The metro: the default for most arrivals
The airport's public transport page points first to the metro: Aeroporto is the end of the Red Line, and the trip to Saldanha takes about 20 minutes. The Red Line meets the other three lines along the way. Metropolitano de Lisboa's press release on the Alameda–São Sebastião section names the connections: Green Line at Alameda, Yellow at Saldanha and Blue at São Sebastião. Most central hotels are one change away.
Frequency is not the problem. On Metropolitano de Lisboa's timetable page, the Red Line's average wait is about 6 minutes at weekday peaks, 7 minutes through the middle of the day and just under 10 minutes on the last trains (checked 19 October 2026).
The real limit is the clock. The network opens at 6:30 and closes at 1:00 every day, and the operator says you can reach any station on your line if you board by 1:00. A flight that lands after about midnight, followed by passport control and a wait at the carousel, can miss that window. Our guide to EES passport control at Lisbon Airport explains what slows down the arrivals hall.
Which metro ticket to buy at the airport
You have two ways through the gate. Both fares come from Metropolitano de Lisboa's occasional journeys page, checked 19 October 2026.
| Option | Cost of the first ride | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Contactless bank card or phone | €1.92 | One or two rides only; no queue at the machines |
| navegante occasional card + zapping | €0.50 card + €1.72 per metro trip | Anyone riding three or more times |
| Carris/Metro single ticket on the card | €0.50 card + €1.90 | A metro ride plus a bus or tram within 60 minutes |
Contactless. The contactless payment page says the gates accept Visa, V Pay and Mastercard cards that show the contactless symbol, physical or in a phone. Tap the same card when you enter and when you leave. Every passenger needs their own card or device. Some banks show a temporary €1 hold after the first tap; that is not the fare.
The navegante occasional card. This is the paper card formerly sold as Viva Viagem. It costs €0.50, can be reloaded for one year, and is sold at the ticket machines and ticket offices in the station, according to the occasional card page. Zapping top-ups run from €3 to €40.
The arithmetic: zapping saves €0.20 per metro ride against contactless, so the €0.50 card pays for itself on your third ride. If you will be in Lisbon for more than a day, buy the card at the airport. Our Lisbon transport card guide works through 24-hour tickets and longer stays.
Taxi, Uber and Bolt
The airport page says taxis queue outside both the arrivals and departures terminals, and asks you to make sure the meter is switched on at the start of the trip. For Bolt and Uber there is a dedicated pickup area on P2, level 2, arrivals level. Head there rather than to the taxi rank once your driver is assigned.
On price, be careful with older figures. The airport page still quotes €10–15 to the centre "including luggage fees" (checked 19 October 2026). Portuguese press, including Diário de Notícias on 15 October 2026, reports that fixed taxi fares by city zone started from the airport rank on 15 October 2026, under a protocol between Lisbon City Council, ANA and the Lisbon tourism association. We could not find the fare table on an official page, so we do not quote it here. Ask the driver for the price before you load your bags. Uber and Bolt are not covered by that scheme; the app shows your price before you book.
City buses and night arrivals
The airport says city and intercity buses stop near the arrivals terminal, but Lisbon's city buses only accept luggage up to 50 × 40 × 20 cm. That rules out a checked suitcase. On Carris, a bus ticket bought on board costs €2.30, against €1.72 in zapping or €1.90 for the Carris/Metro ticket loaded in advance (Carris 2026 fares, checked 19 October 2026). Load your card at the metro machines before you look for the bus stop.
For arrivals after the metro closes, the realistic choices are the taxi rank and the P2 pickup area. We could not confirm a night bus from the airport on an official page today, so do not count on one.
Which option fits your arrival
| Your situation | Best choice | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Solo or a couple, carry-on or one case each, before midnight | Metro | About 20 minutes to Saldanha, €2.22 or less each |
| Staying near a Red Line station | Metro | No change of line |
| Family of four with large cases | Taxi or Uber/Bolt | Priced per car, door to door, no stairs or transfers |
| Landing after about 00:15 | Taxi or Uber/Bolt | The last metro boarding is at 1:00 |
| Wheelchair, pram or heavy bags | Check the step-free route, else taxi | Lifts matter more than speed |
Two adults with backpacks heading for a hotel near Saldanha pay €3.84 together by contactless, or €4.44 with a card each that they keep for the rest of the trip. Once a group reaches four people with suitcases, a single car usually makes more sense, because the metro charges per person and every change of line means carrying bags.
If anyone in your group uses a wheelchair or cannot manage stairs, read our step-free route from Lisbon Airport first. Your hotel may also add the city's tourist tax of €4 per night at check-in, so keep a card handy after the ride.
.jpg){kind=link}