Lisbon Airport to the centre: metro, bus, taxi compared
Humberto Delgado airport is only 7.4 km from Rossio, so every option is quick and the real choice is cost against effort. The metro is the cheapest way in and runs until 01:00, but it needs a change at Alameda. A taxi is the easy option with luggage and costs roughly EUR 12 to 18 on the meter.
- Cheapest
- €2.30Carris bus 744 · 50 min
- Fastest
- 30 minTaxi · €12–€18
- Taxi
- €12–€18Taxi · 30 min
With 2 travelling, take a taxi: €12–€18 for the group, about 30 min, straight to your door.
Taxi
Taxi
30 min
For the group€12–€18estimate
Taxi
Metered · up to 4 passengers
- Per person
- €12–€18 per vehicle
- Door to door
- 30 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Rank outside arrivals
- Board at
- Taxi rank outside arrivals
- Suitcases
- Carried for you
Metro
Metro Red line + Green line
40 min
For the group€4.80
Metro Red line + Green line
Metropolitano de Lisboa · change at Alameda
- Per person
- €2.40
- Door to door
- 40 min
- Runs
- 06:30–01:00
- Frequency
- every 7 min
- Board at
- Aeroporto station, a short walk from arrivals
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Private car
Pre-booked private car
35 min
For the group€20estimateCheck price
Pre-booked private car
Fixed price · meet and greet
- Per person
- €20 per vehicle
- Door to door
- 35 min
- Runs
- 24 hours
- Frequency
- Pre-booked
- Board at
- Driver meets you in the arrivals hall
- Suitcases
- Carried for you
Bus
Carris bus 744
50 min
For the group€4.60
Carris bus 744
Carris · daytime only, to Restauradores
- Per person
- €2.30
- Door to door
- 50 min
- Runs
- 05:50–21:06
- Frequency
- every 15-18 min
- Board at
- Aeroporto stop outside the terminal
- Suitcases
- Awkward
Bus
Night bus 208
Not running at this hour
For the group-
Night bus 208
Carris night network · Aeroporto to Cais do Sodré
- Per person
- €2.30
- Door to door
- 50 min
- Runs
- Not running at this hour (23:42–04:42)
- Frequency
- every 30-60 min
- Board at
- Aeroporto stop outside the terminal
- Suitcases
- Fine
Every option in detail
MetroMetro Red line + Green line
- €2.40
- 40 min
- 06:30–01:00
- → Rossio (Green line)
Buy a reusable Navegante occasional card (EUR 0.50) at the station machines and load a Carris/Metro single ticket (EUR 1.90) onto it, so EUR 2.40 the first time. The single is valid for one hour and covers the change, but it does not allow two separate entries to the metro. The card is for one person only, so a group needs one each. Contactless bank cards also open the gates at EUR 1.92 per trip with no card to buy; tap the same card in and out. Ride the Red line to Alameda, change to the Green line towards Cais do Sodré and get off at Rossio. The Alameda change means stairs or escalators, which is the awkward part with a large case.
BusCarris bus 744
- €2.30
- 50 min
- 05:50–21:06
- → Restauradores (3 minutes from Rossio)
Pay the driver EUR 2.30 in cash, by bank card or with MB Way, or tap a loaded Navegante card (EUR 1.90 plus the EUR 0.50 card). A ticket bought on board is only valid on that bus. The 744 runs by Saldanha and Marquês de Pombal and takes about 32 minutes to Restauradores. On the winter timetable the last bus leaves the airport at 21:06 on weekdays and at about 20:56 at weekends, with gaps of 20 to 30 minutes on Saturday and Sunday. It is an ordinary city bus with limited luggage space, so it suits one small bag better than two suitcases.
BusNight bus 208
- €2.30
- 50 min
- 23:42–04:42
- → Praça da Figueira (3 minutes from Rossio)
The 208 is the only scheduled public service into the centre after the metro closes. From the airport it leaves at 23:42, then at 00:12, 00:42, 01:12 and 01:42, then once an hour at 02:42 and 03:42, then at 04:12 and 04:42. The timetable is the same every night of the week. It goes by Alameda and Avenida Almirante Reis to Martim Moniz and Praça da Figueira, which is the stop for Rossio. Pay the driver EUR 2.30 on board. The ride is about 30 minutes.
