Lisbon Airport (LIS): the best way to central Lisbon for four people

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.