Public transportation is the ticket in Lisbon.
big name sites
Fodors
lisbon specific
City bus
The bus system in Lisbon is extensive, and sometimes, depending on where you're going, more convenient than the metro. Plus, you get to actually see the city.
At busy bus stops the buses almost always stop, but if you're the only person there you might want to wave the bus in so the driver knows you're waiting for that line.
Again, scan your Viva Viagem card on entry, but you shouldn't scan it on exit. Enter at the front door and exit either at the middle or rear doors.
The Moovit app is great for letting you know when the next bus is coming.
Trams & Funiculars
LIsbon's vintage trams aren't just fun for tourists, they're actually used by locals too.
The 28 Tram is the most famous, but it also is almost always crowded and reputed to be infested with pickpockets. Knock on wood we haven't been pickpocketed yet, but we have stood at the stop while one, two, three, even four #28's sail past without stopping because they're loaded to the gills with people.
A great - and much less busy - alternative is the 24 Tram, which goes from Praça Comercial (the city's large main square, in the center of the touristy Baixa neighborthood right on the Tejo river) to the funky area called Campo Ourique, where, at the end of the line, is the super interesting Cemitério dos Prazers cemetary.
Lisbon is a hilly town, and after a day of tromping around it sure is nice to ride a funicular up some mega-steep slope.
Bolt, Uber, & CAB
Ride-share in Lisbon is ubiquitos. We prefer Bolt over Uber, as it is typically a little faster and a little cheaper than Uber. And it is much, much cheaper than ride-shares in the US.
Taxis still exist in Lisbon but we rarely use one for all the reasons Bolt and Uber exist.
Ferries
Ride-share in Lisbon is ubiquitos. We prefer Bolt over Uber, as it is typically a little faster and a little cheaper than Uber. And it is much, much cheaper than ride-shares in the US.
Taxis still exist in Lisbon but we rarely use one for all the reasons Bolt and Uber exist.
Tuk-Tuks
Tuk-tuks are these three-wheeled little cart-like things seemingly everywhere there are tourists in Europe. I hate them. The drivers are sometimes pushy to get rides, they sometimes blast music, they zip in and out making traffic more hairy than it already is, and you have to negotiate for price. Yuk. Yuk-yuks.
Car rental
Again, really, trust us, there is absolutely no reason to rent a car while in Lisbon, or if you're going on the usual day trips to Cascais or Sintra, or if you're traveling anywhere the Comboios de Portugal trains or the Redes Expresso busses go for overnighters. But if you're going into the mountains, or exploring the back country, or going to really small towns, we've had multiple good experiences with Europcar and the Europcar app.