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| Lisbon
Getting Around |
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Public
Transport
Lisbon’s metro system, the Metropolitano
de Lisboa (telephone number: (21) 798 0600), is an efficient
way to get around the city and also features works by prominent
artists. There are 4 lines (A-D) and trains run every 3 to 10 minutes
daily from 0630-0100 hrs. Ambitious plans are underway to expand
the network.
Single ticket costs €0.65 and a return ticket €1.05, a
carnet of 10 costs €5.10. Both 1-day and 7-day passes are available
for €1.40 and €4.80, respectively, while a 30-day pass
costs €12. Single tickets and carnets are available for purchase
from station ticket office and self-service machines from 0630-0100
hrs. Passes can be purchased from the special offices
at certain stations (including Cais do Sodré, Campo Grande,
Marquês de Pombal, Oriente and Restauradores) from Monday
to Friday 0830–1800 hrs (until 2100 hrs on the last work day
of the month).
Complementing Lisbon’s metro is the city’s network of
buses, trams and elevadors (funiculars/street lifts), which are
run by the Companhia Carris de Ferro de Lisboa (telephone
number: (21) 361 3000 or 9662 98558, website: www.carris.pt
). Bus and tram services operate daily 0600-0100 hrs . There are
also 8 night bus routes, which converge at the Cais do Sodré.
Tickets for buses and funiculars are available for purchase on board
for €1, or at kiosks for €0.40. Carris passes
are available for 1 or 3 days, for €2.35 and €5.65 respectively.
Passes valid for bus, tram and metro
services are available for 1 day (€2.65), 3 days (€5.65)
4 days (€9.55) and 7 days (€13.55). These are all available
at the Carris kiosks. The Lisboa Card tourist pass
offers unlimited travel on public transport, except tram 15 and
18 and the Elevador de Santa Justa.
Rail
Services
Caminhos
de Ferro Portugueses – CP (telephone number: 808 208 208)
is the Portuguese national rail service provider. Over the last
few years, CP’s reputation has improved, with more efficient
services and a modernisation programme, which has especially benefited
the Porto-Lisbon service with the introduction
of high-speed trains along this route. Travellers should contact
CP for all national rail enquiries.
Lisbon is served by 5 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, has become an increasingly
important long-distance train station since it was opened for Expo
98. 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, although
plans have been mooted for a new bridge across the river, which
would take trains direct from Lisbon to the Algarve.
Intercity trains connect Portugal’s major cities
to either Lisbon or Porto. Both
the comfortable Alfa Service from Porto and the
InterCity train from Faro take approximately 3 hours and 30 minutes
to reach Lisbon. There are overnight trains from Madrid
with a journey time of 10 hours and Paris with
a journey time of 18 hours 30 minutes.
Transport
to the city
Rossio is connected
to the Restauradores metro station and 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 dock near Praça
do Comércio. The Oriente station is connected
to the city by its own metro station.
Coach
services
The main bus terminal, especially for international destinations,
is located close to the Saldanha metro station, Avenida Casal Ribeiro.
Inter-Centro (telephone number: (21) 357 1745),
operates international services from destinations in France, Spain
and the United Kingdom. Rede Nacional de Expressos
(telephone number: (21) 354 5439 or 310 3111, website: www.rede-expressos.pt
provides coach services from hundreds of destinations in Portugal.
The main Rede ticket office and terminal is Terminal do
Arco do Cego, Avenida Duque D’Ávila 12 (telephone
number: (21) 354 5439). Travellers can also contact the National
Express Coach Service (telephone number: (707) 223 344) for further
information.
Ferry
Most cross-Tagus ferries are operated by Transtejo
(telephone number: (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 daily roughly 0700-2200 hrs. Tickets are available
for purchase at the ferry pier.
The Port of Lisbon located in the south of the
city, along the River Tagus, is becoming an increasingly
important stop on the international cruise ship circuit. The Cruise
ships call at Alcântara Dock, Rocha do Conde de Óbidos
and Santa Apolónia.
There are 5 marinas that receive private boats and provide mooring
– Bom Sucesso, Belém, Santo Amaro, Alcântara
and Olivais. Information is available from the Gestão
da Náutica de Recreio (telephone number: (21) 392 2011, fax
number: (21) 392 2038) and the facilities at Alcântara include
conference and event space, parking and various nightlife venues.
