Getting around Lisbon: metro, buses and student commutes
How Lisbon's metro, buses, trams and trains work, what the pass costs, and how to pick a room with an easy commute.
Photo: Ввласенко · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Lisbon is compact and well connected, so most students and young workers get by without a car. The metro, buses, trams and urban trains all run on one card, and a single monthly pass covers the lot for roughly €30 to €40. Here is how to get around, and how to factor the commute into where you live.
The Navegante pass
The Navegante monthly pass is the key to cheap travel. The municipal Lisboa pass is about €30 and the metropolitan version about €40, covering metro, Carris buses and trams, and CP urban trains across the area. Students get further reductions under schemes like the sub-23. You load it on a reusable Navegante card; single tickets exist, but the pass pays for itself within two weeks of daily use.
The metro
Four lines, easy to learn: blue (azul), yellow (amarela), green (verde) and red (vermelha). The red line runs to the airport and connects to the others. It is fast and reliable, if crowded at peak, and covers most of the central neighbourhoods students live in. Check the walk from a room to its nearest station rather than the map distance, because the hills add time.
Buses, trams and trains
Carris buses fill the gaps the metro misses and climb the hills. The historic trams, the number 28 above all, are charming but slow and tourist-packed for a daily commute. CP urban trains run out to Cascais along the coast and to Sintra, useful if you study or work outside the centre.
Walking, cycling and the airport
Central Lisbon is walkable, but genuinely hilly, so a ten-minute walk can be more. GIRA is the city's bike-share, with e-bikes that make the hills bearable. From the airport, the red metro line reaches the centre cheaply, and a taxi or Bolt is quick and still reasonable.
Pick a room with the commute in mind
- •Check the real walk to the nearest metro, not the straight-line distance.
- •A room one or two stops out, in Arroios, Olaias or Benfica, is cheaper and still a short ride in.
- •If your university or work is outside the centre, being near the right line matters more than being central.
- •Apps: Citymapper and Google Maps both cover Lisbon transit well.
Our area guides note the nearest metro for each neighbourhood, and every LOFTZ room lists its location so you can judge the commute.
Frequently asked
How much is the monthly transport pass in Lisbon?
The Navegante pass is about €30 for the municipal Lisboa version and about €40 for the metropolitan one, covering metro, buses, trams and urban trains, with reductions for students under schemes like the sub-23.
Do I need a car in Lisbon?
No. The metro, buses, trams and trains cover the city on one pass, and the centre is walkable, so most students and young workers never need a car.
How many metro lines does Lisbon have?
Four: blue, yellow, green and red. The red line serves the airport and links to the others.
How do I get from Lisbon airport to the city?
The red metro line runs from the airport to the centre cheaply; a taxi or Bolt is faster and still reasonable.
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