Essential information when visiting Lisbon
Location
Lisbon is the capital and largest city in Portugal, and the second oldest capital in Europe with an estimated population of over 500’000 people.
With its rich history, colourful houses and many restaurants and bars it’s no wonder it’s Portugal’s largest tourist hub.
For more information to plan your visit, check out Visit Lisboa website HERE
Best time to visit
Lisbon is a perfect ‘all-year-round destination as temperatures rarely fall below 15 degrees c even in the winter months. However, the summer months bring soaring temperatures reaching over 28 degrees C in the daytime which can be exhausting when climbing the many Lisbon hills on foot! And with it come flocks of tourists meaning longer queue times, busier attractions and just more people in general.
We visited in January and the temperature was around 15 degrees C which was a perfect winter break for us! But anytime between March to May or September to October will provide warmer weather and fewer crowds.
Getting around
Despite being a hilly city all of the main attractions are within fairly easy and reachable walking distance. Something we discovered after making the mistake on day one of getting an Uber absolutely everywhere! That said, if you struggle with walking up and down hills or just don’t like walking in general, Uber is a great mode of transport if you want to get from A to B very quickly with minimal waiting. The drivers were super friendly, quick to collect us and cheap.
Lisbon also has a fantastic tramway network with six lines that can whiz you around the city whilst giving you that ‘I’m on holiday and doing something completely different feeling. As well as this there is a Metro which has four lines which are useful to get slightly further out of the city.
Lastly, you will see many Tuk Tuk drivers around the city offering up tours or transfers to the city’s main sights. They looked really fun, but we found them far too expensive for what they were and gave them a miss.
Airport transfer time
Transfer time to the airport is short and easy, 20 minutes by car.
We used Uber, it couldn’t have been easier and cost around 15 euros.
There is also an Aerobus which departs just outside arrivals and there is one to jump on roughly every 20 minutes with a cheap and cheerful cost of 3.50-euro one way.
The airport is also connected to central Lisbon by the metro’s red line and a single ticket costs 1.40 euro.
Currency
Lisbon’s currency is the Euro. Debit and credit cards are widely accepted and there are cash points dotted around the city.
Plug sockets
The power sockets in Portugal are type F and the standard voltage is 230 V. It is a European 2 pin plug adaptor you will need which you can buy here if you are from the UK or buy here if you are from the US. It’s also worth mentioning that the 230 v is compatible with all UK appliances but if you are travelling from America then you may need a transformer to step down the voltage in order for your appliances to work!
Language
Portuguese
Some basic phrases
Hello – Ola
Goodbye – Adeus
Please – Por favour
Thank you – Obrigado if you are a man and Obrigada if you are a woman
How are you? – Como esta
Yes – Sim
No – Nao
Do you speak English? – Nao entendo
