Lisbon Airport is called Humberto Delgado Airport, official airport code LIS, and it’s Portugal’s most important international airport, reasonably close to the city centre at just four miles away.
Two terminals make it easy to navigate, with a choice of ways to get into the city centre to explore its many delights. If you’re headed for a beach resort, maybe gorgeous Cascais, sunny Ericeira or popular Estoril, you’ll probably want to go straight there rather than stop off in the capital.
Either way, wherever your onward journey is taking you, you’ll want to find good value, reliable Lisbon transfers. This article delves into what they are and how they work, and gives you some exciting hints about what awaits you in lovely Lisbon itself.
Convenient private transport from Lisbon airport
You could rush around dragging your luggage, trying to find a taxi. But there are usually long queues for taxis at the airport. There’s a metro station at Lisbon Airport linking it to the city centre and running between 6.30am and 1am. The Aerobus shuttle service runs between the airport and the city centre, stopping at the most popular hotels. Rent a car if you like, or call an Uber. But we think the simplest, most satisfying way is to pre-book a private taxi online. Then all you have to do is relax.
Private transfers from Lisbon airport take you door-to-door, including ‘meet and greet’ at the terminal. It’s so much better than stressing about public transport. No waiting, no faffing, no shared vehicles with loads of annoying stops and delays. Your driver will find you in Arrivals, wait until you pick up your luggage, then escort you to the car. You sit back, admire the city, and enjoy a smooth, fast trip to your hotel or resort.
Affordable Lisbon transfers offer everything from airport taxis to minivans, minibuses and coaches, so you’ll know for sure there’ll be enough room for all that luggage! The best firms even provide pre-booked car seats and boosters for the kids.
Some of the most popular Lisbon transfers
- Lisbon airport to Lisbon city centre – 25 minutes / 4 miles
- Lisbon airport to Cascais – 50 minutes / 27 miles
- Lisbon airport to A dos Cunhados – 50 minutes / 35 miles
- Lisbon airport to Ericeira – 45 mins / 27 miles
- Lisbon airport to Estoril – 45 mins / 17 miles
- Lisbon airport to Fatima – 1hour 20 minutes / 75 miles
How do transfers from Lisbon airport work?
To book a taxi from Lisbon airport to the city or your resort, you’ll usually have to choose your destination from a handy drop-down list, then choose the right dates – both to and from the airport – and provide your passenger number. This should give you a choice of quotes for a variety of vehicles. Pick the one you want, provide the details they ask for, then pre-pay using a credit or debit card. Confirmation emails give you the details of your payment and the transfer itself, and that’s it. The airport transfer company will check to make sure your flight is on time and if not, they’ll turn up when it’s due.
- Avoid long taxi queues
- Safe, professional drivers
- A variety of vehicles
- The quickest, easiest way to get to your destination
- You’ll know how much it costs up-front, with no nasty surprises
- The price won’t change because you’ve paid in advance
Bring as much luggage as you like. Just make sure you book a vehicle big enough to carry it all. A six seater should be fine for four people and six suitcases, for example. If in doubt, go for a bigger vehicle rather than one you’ll have to squeeze into or won’t fit in.
What’s on the cards if you venture into Lisbon itself?
Maybe Lisbon is your final destination, in which case you’re in for a city break treat with a difference. This place is packed with character and variety, from the big-city skyscrapers you’d expect in any capital to an ancient centre that is eye-wateringly beautiful.
Lisbon is split into districts called Bairros, including Alfama, Alto, and Chiado, each of which has its own personality, style, and attractions. This is the second-oldest capital next to Athens, and as you can imagine it is stuffed with history. Magellan, Prince Henry the Navigator and Vasco da Gama all lived here, setting off to adventure across the lethal Atlantic and beyond to discover new lands and bring home treasures. Make your way to the top of any of Lisbon’s hillsides, including Miradouro da Graça, for spectacular vistas across the mighty Rio Tejo and beyond.
The city is jammed with UNESCO World Heritage monuments, cathedrals and monasteries, exquisite medieval streets and squares, countless museums, and fascinating markets set like jewels along narrow backstreets. You’re never that far from the sea either, with oodles of fun places to sit, relax, drink local wines and watch the exotic Portuguese world pass by. If clubbing and partying is your thing you’re in luck, and things can get pretty wild.
Top Lisbon attractions
These are all well worth stopping off in the city for, before you carry on to your beach resort or head south to experience the delights of The Algarve.
Calouste Gulbenkian Museum at São Sebastião is one of the EU’s finest art museums, with exhibits dating from four thousand years ago to the early 1900s.
Portugal’s famous Fado music is all about the ‘saudade’, the powerful feeling of longing, nostalgia and yearning that defines the nation’s character. With super-sad vocals sung to a guitar, it dates back to the 1800s, originally played by lonely sailors and dock workers far from home. If you fancy picking up a CD or download some Fado make it Amália Rodrigues, Portugal’s best-loved Fado singer who died in 1999.
The ruins of the Carmo Convent are very lovely, even though they’re roofless. The roof caved in during the infamous 1755 earthquake and now it’s a memorial with gorgeous, elegant gothic arches dating back to the 1300s. Look out for the spooky boy and girl mummies, brought here from distant Peru.
The city’s botanical garden offers ten acres of lovely green in the Principe Real district, a secret destination you’d never know was there. Hidden behind buildings and home to a huge collection of subtropical plants, it is one of the best and biggest on the continent.
This isn’t a seaside town but it has that sort of feel about it, with its pastel coloured buildings and palm trees. Take a short train, bus or car ride to discover loads of great beaches, or hire a bicycle to potter your way through the city streets to Belém, grab the ferry to Trafaria, and enjoy the calm, laid-back feel of a traditional Portuguese fishing village. If you’re still feeling energetic, cycle onwards to a fantastic 14 mile bike ride parallel to miles of golden sandy beaches. This is the Caparica Coast, and it’s a stunner.
Sample the urban delights of a brilliant ex-industrial site, the LX Factory at Alcântara, for lively markets, exhibitions, shops, cafes, live music and partying. This is a consumer paradise, a perfect location to pick up souvenirs, hang around with the city’s hipsters, and browse everything from books to fashion, art to home decor. Then top it off with some lovely drinking and dancing.
The pretty Torre de Belém tower was built to guard the harbour and dates back to 1495, rich in religious and other symbolism. We have no idea why there’s a statue of a rhino there, but there is! Then there’s a modernist delight called the Panorâmico de Monsanto, a chunky concrete building designed by the architect Chaves da Costa, these days a spectacular viewpoint.
The Aqueduto das Águas Livres used to carry water into the city, funded in the 1700s by taxes on wine, olive oil and meat. It runs just under nine miles from the source of the water in Caneças to the reservoir of Mãe d’Água das Amoreiras. You can even visit the inside of the aqueduct for a fascinating tour.
Last but not least, hop on board the famous 28E tram, a Lisbon icon that was horse-drawn until 1901. The tram system offers five routes but this is by far the most scenic, rattling its way back-and-forth through the city centre from Campo de Ourique to Martim Moniz, via many of the city’s finest buildings and most interesting neighbourhoods.
Lisbon transfers ‘r’ us
So you want to book transfers from Lisbon airport? Check out our Lisbon transfers below, see which suits you best.