The Subway is a quick and economical option for getting around Lisbon and for this reason most travelers choose to use this means of transport to get to know this fantastic city.

For those who have never visited Lisbon, using the Subway can be a little confusing at first. So we organize this step by step that will teach you how to use the Lisbon Subway.

Lines:

There are four different lines, organized by colors: Blue, Red, Green and Yellow, which make up 56 stations and total 46km in length.

The main stations connect to the other metro lines and train stations. Find out what they are:

  • Airport: connects to Lisbon Airport.
  • Alameda: connects with green and red lines and when you get off at this station you will find Alameda Dom Afonso Henriques, a garden built in honor of the first king of Portugal.
  • Baixa-Chiado: connects with the blue and green lines, leaving this station you will be able to visit several sights in the historic center such as Convento do Carmo, Santa Justa Elevator, among others.
  • Cais do Sodré: connects to the Cais do Sodré train station bound for Cascais.
  • Campo Grande connects with the yellow and green lines and when you get off at this station you can visit the Estádio José Alvalade, from Clube Sporting.
  • Jardim Zoologico: connects with Sete Rios train station to Sintra or with long-distance trains.
  • Marquês de Pombal: connects with the blue and yellow lines. If you get off at this station you will find some tourist spots like Avenida da Liberdade and Parque Eduardo VII.
  • Oriente and Santa Apolónia: are stations that connect with long-distance trains. At Oriente station you will also find a bus terminal for several places in Portugal.
  • Restauradores: connects with the Rossio train station to Sintra.
  • Saldanha: connects with the red and yellow lines. If you leave this station you will find a neighborhood with many cafes and restaurants.
  • São Sebastião: connects with the red and blue lines. When you leave this station, you can stroll through El Corte Inglés, a shopping center that brings together famous brands, visit the viewpoint of Parque Eduardo VII and walk through the Calouste Gulbekian Museum and its gardens.

Schedules:

The Subway operates every day, including weekends and holidays, from 6:30 am to 1:00 am (time that leaves the last train from the terminal stations on each line).

The hours of greatest use of the metro in the morning are from 8 am to 10 am and the afternoon from 5:30pm to 7:30pm.

Cards:

For you to ride the Subway, you must have a valid electronic card loaded with a valid ticket on the Subway.

Metro has a ticket system with two types of cards:

  • Viva Card: which allows occasional titles to be loaded.
  • Lisboa Viva Card: which allows the loading of frequent titles and / or zapping.
  • Subway has two types of tickets:
  • Transport tickets for occasional use (occasional trips), indicated for less frequent Subway users (eg travel ticket, daily ticket or zapping);
  • Frequent use tickets (frequent trips), suitable for customers who regularly use the Subway (eg Navegante, intermodal or combined passes).

Value:

The Viva viagem card costs 0.50 € and can be used for one year for top-ups.

This card is for individual use and can be used on other public transport in Lisbon, such as buses and trams. Children under 4 years old are exempt.

You can buy the Viva Viagem card and load the tickets at any metro station in an automatic machine, using national and international coins, banknotes or debit or credit cards.

There are different types of tickets, see the prices of each one here:

  • The unit value of the Carris/Metro ticket is € 1.50 and you can load as many tickets as you need.
  • There is a 24 hour option with a cost of € 6.40. This ticket is valid for 24 hours, counting after the first validation and has an unlimited number of trips throughout the Carris and Metro network.
  • Zapping is a prepaid ticket that can be used by multiple operators. The value of the trip made is deducted from the remaining balance of your card, depending on the tariff and conditions of use in each operator. Allows the loading of the following amounts: 3 €, 5 €, 10 €, 15 €, 20 €, 25 €, 30 €, 35 € and 40 €.
  • To use the Transtejo Cacilhas / Cais do Sodré connection you can buy the Carris/Subway/Transtejo (Cacilhas) ticket at a cost of € 9.55. It is valid for 24 hours, counting after the first validation and has an unlimited number of trips throughout the Carris and Metro network and on the Cacilhas/Cais do Sodré connection of Transtejo.
  • To use the Carris/Subway/CP network you can buy the € 10.60 ticket. Valid for 24 hours, counting after first validation, for an unlimited number of trips throughout the Carris and Metro network, as well as in the urban service of CP (Sintra, Azambuja, Cascais and Sado lines).

How to use:

Using the subway is very simple, just validate your ticket at the turnstiles located in the boarding area of the stations. You need to do this at the entrance and exit of the station and you will be charged for only one ticket.

The stations have a panel where you can follow the time, the waiting time and the direction of the route.

Also keep an eye on the stations and the direction you are traveling. In all seasons you will find infographics like this to make it easier to find.

Getting to know Lisbon using the subway can be a great choice, but another excellent way to visit this city is through a guided tour. See how Go2Lisbon can make your trip to Portugal unforgettable by accessing our page https://go2lisbon.pt/