Lisbon Airport to the city centre: metro, bus, taxi or transfer
Four ways from the arrivals hall into Lisbon — how each one works, where to find it and what it costs.
Last checked on 16 September 2026
Lisbon Airport sits inside the city, and the metro station is in the terminal building itself, so getting into town is unusually simple: the Red Line, a Carris bus from the stop outside, a taxi from the rank, or a private transfer booked before you fly. Which suits you depends mostly on your luggage, the time you land and how easily a vehicle can reach your address.
Everything below was checked against the airport operator, Metropolitano de Lisboa and Carris. Fares and timetables are set by the operators and can change, so the official page for each option is linked underneath it.
Metro (Red Line)
The airport has its own metro station on the Red Line, in the Lisbon Airport building at arrivals. The airport describes it as the “Aeroporto – Saldanha” line and says it takes you to downtown Lisbon in about 20 minutes; São Sebastião is the interchange with the Blue Line for the rest of the network.
- Where to find it
- Aeroporto station is in the Lisbon Airport building, in the arrivals area.
- Fare
- A single metro journey costs €1.72 paid with zapping credit, or €1.92 if you tap a contactless bank card at the gate. A Carris/Metro ticket, good for 60 minutes on both networks, is €1.90, and a 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket is €7.25.
- How to pay
- Tap a navegante occasional card loaded with tickets or zapping credit, or a contactless bank card. The card itself costs €0.50, lasts a year and is sold at the ticket machines and ticket offices.
- Timetable
- The metro runs every day from 6:30 a.m. to 1:00 a.m.
- Best for
- Light luggage, and an address on the Red Line or one change from it.
- Good to know
- Each zapping journey covers one operator only, so changing from the metro to a Carris bus deducts a second fare. The €1.90 Carris/Metro ticket covers both networks for 60 minutes.
Carris bus
City buses call at the Aeroporto stop outside the terminal. Route 744 runs to Restauradores in the centre by way of Saldanha and Marquês de Pombal, route 705 links the airport with Estação Oriente and Roma-Areeiro, and route 208 belongs to Carris’s night network between Cais do Sodré and Estação Oriente.
- Where to find it
- At the Aeroporto stop. The Metro’s own station page lists buses 705, 722, 744 and 783 there.
- Fare
- The Carris/Metro ticket is €1.90 for 60 minutes on both networks; the 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket is €7.25.
- How to pay
- A navegante occasional card loaded with tickets or zapping credit.
- Timetable
- Carris publishes a timetable for each route on its own page. The winter weekday timetable for route 208 shows departures right through the night, from 00:30 to 05:35, before the daytime service starts.
- Best for
- A low fare to a specific street, or reaching the city once the metro has closed.
- Good to know
- Route 208 is part of Carris’s night network (Rede da Madrugada), which matters if you land after 1:00 a.m. and the metro is shut.
Taxi
Taxis wait at the ranks by the terminals, so this is the quickest option if you have booked nothing. The airport is explicit that transport should be arranged at the rank or through an app, and never with somebody who approaches you inside the terminal.
- Where to find it
- At the taxi ranks. Cars ordered through the online reservation platforms Bolt and Uber pick up in a dedicated area at P2, Level 2, on the arrivals level.
- Fare
- The airport does not publish a taxi tariff for the journey into the city. Check that the meter is running before you set off and ask for a receipt.
- How to pay
- The airport does not publish payment methods for taxis. Ask the driver before you set off whether you can pay by card.
- Best for
- Arriving without a booking, or a late landing with luggage.
- Good to know
- Give the driver the full address rather than the name of the district — many streets in the old quarters are too narrow for a car, and the nearest point a vehicle can reach may be a short walk away.
Private transfer with HolidayCab
Book before you fly and a driver meets you in the arrivals hall with a name sign, follows your flight if it is late and takes you to your address. The price is fixed per vehicle and paid when you book, so there is nothing to settle on arrival — the simplest option with children, a lot of luggage or an address up in the old town, where the driver stops at the nearest point a car can reach and helps with the bags from there.
- Meet & greet with a name sign
- Flight tracking — the driver waits if you are delayed
- Fixed price, no hidden fees
- Private vehicle — no shared rides, no detours
from €36.25 per vehicle, taxes included
See vehicles and pricesTravelling on a package holiday?
If a transfer is part of your package holiday, check your travel documents for the meeting point before you queue for a taxi.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Is there a metro from Lisbon Airport into the city?
- Yes. Aeroporto station is on the Red Line and sits in the airport building itself, in the arrivals area. The airport calls it the “Aeroporto – Saldanha” line and says it reaches downtown Lisbon in about 20 minutes.
- How much does the metro from Lisbon Airport cost?
- When we checked on 16 September 2026, a single metro journey was €1.72 with zapping credit or €1.92 with a contactless bank card, a 60-minute Carris/Metro ticket was €1.90 and a 24-hour Carris/Metro ticket €7.25. The navegante occasional card you load them onto costs €0.50.
- Which buses serve Lisbon Airport?
- The Metro lists buses 705, 722, 744 and 783 at the Aeroporto stop. Route 744 runs to Restauradores in the centre, route 705 to Estação Oriente and Roma-Areeiro, and route 208 crosses the city between Cais do Sodré and Estação Oriente.
- How do I get into Lisbon if I land after midnight?
- The metro closes at 1:00 a.m. After that, route 208 belongs to Carris’s night network and its winter weekday timetable shows departures from 00:30 to 05:35. Otherwise take a taxi from the rank or a transfer booked in advance.
- Where are the taxis, and where do Uber and Bolt pick up?
- Taxis wait at the ranks by the terminals. Cars ordered through the online reservation platforms Bolt and Uber use a dedicated pick-up area at P2, Level 2, on the arrivals level. The airport warns you not to arrange a ride with anyone who approaches you in the terminal.
Photo credits Daniel from Glasgow, United Kingdom (CC BY 2.0) · IngolfBLN (CC BY-SA 2.0) · Philip Mallis from Melbourne (CC BY-SA 4.0) · flowcomm (CC BY 2.0)