Taxis
Taxis are beige, some of the older ones are black with a green roof,
and have small green lights on top, indicating their availability.
Taxis can easily be hailed on the street, at ranks or by telephone
(for a €0.75 surcharge) from Rádio Táxis
(telephone number: (21) 811 9000) and Teletáxis
(telephone number: (21) 811 1100). Lisbon’s once notorious
taxi drivers have been reined in during the last few years, although
caution should still be exercised with regards to overcharging.
Taxis are metered and the minimum charge is €1.80 and €2.15
between 2200 and 0600 hrs. A supplement of €1.50 is payable
for luggage carried in the boot or on the roof. A tip of 10 per
cent is expected and appreciated.
Limousines
UNILIS, Rua Actor Vale 25b (telephone
number: (21) 816 0000, fax number: (21) 816 0009), offers a limousine
service with multi-lingual drivers.
The cost for a full day (0900-1800 hrs) of limousine hire is approximately
€250, 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 quite often
inadequate. The A9 outer ring road, known as the CREL (Cintura
Regional Exterior de Lisboa), and the inner ring road,
CRIL (Cintura Regional Interior de Lisboa), move
traffic efficiently around the city, except during the extended
nightmare of rush hour weekdays from 1700-1900 hrs. Despite the
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.
During the last few years, increasing pedestrianisation and traffic
calming measures in the city centre have added to the trauma of
driving in Lisbon.
Regulations
The Traffic drives on the right in Portugal and international traffic
signs are used. The minimum age for driving is 18 years.
Speed limits are 120kph (74mph) on motorways, 90kph (56mph) outside
built-up areas and 50kph (30mph) in towns.
Tolls
are charged on most motorways and the Motorways are indicated by
the prefix ‘A’, minor roads by the prefix ‘N’
and European routes by the letter ‘E’. International
Driving Permits and national driving licences are accepted. A Green
Card and third-party insurance are compulsory, as is a
warning triangle. Seatbelts must be worn and children
should travel in the back seat. The legal maximum alcohol to blood
ratio for driving is 0.05 per cent.
The national motoring association is Automóvel Club
de Portugal (ACP), Rua Rosa Araujo 24 (telephone number:
(21) 318 0202, e-mail: info@acp.pt),
which can offer assistance to motorists belonging to an automobile
club with whom the ACP has a reciprocal agreement.
Emergency breakdown service: ACP (21)
942 9103
Approximate driving times to Lisbon:
From Porto – 3 hours
Faro and the Algarve – 4 hours
Madrid – 9 hours.
Parking
Pay-and-display parking is in effect Monday to Friday 0800-2000
hrs in many areas of central Lisbon, costing €0.30 for half
an hour and €2.50 for the 4-hour maximum and parking is also
available at the larger shopping centres. A network of underground
car parks is being built – these are indicated by large blue
‘P’ signs and are far more expensive than metered street
parking, although convenient, as all-day and 24-hour parking is
available.
Car Hire
Drivers must be at over 21 years old to hire a car and a valid national
drivers licence is required and Insurance is mandatory in Portugal
and lack thereof can lead to a large 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 is also
recommended.
Car hire companies include:
Autocerro,
Quinta de Francelha de Baixo,
Bloco
Telephone number: (21) 940 0555
Fax number: (21) 940 0553
e-mail: marketing@autocerro.pt
Avis
Edifício Campo Grande 390,
2nd and 3rd Pisos/Floor
Telephone number: (21) 754 7800
Fax number: (21) 754 7994
Website: www.avis.com
Europcar,
Avenida Severiano Falcão 9
Telephone number: (21) 940 7710
Fax number: (21) 941 8607
Website: www.europcar.pt
).
High-season hire for a week costs €300-400 for a small 5-door
car with air-conditioning, such as a Fiat Punto.
Bicycle
Hire
Bicycles are a great way for one to get around the large former
Expo98 site but are not very practical for the
steep streets that comprise much of Lisbon. Bicycles are available
for hire at Adrenalina Gravidade Zero, at the north
end of the Parque das Nações (telephone number: (21)
892 2300), for €4 per hour and a passport or other form of
ID must be left as a deposit. |
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