TaxiTaxi
- €12–€18 per vehicle (estimate)
- 30 min
- 24 hours
- → Door to door
Taxis queue outside arrivals at all hours. Until 14 October 2026 the meter applies, with a EUR 1.60 luggage supplement, and a trip to Rossio usually comes to EUR 12 to 18 depending on traffic. Make sure the meter is running at the start and ask for a receipt. A fixed-fare scheme for trips leaving the airport is due to start on 15 October 2026; see the tips below.
Private carPre-booked private car
- €20 per vehicle (estimate)
- 35 min
- 24 hours
- → Door to door
A standard sedan for up to 3 passengers starts around EUR 20 on the platforms we checked, with a fixed price agreed at booking and flight monitoring included. Four people with luggage need a larger vehicle, which starts around EUR 31. The driver waits at arrivals with your name on a sign, so there is no queue and no haggling over the meter. It costs a little more than a metered taxi in most cases and gives certainty.
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. At 00:30 that leaves little room for baggage reclaim, the walk to the station and the change at Alameda, so do not count on it. Day bus 744 has finished by 21:06 and the 783 stops at 23:43. The night bus 208 leaves at 00:12, 00:42 and 01:12, then roughly every 30 to 60 minutes until 04:42, and is the cheap fallback. A taxi is available at any hour, and a pre-booked car will wait for a delayed flight.
See the comparison →4 people, 4 suitcasesTravelling as a group of four
Four people on the metro pay 4 x EUR 2.40 = EUR 9.60 the first time, or 4 x EUR 1.92 = EUR 7.68 if each taps a contactless bank card, plus the Alameda change with four cases. A taxi takes all four and the luggage for about EUR 12 to 18, plus EUR 1.60 for bags, so roughly EUR 4 to 10 more than the metro tickets. For that you skip the change and the stairs. A sedan transfer holds only 3 passengers, so a group of four books a larger vehicle from about EUR 31, and the taxi is usually cheaper than that.
See the comparison →Practical tips
- The Aerobus shuttle no longer runs. The metro and Carris buses cover the airport.
- A new national taxi tariff takes effect on 14 October 2026 and drops the luggage supplement. From 15 October, taxis leaving the airport are due to charge fixed fares: EUR 19 by day and EUR 23 at night, weekends and holidays for Rossio and Baixa (zone 2). Taking part is voluntary for drivers.
- Bus 783 runs from the airport to Campo Grande, Saldanha and Amoreiras. It suits Avenidas Novas and Marquês de Pombal more than Baixa.
- The Carris/Metro single is valid for one hour and covers unlimited metro and Carris trips in that time. Metro entry is allowed once.
- Keep the Navegante occasional card. It lasts a year and you can reload it with credit or day tickets.
- If the Alameda change looks busy, the Red line to São Sebastião and the Blue line to Restauradores is the alternative, ending 3 minutes from Rossio.
Questions travellers ask
How much is the metro from Lisbon airport to the city centre?
EUR 2.40 the first time: the EUR 1.90 Carris/Metro single plus the EUR 0.50 Navegante card. With a contactless bank card tapped at the gates it is EUR 1.92 per trip and nothing else to buy. The ride with the change at Alameda takes around 30 minutes.
What is the cheapest way from Lisbon airport to Rossio?
Bus 744 is EUR 2.30 on board with no card to buy, and the metro is EUR 1.92 with a contactless bank card. Both are far cheaper than a taxi at EUR 12 to 18. The metro is the faster of the two.
Is there an Aerobus from Lisbon airport?
No. The Aerobus shuttle is suspended and no longer operates. Use the metro, Carris buses 744, 783 and 208, a taxi or a pre-booked car.
What is the last metro from Lisbon airport?
The metro closes at 01:00 and you must pass the ticket gates by then. After that, the 208 night bus leaves at 00:12, 00:42, 01:12 and 01:42, then hourly, with the last at 04:42.
How much is a taxi from Lisbon airport to the centre?
Usually EUR 12 to 18 on the meter to Rossio, plus a EUR 1.60 luggage supplement until 14 October 2026. From 15 October taxis leaving the airport are due to move to fixed fares of EUR 19 by day and EUR 23 at night for Baixa. The journey takes 20 to 30 minutes.
