Public Transport in Lisbon: Metro, Carris and the Navegante Card (2026)

Working out public transport in Lisbon is one of the first jobs of any move here, and the honest verdict is that it is cheap, dense and usable without a car. Four metro lines, a large Carris bus and tram network, commuter trains and Tagus ferries all sit on one ticketing system called navegante. This guide covers what it costs in 2026, which card to buy first, and where the network lets you down.

Start with who runs what, because these names are on every ticket machine.

Who runs public transport in Lisbon

Four organisations share public transport in Lisbon and the region around it. Metropolitano de Lisboa runs the metro: four lines in blue, yellow, green and red, 56 stations and 44.2 kilometres of track. Carris runs the city buses, the historic trams including the number 28, the funiculars and the Santa Justa lift. Carris Metropolitana runs the buses beyond the city boundary. Transtejo and Soflusa run the Tagus ferries, and CP and Fertagus run the commuter trains to Sintra, Cascais and the south bank.

The metro runs daily from 06:30 until 01:00, measured as the last train leaving each line’s terminus. That closing hour catches people out: miss it and you are on a night bus or in a taxi. Maps, live status and timetables come from the operators at metrolisboa.pt and carris.pt, and bus routes get reshuffled often enough that those are your only reliable source.

What public transport in Lisbon costs in 2026

Fares were updated on 1 January 2026, and the pattern behind them is simple: buying a ticket on board costs far more than tapping a card you loaded in advance.

That table is the argument for carrying a card, and the first thing to grasp about what public transport in Lisbon really costs. A bus paid to the driver is 2.30 euro against 1.72 euro from zapping credit. Two rides a day for a month adds up, which is why residents rarely pay on board.

The navegante card: occasional and personalised

Everything above runs on one system, and public transport in Lisbon gets noticeably cheaper the moment you hold a navegante card. There are two kinds and the difference matters.

The occasional card costs 0.50 euro, is valid for a year and is not tied to a person. You load single tickets, 24 hour tickets or zapping credit onto it, and one card holds up to four titles at once. Buy this on day one. The personalised card carries your photo and unlocks the monthly passes, where the real savings sit.

How to get a personalised card for public transport in Lisbon

1. Work out your profile first: normal, under 23, senior aged 65 or over, or a family option. Price and paperwork follow from it.
2. Apply at a Carris shop or kiosk, or online through the VIVA portal at portalviva.pt.
3. Bring a valid ID card. Without one, bring your passport or residence permit plus a recent passport size colour photograph.
4. Pay the card fee: 12 euro for issue in 15 minutes or by the next working day, 7 euro for the 10 working day service, 6 or 3.50 euro for under 18 and under 23.
5. Load the pass at the start of each month, then validate on every vehicle you board.

Getting to and from Lisbon Airport

The airport sits inside the city and the red metro line terminates at Aeroporto station, so the cheapest way in on public transport in Lisbon is the metro at 1.72 euro with a navegante card. One change reaches Baixa or Cais do Sodre. An Espaco Informacao at Aeroporto station, open weekdays 08:30 to 19:30, sells that first occasional card.

The catches are luggage and the 01:00 shutdown. For a late landing, or a first arrival with two suitcases and a tired family, a pre booked transfer through welcomepickups.com removes the guesswork for more money than the metro. Either way you want data the moment you land: an eSIM from airalo.com or saily.com beats airport Wi-Fi.

Ferries, trains and the metropolitan buses

Public transport in Lisbon does not stop at the city boundary, and the river crossings are a genuine pleasure. These Transtejo and Soflusa single fares have applied since 1 January 2026.

Carris Metropolitana covers the buses outside the city with five on board fare tiers by type of line, adjusted in January 2026 while prepaid fares and monthly passes stayed put. Because the tier depends on the route, check your own line on the operator’s fares page rather than assuming a flat rate. CP trains to Sintra, Cascais and Azambuja are included in the navegante Metropolitano pass, with fares published on cp.pt.

For steep streets and awkward cross town hops, a bike or scooter booked through bikesbooking.com fills the gap, though the hills are not a joke. And since nearly all of this is paid by card, a euro account without foreign transaction fees from wise.com or revolut.com keeps top ups clean while your money still moves between countries.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is a single metro ticket in Lisbon?

A single metro journey costs 1.72 euro with a navegante card, or 1.92 euro if you tap a contactless bank card. A combined Carris and Metro ticket is 1.90 euro. If you expect several rides in one day, the 24 hour ticket at 7.25 euro pays for itself after about four journeys.

Do I need a navegante card or can I just tap my bank card?

You can tap a contactless bank card on the metro, but it costs 20 cents more per ride and is not accepted the same way by every operator, so it is the weakest way to use public transport in Lisbon. Buy the occasional card for 0.50 euro and load zapping credit instead.

Is public transport in Lisbon free for under 23s?

Yes. The under 23 navegante pass gives free travel throughout the metropolitan area, and there is a free urban pass for residents aged 65 and over who are tax resident in the Lisbon municipality. Both need a personalised card, so budget for the card fee even though the travel costs nothing.

Can I live in Lisbon without a car?

For most people inside the city, yes. A 30 euro monthly municipal pass covers the metro, every Carris bus and tram and the ferries, far less than parking and fuel. Public transport in Lisbon thins out in the outer suburbs and after midnight, so anyone commuting beyond the metro map should test the real journey first.

Expat Essentials for Lisbon

A few quick wins make settling into Lisbon easier while you work through this guide. An Airalo eSIM keeps you online from the moment you land, a pre-booked Welcome Pickups transfer takes the stress out of arrival day, and NordVPN protects your logins on public wifi. See our full list of trusted services below.

Some links in this article are partner links — if you sign up through them, FinePassport may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It helps us keep these guides free and up to date.

FinePassport curates vetted supplier lists so expats never have to settle in alone – from banking and insurance to connectivity and transport, we research so you don’t have to. Jump to the recommended services and get set up faster.

Written by FinePassport team