Lisbon transports, the mini guide

Lisbon, the Portuguese capital, is famous also because it is built around 7 hills. Due to this reason, navigate the city is particularly difficult also by car. The most common mean of transport s is the public one. Lisbon’s transport systems make it easy and pretty fast to move around the city. If you are a tourist, keep in mind that many holiday apartments do not have parking facilities because lot of streest are very narrow. It means that you may have to park from your accommodation.

Lisbon transports system is pretty unique mixing antique and modern. For example, you can find the famous trams scaling the streets of Afama and the modern metro connecting the old town with the other areas. And the 45 metres tall Santa Justa elevator dates back even to 1892.

TRAMS
Maybe it’s one of the symbol of the city. No trip to Lisbon is fully complete without a journey on the tram up and down the Lisbon hills. The name of the company managing this transport service is Carris, the same one working with buses and funicular. Because of this reason the ticket bought for any of these modes of transports will serve in all three. It is advisable to take the tram number 28, the traditional yellow one running the steep streets of Alfama and Chiado. A good idea is to ride from one end of the line to the other as you can see all the area monuments.

BUSES
It’s almost certain that you don’t have to walk a lot to find a bus stop to take one of the Lisbon bus. The bus network in fact, with the 88 bus routes, covers 662 km of the city of Lisbon. The night bus, to be taken to get back home after the night out, runs from 23.45 and 05.30, with 8 routes.

FUNICULARS
The Lisbon funiculars lines look very similar to the tram but they are used mainly for the very steepest inclined. The lines are three: Glória Funicular, Bica Funicular, Lavra Funicular. The Lavra one dates back to 1884 and was originally powered by water (today all the funiculars are powered by electricity). The funicular represent a true Lisbon experience, a uniquie mode of exploring the city.
Prices: a single fare costs 1.40 €, 1.65€ for a combined ticket valid for a single metro journey also.

METRO
The first Lisbon metro station has been built in the 1950’s. From the beginning of the projects the architect Keil do Amaral intended to make the public spaces as amenable as possible so that many Art works by famous artist from Lisbon have been placed there (Maria Keil contributed with 19 piece of work). The effect is that the metro turns to a gallery. The most impressive line is the red one, decorated by great tile paintings. Other stops have sculptures and quotes taken from pilosohpers and writers. Prices: single fare 0.80€ for one zone, 1.10€ for two.