Lisbon Holidays guide – from maps and weather to the best attractions and restaurants – here’s what you need to know

At a glance

Lisbon is great for...

1. City and beach breaks in one
2. Laid back dining and vibrant nightlife
3. Fabulous festivals and city celebrations

1

Introducing Lisbon

You’ll find warm weather and an even warmer welcome in Lisbon, Portugal’s beautiful, historic capital. If you want to combine sophisticated city strolling with lazy beach lounging there can’t be a better place in Europe to go. Wonderfully set on hills overlooking the Rio Tejo estuary, crossed by Europe’s longest bridge, Lisbon is a winning mix of sunny squares and shady alleys, ancient ruins and grand cathedrals, outdoor cafes and lively fado clubs. You can take it easy or really party hard in a youthful city that’s very stylish and always up for a late night.

Getting Around

Lisbon can be tad confusing to navigate at times with its main attractions laid out in five main districts: Baixa, the city centre; Belém the riverfront area that’s packed with museums, galleries and public parks; Alfama is the oldest part of the city with the best ancient sites and Moorish architecture;

Chiado is a fine shopping district; and Bairro Alto is the “high town” with some of the liveliest nightlife.

The city has good public transport that’s excellent value for money. While it’s easy to walk around Lisbon, the city is very hilly, and a funicular railway up the slopes is a fun attraction in its own right. There are four metro lines, and a single ticket is €0.90 for single zone travel or €1.15 for two zones. Buses, trams and funiculars run above ground. A single bus ticket is €1.50. The tram lines are a famous city attraction – line 28 is perhaps the best – and tickets are €2.50 for a single journey. Funiculars cost €3. One day passes cover you for all of the city’s transport, which runs on a ticket validation system with machines in stations and on vehicles. A Viva Card is a top-up card like an Oyster card, costing €50, which you then top up to pay for discounted fares, which is recommended as using taxis during the rush hour can be slow and expensive. A Lisboa Card, available online, includes free and discounted entrance to many of the city’s big sites as well as free use of all public transport, they start from €18.50 for a 24-hour adult card.