destination station.
Apps to download
- navegante — the official app for the whole metropolitan network: buy and top up a Navegante card, and track buses, trams, the Metro, and trains in real time.
- Moovit — handles trip planning across all the different operators (Metro, Carris, CP, ferries) in one search.
- Google Maps or Apple Maps — solid for straightforward point-to-point trips with live data.
When it runs
The Metro operates daily, including weekends and holidays, from 6:30am, with entry to the system allowed until 1am. Frequencies vary by line and time of day — expect trains roughly every 4-6 minutes at peak, stretching to every 8-10 minutes in the evening.
Carris buses and trams run on their own schedules by route, with reduced frequencies after evening rush hour. There’s no round-the-clock network — plan your last ride well before 1am.
Accessibility
As of July 2026, 47 of the Metro’s 56 stations (84%) have full step-free access from the street to the platform, with elevators, ramps, and adapted restrooms at those stations. The network has been steadily adding elevators to its older stations, most recently at Martim Moniz and Intendente. If you’re planning a trip through an older station, it’s worth checking ahead, since not every station is fully accessible yet.
Etiquette & local quirks
- Tap in and tap out, always — forgetting the exit tap on the Metro can flag your card and cause problems on your next ride.
- Tram 28 is a real transit line, not a tourist ride, so it gets packed with both. It’s also a well-known spot for pickpockets thanks to the crowds — keep bags zipped and in front of you, or consider riding it early morning or later in the evening when it’s quieter.
- Cobblestones and hills are everywhere; the funiculars and the Santa Justa Lift exist for a reason, not just the view.
- Give up priority seating near the doors, and let riders off before boarding.
Good to know
- Fare enforcement is real. Inspectors check for a validated ticket or tapped card, and simple infractions run €30–€87.50 (serious ones €120–€350) on Metro and Carris; CP has fined unvalidated suburban-rail tickets since October 1, 2015.
- One card, most of the city. Whether you tap a bank card or load a Navegante card, the same tap works across Metro, Carris buses, trams, and the funiculars — you only need a separate ticket for CP suburban trains and the Transtejo/Soflusa ferries.
- The Metro closes overnight. If you’re out past 1am, plan on a taxi or rideshare back.