Guide to Visiting Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal

What’s not to love about Lisbon? The Portuguese capital has a distinctive combination of European charm (black and white cobbled streets and squares, plus beautiful tiled buildings) with a laid back seaside vibe (blue water and sky for days). Its grit is that of a well-worn pair of shoes, while its beauty is unassuming and seemingly ubiquitous. The city is the epitome of cool and home to some of the warmest people you’ll ever meet. My all too short trip to Lisbon left me wanting more, knowing that this is a place I will definitely return to. Here’s what you need to know.

Lisbon’s Portela Airport is very close to the historic center (only about 4 miles away) and one of the easiest and cheapest options to get to the city is by metro. You can take the red line directly from the airport, which also has connections to the green (at Alameda), yellow (at Saldanha) and blue (at São Sebastião, the last stop) lines depending on where you’re staying. The metro operates from 6:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and travel time is only about 20 minutes. Another easy and affordable option to get to the city is the AeroBus. This shuttle offers direct service between the airport and the Cais do Sodre train station daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., with stops at major hubs and hotels throughout the city. From the airport, the City Center line 1 departs every 20 minutes and will have you in the heart of Lisbon in about 30 minutes. Tickets are valid for 24 hours and can be bought online, onboard or at other points including the airport, and offer additional discounts on Yellow Bus sightseeing tours so you can hit the ground running. And if you’re planning on buying the Lisboa Card sightseeing pass (more on that later), do that first because it comes with a discount off the purchase of you AeroBus ticket, an added bonus. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).