Lisbon airport to city centre: trains, buses, taxis and costs

Match the option to your bags, your arrival hour and your address. The metro is fast and cheap but involves stairs and a walk at the far end. A taxi is the simplest door-to-door answer, and for two or more people with luggage it is often the cheapest sensible choice.

If you are staying in Alfama, Bairro Alto, Príncipe Real or Graca, the metro leaves you with a climb or a second short ride, so price a taxi first. If you are staying near Baixa, Chiado, Avenida da Liberdade or Oriente, the metro drops you close enough to walk.

The metro is the default for a solo traveller with a backpack. The airport station sits on the red line, which runs to Alameda, Saldanha, São Sebastião and Oriente. Buy a reusable Navegante card at the machine (about €0.50) and load single rides or a 24-hour ticket, then tap in and out. Trains run roughly 06:30 to 01:00, so a very late landing means a taxi.

City buses and the Aerobus link the terminal to Cais do Sodré, Rossio, Avenida da Liberdade and Oriente. They are slower in traffic but useful if your hotel is on the route and you would rather not change lines. Tickets can be bought on board or with the same Navegante card.

Taxis wait outside arrivals and run on the meter. Expect a supplement for luggage and a higher rate at night, which is why the total lands somewhere between €12 and €20 for the centre. Ride-hailing apps pick up in the designated area; the price is fixed in the app before you accept, which removes the argument.

There is no train at the airport. If your onward plan is a train to Porto, Coimbra or Sintra, you first reach Oriente or Entrecampos by metro, bus or taxi, then change. Allow extra time for that move on a departure day.

Prices below are 2026 estimates for one person unless stated. The metro is by far the cheapest; a taxi split between two or three people is often close to the bus fare per head.

Card payment is normal in taxis and on the metro machines, but keep a little cash for small kiosks. If a driver quotes a flat price well above €20 to the centre, ask for the meter or take an app instead.

Buy and load the Navegante card at the airport machine before you go down to the platform; the queue is shorter there than at central stations. Keep the card for trams and buses later in the trip.

If you land after midnight, book a taxi or ride-hailing rather than waiting for a bus. If you land in the morning peak, the metro beats a car in traffic. On departure, add 20 minutes to your plan if you are changing at Oriente with luggage.