Lisbon

Destinations in Lisbon

Sintra Sete Rios Oriente San Sebastio

Lisbon is a nice enough capital city. The central area lacks the insane drivers and overwhelming traffic that plague Rome and other cities in southern Europe, and it is more compact than Berlin - if you don't mind a bit of walking then everything you would want to see in a short stay can be reached by foot. In terms of architecture the centre is fairly uniform, which is not surprising since it was rebuilt as a job lot after the previous centre was flattened by earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 1755. Even the buildings on higher ground seem to have been built in sympathy with the house style until very recently. The overall effect is quite pleasing, like a single giant monument you can spend a whole day wandering around.

The city itself is not loaded down with must-see attractions. Apart from spending a day just looking round the streets, there are a couple of museums and art galleries, and there are doubtless hundreds of churches for people who can bear to see another one. The only really big attraction in its own right however is the castle. This will cost you a little to get into, but is worth it for the view, and the fact that it is the finest place to catch the sun in the whole city.

If you are in the area for more than a couple of days, the best bet is probably to look at towns in the surrounding area, such as Sintra. Since Lisbon is the heart of Portugal's public transport network, you could even remain in the high quality accomodation here and explore half the country by day trip.

Arriving by Plane.

Lisbon Airport is only about 8km (5 miles) from the centre of Lisbon. Although the Metro does not run to the airport, it is served by a number of local bus services. For details of planes to Lisbon, and other airports in Portugal, see the Transport section of Portugal as whole.

Arriving By Train.

Lisbon is the hub of Portugal's national rail network. See the Transport section of Portugal as whole for details of where the major lines run. Most long-distance services run into Oriente Station. This is located some 7km (4 miles) from the city centre, but the Red metro line runs from there to the centre.

Arriving By Coach.

Virtually all coaches into and out of Lisbon run from the Mundial Turismo Terminal Rodoviario de Lisboa (Rodoviario means bus station). This is located next to Sete Rios Train Station. The easiest way to get to the city centre proper is to take the Metro blue line from Jardim Zoologico Metro Station, which is connected to Sete Rios Station by a short underground walkway.

Arriving By Ferry.

It is possible to catch a ferries to Lisbon from across the Tejo, although since there are now 5 bridges making the crossing, the ferry is a much less popular option. Most of the ferries arrive at the ferry port next to Cais do Sodre Train Station and the metro station of the same name. This is already fairly central in Lisbon.

Once you get there.

First things first. Get a map. El Corte Ingles, the Spanish department store chain, sponsors a handy tourist map much like the ones they produce for large citites in Spain. This has a good comprehensive street map of much of the city with a detailed blow-up of the city centre. If you arrive by plane, try getting the map from the tourist office at the airport. There is also an office at Santa Apolina Station. Others are located at the castle, and around the tourist areas. Alternatively, head straight for your accomodation and pick one up there.

Getting around by public transport

Travelling by train.

Lisbon has a network of suburban train services running to the outskirts of the city and the surrounding towns. Few trains run to the tourist centre of town, so unless you are heading out of the city proper it is not really worth looking at these trains - metro and tram routes are quicker

Travelling by metro.

Metro Lisboa run an efficent modern network of three underground lines through Lisbon. As of January 2006 the fare for a single journey is 70 cents (1 euro if the journey is to a few stops on the outskirts). A 1.30 euro return ticket is available if you will be coming back. The carnet tickets, valid for 10 trips, are not much cheaper than single tickets so they are probably not worth the risk of having tickets left over. Buy tickets from the machines rather than the counter - the instructions are in English so you should be able to find the correct option easily enough.

Newspapers

All the Portuguese national newspapers and Portuguese magazines are available at newsstands on every street corner. Getting English language press could prove more difficult however. Look out for proper shops at train stations and in touristy areas. If all else fails you are bound to find something to read at the airport.

Metro is an international chain or free newspapers which produce a Lisbon edition. It is available in metro and train stations. Destak is another free-sheet with a Lisbon edition. Both are wholly in Portuguese, but the articles are short and there are plenty of pictures, so if you are at all competent in Spanish or Portuguese you might get something out of it. Cinema and other entertainment listings are included on the appropriate days.

Hostels

Rede Nacional de Turismo Juvenil runs the Lisbon hostel, which is near Picoas Metro) at the north of the city centre. This is cheap, but prone to being fully booked, and has all the downsides of HI hostels everywhere. They also run the Parque das Nacoes hostel, which is located out of town at the site of the 1998 Expo. This is quite close to Oriente station, so could be convenient for late arrivals or early departures.

Lisbon is one of only a couple of cities in Portugal to have decent independently-run hostels. Currently there are two. The Lisbon Lounge Hostel, which is close to Cais do Sodre Metro, is an extremely welcoming small hostel with free internet. The Poets Hostel which is near to Rossio Metro. See the websites for these hostels for details.

Art galleries

There are a couple of art galleries in Lisbon. The most worthwhile of these are the Museo Calouste Gulbenkian, and the Centro de Arte Moderna Jose de Azeredo Perdigao. These two are part of a single large complex divided by a pleasant sculpture garden. They specialize heavily on Portuguese art, with a few British and international pieces 'to provide context'. The Modern Art museum doesn't really compete with museums such as the Reina Sofia in Madrid, but are a pleasant enough place to spend the afternoon if art appeals to you. As at February 2006, both are open Tuesday to Sunday from 10am to 6pm, and cost 3 euros each or 5 euros for both. The closest metro station is San Sebastio.

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Sintra

Sintra is probably the best day trip you can do from Lisbon. It is a really beautiful small town, well-preserved and surrounded by nice countryside. If you like a walk you can wander around the town for a while, and then head up the hill to the Moorish Castle which overlooks the town. It is a pretty pleasant couple of kilometres up, and the same back down again, but if you don't have time, or are just too damn lazy, you could get the scenic bus. At January 2006 this cost 2.50 euros for a hop-on hop-off ticket, and runs every 15 minutes or so in a circuit which goes past the station, through the town (including a stop outside the tourist information), and up the hill to the castle.

How to get there

Arriving By Train.

Trains run several times an hour from Sete Rios Station near central Lisbon to Sintra Station, which is close to the centre of Sintra.

Once you get there.

First things first. Get a map. The tourist information office is in the middle of the historic town centre. They can provide an excellent map of the town and the surrounding area, which has details of all the attractions in Sintra.

Transport

Sintra Tramway.

A short distance out of town past the station is the terminus of the Sintra tramway. This is a historic tram, like the streetcars in Lisbon, which runs from Sintra to a number of small resorts on the atlantic coast. If it's a nice day this is a nice scenic way to get to a couple of quiet beaches.

Food and drink

Sintra is a small tourist centre more than anything else, and the prices in the local cafes seem to reflect this. By general European standards you won't find yourself paying too much to eat, but if you are on a really tight budget you might want to stick to eating in Lisbon.

Attractions

If you feel like visiting some museums or galleries, there is the Modern Art Museum, which contains some interesting 20th ceuntury works, even if there is nothing particularly famous. There is also the Toy Museum, which is basically one man's collection grown out of control.