Getting Around Lisbon: Ubers, Public Transportation, and Car Rentals
So you want to visit Lisbon? Great! I think you’ll love it!
You’re probably wondering about itineraries and where to stay. I’ve got you covered. Once your hotel is booked and your daily plan is solidifying, you might consider how the heck you’re going to get around Lisbon. Should you take buses, trains, metros, ferries, ride shares, or rent a car in Portugal? The answer is all of the above— depending on the circumstance.
Keep on reading to discover the best way to get around Lisbon and the rest of Portugal.
Public transportation in Lisbon: Why you NEED a Navegante Card
As someone coming from Texas, where the public transportation is pretty horrible, I love Lisbon’s public transportation network. For my first 6 months in Portugal, I lived outside the city center, so I took public transportation every day.
You can get your Navegante occasional card at most metro stations for .50€, which you can top up for travel by bus, metro, train, or ferry. The occasional card is valid for one year.
As of November 2025, the prices are:
Bus: 1.66€ (when you top up your Navegante card for "Zapping"), 2.20€ when purchased on board
Tram: 1.66€ (when you top up your Navegante card for "Zapping"), 3.20€ when purchased on board
Metro: 1.66€ (when you top up your Navegante card for "Zapping"), 1.85€ for a single ticket, valid for 60 minutes
Train: 2€ for travel to or from Lisbon, Cascais, + Sintra (when you top up your Navegante card for "Zapping"). Otherwise, pricing varies by zone. Check the current pricing table here.
Ferry: Varies by destination.
- 1.50€ Zapping, 1.55€ Ticket for Cacilhas - Cais do Sodré
- 2.80€ Zapping and Ticket for Seixal - Cais do Sodré
- 3.20€ Zapping and Ticket for Montijo - Cais do Sodré
Lisbon is known to have occasional strikes, which you can find out about on the Metro Lisboa site.
P.S. Don’t ride the 28 Tram. Here’s an entire blog post about why you shouldn’t ride Tram 28.
Private Bus Travel in Lisbon and Beyond
In addition to public transportation buses, there’s also a private network of buses throughout the country. From Lisbon, I love taking the Rede Expressos bus to Óbidos. It’s faster than the train and takes you right to the walls of the city.
Ride Shares (Uber and Bolt) in Lisbon
In Portugal, Uber and Bolt are the two main ride-sharing apps. If you’ve never used them before, here are my codes that should give you a little discount when you’re getting started:
Use my Uber code and get 50% off your first 5 rides (to be used within 30 days)
Ride shares are easy-to-use, and are often cheaper than public transportation— especially if you’re traveling with someone else.
Keep in mind, though, that just because you found a ride share to a faraway destination doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll find one back easily. Case-in-point? A friend and I took a ride share to a wine tasting (I highly recommend Filipe Palhoça!) on the other side of the river last year. Don’t drink and drive, y’all! Getting an Uber to take us was easy peasy. Getting one to pick us up meant we had 30 minutes to drink another glass of wine as we waited.
Patience is necessary, and I recommend always planning ahead, just in case one (or four) drivers cancel before someone comes to pick you up.
Should I Take a Taxi in Lisbon?
I occasionally take taxis home from the airport because the ride-share area is total chaos. However, know that you can pay up to 10x what a ride share would cost.
Do I Need to Rent a Car in Lisbon?
If you’re staying in Lisbon, I recommend that you do not rent a car. I mean, the hills. The parallel parking. And worst of all, the other drivers.
However, if you want to experience Portugal beyond the tourist destinations, you’re going to want a car. Most cars in Europe are manual, so if you’re not comfortable driving a stick shift on hills, be sure to specify an automatic car when booking. You’ll likely pay extra, but save big on stress!
Last year, Discover Cars reached out with a no-strings-attached voucher to rent a car using their platform. I put my newly received Portuguese driver's license to good use and went for a little weekend trip to Alentejo with my mom. The booking process with Discover Cars was super straightforward. I was able to find an automatic car, and pickup was a total breeze— we even got upgraded to a nicer car!
If you’re considering renting a car in Portugal, check out Discover Cars for a huge variety and a stress-free experience!
How will you get around Lisbon and travel outside the city? The choice is up to you, and you really can’t go wrong. After all, every method of transportation is an experience and will take you to your next great adventure!
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