Lisbon Airport: the best ways to get to the city

If you’re planning to visit Lisbon, you’re probably worried about how to get to Lisbon from the airport. I have good news for you: it’s very simple and we’ll tell you how to do it in this article.

The Lisbon airport is called Humberto Delgado and its airport code is LIS. Getting to Lisbon from the airport should be easy after you read this post!

Lisbon airport: getting to the city

To get to Lisbon from the airport, you’ll have 3 options:

• Taxi
• Uber, Bolt or Freenow
• Bus
• Metro
• Walking (approximately 1 hour and 1 quarter to the centre);

For further information on each means of transportation, read below! 

Taxi from Lisbon airport to the city centre

The taxi ride from Humberto Delgado airport to downtown Lisbon usually takes from 15 to 20 minutes. It’ll vary depending on the traffic conditions and your exact destination in the city.

Yes, the taxi is the most comfortable and faster option. It’s the most convenient also since you’ll not need to worry about drop-offs. Beware of your fare, there are a lot of scams and tourist traps coming from taxi drivers.

The taxi ride from the airport to Lisbon downtown should cost an average of 12€. Baggage and late-night fees may apply. The ride is measured by a taximeter and, thus, can vary depending on the route taken by the driver.

Taxis are available 24/7 at Humberto Delgado airport, so this is your best option if you arrive late at night.

Rides application in Lisbon

The easiest way to get to Lisbon city centre from the airport is by Uber, Bolt or Freenow. These are the most popular rides applications to use in Portugal. You can either book a driver, a bicycle or a scooter for a couple of cents.

When you don’t know the way from the Lisbon Airport to the centre you might be easily fooled by a taxi driver bad intentioned, therefore the apps are usually the best way to get to your destination.

Lisbon AeroBus

At the terminal 1 and terminal 2, you can choose between the two lines of Aerobus.

The Aerobus 1 is faster and will leave you in the heart of Lisbon. The ride takes around 45 minutes and costs 4€ per person. Drop off between Restauradores and Praça Comércio to arrive at Lisbon downtown.

The Aerobus 2 will take you to the financial centre of Lisbon, but you cannot take large items of luggage on the ride.

Aeroporto Metro Station

Very fortunately, the airport has its own metro station. By metro, you’ll be able to get in approximately 40 minutes from the airport to the city’s downtown.

The advantage is the flat rate. You’ll pay 1.45€ for a one-way ride and it’s the only fee you’ll need to pay.

The downside (which is a minor one) is that you’ll need to drop off and exchange lines before getting to the city centre. You’ll need to change lines two times.

Either or, you’ll need to take the red line at the Lisbon airport. Then, you’ll have two options:

• Drop-off at Alameda and take the green line
• Drop-off at São Sebastião and get the blue line

Either option you choose, you’ll need to drop-off at Baixa-Chiado and you’ll be at downtown Lisbon.

Walking from the airport to Lisbon centre

This an alternative for the ones who don’t want to spend anything with transportation and wouldn’t mind to spend one hour and a quarter walking. The way from the airport of Lisbon to the city centre is paved and safe for pedestrians. So if you’d like to start your trip knowing Lisbon better, this a possible alternative.

Before you start to plan your trip, make sure you are gather every COVID requirements to travel to Portugal.