Lisbon airport to cruise port: metro, bus, taxi compared
The cruise terminal at Santa Apolónia is about 9 km from the airport, and a taxi covers it in 20 to 30 minutes. The metro does it for 2.40 euros with one change at São Sebastião and a short walk at the end, which works well with light luggage. Leave a clear margin before the ship sails.
- Cheapest
- €2.40Metro Red line + Blue line · 55 min
- Fastest
- 25 minTaxi · €11–€19
- Taxi
- €11–€19Taxi · 25 min
With 2 travelling, take a taxi: €11–€19 for the group, about 25 min, straight to your door.
Taxi
Taxi
25 min
For the group€11–€19estimate
Taxi
Metered until 14 October · fixed airport fares are due from 15 October
- Per person
- €11–€19 per vehicle
- Door to door
- 25 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Rank outside arrivals
- Board at
- Taxi rank outside arrivals
- Suitcases
- Carried for you
Private car
Pre-booked private car
30 min
For the group€22estimateCheck price
Pre-booked private car
Fixed price · meet and greet
- Per person
- €22 per vehicle
- Door to door
- 30 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Pre-booked
- Board at
- Driver meets you in the arrivals hall
- Suitcases
- Carried for you
Metro
Metro Red line + Blue line
55 min
For the group€4.80
Metro Red line + Blue line
Metropolitano de Lisboa · change at São Sebastião, ends at Santa Apolónia
- Per person
- €2.40
- Door to door
- 55 min
- Runs
- 06:30–01:00
- Frequency
- every 7 min
- Board at
- Aeroporto station, a short walk from arrivals
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Bus
Metro Red line + Carris bus 759
60 min
For the group€4.80
Metro Red line + Carris bus 759
Metro to Oriente, then the 759 along the river to Alfândega
- Per person
- €2.40
- Door to door
- 60 min
- Runs
- -
- Frequency
- Metro every 7 min; bus about every 20 min
- Board at
- Aeroporto station, then the bus level at Oriente
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Every option in detail
MetroMetro Red line + Blue line
- €2.40
- 55 min
- 06:30–01:00
- → Santa Apolónia station, 5 to 10 minutes' walk from the terminal
Buy a Navegante occasional card (EUR 0.50) at the station machines and load a Carris/Metro single (EUR 1.90) onto it, so 2.40 euros the first time. A contactless bank card also opens the gates at 1.92 euros per trip, one person per card. Ride the Red line to São Sebastião, change to the Blue line toward Santa Apolónia and stay on to the end. The port quotes 30 to 40 minutes on the metro, plus the walk to the station and the walk from Santa Apolónia to the gangway. The change means stairs or escalators with your cases.
BusMetro Red line + Carris bus 759
- €2.40
- 60 min
- → Alfândega stop, beside the cruise terminal
Take the Red line three stops to Oriente, then change to the bus level of the station and catch the 759 toward Restauradores. It runs by Olivais, Xabregas and Santa Apolónia to the Alfândega stop at the terminal. A Carris/Metro single covers both for 2.40 euros the first time (card plus ticket) and is valid for one hour, so do not wait long at Oriente. It saves the walk from Santa Apolónia station but depends on a bus that is slower than the metro and has little luggage room.
TaxiTaxi
- €11–€19 per vehicle (estimate)
- 25 min
- 24 hours
- → Door to door at your cruise terminal
Until 14 October 2026 the meter applies, with a 1.60 euro luggage supplement, and the trip usually comes to 11 to 17 euros depending on traffic. From 15 October, taxis leaving the airport are due to charge fixed fares by zone. Santa Apolónia is reported to fall in zone 2, at 19 euros by day and 23 euros at night, weekends and holidays, luggage included. Taking part is voluntary for drivers, so metered taxis may still wait at the rank. Ask which price applies before you set off and ask for a receipt.
Private carPre-booked private car
- €22 per vehicle (estimate)
- 30 min
- 24 hours
- → Door to door at your cruise terminal
A standard sedan for up to 3 passengers starts around 22 euros on the platform we checked, with the price fixed at booking and flight monitoring included. The driver waits at arrivals, so there is no rank queue after landing. A group of four with luggage needs a larger vehicle, or one taxi. The car costs a little more than the metered range and than the fixed fare from 15 October.
The same trip in a different situation
Arriving late at night
The metro closes at 01:00 and you must be through the gates by then, which is tight if you land after midnight and the Blue line change adds time. The night bus 208 runs from the airport to Praça da Figueira but does not reach the cruise terminal, so a taxi is the dependable choice at night. The fixed airport fare rises to 23 euros between 22:00 and 07:00 from 15 October. A pre-booked car will wait for a delayed flight. Cruise ships rarely sail in the small hours, so this matters mostly if you land the night before.
See the comparison →4 people, 4 suitcasesTravelling as a group of four
Four people on the metro pay 9.60 euros the first time, or 7.68 euros by contactless bank card, with the change at São Sebastião and four cases. One taxi at roughly 11 to 19 euros takes all four and the luggage to the door, so it is about the same cost or a little more and saves the stairs. A sedan holds three, so four people should book a larger vehicle or take the taxi.
See the comparison →Practical tips
- Leave a margin before the ship sails. Cruise lines usually close check-in 90 to 120 minutes before departure, so a flight that lands at least five hours before sailing is a sensible target. Your cruise line sets the all-aboard time, so check it.
- A new national taxi tariff starts on 14 October 2026 and scraps the luggage supplement. Fixed fares from the airport are due from 15 October.
- Check which berth your ship uses. The Lisbon Cruise Terminal at Santa Apolónia is the one this route reaches. A ship at the Rocha Conde de Óbidos terminal at Alcântara is about 6 km west by road, and the metro does not serve it, so use a taxi or a car.
- From Santa Apolónia station the terminal is a 5 to 10 minute walk along the riverfront with your cases.
- Keep your Navegante card. It lasts a year and you can reload it for the metro, Carris buses and the journey back.
- The Carris/Metro single is valid for one hour and lets you enter the metro once. Plan the change at Oriente or São Sebastião without a long wait.
Questions travellers ask
How do I get from Lisbon airport to the cruise terminal by metro?
Take the Red line from Aeroporto to São Sebastião, change to the Blue line toward Santa Apolónia and ride to the end. It costs 2.40 euros the first time, takes 30 to 40 minutes on the train, and the terminal is a 5 to 10 minute walk from the station.
How much is a taxi from Lisbon airport to the cruise terminal?
Usually 11 to 17 euros on the meter until 14 October 2026. From 15 October airport taxis are due to charge a fixed 19 euros by day and 23 euros at night for the Santa Apolónia area.
How long does it take to get from Lisbon airport to the cruise ship?
About 25 minutes by taxi, 30 minutes by pre-booked car and 55 minutes by metro, counting the walks at each end. Leave extra time for check-in, which cruise lines usually close 90 to 120 minutes before sailing.
Is there a direct bus from Lisbon airport to the cruise terminal?
No. The nearest is the metro to Oriente and then Carris bus 759 to the Alfândega stop at the terminal, 2.40 euros the first time. The metro to Santa Apolónia and a short walk is simpler.
How much is a private transfer from Lisbon airport to the cruise port?
A standard pre-booked sedan starts at about 22 euros for up to three passengers, with the price fixed when you book. It costs a little more than the fixed taxi fare that starts on 15 October.
