The airport, which has undergone a recent and impressive renovation, is located seven kilometres (four miles) north of the city. Portugal’s most vital airport, Aeroporto de Lisboa served over 9 million passengers in 2001.

Major airlines: The national airline is TAP Air Portugal (tel: (21) 843 7701; website: www.tap-airportugal.pt). PGA – Portugália Airlines (tel: (21) 843 7019; website: www.pga.pt) is also a Portuguese-based airline. Other airlines include Air France, British Airways, Go, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa and TWA.

Approximate flight times to Lisbon: From London is 2 hours 20 minutes; from New York is 6 hours 45 minutes; from Los Angeles is 12 hours; from Toronto is 9 hours 30 minutes and from Sydney is 22 hours 30 minutes.

Airport facilities: First aid, bureaux de change, post office, left-luggage, mobile phone shop, restaurant and bar are all open 24-hours. There are also duty-free (and other) shops, tourist information (0600-2400) and a bank. Car hire is available from A Castanheira, Auto Jardim, Avis, Eurodollar, Europcar, Guerin and Hertz.

Business facilities: There are CIP (Commercially Important Persons) lounges available to first and business class travellers on Air France, British Airways, Iberia, KLM, Lufthansa, Portugália, TWA, Varig and Viasa.

Arrival/departure tax: None.

Transport to the city: The Carris AeroBus (tel: (21) 358 2334; website: www.carris.pt) departs every 20 minutes 0700-2100 to the city centre (journey time – 20 minutes) and the Cais do Sodré rail station. A one-day ticket costs Esc450/EUR2 and includes further transport for that day on all trams and buses. The AeroBus is free for TAP passengers, on presentation of used boarding passes when arriving and flight tickets when travelling to the airport. Carris’ local buses 5, 22, 44, 45 and 83 operate 0600-2130, while bus 45 runs until 0115 (journey time – 20-30 minutes). Taxis are available 24-hours a day. The average taxi fare to the city centre is Esc1400-1700/EUR7-8.50 (journey time – 15-30 minutes).

Ferry services: There are no long-distance ferries; (see Getting Around for cross-river services).

Transport to the city: Tram, bus and rail services all run along the riverfront.

Lisbon is served by five major railway stations, as well as a number of suburban stations. Santa Apolónia, Avenida Infante D. Henrique, serves long-distance and international routes, as well as suburban routes heading north and west. The gleaming new Oriente station, at the Parque das Nações on the city’s eastern approach, is becoming an increasingly important long-distance train station. Rossio, between Praça dos Restauradores and Rossio, serves Sintra, while Cais do Sodré, near the Praça Duque da Terceira, serves Cascais and Estoril. The Barreiro station, on the south bank of the River Tagus, serves the south. Facilities at the stations vary from refreshment amenities at Oriente station to a complete shopping centre at the somewhat unique Rossio station.

Rail services: Intercity trains connect all of Portugal’s major cities to either Lisbon or Porto. Both the comfortable Alfa Service from Porto and the InterCity train from Faro take 3 hours 30 minutes to reach Lisbon. There are overnight trains from Madrid (journey time – 10 hours) and Paris (journey time –18 hours 30 minutes).

Transport to the city: Rossio is connected to the Restauradores metro station. Cais do Sodré has its own metro station. Santa Apolónia is linked to the centre by bus. From Barreiro, CP operates a ferry to the Terreiro do Paço port near Praça do Comércio. The Oriente station is connected to the city by its own metro station.

The Automóvel Club de Portugal (ACP) is the national motoring association, Rua Rosa Araujo 24 (tel: (21) 318 0100; website: www.acp.pt), and will assist motorists whose automobile club has a reciprocal agreement.

Emergency breakdown service:
ACP (21) 942 9103

Routes to the city: The A1 Auto-estrada do Norte extends from Porto to Lisbon and the A8 arrives from destinations to the north and west of the city. The A9 bypasses Lisbon, connecting the A1, A8 and the A5, which links Lisbon with Cascais and the beaches. The A2 Auto-estrada do Sul arrives from Faro and the Algarve via Almada and the Ponte 25 de Abril. The A2 also links to the A6, which continues on for connections to Madrid. The A12 crosses the Ponte Vasco da Gama, offering a less congested route into the city.

Driving times to Lisbon: From Porto – 3 hours 15 minutes; Faro and the Algarve – 4 hours 20 minutes (longer on summer weekends); and Madrid – 8 hours 55 minutes.

Coach services: The main bus terminal (especially for international destinations) is near Saldanha metro station, Avenida Casal Ribeiro. Inter-Centro (tel: (21) 357 1745), operates international services from destinations in France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Rede Nacional de Expressos (tel: (21) 354 5439 or 310 3111; website: www.rede-expressos.pt) provides coach services from hundreds of Portuguese destinations. The main Rede ticket office and terminal is Terminal do Arco do Cego, Avenida Duque D’Ávila 12 (tel: (21) 354 5439). Travellers can call the National Express Coach Service (tel: (707) 223 344) for further information.

Public Transport
Lisbon’s metro system, the Metropolitano de Lisboa (tel: (21) 798 0600; website: www.metrolisboa.pt/index_uk.htm), is an efficient way to get around the city and features works by prominent artists. There are four lines (A-D) and trains run every three to ten minutes 0630-0100. There are plans to further extend two of the lines in the near future.

