Quick answer: Lisbon’s airport is practically IN the city: the metro’s red line runs from the terminal to the centre in ~25–35 minutes for about €1.85 plus a reusable Viva Viagem card, and an Uber/Bolt to most neighbourhoods is only €10–15. The old Aerobus no longer operates.
Your options compared
| Option | Time | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Metro (red line) | 25–35 min | ~€1.85 + card |
| Uber/Bolt | 15–25 min | €10–15 |
| Taxi (meter) | 15–25 min | €15–20 |
| Bus 744/783 | 30–40 min | ~€2 |
Taking the metro, step by step
Follow the red M from arrivals, buy a Viva Viagem card (€0.50) at the machines and load a single fare or a €6.80 24-hour pass, then ride the red line: change at Alameda (green) for Baixa/Rossio or at São Sebastião (blue) for Avenida and Bairro Alto directions. Trains run ~6:30am to 1am.
Arriving at night
After the metro closes (~1am), ride-hailing is the easy answer: pickups are signposted on the departures level: or take a metered taxi from the rank (modest baggage supplement, honest meters by law: insist on the meter). The night bus network exists but is slow with luggage.
Tips & common mistakes
Keep the Viva card: you will reuse it on trams, funiculars and the metro all trip. With two or more people and luggage, Uber/Bolt often beats the metro on price-per-person: Lisbon is one of Europe’s cheapest ride-hail cities. Hotel in Alfama’s lanes? Get dropped at a nearby square: cars cannot reach many doors.
When the metro is the wrong choice (and what to take instead)
The Red Line is cheap and frequent, with trains leaving Aeroporto station every 6 to 10 minutes and a ride of around 20 to 25 minutes into the centre once you factor the transfer. That makes it the obvious pick for light packers. It is the wrong pick more often than the price tag suggests.
The deciding factor is luggage. Lisbon Metro carriages have no dedicated bag space, and you may end up wedging a large case against the doors through a transfer at Alameda or Saldanha. If you are hauling more than a carry-on, or arriving in the evening rush, the honest call is to skip the metro and take a Bolt or metered taxi for roughly 10 to 20 euros. The door-to-door simplicity is worth it.
Accessibility is better than older guides claim. Aeroporto, Saldanha, Marques de Pombal, and Sao Sebastiao all have lifts, so a wheelchair or a heavy trolley is workable on the Red Line itself, even if your final station is not step-free.
Two things worth knowing before you commit:
- Pickpockets work the tourist-heavy interchanges, especially Baixa-Chiado and Cais do Sodre. Keep your phone and wallet zipped away on the platform, not in a back pocket.
- Load the Viva Viagem card with a few trips at the machine rather than paying per ride, since the reusable card saves the repeat 50-cent fee.
Short version: metro for a backpack, taxi or Bolt for a suitcase or a late landing.
FAQ
Is there still an Aerobus in Lisbon? No: it shut down: use the metro, bus 744/783 or ride-hailing.
Cheapest way into Lisbon? The metro: about €1.85 plus the €0.50 reusable card.
How much is an Uber from Lisbon airport? Typically €10–15 to central neighbourhoods.
Does the metro run all night? No: roughly 6:30am–1am: late arrivals should ride-hail or taxi.
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John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.