Lisbon Travel Forum

What is the easiest option for a family of five to get from the airport to the city centre (Baixa) at 8.30pm?

I understand that taxis will only take four passengers (therefore we will need two, alternatively our lettings agency say they will pick us up for 50 euros, which seems extortionate for what looks like a short drive.

Also, What is a resonable price to pay for a taxi?

The city bus from the airport leaves from just outside the main door of the arrivals area. It's a dedicated airport/city bus so it's not crowded and plenty of room for luggage. It goes right down Avendia Da Liberade to Baxia. Depending on where you are staying in Baxia this might be a good option.

Get on the most convenient and pleasnt-riding AeroBus. It's government-run and there exclusively for tourists and visitors alike. It's very cheap at 3.00 euros per ride per person and will drop passengers in all major points of central Lisbon. If you want to get off around the Baixa, your stop would very likely be the Rossio square. Tell the driver first thing. The Aero Bus runs every 15 to 20 minute-interval (till close to midnight) at the prominent stop right outside the arrival terminal. There is a Tourist Office indoor which you might want to check out for info, maps, etc. and would gladly point you the Aero Bus stop. By the way, save your bus ticket, it's good for a whole day's tram and bus rides around the city. Lisbon is awesome and you'll have great fun.

To add just a little note of caution, especially since you will arrive in the evening. Do not display any valueables as the area around Rossio is a hang-out for thieves. This, we have been warned about even by Locals who live there. Not to make you worry, just be a bit more careful if strangers are getting too close for comfort. They may not even look like thieves, being dressed nicely.

We just came back from 2 days in downtown Lisbon, and had a great time without any problems. The area at the "Park of Nations" is great for enjoyment, with the Aquarium, the cable car ride along the waterfront , the Casino and many restaurants as well as shopping all there.

Enjoy!

A word of caution about a place is always appreciated, however more applicable to some obviously disreputable places than others. And Lisbon definitely is a city not known to be full of danger. Matter of fact, it is among all European cities, considered generally safe. I can certainly attest to that since I visit Lisbon (and Portugal) every year and by which I can claim at this point to be my favorite city of all. All throughout these years of many visits, not one instance did I experience a moment of danger - day or night - anywhere even in the city's old districts. Yes, caution should be the operative word for the traveler at any given place but to put forth a word of warning, even under good intention but obviously one lacking merit of fact, especially unsupported by an unequivocal personal experience of victimization, is superfluous to the assumingly sensible and a well-heeled traveler. Enjoy Lisbon without pre-conceived danger, it's a most fabulous city. And, yes, be always on the lookout especially in touristic areas, as you would anywhere.

Lisboa it's a great city, I've been there last November, not the first time and I'm tinking to go there again. you can walk at anytime (my experience), never felt to be in danger, also when walking along narrow roard..

p.s. have a dinner in the city center, there is a restaurant in Rua Aurea, I don't remember the name, they have a lot of fish at their windows. Very nice, clean and good service... have a glass of vinho verde for me... :-) hic!

"A word of caution about a place is always appreciated, however more applicable to some obviously disreputable places than others. And Lisbon definitely is a city not known to be full of danger. Matter of fact, it is among all European cities, considered generally safe."

Well. That's your opinion. I lived in Lisbon for quite a good number of years and visited a another 6 or 7 capital cities in Europe. Lisbon is by far the more dangerous and unsafe amongst them. That's my opinion.

<Lisbon is by far the more dangerous and unsafe...>

That too, unfortunately, is your unfair opinion and description of your very own wonderful city.

The EU body itself has stated that Lisbon among so many European cities is deemed a much safer city.

As I didn't classified your opinion at all, I would hope the same kind of politness from you. But if you added that I have an unfair opinion on my city, which I crossed thousands of times, watching all kind of situations - going from skinhead attacks leading to the death of several persons, racist attacks driven by africans going downton involving a methodical spanking of each "white" person found in their way, mass destruction of cars, total hijacking of night buses... and I could go on - then, your idea of Lisbon is surreal.

Usually, I apply this method as a personal tool to measure "safety" in a city: I observe the locals. Their reaction and moves in the city. The fear traces. If someone crosses the street after spoting a person walking in his direction... if people look at you in a suspicious way... if people keep looking behind while walking in a dark street. True, this measures the feeling of safety (or unsafety), but it's one of the best approaches to the issue. Locals will know better. And the results of this method are sadly negative when applied in Lisbon.

Aditionally I would like to mention that I'm a usual defender of the portuguese lifestyle and the country itself against a generalized criticism of my fellow citizens who had became pretty negative in the last decades. However, regarding safety I cannot be more than moderate.

Thank you to all who responded to "What is the easiest option for a family of five to get from the airport"? The airport bus is definitely the best option and dropped us 5 minutes from our apartment. Unfortunately, the maps we had did not have our street listed on it and my excellent map reading skills came to no good. I realise two days later that the turning we were looking for is now a building site - the only thing that remains of the road is the sign! We ended up hopelessly lost in the backstreets of Mouraria and got a taxi (which took all five of us!).

<Your idea of Lisbon is surreal>

<I observe the locals....>

There is nothing more surreal than for a slight traveler dishing out a scathingly harsh and rather pompous travel commentary on a destination he prides himself to be his very own community and would have us all believe to be accurate when in fact the resulting impression of such would be nothing but clearly a rather sweeping negative unwelcoming advisory for eager visitors and will promote not goodwill but distrust. And who could be more distrustful and fraudulent than a dooms-day observer, not to mention such a vindictive self-serving narrow-mind of a VT downer. How sad and even shocking to have to learn from a local inhabitant to present his own city in a manner which portrays not the obviously exaggerated truculent critique but a peacock-display of something more deeply unresolved personally. We well-heeled VT travelers deserve better than a picture of a violently-prejudicial assessment of a desired destination as the great city of Lisbon that Togurt has so odiously portrayed for us. The far more civilized and sophisticated VT Lisboates of whom there are so many among us must find this cheap trashing out of Lisbon from their own comrade quite unpalatable.

Torgut, you are rather mentioning some areas in the suburbs than the center itself. Some areas in the center, above all around Intendente are pretty run down, but the center is safe, specially nowadays. There's always plenty of police there.
It happens that suburban middle class folks who rarely set foot in the city of Lisbon, apart from going to work, are pretty prejudiced about the inner city, when the troubles, when they happen, happen in some suburbs.

8 o'clock in the evening is not late. It's still at the rush hour end. You'll find the strets quite crowded.
Do not take this paranoid Canadian seriously. It sees that slandering is taking the place of ice hockey as their national sport. I've met quite a few Canadians in Lisbon, claiming to have been mugged with such suspiciously calm manners.