A single ticket is Esc100/EUR0.50, while a carnet of ten costs Esc850/EUR4. Both one-day and seven-day passes are available for Esc270/EUR1.50 and Esc940/EUR4.50, respectively. A 30-day pass costs Esc2160/EUR11. Single tickets and carnets are available for purchase from station ticket office and self-service machines 0630-0100 and passes can be purchased weekdays 0830-1800 (until 2100 on the last workday of the month) from the special offices at certain stations – including Cais do Sodré, Campo Grande, Marquês de Pombal, Oriente and Restauradores.

Complementing this is the city’s network of buses, trams and elevadors (funiculars/street lifts), which are run by the Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa, Praca do Comercio (tel: (21) 358 2334; website: www.carris.pt). Most bus and tram services operate 0600-0100. There are also eight night bus routes, which converge at the Cais do Sodré. Tickets can be purchased on board for Esc160/EUR0.80, or at kiosks for Esc80/EUR0.40. Passes are available for one day or three days, for Esc450/EUR2 and Esc1050/EUR5 respectively. Funicular tickets cost Esc60/EUR0.30-Esc180/EUR0.90.

Passes valid for bus, tram and metro are available for four days (Esc1760/EUR9) and seven days (Esc2490/EUR12.50). These can all be purchased at Carris kiosks. The Lisboa Card tourist pass offers unlimited travel on public transport, except tram 15 and 18 and the Elevador de Santa Justa (see Sightseeing section).

For travel by water, most cross-Tagus ferries are operated by Transtejo (tel: (21) 322 4000; website: www.transtejo.pt) and arrive at Belém, Cais do Sodré and Terreiro do Paço. CP (Portuguese Railways) runs the ferry link from Barreiro (where the CP trains terminate) to Praça do Comércio –the fare is included in the ticket price for rail travellers. Depending on the route, ferry services operate roughly 0700-2200. Tickets are purchased at the ferry pier.

Taxis
Taxis are beige – the older ones are black with a green roof – and have small green lights on top, indicating availability. Taxis can easily be hailed on the street, at ranks or by phone (Esc150/EUR0.75 surcharge) from Radiotaxis (tel: (21) 793 2756 or 811 1290 or 1100).

Taxis are metered and the minimum charge is Esc250/EUR1. The fare increases by 20% after 2200, with the flag fare Esc320/EUR1.50 during the day and Esc380/EUR2 at night. A supplement of Esc300/EUR1.50 is payable for luggage carried in the boot or on the roof. There are also 24-hour water taxis, operated by Taxitour (tel: (21) 397 2783), which depart from a number of clearly marked points along the river. A tip of 10% is expected and appreciated.

Limousines
UNILIS, Rua Actor Vale 25b (tel: (21) 816 0000), offers a limousine service with multi-lingual drivers. The cost for a full day (0900-1800) is Esc50,000/EUR249.50, with extra charges for tolls, extra hours or mileage above 150km (93 miles) and the driver’s meal.

Driving in the City
Driving in Lisbon can be more than a little nerve-wracking – not only do cars speed around but road signs are also often inadequate. The A9 outer ring road, known as the CREL (Cintura Regional Exterior de Lisboa) and inner ring road, CRIL (Cintura Regional Interior de Lisboa) move traffic efficiently around the city, except during the extended nightmare of rush hour from 1700-1900. Despite the new Vasco Da Gama bridge across the River Tagus, the Ponte 25 de Abril can still take an hour to cross during rush hour and summer weekends.

Pay-and-display parking is in effect Monday to Friday 0800-2000 in many areas of central Lisbon (costing Esc55/EUR0.30 for half an hour and Esc490/EUR2.50 for the four-hour maximum). Parking is also available at the larger shopping centres. A network of underground car parks is currently being built – these are indicated by large blue ‘P’ signs and are far more expensive than street meter parking.

Car Hire
Drivers must be at least 21 years old to hire a car and a valid national drivers license is required. Insurance is mandatory in Portugal and lack thereof can lead to a heavy fine. Third party liability is often included in the hire price, although visitors should always check this and ask for an International Insurance Certificate. Accident rates are high in Portugal, so extra insurance would not go amiss.

Car hire company Autocerro (tel: (21) 940 0555; website: www.autocerro.pt) is located at Quinta de Francelha de Baixo, Bloco 1. A week’s rental costs an average of Esc54,800/EUR273.50 in high season. Other car hire firms include Avis, Estação de Santa Apolónia (tel: (21) 881 0469; website: www.avis.com), Europcar, Estação de Santa Apolónia: (tel: (21) 886 1573; website: www.europcar.pt) and Hertz, Avenida da Republica 64A (tel: (21) 793 3647; website: www.hertz.com). Rates average around Esc90,000/EUR449 per day.

Bicycle Hire
Bicycles are a good way to get around the large former Expo98 site but are not very practical for the steep streets of much of Lisbon. These can be hired at Adrenalina Gravidade Zero (tel: (21) 892 2300), at the north end of the Parque das Nações, for Esc750/EUR3.50 per hour. A passport or other ID must be left as a deposit.