Accommodation and Useful Tips

Accommodation

There are a number of hotel booking sites that offer competitive prices for accommodation in Lisbon, including some of the hotels listed below. Among these are: www.hotelscombined.pt; www.booking.com; www.hotels.com; www.tripadvisor.com.

2-Star Hotels

  • Hotel Alicante – Metro Station: Picoas (Yellow Line)
  • Hotel Delta – Metro Station: Saldanha (Yellow Line)
  • Hotel Íbis Lisboa – Metro Station: Saldanha (Yellow Line)
  • Hotel Imperador – Metro Station: Saldanha (Yellow Line)
  • São Pedro – Metro Station: Saldanha (Yellow Line)
  • Hotel Nazaré – Metro Station: Marquês Pombal (Yellow Line)
  • Hotel Itália – Metro Station: Campo Pequeno (Yellow Line)
  • Hotel DAH – Metro Station: Alameda (Red Line + Yellow Line)
  • Hotel Luena – Metro Station: Arroios (Green Line + Yellow Line)
  • Sete Colinas – Metro Station: Arroios (Green Line + Yellow Line)
  • Hotel do Chile – Metro Station: Arroios (Green Line + Yellow Line)

3-Star Hotels

4-Star Hotel

 

Take a look at the Metro Map. Find your way with this interactive map of Lisbon.

 

What you’ll need

Getting Around  travel cards

The best way to roam about the city is to get a ticket on the subway. It’s valid for buses too and you can even hop-on and off with the same ticket for one hour. Each ticket is €1,40 or you can get an unlimited daily ticket for €6. If you’re planning to see some museums and other attractions, then your best option is a Lisboa Card, which you can use in every kind of transport around the city and will get you free admission to more than 80 museums and attractions. They cost €18,50 for 24h, €31,50 for 48h and €39 for 72h. You can even buy them online. Taxis are fairly cheap and will get you around the city for around €5 to €10 a ride. Please be aware that they can charge you extra for carrying big luggage or if you called them on the phone (+351 218119000). See GoLisbon for more information.

Mobile Cards and Data

You can get a SIM card from a lot of shops in Lisbon (even at the Airport). The main networks are Vodafone, NOS and Meo. A card will cost you about €10 but will include the same amount in calls, texts and data. Data charges on this are usually €5 fo 1GB if you buy your SIM Card online. Other than that, there are two main networks of Wi-Fi, the Meo Wi-Fi which has many roaming agreements with other providers, so you can probably use it, and Fon which covers pretty much the entire city. A lot of public places such as restaurants and coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi too. Just look for the free Wi-Fi sign for instructions.

Safety and Healtcare

Lisbon is one of the safest cities in Europe, but we do have pick-pockets. As in any city, just be careful carrying your stuff in public transportation. Public healthcare is free if you come from within the EU, but you’ll have to have your EU Health Card. If you run into any kind of trouble, the emergency number is 112.

Electric Sockets

Portugal uses standard European electric plugs (the Schuko kind). They’re 220V and use two round pins. For your convenience just bring one adapter and a multiple power strip from your country. There should be enough power sockets at the venue for you to charge all your gear.

Out and About

Nightlife

There are two main hotspots to enjoy the crazy Lisbon nightlife: Cais do Sodré and Bairro Alto. If you’re into roaming bars and mingling in the streets of old town, Bairro Alto is for you. It gets incredibly busy and messy on weekends but it’s still a lot of fun. However, Cais do Sodré – Santos is where all the action is these days, with a string of bars surrounding Pink Street. If you’re into dancing, you can’t go wrong with Place, Urban or Lux Frágil (this one near Santa Apolónia). If you want to experience genuine Fado, the city’s traditional folk music, then go to Alfama. You’ll find a lot of Fado houses near the top of the hill. Near the Venue you’ll also find some nice bars near the river. Or if you’re into it, why not visit the nearby Casino?

Fast Tours

Don’t have much time to get to know the city? Then the best way is to use the Sightseeing buses and trams. They run through all the sights in Lisbon and one of them even goes to Sintra for half a day. If you have a whole half-day, why not go on a walking tour of the old town? There’s also a tram circuit which will drive you to the main hills of Lisbon and departs from Terreiro do Paço. Alternatively you can also go on a cruise in the river Tagus, departing from Cais do Sodré. One of the boats there is a floating work of art by Joana Vasconcelos.

Adapted from: UXLx