Which means of transport to use au Portugal?

Organize your stay au Portugal

From the airport to the city centre From the airport to the city centre au Portugal

In Lisbon, the best way to reach the city center from the airport is by metro (red line), or cab. The same applies to Porto: you can take the aerial metro (line E, 30-minute journey), bus or cab.

Faro has no metro. Cabs (or Uber for cheaper fares) are a good solution if you have a specific destination. Otherwise, the bus will take you directly to the bus station. Make sure you take the direction of the city and not Praia de Faro (the driver will point this out to you).

Arrival by train Arrival by train au Portugal

There are three types of train on the Portuguese railroads: the very fast and fairly expensive comboios, which connect the main cities on a regular basis; the intercity trains (like our corails); and the slower and less expensive interregional and regional trains (like our TERs). On the CP (Comboios, the equivalent of SNCF in Portugal / www.cp.pt) website, you'll find fares, timetables and be able to book online.

Lisbon has 5 stations. From abroad, you'll arrive at Santa Apolónia, in the Alfama district. For Sintra, depart from Rossio or Entrecampos stations.

Porto has 2 stations, São Bento in the center and Campanhã to the east. Depending on where you're staying, book your tickets for the nearest station. But these are connected by 4 metro lines.

Faro's train station is in the city center, next to the bus station. Here you can take the train to nearby towns such as Albufeira, Tavira...

Public transport Public transport au Portugal

The metro operates in both Lisbon and Porto and covers both cities well, with one line each to the airport. Ticket offices (often crowded or closed) and automatic terminals issue tickets. These are in English, Portuguese or Spanish. The first time, you will have to pay the price of the card (Viva 0,50 € in Lisbon, Andante 0,60 € in Porto) in addition to the price of the journey, valid for one year. The card is valid for all types of transportation (metro, bus, streetcar).

At the terminal, you can recharge your card by placing it in the slot provided and selecting the trip of your choice (one-way ticket at a rate that varies according to the duration of the trip for Lisbon or the zone for Porto, 24-hour ticket, 72-hour ticket, etc.) or the amount you wish to credit to it (zapping formula: 15, 20, 25 €, etc.), which only works for Lisbon and will be charged to you each time it is used.

Don't forget to validate your card each time, especially since the controllers often pass by in the trains to check that you are in order. In other cities, the bus is a very popular means of transportation for the Portuguese and is well laid out. Tickets can be purchased directly from the driver and cost an average of 2 € per trip.

Bike, scooters & co Bike, scooters & co au Portugal

The self-service bicycles are well established in Lisbon. Their name here: Gira. The operation is the same as in France. You have to download the application on the stores and choose your subscription (annual, monthly or daily at 2 €/day for the latter). The first 45 minutes are free. You can choose between a classic or electric bike to help you climb the city's many slopes. Aveiro also has its own bicycles in free circulation: the Burgas.

Electric scooters are also now well established in Lisbon with another app to download (Hive, Lime, Voi, Bird, or Tier) which will then give you the location of available scooters (and bookable before someone takes it away from you), scattered all over the sidewalks of the city. The rental costs 1 €, then 15 cents per minute. You have to be over 18 to use them.

In Porto, they are beginning to make their arrival, especially in the Foz area. This is also the case in other cities, where electric scooters are gradually, if not exponentially, flourishing.

With a driver With a driver au Portugal

Like the yellow taxis in New York, the Portuguese taxi network is recognizable by its black cars (all kinds) with green or creamy white roofs and the "taxi" sign. A trip from the airport to the city centre in Lisbon is a maximum of €20, and about €25 for Porto. Luggage can be charged at around €1.50. Opt for Uber too; prices are almost half as expensive and the system works in the country's main cities: Lisbon, Porto, Coimbra and much of the Algarve.

By car By car au Portugal

While national roads are easy to drive (even those winding through valleys), driving through towns (and villages) can be scary, as they're (all) full of narrow streets. But the latter are perfectly adapted to cars, and this can indeed be surprising. Municipalities have also thought about traffic management (one-way roads, visualization mirrors...). But be careful! There are a lot of right-hand priorities, so think about it!

As for parking, in small towns and villages, you'll easily find parking spaces. But in Porto, Lisbon, Coimbra and Faro, for example, parking is generally charged from 9am to 7-8pm. As soon as you find a space, park it, because it's not easy to find one, especially in the middle of the day. Avoid driving between 5pm and 7pm, when traffic is heaviest.

While most freeways are equipped with conventional pay stations, access to certain stretches can only be paid for electronically. These sections of road are referred to as "electronic toll only". There are several options for paying motorway tolls when visiting the country with your foreign vehicle:

The EASYtoll system, a 30-day subscription to be taken at an Easytoll terminal, found at four entry points into the country (A28, Viana do Castelo service area; A24, 3.5 km from the Chaves/Verin border; A25, Alto Leomil-Vilar Formoso service area; A22, Vila Real de Santo António). You can cancel your subscription at any time via the website (https://www.portugaltolls.com/fr) or by calling customer services on +351 21 28 79 555.

The Toll card, a prepaid card (€5, €10, €20 or €40) which can be purchased at Portuguese post offices (Correios CTT), freeway service stations or on the website (www.tollcard.pt). When purchasing the prepaid card on the Internet, you'll need to save the purchase receipt on which the activation key (N° do Pré-Pago) is written in the top right-hand corner. It is this number that enables you to log on to the site to find out the balance associated with your registration number.

Toll service, a ticket valid for three days and costing €20. It is available at Easytoll points, in hotels and on the same website.

If you're staying longer than 3 days, the Via Verde system is the most practical. It's the same as our electronic toll system, with a box (costing €26-28 for the year, or €20 max if you're renting a car) to stick inside your vehicle's windscreen. To buy the box, go to a post office (Correios CTT) or Via Verde stores (on the freeways). Each time you pass through a toll booth, the amount due will be debited from your bank account.

The Vinci ULYS freeway badge offers the Spain-Portugal extension , enabling you to travel on Portuguese and Spanish freeways from France, without having to take out a subscription in Portugal. The subscription costs €2/month on top of the French rate. Very practical!

Accessibility Accessibility au Portugal

Portugal is very considerate of people with reduced mobility. Accessibility to public transportation is quite well implemented in the major cities. The problem is the cobblestones in the streets, which can make it difficult for wheelchairs and strollers to get around. Not to mention the slopes, which can be a challenge. However, it is important to note that most of the sidewalks are lowered, both in large cities and in smaller ones.

In Covilhã in the Serra d'Estrela or in Coimbra for example (and in other cities and villages) there are free elevators to reach the upper and lower city instead of having to climb on foot.

Tourist traps Tourist traps au Portugal

Beware of cabs that may charge you for a journey without turning on the meter. Drivers are obliged to turn it on. Be sure to check before you get in, and if not, change cabs.

If you're renting a car, it's a good idea to take a few precautions when choosing the options you'll be offered: don't accept to return the car with empty fuel, as they'll charge you more for a full tank than at the station, whatever the level of the gauge; prefer to fill up the tank yourself and return the vehicle with the same level of fuel as at reception! When it comes to tolls, take the electronic box so you don't end up with a hefty bill at the end of the rental period for unpaid tolls. You can pay the amount due when you return the vehicle.